[drloca]

Originally Posted by pyratt

Can you tell me what those might be?

Having spent over 30 weeks (in 22 months) in the DR-and from what I read on DR1- the DR has a hard time providing basic infrastructure for it's citizens (like picking up the garbage from the streets regularly, reliable electricity and clean running water 24/7)....

Couple that with very few people earning a "living wage", rising fuel and food prices....and an apparent attempt by a drug cartel to overtake certain areas of the country.....and you have good reason to see why many would risk everything to get to a perceived "better life".

Not that it's true...it is just a perception....remember there's a good pipeline of "stories" coming from NY, where I'm sure the common thread is "once you get here...."

Having flown SAR missions in the early 90s and witnessed Cubans literally rowing "floating junk" across the Straits, I realize how "the land of freedom" is perceived by many who have nothing....what I find sad, is the disappointment and frustration many refugees find once they are here and discover the "streets are not lined with gold", nor is this "the land of milk and honey"...(more like "if you're gonna live here, ya gotta have money", just like it is in the DR!)

Until the Dominican government takes responsibility for the ills of the DR (and quits lining the pockets of themselves and thier cronies) there will always be a segment of people who will risk all to get to "greener (greenback) pastures".....the sad part is, while we hear about a few....there are many more we don't hear about....1 in 4 Cubans survived crossing the Florida Straits back when I flew....

I share a fictionalized (based on a rescue I did) version of one family's journey in Dying to Get Here: A Story of Coming to America.....

As it turns out, this particular Dominican flagged ship yesterday was said to be a rusted but sea worthy freighter...and there were also a few Brazilians aboard....and YES...it is sad to think people are so desperate

Sad, but all very true!