NewsWhore
08-30-2007, 06:00 PM
In comments earlier this week in Santiago on occasion of the inauguration of millionaire facilities for university students, President Leonel Fernandez explained that the government could not invest more in education because of the massive public debt it had inherited from its predecessor, the Hipolito Mejia administration.
In his column in El Caribe today, news commentator Miguel Guerrero wonders why the President did not refer to the borrowing in his two terms in government.
Furthermore, he stressed the ample resources the government enjoys. "The statement is not very original when not a day goes by when we are not reminded of the efficiency of the authorities in collecting taxes, which has provided the government with the greatest availability of resources ever had," he comments.
He highlights the comment of the President is in contrast to the government sending to Congress a complementary budget for the use of a RD$11 million surplus and the increase in government spending, despite there being an Austerity Law and a government commitment to rationalize spending.
"The President's statement should be enough to convince where the priorities of the government stand," he explains. It is obvious the servicing of the debt does not affect the construction pace of the metro, nor deters appointments to continue fattening the government payroll, nor is a reason to reduce government spending on propaganda, he points out.
He concludes that there is no denying the hefty investment the government is making to improve schools. But he stresses the investment has predominantly financed the construction and equipping of deluxe university facilities. "The images on the advances of the metro contrast with those of the school children that sit on empty cans in dilapidated school rooms," he concludes.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
In his column in El Caribe today, news commentator Miguel Guerrero wonders why the President did not refer to the borrowing in his two terms in government.
Furthermore, he stressed the ample resources the government enjoys. "The statement is not very original when not a day goes by when we are not reminded of the efficiency of the authorities in collecting taxes, which has provided the government with the greatest availability of resources ever had," he comments.
He highlights the comment of the President is in contrast to the government sending to Congress a complementary budget for the use of a RD$11 million surplus and the increase in government spending, despite there being an Austerity Law and a government commitment to rationalize spending.
"The President's statement should be enough to convince where the priorities of the government stand," he explains. It is obvious the servicing of the debt does not affect the construction pace of the metro, nor deters appointments to continue fattening the government payroll, nor is a reason to reduce government spending on propaganda, he points out.
He concludes that there is no denying the hefty investment the government is making to improve schools. But he stresses the investment has predominantly financed the construction and equipping of deluxe university facilities. "The images on the advances of the metro contrast with those of the school children that sit on empty cans in dilapidated school rooms," he concludes.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)