I think you are missing my point. Perhaps I did not explain it well enough. My proposal is to tax the large land parcels that have sat vacant for years and for which the owners have no plans of use. This would not discourage outside investors who are buying land in DR to develop resorts, homes, industries, etc. And although I am sure that corruption is present on all levels of government in EVERY government, they do use taxpayers money to run schools, build roads and bridges, pay police, etc. and we must keep this in mind. I have seen FAR more progress being made for this country as a whole during the current President's various administrations than in any other and I think this is important to keep in mind. However, those who are looking for welfare-style handouts overlook the importance of strengthening the infrastructure, building roads and mass transit systems...areas in which the current government has made great strides. Again, I'm not a member of any political party and I don't make excuses for corruption and theft on any level. I just keep a positive attitude and look for ways to improve things, which takes vision and a bit of emotional detachment in certain regards.

Taxing the empty lots and land of this country will ENCOURAGE the owners to DO SOMETHING WITH IT, thus empowering the country. I don't think there will ever be a time when a landowner would have to sell for less than they bought for. If that is the case, then that is the true value of the land. If you live in this country and you have children, it would probably make you wonder, "Where are they going to live?" People have forgotten what a garden looks like in front of a home. I can't remember the last time I saw anybody doing landscaping in front of a home! I can't get the image out of my mind of so many beautiful homes surrounded by a cage like wall only a couple of feet away from the house itself! And that is the view from their windows...right into a dirty street or their neighbors' windows! That is no way to live when you have spent so much on building a nice home for your family. All because land is at a premium due to greed and misuse/no use. The average lot in this country, side-by-side, is more expensive than the average lot in the United States. There is no reason for that.

I don't propose the tax just for gain for the government, but to discourage the greed that is preventing people from being able to acquire their own homes and businesses. There would be tax incentives for those who put their land to use. This idea is simply a means to discourage the hoarding that is the case right now. In fact, this practice of hoarding land is driving up prices and discouraging international investors!!!! International investment will grind to a halt if they find their money can buy them more at home! We are on the brink of that right now.

Belly, this topic is a wonderful idea. This is just one more of your wonderful ideas.
Keep going with the good work.

We urgently need a system which requests from everybody an explanation of the origins of his or her assets (especially if we are talking about a fortune).
If you buy a Porsche or a Jaguar and you are not a friend of the government’s people then you have Herrera’s people asking a lot of questions but if you have “relations” you can buy an Israeli tank and nothing happen. In our country, you can be the owner of the world and nobody ask you where you get the money to buy something like that if you are not in the opposition. Later, when you are in the opposition, nobody disturb you too.
All of us must explain the origins of our assets. That is a good first step.

Thank you Perod

Thats exactly my point but we must understand also that it will take a lot of gut from a president to put a system like this in place. I don't think Leonel has or will ever have the guts to do anything like this ever in my opinion he is not cut to fit this. Before we can do something like that we must have a Numbering system in place like Social Security has here in USA. Unless a system like this gets in place is going to be hard for the poor to move forward.

AfroLatino:
Can i ask you what's your agenda here?