To the Honorable Senate President Mr. Perez

[bearcat]

Am I Missing something here!


The Senate President Perez is complaining about comments made by the United States Ambassador at an American Chamber of Commerce meeting were he said that the lack of power hinders the Dominican Republic’s ability to develop. He called that shameless meddling. I respectfully suggest to the Senate president that if he is offended by the advice of the Ambassador then he and the other members of the government of the Dominican Republic need simply pay my country back the money it borrowed and stop taking our financial assistance. If you do that then we would in fact be meddling but we have a financial interest in this country and with the cash comes “meddling.”
Where has this Senate President been, he could not have been in the same Dominican Republic we live? News Flash Mr. Senate President; you can not run a country using generators. It simply can not be done. Thousand of businesses in this country are running on generators 18-20 hours a day. That simply can not continue. Mr. Senate President when you can see the air because of generator running 20 hours a day you have not one but many problems. If you’re being shamed makes the government of the Dominican Republic get off its ass and fix the problem then shame is good. A small group of people are profiting from keeping this country in the dark and that is bad. I have no problem with business making a profit but you are killing your children and grandchildren operating in this fashion.
The rates for the hotel I stayed before I found permanent housing have doubled in the last 12 months because they have to operate their business using “standby” generators. Business men and women in the Colonial Zone can only operate part of the day because there is no power.
All day power is a problem that is fixable. Without it this country can not attract job developing industry and worse some of the business you have here may very well close.
All day power will not be fixed in this country until there is no money in the keeping the country in the dark. Solar power is subject to high duties and taxes and controlled by a few chosen people. Fuel oil sales are not open to new entrants and those in the game keep the price artificially high. With only a few battery sellers the price is what they say the price is. Power theft is a problem that can be fixed given the will to fix it but history has shown us that there is no will to fix it. Therefore those who pay there bills pay the costs of those who steal. All the above matters are because of the action and lack of action by the government of the Dominican Republic.
The financial free fall in the United States is a problem but it was not caused by the direct action of anyone in government; it was caused by greed. We allowed the free market to operate to freely. It is true that the United States taxpayer will have to pay for it, but we have not asked the government of the Dominican Republic for aid.
More important Mr. Senate President when you turn on a light switch in Washington D.C. anytime of day or night the lights come on, that can not be said for Santo Domingo. Why is that? Let’s see first solar power users and provider get tax breaks for using solar power. The government makes low interest loans to companies to go solar. Any group can go into the power business, the gas and fuel oil business, they can import gas and oil without restriction, they can build biogas plants and even get financial assistance in the marketplace for those projects without being asked for one penny by a member of government and if a government official asked or accepts money or favors he goes to jail. You may wish to write Ted Stevens a senator from Alaska who is on his way to jail for accepting a favor.
My country is not perfect but the lights come on and we have not and will never ask the Dominican Republic for a dime. If you are offended by the Ambassadors comments keep the lights on or better do not take our money. That seems fair to me.

[windeguy]

I was hoping someone would respond to the above mentioned "meddling" comment by Mr. Perez. Well said, and I agree.

I have always seen the electricity problem as the number one issue in this country. The corruption, denial and waste in the energy sector is such a huge issue for this country.

Oh well, after 5 and a half hours without street power, it's almost time to start my generator...

[J D Sauser]

A country without affordable and stable energy has NO FUTURE. Today, to make things even worse... we have to add the words "renewable" and "clean" to above wisdom or failure is more certain than the "Amen" at church.

The problem is, they have undereducated their population so badly, they can get away heads up with statements like these, statements I don't think they really even believe in. It's just blah, blah.

... J-D.

[bob saunders]

Originally Posted by windeguy

I was hoping someone would respond to the above mentioned "meddling" comment by Mr. Perez. Well said, and I agree.

I have always seen the electricity problem as the number one issue in this country. The corruption, denial and waste in the energy sector is such a huge issue for this country.

Oh well, after 5 and a half hours without street power, it's almost time to start my generator...

An absolutely true statement but Americans get very offended if they perceive undue meddling in their country's affairs just like Dominicans. No doubt in my mind that the electricity problem should be #1 priority for the government.

[Lambada]

Not everyone thinks Ambassador Fannin is 'meddling'.......'El embajador no infama al país dijo Castillo'
Auge criminalidad aterroriza la República Dominicana - Diario Horizonte - Noticias Dominicanas - Quisqueya

[MikeFisher]

there's not been much to add,
the OP is a great statement, even that i disagree on the point where a country would have the right to advice an other country on anything because they lent them money. money and weapons do not get every piece of territory on the planet, they should know about that over there since a long time.
but i completely agree on all the rest, the energy problem is our biggest point and it needs solutions fast, otherwise people will not only go on the streets shouting out loud or burning a tyre or two. the electricityrun with gubmin officials involved in the process will always loose more enery/money on the transfer than people receive of it. i don't have a solution for that problem myself, hopefully others do and find a way out of that crisis, because it will grow up into a big crisis quickly.
Mike

[bob saunders]

So, how would you solve the electrical problem, realising that if you cut off all the poor people, and not so poor, that are not paying the outrage may shut the country down and cost a few people their life.
As far DR Government loans - most are with the World Bank or European governments- Do they have any with the American government?

[J D Sauser]

Originally Posted by bob saunders

So, how would you solve the electrical problem, realising that if you cut off all the poor people, and not so poor, that are not paying the outrage may shut the country down and cost a few people their life.
As far DR Government loans - most are with the World Bank or European governments- Do they have any with the American government?

The only way I see they could do it, as things stand right now, is like Franco had Spain's highway system implemented in the 70's... by having foreign companies do it on their own bill (with credits and grants from abroad too) and then having the right of operation for 30, 30 or 40 years under set guidelines (prices).
In my opinion, besides the few hydro electric installations and windmills here and there, EVERYTHING else needs to be REPLACED completely.

Even though oil has recently surprised us by getting "cheaper" (only LESS EXPENSIVE, really) it will soon be too expensive and valuable to just burn it. That besides the aspects of contamination.

But as things are going... it all seems only wishful thinking.

the country's energy problem is not something that just has been an issue "now", it seems it ALWAYS has been. You watch those movies and reports from past political elections and turmoils... almost always, was "apagones" and their elimination one of the main issues... kind'a like "social security" in the States...

... J-D.