NewsWhore
01-25-2008, 03:00 PM
While quick to challenge any controversy pointing in his direction, Senate leader Reinaldo Pared Perez has decided to stay relatively mum in reaction to Hoy's publication just how much senators cost the country. Yesterday, the Senate leader was asked to comment on reports that each senator costs the state roughly RD$2 million per month and Pared said that it's not far from the truth. Hoy writes that the Senate leader was visibly angry with questions from reporters, although in a failing effort to deflect attention from the conversation Pared told reporters that what was most disappointing was that the newspapers didn't highlight the work that legislators had done in 2007 when Congress passed more than 2,000 bills. He did not detail what the bills were about, and it is known that a large percentage of bills are for sale of state property at below market prices, often benefiting individuals.
Meanwhile, PRSC Deputy Mario Jose Fernandez Savinon said yesterday that deputies have so many other expenses to deal with that living solely on a legislators' salary did not pay enough to go by. He added that deputies needed to have another income to make ends meet. Meanwhile, his colleague Carlos Martinez claimed that the incentives they get, like the Social Fund, valued at RD$50,000, are minimal things that legislators donate to churches and other institutions. Deputies make roughly RD$350,000, not including other benefits. Martinez argued that Dominican legislators are among the lowest-paid in the region. Fernandez continued by saying that anyone who lives on a deputy's salary would probably never be a deputy again because the pressure is too intense. He did admit, however, that since legislative salaries are higher now than they were during the Balaguer years, more people want to work in Congress, while stating that deputy's salaries are nothing compared to the salaries of high-ranking officials.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)
Meanwhile, PRSC Deputy Mario Jose Fernandez Savinon said yesterday that deputies have so many other expenses to deal with that living solely on a legislators' salary did not pay enough to go by. He added that deputies needed to have another income to make ends meet. Meanwhile, his colleague Carlos Martinez claimed that the incentives they get, like the Social Fund, valued at RD$50,000, are minimal things that legislators donate to churches and other institutions. Deputies make roughly RD$350,000, not including other benefits. Martinez argued that Dominican legislators are among the lowest-paid in the region. Fernandez continued by saying that anyone who lives on a deputy's salary would probably never be a deputy again because the pressure is too intense. He did admit, however, that since legislative salaries are higher now than they were during the Balaguer years, more people want to work in Congress, while stating that deputy's salaries are nothing compared to the salaries of high-ranking officials.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#3)