Santo Domingo. - Although they swore to safeguard the taxpayers’ money just three months ago, the Accounts Chamber (CC) 9 new judges paid themselves a Christmas bonus of RD$560,000 last week, in flagrant violation of its internal procedures, news site clavedigital.com says.
In Thursday night’s Antena Latina (SIN) TV newscast the journalist Alicia Ortega said the 9 judges authorized a bonus of RD$281,973 each, and deposited in their respective accounts.
The CC’s internal procedures establishes that its employees are eligible for the so-called salary 13 when they’ve worked there at least three months, and don’t qualify because they took the post on October 9.
In that regard, Javier Cabreja, director of the group Citizen Participation, said the measure “sets a bad example” because it violates the law that stipulates the amount of the Christmas bonus each employee receives according to the time on the job.
The CC is headed by Licelot Marte, and includes Pablo del Rosario, Iván Rondón Sanchez, Juan Jose Heredia Corporán, Jose Nicolas Almánzar, Jorge Suncar Morales, Pedro Ortiz Hernandez, Jose Attías Juan, and Juan Luis Séliman.
The journalist Marino Zapete said the disposition is “a robbery” of the public finances and since the CC’s judges don’t even have three months in the post, their proportion wouldn’t even equal one twelfth of their current monthly salary.
Written by: Gringo_1, 19 Dec 2008 11:07 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Maimon (Bonao)
i am shocked!
Written by: bernies, 19 Dec 2008 11:19 AM
From: United States, key west fl
we are getting somewhere aren't we?
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
I to am shocked yes shocked
Written by: Cacique, 19 Dec 2008 11:27 AM
From: Dominican Republic
Most of them are veteran politicos, the chief a fervent 'Balaguerista, what else can be expected...
Written by: josean, 19 Dec 2008 11:37 AM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
A Failed State!
Written by: Juango, 19 Dec 2008 11:40 AM
From: United States, far S. Florida (formerly Santo Domingo)
They just can't help themselves, it is in their blood. They don't know any better, How can you fault them? They are a product of their environment. If one would ask, each of them if they saw anything wrong in giving themselves the money, 100% would say No, we deserve it! That is what is wrong with this society.
From: United States, New York City
Putiing a fox to guard the hen house.....
Written by: Gringo_1, 19 Dec 2008 11:49 AM
From: Dominican Republic, Maimon (Bonao)
That's 56x more than my gf makes working 11 hours per day if that represents 1 months salary. Or is it RD$560,000 total for 9 judges?
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
País de las Maravillas
Written by: generoso, 19 Dec 2008 12:16 PM
From: United States, Quisqueya
josean
welcome back!
where you being?
PS the metro is inaugurating Dec.22, are you going to be there? LOL.
Written by: Gringo_1, 19 Dec 2008 12:54 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Maimon (Bonao)
Afraid of that. At least she has a good job at RD$10,000 per month :)
Written by: juanb, 19 Dec 2008 1:37 PM
From: Dominican Republic
Is anyone really surprised when anything of this sort is discovered? Our goverment consists of crooks, liars, and thieves.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
until proven otherwise
From: United States, Killeen, TX - Home of the 1st Cavalry
This is the problem with the Dominican Government agencies. They have the ability and the authority to vote themselves the raises they want, the amount of their basic salaries, and administer their own budgets without interferance from a central Budgetary authority.
There are no effective laws, rules, or regulations which will apply. I'm not even sure the Presidente, with all the power granted by law, and what he can grab without recourse, woul have any effect.
The idea that the DR is a "Failed State" is gaining momentum in the International Community as a whole, but governments will continue to allocate loans and grants which serve only to feed the "get mine" frenzy that results.
TexasBill
Written by: Gringo_1, 19 Dec 2008 2:03 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Maimon (Bonao)
Wow there are a lot of Texans here, I am one too.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
why so many Texans ?
From: Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata
This is hopeless. Thieves.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
its called statute of limitations and complicated extradition treaties
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
just kidding ?
From: Dominican Republic, San Carlos, barrio de matatanes, aqui no invente
i love everything about texas
Except G.W and the dallas cowboys.
Written by: Gringo_1, 19 Dec 2008 2:56 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Maimon (Bonao)
Which GW?
From: United States, New York City
From: Dominican Republic
These so called "professonals" of the law, violated the basic precepts of their function which says:
Treat , manage and dispense public moneys as a good father of a family would" and they are guilty not of corruption, but a much serious charge called "prevaricacion" which translates to
using the inflluence of your public position for your own benefit, which is a lot worse than "corrupcion" which is accepting or soliciting a bribe.
"Concusion" is even a more serious crime which Dante in his books condemned the guilty ones to the most horrible 7 TH hell, comprises of for example stealing public property that is bought with public moneys and taking it home.
These clowns should be prosecuted for their actions one day if not today.
Written by: Juango, 19 Dec 2008 3:40 PM
From: United States, far S. Florida (formerly Santo Domingo)
Gringo, visited the DR for the first time in '79 and after many visits, lived there the past 12 years. It has become more Mind-Boggling over the years. Nothing surprises me anymore. Government positions on the most part, are where today's youth aspire to as carreers (used to be ML Ball Players). It gives you a License to Steal and if high enough, a License to Kill. From East Texas, "where the Men are Men and the Sheep Run scared".
Written by: Gringo_1, 19 Dec 2008 3:53 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Maimon (Bonao)
Another closet Texan. I know east Texas, mainly Carthage and Maude. hehehe Small world!
Written by: josean, 19 Dec 2008 4:23 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
A judical coup d'etat is what the Supreme court's ruling on Sunland amounts to. Yesterday the ruling declared that all Dominicans, with the exception of a few politicians in the current ruling party, are second class citizens.
No wonder these judges steal the publics money so openly, yesterday the Domincan Supreme Court made it legal for polticians to steal!
Viva the FAILED STATE!
Source DR 1
Going off on a tangent
The 'Que se Dice' (What's Being Said) column in Hoy points out that one does not have to be a lawyer or an expert in constitutional law to understand that the Supreme Court went off on a tangent when declaring unacceptable the recourses of violation of the Constitution presented by the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) and the Foro Social Alternativo against two loan contracts with the Sun Land Corporation. The two accused the government of skipping Congress when taking out the foreign loans.
Continued:
Written by: josean, 19 Dec 2008 4:25 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
The government subsequently negotiated the loan payments with a private bank, divesting itself of the commitment.
"Was there a need for judges of our highest court to spend a year dodging public opinion, resorting to sophisms and cutting remarks to justify this inexcusable waste of time to finally come up with the ruling that neither the PRD nor the Foro Social Alternativo are legally eligible to present the recourses?" asks writer Claudio Acosta. "How dare they tell the country that the only citizens who are legally eligible are the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, who are the least entitled to exercise that right because they are simple echoes of the ruling party and the Executive Branch, practically the same thing?" he asks.
Continued:
Written by: josean, 19 Dec 2008 4:26 PM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
He concludes that our beleaguered institutionalism, full of all sorts of historical calls and iniquities, has again been shaken by another of those decisions that mark a before and an after, which are called a precedent, but more than anything they make us aware of what many are warning about with justified alarm: that the so-called independence of the branches of government a long time ago, in our democracy, are now but a simple abstraction, simply a nice Constitutional ideal, but nothing else. The reality is that the Executive Branch has subjugated all. Do we need reminding where that road will lead?"
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
follow the yellow brick road of subjugation and you will be met by munchkins looking for " mi comision " or the entrance to the Metro....josean entertain us with a little levity in the bitter medicine please
Written by: Username, 19 Dec 2008 5:04 PM
From: Dominican Republic
When in Rome do as the Romans do.
When in the Government do as the other government official do.
From: United States
how does a government official "pay himself"? does the government not pay him? is there no such thing in this country as a pay scale for government employees? am i to take it that the pay they receive is decided by themselves?is this serious? does the rest of the world know about this? i have heard looney thingsin my lifetime , but this beats everything! maybe i should go to work on monday and "vote myself" a pay raise. i hope my employer has a sense of humor. hey, Jay Leno, did you hear this?
From: Dominican Republic, Boycott Dominican Tourism
who is to blame? them for doing it, or us for allowing it.
From: Dominican Republic
The Person who spill the beans, said 2 of the 9 was not down with receiving the money.
Lo que significa que para el mes de Diciembre, la Cámara de Cuentas habría desembolsado la suma de RD$ 845,920.80(each) para cada uno de los miembros del pleno, lo que significa que multiplicado por 9 Miembros, del pago de nuestros impuestos, los Miembros del máximo organismo fiscalizador de las cuentas del Estado habrían sido beneficiarios de un total de RD$ 7,613,287.20 Esto sin contar los beneficios marginales y que de manera colateral reciben mensualmente cada uno de los miembros, como por ejemplo, los RD$ 58,000.00 por concepto de asignación de combustible.
From: Dominican Republic
Sin salir de mi asombro le dije a la persona X que no podía hacerme eco de una denuncia tan grave como la que acabo de describir, sin tener la documentación que me permita sustentar algo tan delicado y poder así comprobar su veracidad.
Según me informó la persona X, no todos los miembros del pleno están de acuerdo con ésta decisión, de hecho me informó que dos miembros se han opuesto a recibir estos recursos, uno de ellos habría sido el señor Juan Luis Séliman Haza y el señor Ernesto Jorge Suncar Morales sería el otro. Read the whole story here from Person X
http://victorenvivo.com/front/index.phpFrom: Dominican Republic
So of 9 judges, 2 opposed the bonus, was the GOV bribing them or what, could this have something to do with the recent Sunland case being dismiss.
Written by: Username, 20 Dec 2008 12:09 AM
From: Dominican Republic
I don't understand why is everyone so shocked that government officials pay themselves? And in what country is it done differently please? The US congress votes on their salaries, and whenever the question of a pay-rise comes on the floor, they always vote YES to give themselves a rise.
From: United States
i am sorry to burst your bubble, username, but in several countries there is such a thing as a pay scale, with minimum and maximum salaries. in the USA, votes are periodic, and are put before the entire house of representatives for a vote. there is NO such thing as 9 guys voting themselves a massive christmas bonus, almost a million pseos of extra salary. you tell me where else this happens
Written by: generoso, 20 Dec 2008 10:28 AM
From: United States, Quisqueya
FYI:
US House of representatives just voted for themselves a pay raise increasing their salaries and benefits to about US$174,000 dollars a year.
They are all the same.
Fire all professional politicians.
From: United States
i agree with the idea that all politicians are loathsome, to some degree or another. then again, for people to appropriate to themselves almost 25,000 dollars in bonus is beyond objectionable in a country which is struggling to survive. (then again, so is the USA). 174,000 dollars per year in salaries and benefits for a US congressman is not extortionate. and surely, if they ever tried to vote a 25,000 pay increase, all hell would break loose.
Written by: Username, 20 Dec 2008 12:43 PM
From: Dominican Republic
dreadlocks, the US congress has "automatic" pay-raise so they don't embarrass themselves by the vote, also on top of that they can vote to give themselves an additional raise to adjust "cost of living", which they often do.
Written by: Username, 20 Dec 2008 12:46 PM
From: Dominican Republic
PS. also in the US there is no 13th month salary law, if there was each congressman would get a 14.500 USD bonus.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Federal employees automatically adjust to cost of living index I believe ....but those Parasites find ways to raise their salaries from time to time
From: Dominican Republic
What we need are more politicians out of work and looking for a real job.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
that even though Abraham Lincoln was nick-named "Honest Abe", the state he is most closely associated with, Illinois, is as corrupt as a third-world banana republic? .......We hold these truths to be self-evident,
From: United States
The government is represented by the people.
From: United States
CestLaVie, is that the same as "you get the government you deserve"?
From: United States
yes, and it means the origin of the problems are the brethren.
From: United States
who am i to argue with that?
Written by: Username, 21 Dec 2008 10:57 PM
From: Dominican Republic
That was not a raise that was a Christmas bonus, or 13Th salary as it is called here, which every employee is entitled to. The issue here is that you need to be working at least 3 months to qualify, and those guys gave themselves the bonuses without having 3 months on the job.
Written by: Username, 22 Dec 2008 12:21 AM
From: Dominican Republic
...
From: United States
thank you for clearing up the issue, Texasshoe. the congressional raise was a pittance compared to this "bonus" 560,000 pesos is a lot of cheddar for a bunch of drones, who basically do very little to begin with.
From: Dominican Republic, San Carlos, barrio de matatanes, aqui no invente
All i have to say about this issue is:
"Cada Pueblo tiene el govierno que se merece"
Jose Marti.
if they make such a move is because WE the people allow it to happen.
what we need to do is get a mob together go and burn the camara de cuentas bldg and fire some shots at them.
linching crews are a real problem solver around here, lets take a page from the haitian book of politics.
lets grab one of this judges and burn a tire around his neck.
Written by: josean, 24 Dec 2008 9:00 AM
From: United States, Dedicating 4 more years to fighting the Dictatorship of the Narco PLD Mafia
From: United States
trinitario, i am glad that you have the right to say that; us expats have to be a little more circumspect with our expressions. but something dramatic has to happen here soon; the country is basically adrift.
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welcome back!
where you being?
PS the metro is inaugurating Dec.22, are you going to be there? LOL.
There are no effective laws, rules, or regulations which will apply. I'm not even sure the Presidente, with all the power granted by law, and what he can grab without recourse, woul have any effect.
The idea that the DR is a "Failed State" is gaining momentum in the International Community as a whole, but governments will continue to allocate loans and grants which serve only to feed the "get mine" frenzy that results.
TexasBill
Except G.W and the dallas cowboys.
Treat , manage and dispense public moneys as a good father of a family would" and they are guilty not of corruption, but a much serious charge called "prevaricacion" which translates to
using the inflluence of your public position for your own benefit, which is a lot worse than "corrupcion" which is accepting or soliciting a bribe.
"Concusion" is even a more serious crime which Dante in his books condemned the guilty ones to the most horrible 7 TH hell, comprises of for example stealing public property that is bought with public moneys and taking it home.
These clowns should be prosecuted for their actions one day if not today.
No wonder these judges steal the publics money so openly, yesterday the Domincan Supreme Court made it legal for polticians to steal!
Viva the FAILED STATE!
Source DR 1
Going off on a tangent
The 'Que se Dice' (What's Being Said) column in Hoy points out that one does not have to be a lawyer or an expert in constitutional law to understand that the Supreme Court went off on a tangent when declaring unacceptable the recourses of violation of the Constitution presented by the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) and the Foro Social Alternativo against two loan contracts with the Sun Land Corporation. The two accused the government of skipping Congress when taking out the foreign loans.
Continued:
"Was there a need for judges of our highest court to spend a year dodging public opinion, resorting to sophisms and cutting remarks to justify this inexcusable waste of time to finally come up with the ruling that neither the PRD nor the Foro Social Alternativo are legally eligible to present the recourses?" asks writer Claudio Acosta. "How dare they tell the country that the only citizens who are legally eligible are the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, who are the least entitled to exercise that right because they are simple echoes of the ruling party and the Executive Branch, practically the same thing?" he asks.
Continued:
When in the Government do as the other government official do.
Lo que significa que para el mes de Diciembre, la Cámara de Cuentas habría desembolsado la suma de RD$ 845,920.80(each) para cada uno de los miembros del pleno, lo que significa que multiplicado por 9 Miembros, del pago de nuestros impuestos, los Miembros del máximo organismo fiscalizador de las cuentas del Estado habrían sido beneficiarios de un total de RD$ 7,613,287.20 Esto sin contar los beneficios marginales y que de manera colateral reciben mensualmente cada uno de los miembros, como por ejemplo, los RD$ 58,000.00 por concepto de asignación de combustible.
Según me informó la persona X, no todos los miembros del pleno están de acuerdo con ésta decisión, de hecho me informó que dos miembros se han opuesto a recibir estos recursos, uno de ellos habría sido el señor Juan Luis Séliman Haza y el señor Ernesto Jorge Suncar Morales sería el otro. Read the whole story here from Person X
http://victorenvivo.com/front/index.php
US House of representatives just voted for themselves a pay raise increasing their salaries and benefits to about US$174,000 dollars a year.
They are all the same.
Fire all professional politicians.
"Cada Pueblo tiene el govierno que se merece"
Jose Marti.
if they make such a move is because WE the people allow it to happen.
what we need to do is get a mob together go and burn the camara de cuentas bldg and fire some shots at them.
linching crews are a real problem solver around here, lets take a page from the haitian book of politics.
lets grab one of this judges and burn a tire around his neck.
http://www.listin.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=85668