Local Politics in Montellano

[Lambada]

The Fiscal in Puerto Plata received complaints that the new fire station was starting to be built in a 'green' area of Montellano, so he went to put a stop to it. This was work sanctioned by the Ayuntamiento btw. Fiscal took police with him, arrested the main worker and a lady whom I suspect was worker's mum or grandma clung on to this young man to stop him being detained.........which didn't work. Fiscal also ordered police to take away building materials, wood etc. Then the lady mayor arrives & argues the toss with the Fiscal, encouraging vocal support from the crowd. The Fiscal is the man in the dark jacket & pinky-mauve shirt, the mayor is the lady with glasses and a pink top. All caught on video:
YouTube - Fiscal trata impedir construcción Cuartel Bomberos

COSAS DE MONTELLANO: FOTOS/VIDEOS: Vuelven a chocar Fiscal Mueses y Sindica Graciela Fermin

A slice of local life and............a possible caption competition?

[tflea]

Funny, sad, typical. Graciela is a pistola isn't she.
Surprised there wasn't some violence. Tan ridiculo todo eso.

[Lambada]

There's a bit more here. Last November the local Environmental Committee notified Fiscal of Ayuntamiento's intention to build the fire station in said location which is Banco Central land; Fiscal issued a cease & desist order which got put into effect Saturday when work actually started on measuring the footings etc. So the commencement of work was in direct conflict with an order already issued by the Fiscal. It would appear that the pistola didn't have permissions from Environment Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Public Works nor CODIA.

Puerto Plata Digital

[BermudaRum]

[/QUOTE] A slice of local life and............a possible caption competition? [/QUOTE]

You build it, and they will come!

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by BermudaRum

You build it, and they will come!

Playing with fire?

[rilen]

People power for the win!

**** the law, you can pay them

[ctrob]

That's a classic!

My Title suggestion is:

POLITICS......DOMINICAN STYLE

I'ld have to watch it again but I thought the Foreman got pulled away by the crowd and was not re-captured. If so, that was basically the "people" voting.

Think about it..... Why wait for a Town Hall meeting, hiring lawyers, and all that nonsense. Just have a "street vote".

And the same thing with the lumber in the back of the truck. The people "voted" to keep the wood....the policia just didn't have the votes. Hah

What cracks me up is all the firepower for a Cease & Desist.... I'm used to seeing that kind of stuff down there but it still amazes me.

[DavidZ]

Wow...those people REALLY want their firehouse!! And what are all those able-bodied men and women doing not working on a weekday afternoon anyway?

[tflea]

People drain their oil directly into the river in Montellano when doing their regular, 5-year oil changes and nobody says a word, but to build a fire station, they need medio ambiente's approval. And building permits and fire hazzard insurance and all that. I don't know. Not something I'd like to be in the middle of. Let Graciela and Victor fight it out to the liking of those who put them in office in the first place. Everyone talks at once and there are no listeners.

[Lambada]

Originally Posted by DavidZ

And what are all those able-bodied men and women doing not working on a weekday afternoon anyway?

There's been a lot of unemployment in Montellano ever since the sugar mill closed.

Meanwhile, some developments:
COMITE PRO-DEFENSA MONTELLANO SOMETERA A LA JUSTICIA SINDICA GRACIELA FERMIN

And if people are trying to fathom what the other agenda might be......it could be this:
ZACARIAS RIPOLL AFIRMA GRACIELA FERMIN NO PODRA SER CANDIDATA A DIPUTADA POR EL PRD, ROMPE ALIANZA CON EQUIPO TOMMY DURAN

Graciela is running for Diputada once again. According to some, article 174 stipulates the requirement of 5 years uninterrupted membership of the partido & of course in 2006 Graciela left the PRD to join PLD to become Mayor (by decree) of new municipality of Montellano. She later left PLD & went back to PRD and is now running to be PRD diputada.