Trash solution for Cabarete and Sosua

[cobraboy]

Originally Posted by Don Juan

What would work in the US will not work in DR. We simply have a very different mind-set. No amount of prodding will make most Dominicans abandon their "throw-away wherever" pattern. They (most) do not seem to associate garbage= decease= eyesore= lower income. They just don't get it!

The ONLY way they will react in a positive way is to offer them money to do the job you want done. There's simply NO other way!!

Alright, How is this accomplished? #1. Get as many "think-alike" people as possible. #2. Direct your comrades (in sets of two), to visit businesses along the most polluted streets and ask for their help. #3 Delegate a large group of your organization to talk to the local sindicos and see if they will help in ANY way to do the job that's technically their's. #4. If no reaction from the local government leaches, have your group recruit a large number of people to pick up garbage where it's most needed. Presumably this is paid for by the local business association. #5. Go to the mayor papers ( Listin, Hoy) and make a big stink about the sorry state of the north coast AND the freaking country due to neglect and the laissez-faire attitude in local sindicos. #6. Run for office yourself and clean up the town figuratively and literary!
More power to you Jackieboo for trying to better our lives! I salute you!!!
If I lived there I'd be your most enthusiastic backer! I wish you great success!

I like the Trash Gestapo on Commission more.

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by Don Juan

What would work in the US will not work in DR. We simply have a very different mind-set. No amount of prodding will make most Dominicans abandon their "throw-away wherever" pattern. They (most) do not seem to associate garbage= decease= eyesore= lower income. They just don't get it!

You seriously underestimate Dominicans.
I get the impression from your words, that you are Dominican yourself, although not living here.
You also underestimate the power of advertising.
Dominicans are very proud.
Once taught to be proud about keeping their country beautiful, by not littering, they will pressure others to do the same.
To think that they are not capable of doing it this way, is almost like saying they are sub-human.

[cobraboy]

Originally Posted by Rocky

You seriously underestimate Dominicans.
I get the impression from your words, that you are Dominican yourself, although not living here.
You also underestimate the power of advertising.
Dominicans are very proud.
Once taught to be proud about keeping their country beautiful, by not littering, they will pressure others to do the same.
To think that they are not capable of doing it this way, is almost like saying they are sub-human.

It's a cultural thing. The US had the exact same problem once. All it took was consistent education, some stiff sanctions (NOT stiff Sankies), and time to create a cultural shift.

The very fact Dominicans ARE proud just makes the process easier.

If I was ever elected President of the DR, I'd pledge to do four things:

-clean up the garbage permanently

-establish a REAL non-partisan Civil Service system

-establish viable electronic data systems for the government

-establish a more effective tax collection system.

[Rafael Rothschild]

I congratulate you, jackieboo, for your iniciative.

It's very sad on the other hand, to see how some of these great and noble ideas are distorted and ridiculized by comments belonging in the Clown Bin.
It could be my wrong impression (I'm new to this forum) that some of you guys use and abuse these threads because you all know eachother too well, and use the opportunity to chit-chat; however, I, and I pressume many of others DR1ers, would prefer you do this in private e-mails and messages.
If you can't come up with positive critizism and/or better ideas, simply keep quiet until you do.

Here is my response jackieboo:
I don't live in Sosua and maybe I never will. I don't have enough knowledge to provide better ideas; however, you can count with my monthly donation
of $500 dominican pesos to support your iniciative for a period of 12 months.
I will be in the Puerto Plata area (Riu bachata) from December 15th to the
25th and I will be happy to meet with you, buy a round of drinks and listen to what you have to say.

Rafael Rothschild

[jackieboo]

Originally Posted by cobraboy

It's a cultural thing. The US had the exact same problem once. All it took was consistent education, some stiff sanctions (NOT stiff Sankies), and time to create a cultural shift.

The very fact Dominicans ARE proud just makes the process easier.

If I was ever elected President of the DR, I'd pledge to do four things:

-clean up the garbage permanently

-establish a REAL non-partisan Civil Service system

-establish viable electronic data systems for the government

-establish a more effective tax collection system.

Here we go again with the 'I remember when' and the 'what if's'. All fine if we're going down memory lane.

Rocky, you of all people, comparing the U.S. to the DR. Campaign and all nothing would have really been done about trash in the States without hefty fines and the seat belt issue? That didn't come about until the car manufacturers had to pay out millions in law suits. Again, people didn't really start buckling up until hefty penalities were enforced.

The point of my post was not to talk about how other countries changed their litter problems, the point was to offer 'real' suggestions and start taking care of the problem now.

So even if we started a gigantic ad campaign, who's going to clean up the garbage that's currently on the streets and beaches?

The Domincan people are clean, don't you see the clothes hanging out to dry every weekend and see women sweeping their dirt floors clean every day? They'd put their garbage in a trash container if they new someone was going to pick it up.

This is not a cultural thing, it is an economic thing. The government officials are concerned about lining their pockets, the poor are concerned about feeding their families and the ex-pats, well, they're worried about.... well, they bitch about a lot of things and do very little to enact what they bitch about.

Now we're at over 400 views on this thread and only one person has PM'd me to discuss serious solutions. Why?

[HOWMAR]

Originally Posted by jackieboo

They'd put their garbage in a trash container if they new someone was going to pick it up.

The hundreds of garbage dumpsters that were placed in Puerto Plata in the past year disprove this. Although these dumpsters are emptied regularly, the area is as dirty (the construction areas are dirtier) as it ever was. I think enforcement is the only answer. Fine the litterers as you see them and fine the property owners for not cleaning in front of their own property.

[CFA123]

Originally Posted by jackieboo

Now we're at over 400 views on this thread and only one person has PM'd me to discuss serious solutions. Why?

jackieboo,
perhaps because, like me, they haven't yet thought of a solution that they feel would work.

i'm more familiar with cabarete than sosua, and as a smaller area it should be easier to clean up. my initial thought was the addition of sidewalk trash bins would help, but i don't think that alone is sufficient.

your idea for a once a week/month 'trash for cash' for the area between cabarete and sosua might work, it certainly wouldn't do any harm.

for within the cities, i think i'd try the 'disney world' approach. if you ever walk through a disney park, there are employees constantly sweeping up every leaf or piece of errant trash. as far as i can see, that's their only job.

i know you expressed not wanting to hire anyone, but perhaps with your drive to accomplish something you can band together a few people to convince businesses to contribute funds & perhaps management to the effort? enough interest, perhaps the cities themselves will hire the people if the funds are known to be available.
1. create core group of motivated people led by yourself
2. determine # of people to hire in each city, estimate cost
3. present concept, willingness to participate, and request for participation to Ashoresoca (hotel/restuarant association)
4. seek funds from businesses
5. put out some trash cans on the streets in front of businesses that will commit to emptying them regularly.
6. buy brooms, dust pans
7. hire employees
8. put them to work

If you could get a commitment from businesses and individuals of say, RD$100,000 monthly. That could hire, what, 10-15 people full time for cleanup duties?

It might not sound like much initially, but just 15 people = 30,000 man hours of clean up annually.

Put 2-4 in Cabarete. The other 10-12 in Sosua. Get more funds? More people.

Perhaps even have them work at night when there are fewer cars parked and sidewalks aren't as jammed.

Another thought to fund any type of clean-up project... placement of 'clean up sosua/cabarete' cans at hotels/businesses/restaurants where tourists can donate to the effort. It's actually a good enough cause to have someone soliciting donations from tourists.

If you are able to get something together, I'll contribute funds to the effort.

[Rafael Rothschild]

Great post CFA123

It provides very positive ideas and offers to contribute to other posible solutions.

Congratulations

[Chirimoya]

Jackieboo -there have been a couple of initiatives by expats in Cabrera and Las Galeras (Samana) which you could visit. Both have websites IIRC.

You could ask them what worked and what didn't, and see how you can apply it to your area. Good luck.

[vince1956]

http://www.dominicantoday.com/app/article.aspx?id=20276 How we take thing for granted