-Published: Monday, November 18, 2019-
Opinion letters from readers
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Free water for squatters . . . . What is free?
I suppose Aida Maria Montiel-Hector and Jose Maria Villalta Floez-Estrada made their choices long ago… left, right, no matter, it’s about control . . . control-ling the people in order to do good . . . surly the reason they filed their proposal for law No. 21.675.
I mean no disrespect to Aida and Jose, I’m sure they believe they’re doing poor people a favor . . . and they are!
They’re Giving away other people’s water…against their will! This water is not a natural right . . . someone has to produce and distribute it. That costs money.
A true natural right, however, the only excuse to even have a government, is to protect people’s right to keep what’s theirs.
I believe the answer lies somewhere in your original article:
“…AyA has been providing water service even to those who cannot show they have a title to the property involved.” Yes, I understand it’s still theft, I prefer a free market approach, but at least no one is getting fat off it. This is a case of AyA workers recognizing real problems for desperate people and fixing them quietly with the least amount of fuss.
I remember when medicine was like that. Before government got involved, poor people paid less or nothing at all to humble country doctors who came to our houses late at night . . . people helping people, no middle men, no studies by experts, loans from foreign banks or the continued beating of the same old empty no-count government drum.
Paul Furlong,
Atenas, Alajuela.
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Scam from Working Professionals
This letter is to inform of a fraud concerning the purchase of a 2011 Navarra Pickup from a person in San José.
It started with an ad for the 2011 Navarra which had 121,000 kilometers. The ad was on a famous Costa Rican online site for buying cars from a radiologist.
I made a test drive of the 2011 Navarra which worked out fine. We discussed a trade for my 2008 Honda CRV with the same kilometers
I gave him my 2008 Honda CRV and additional funds. We then went to the attorney on 31 October 2019 and had the documentation completed and filed.
At this time I found out the vehicle was in the name of his girlfriend, a psychologist, who work also at the same hospital .
This posed no problem, and the transaction was completed.
As I live in Bijagua de Upala, I spent the night in San José returning home the 1st of November 2019. When at home I looked over all of the documents and the 2019 Riteve Inspection showed the vehicle to have 197,986 km.
The odometer had been altered. I called the person who sold me the vehicle, and he said he did not understand how this happened and that he had nothing to do with it.
I went to the OIJ. However, they informed me this was not a case they can take as it is a civil matter.
I called the attorney who made the transaction, and she informed me she had completed the transactions and presented the timbres. She made it sound very difficult to cancel the documents.
She also informed me that this vehicle, the 2011 Navarra had been sold three times this year from doctor to doctor. She informed me that the radiologist is unofficial, the person selling all of the vehicles for the doctors in this hospital. She also mentioned she had done all of the documentation for these sales.
It would appear that they are friends. Also of interest was on the fourth floor of the paid parking lot there is a collection of old used cars. Possibly this scam might be even larger.
Can you imagine anyone purchasing a vehicle that will not pass Riteve in 2020 and for ever.
You may wonder why it so expensive to go at the Hospital? Some staffs may not do the duties as they should.
I hope to warn others that crooks also exist among working professionals.
I am a Canadian living full time in Costa Rica since 2015 and learning the hard way to deal with fraud.
Mario Fradette,
Bijagua, Guanacaste
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Costa Rica for retirement
I spent 15 years living in Costa Rica. Just about the whole time living there was a positive experience.
However, over time, that experience degraded into a situation which in the end, made my departure necessary for the following reasons:
1.) The increasing rate of inflation was limiting my lifestyle choices (frequenting restaurants, the price of food, cable and electricity).
2.) Problems obtaining health care due to the fact that the hospitals in Costa Rica refused to arrange to honor my commercial health insurance plan (which they could have done, being that they had offices in the U.S. which could have made the arrangements). Also the fact that the hospitals absolutely refuse to assist with the payment for drugs using either a debit card, or a credit card, which for some reason a normal use anywhere in the world credit/debit card would work!
3.) The deteriorating situation with residencies of those from outside the country. (When I came to Costa Rica in 2002, it took me about three months to be approved for permanent residency (contrast that with today where one needs at least three years).
4.) The rapidly deteriorating economic situation in Costa Rica which is putting Costa Rica on the way to becoming another Greece/Zimbabwe).
5.)The prevalent situation (in all cases) of businesses not being responsive to their customers (attitude of "give me your money, I have no intention of serving you)!
6.) The pernicious habit of businesses moving without leaving a sign with directions to their new locations (and this happens in all cases).
7.) The absence of vital information from the government necessary for newcomers to enjoy a safe and secure lifestyle. The fact that if one has an unpaid hospital bill, you are put on the list of persons prohibited from exiting the country. This could be a potential death sentence. Or the absence of a government brochure concerning the National Registry, and information about how the courts have a 10-year backlog, to name a few examples).
8.) The fact that Costa Rica has no fish left off the Pacific coast or in the Gulf of of Nicoya. The National Geographic program on Costa Rica gives a complete explanation of the destruction and depletion of the fisheries on the Pacific coast.
And this morning, Oct. 29, your front page stating that your government has signed an agreement with two companies for the purpose of studying the production of hydrogen?
This, in spite of the fact that several years ago, Franklin Chang Diaz made the same offer to Costa Rica through his company Ad Astra! And this offer would have involved minimum funding for this project!
In summary, a continuing depletion in the reasons for coming to retire to Costa Rica, along with the present wait of three years to get residency as opposed to the situation 15 years ago where one only needed a few months (indicating that Gringos are no longer welcome in Costa Rica) led to this unfortunate situation. This ongoing attitude has left an extremely bad taste in the mouth of those who have voluntary chosen Costa Rica as their retirement homes!!
Paul P, Meister
Papillion Nebraska
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Discrimination against tourists a good thing?
This may strike a chord, my friend.
I am a British national, married to a CR national here & living in the country for 10 years, although I don't yet have a cédula. No big deal.
I had a recent very unpleasant experience with particularly rude and disrespectful Tico staff at Carara National Park which may be of interest.
Carara is advertised as NOT operating the discriminatory practice of charging locals one price and tourists a much higher one for the same thing, a practice outlawed in the developed world.
I have a CR driving license which until this experience, everyone has accepted but not this bunch . . .whom when I pointed out the stupidity and racially discriminatory practice of the two-tier pricing system, rather than offer a polite explanation, suggested that if I didn't like it, I should go back to my own country!!! And this is from brainless individuals whose wages are paid entirely from the people they despise! i.e tourists.
Sadly in CR, you come across a minority of people who have this xenophobic mentality.
Good if you could expose this attitude and alert those who can do something about it, i.e the congress to drop this ridiculous two-tier system and perhaps moronic employees not to bite the hand that feeds them.
Paul Pointing,
Alajuela
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Costa Rica already has a very large population for its size
Being an island of stability in a sea of disarray will lead to ever increasing pressure on the resources of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica needs to figure out how many people can live within its borders and maintain a reasonable standard of wealth and services.
Illegal immigrants need to be deported back to their place or origin.
They have no right to expect your country might offer them asylum without being related to or married to a citizen.
Sounds cruel but people need to stop bringing vast numbers of children into unhealthy environments. If your country is at war and people are in turmoil, stop having babies.
Brett F. Bishop
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Las Palmas, Playas Del Coco
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Public finances in Costa Rica
The presidential house should cut its budget. Make public the amount money they spend on SALARIES, parties, alcohol, gas to go in congressman’s vehicle. Also very generous retirement benefits.
Why should government officials live like kings and queens at the expense of hard work on back of middle and low income Costa Ricans?
Expensive vehicles, expensive homes, expensive beach vacation, private schools for their children, trips to Europe and U.S.A. for pleasure!! And shopping I have been witness to all these things. I am not making this up.
Also government job granted to “friends” who helped in campaign. Big jobs with salaries like $5,000 per month plus PERKS .. I am witness to this!
Note: How much did it cost CR taxpayer to send 1 representative from CR to New York to recent U.N. Nations Summit on Climate Change??
Ann Cabezas Creed,
Las Pilas de Alajuela.
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Social security services
My experience with Social Security started in 2013 when I broke my hip and had to have it replaced.
Unfortunately the doctor did not align my leg properly and made me a little knock kneed. That has slowly caused problems going all the way up into my groin and creating a hernia.
I am now waiting for a Nov. 15 appointment for pre-operation consultation. I have been in tremendous pain from the hernia as well as of causing bowel problems to the point that I have to wear diapers.
So from a misaligned hip operation to the hernia has been a slow process within my body that needs to be taken care of immediately.
Instead, I'm on a waiting list instead of being taken care of immediately.
Carlos Woody Edwards
Grecia, Alajuela
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Tourist targets of crime
I have been visiting Costa Rica for over 20 years where I also have a home.
Foreigners that are tourists have long been targets of crime. To often in past years what I noticed was if a tourist reported a crime and the criminal was later apprehended, they would basically walk since the witness was no longer present to testify.
Many would not return to Costa Rica to testify for example over the theft of a camera, etc.
The system should allow video testimony and notarized statements of victims to aid in prosecution.
The revolving door issue was irritating.
Another issue which led to my buying my own car in Costa Rica was taxi drivers cheating foreigners (although many do the same to Ticos, too).
Some would refuse to use their meters and others somehow actually had meters they would manipulate to run faster and inflate fares of up to 50%. Not to mention illegal taxis with beat up unsafe cars charging the same amount that new, safe, licensed taxis charges.
Uber has been a blessing to people that know how to utilize it.
David Gibson
Rio Azul, Desamparados
and Kissimmee Florida.
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