The people's voice is an important part of strengthening our democracy and contributing to the public debate on important matters. / A.M. Costa Rica wire services photo.
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Opinion letters from readers
Half of the patients went without medical attention because of the strike
We need to stop this practice of allowing every union that doesn't like something to disrupt our country! Especially when it involves health care, disruption by unions should not be allowed.
It should be like other countries where unions are allowed to protest along the side of the road or in front of buildings, to express their dissatisfaction and try to get others to support their cause. However, disrupting traffic, disrupting health care and other actions of disrupting life in Costa Rica should not only be prohibited by law, but the law should be severely enforced.
Jail time - at least some - is necessary to get the point across that we will not tolerate these ridiculous, unproductive, and unlawful disruptions.
To allow protesters to disrupt everyone's lives without punishment will only encourage them to continue this practice of disruption every time they don't like something.
It's past time to put an end to this!
Jorge Herrera
San Ramon de Alajuela
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Tourism and business - Lack of cooperation by government in making Costa Rica attractive financially
The best way for the government to attract more tourists, residents, and businesses would be to become competitive financially. Flights to Costa Rica are higher than most places and I am told that is because of landing fee's and taxes charged. I also know firsthand how expensive and difficult it is to get cooperation for starting a development, and getting a water concession. The level of bureaucracy in getting anything done is unbelievable, and makes Costa Rica a very poor choice for an investor. In my case, I have invested over $1.2 million, using all local people and materials, on a residential real estate development, and was granted a water concession 12 years ago, and when it came time to renew it, I was charged many thousands of dollars for doing all the studies over again, and was eventually denied the renewal of the concession.
Apparently, despite my having filed the Master plan and all the plano's on the 88 lots with the National Registry, and had already legally had all the studies done and received permits, and installed 4 new wells, the person I trusted to file for the concession lied on the application and said we were only going to have 6 cabanas. Upon the renewal process, the inspector reported, correctly, that we had many more lots for sale than that, and the renewal was denied. I have no idea why the person that I was told to hire to get the concession request filed decided to lie, or why the government could not have looked at my filing with the National Registry and know we had a larger number of residential lots, and knew we have installed 4 new wells, but Pura Vida, it is what it is.
Now I am told I can get an ASADA to grand legal water again, if I pay $36,000 to extend an existing municipality water line to my wells, and agree to maintain my wells why the government body uses my wells for the community. I have no problem having my wells used to help the community, but why would I have to pay for the waterline and to have to maintain the wells that are now basically owned by the government?
We all know that most Costa Rican's think all gringos are wealthy, and any foreigner trying to get residency in Costa Rica is charged a substantial amount for the process, and then obligated to enroll in the Caja, that many will never use, and that the list of new taxes is never-ending. Like all governments, Costa Rica wishes to spend more than they take in, resulting in national debt and loss of credit rating when it hits the tipping point, and new revenue sources have to be found.
But the problem is that Costa Rica is neither a business friendly country, or an inexpensive country to get to, or for the cost of goods and services once one gets there. This is why it is difficult to attract more business and tourists to Costa Rica, there are too many other countries as options that are much cheaper and easier to deal with. I love Costa Rica despite the problems, but would I choose Costa Rica again knowing what I know now, definitely not.
Jim Day
Libertad, Guanacaste,
and Michigan, USA
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Police purchase eight patrol vehicles and special equipment valued at more than $600,000
The US is in economic, financial, and moral decline. There are fewer babies in the US than ever before. The hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers at the southern US border are not enough to replace the decline in the US population. These new immigrants will pay for the pensions of the rapidly increasing retirees of the US. Even so, the pension funds are still going bankrupt.
Many US citizens favor the mass invasion at the southern US border with Mexico because the number of would-be immigrants is exactly what is needed to replace the US population decline. There are jobs waiting to be filled by immigrants.
There is a rumor that slavery went out of fashion with Abraham Lincoln. But the truth is the whole world is still full of slaves and slavery. Costa Rica gets most of its slaves from Nicaragua.
The truth is that these poor and destitute immigrants at the US border are in effect, cheap slave labor that will pay for the current pensioners.
In Lincoln’s time, the slave-owner had to house and feed his slaves in order to get a good day’s work out of them in the cotton fields. The modern slaves are not so well off. They have to find their own food and lodging and master.
Desmond McReynolds,
San Jose
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Global Warming
Pardon me for my brusque style but i have been following this since I was a teenager in 1965, believed it then, believe it now. The evidence is all around us. Deforestation, droughts, extreme floods, fires raging in unusual places, stronger hurricanes and so on, soon the planet will not be able to feed itself but we as a species seem to be determined to wring out the last drop of oil the earth contains. Get the last dollar and then maybe we'll think about addressing the issue, but ask yourself, all of you flat-earthers, do we as a benign conservator, manager of the planet have the time?
I have lived in CR for almost 10 years and through careful observation and detailed notes have noticed a subtle change in the local climate, fortunately for us we live high enough up to keep us away from floods but there's always the but in the thought, so to conclude, solar, wind, wave energy are sustainable and proven pain pills to help the earth heal and stop what could become a giant cinder-block in the universe and this is not an insurmountable.
It only takes political will.
Dan Bradshaw,
Escazu, San Jose
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My opinion on the Caja
My wife and I are permanent residents here and pay into the Caja. We always notice that our clinics are pretty much always really busy. Lots of people complain about the wait and if you need some kind of a procedure you can wait months. You also hear that they are broke like most government run businesses in the world.
I have a simple idea to help people that are really sick AND make a little extra money for the clinics.
My feeling is that lots of people take advantage of the so-called free medical service that we all pay for. You have a sore throat, a runny nose, a minor soar ankle that you twisted, you take off work and go to the doctor.
It's a good excuse to leave work for a few hours and you get paid for it. So, what if there was a low co-pay, like 2,000 to 5,000 colones for each visit to the doctor? Would as many people go to the doctor for a simple ailment that just fixes itself like a common cold that there is no cure for?
The co-pay would help pay the doctors, upgrade equipment or whatever they want to use it for.
I'm not trying to change the way things are done here, just make a good thing better. Who would not want to help a socialized medical country improve its system and make it better for all?
Sincerely,
Jack Burrow,
Guanacaste
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Why waste money on a war on drugs?
I do not use drugs, though I did use some recreationally when I was young. I quit. You see, not everyone becomes a drug addict. And those who do, would probably just become alcoholics if drugs weren't available.
My question is "Why does Costa Rica continually waste money on the War On Drugs?" History has shown that a war on drugs cannot be won. People have been taking drugs since the beginning of the human race. They are not likely to stop now.
The government raised taxes to 15% recently. Is part of that money going for an unwinnable war? The Minister of Finance wants to borrow $6 BILLION to have funds for the coming years. Will this money be used for a war on drugs that cannot be won, as well?
This country has many problems such as poor infrastructure, poor roads and bridges, people living in poverty, areas prone to flooding, and mudslides, etc. I would like to see the money spent on the war on drugs, spent on these real problems, instead.
So why is it every time I open up the latest AM Costa Rica I see yet another article about how they have wasted more money and time on yet another useless drug bust?
Jose Carrillo,
San Jose
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Seeing things in terms of color/divisive
Isn't time that we as a nation stop seeing in things in terms of color? To me, it's divisive and demeaning. It implies that certain communities are catching up - therefore implicitly behind.
Let's look at ourselves as Tico - not as indigenous or Afro-Caribbean, or city or country. Politicians through political correctness perpetrated through the media want to divide us for reasons to maintain a power base. Isn't it time we stopped falling for it? This style of thinking/reporting is passe. Let's move on past identity reporting and identity politic and look at communities rather than color. Identify groups by location rather than the majority of member's skin color.
I think the press has more of a responsibility than making money. They have implied public faith. - And should behave accordingly: for the public good.
Saludos,
Phil Baker
Village Nevada, USA
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The people's voice is an important part of strengthening our democracy and contributing to the public debate on important matters. A.M. Costa Rica encourages readers to send letters to the editor and comment on relevant topics of the day. Writers should include their full name and address. We do not allow vulgarities to appear in letters. No defamatory pieces will be accepted. We reserve the right to publish. Send your opinion to: news@amcostarica.com
The views or opinions expressed by the authors are the sole and exclusive responsibility of the senders and do not necessarily represent the opinion of A.M. Costa Rica. Therefore, the newspaper does not accept liability for reader's opinion letter content.
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