What is the message? There is no hint of what ammendments are proposed for the draft. DT, the story is vague, get the full story, inform the reader.

Readers are provided more information about vehicle accidents, ie: injuries, type of injuries, graphic photos, blood type, make-model-color-year of vehicles, plate numbers, names of victims, ages of victims, street locations, hospital(s), treating doctors, public safety responders, and ect. ect. ect..

We are lucky to hear anything before laws are passed to make corrupt officials more money and hurt the average Dominican. Extreme corruption from the very top will make it so all our best beaches will cost money to go on. If these tourism companies want to offer beach access to their customers they should be required to allow Dominican citizens on it as well.

The beach debate should be a non-issue.

If my title says : "Al Norte, Oceano Atlantico", there should be no ifs nor buts.

Now, since June 2010, beachfront property owners doing the mandatory "deslinde" have the bad surprise of seeing their title come back with the following limit: "Al Norte, una linea imaginaria ubicada a 60 metros atrás de punto de marea alta" or something of the sort.

So, you just got yourself expropriated of the most valuable part of your property. No indemnificacion.

If your name is Barceló, you can put armed guards to prevent strollers from walking on the "public beach" in front of your property.

If your name is Joe Blow, expect bonfires on weekends.

That's a good one Walter.

This is not negotiable. This is part of national patrimony inalienable rights. Beaches belong to all dominicans and that right must never be taken away, even if "tigeres" hang around beaches. I don't care.

I am talking from first-hand experience, since my father lost much beach-front property to so-called "eminent domain" on the North Coast. Yet he was not a bitter man and would do anything for his fellow dominican. Until his dying days he regretted the bad decisions that were made in AIR's favor, even though he initially played a part in it. He really felt that the people were betrayed and that little benefit was derived from them. I fully support his feelings.

Again, even though I might not have much support on this one, I still fully support open access beaches to the citizenry-no exceptions. AIR's could always enjoy private enclaves 100 meters from "high tide" mark, if they should choose to.

MJEV.

I would not like to see a fisherman, that had a problem and had to swim ashore and be shot for trespassing on some one so called private beach

@ cbelk99 - What's up. I'm a Cabrereno. I know, and miss, the Cabo Frances and all those beaches so much. Especially caleton de Rio San Juan- which for me is the best beach anywhere.

Anyhow, the garbage issue is a BIG issue, but it could be as simple as putting in the infrastructure to deal w/ garbage, i.e., Garbage depositories.

The beaches are public, should remain public, and we shouldn't let the elites and International investors keep people off beaches. Hotels and beach front owners should be fined for every incident that is a confirmed violation of the law.

The two guiding principles in this debate should be 1) Access to the people, & 2)protection of the environment! anyone who buys beach front property should kow that access to the beaches is a constitutional right and they should factor that into the prince.

CBelk - I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but the fact that you and your son have blue eyes or crap blue turds makes you as good or as bad as those people you criticize, maybe even worse for making generalizations. I'm not saying that you're better or worse, just calling you out for your not so hidden racist comments.

peace...

baldoria, i have said, on many an occasion, that you area a far better man than i. your tolerance and patience in your response to the demented primeval carbelk bears out that fact. his incessant racist outbursts are only outdone by his inability to write a coherent sentence. i admire your patience, baldoria. i wish i could also suffer fools gladly.

This is just crazy, this beaches belong to the Dominican people, they should turn them into a national park os some sort that everyone can access, the people, rich and poor alike should have the same rights as tourists, come on now!!! our folks have to endure many hardships and they want to take away one of the few recreations they have.....

even if "tigeres" hang around beaches. i don't care.
i care. but the answer just might be is the tourists police.
i dont care if its a dominican guy or one gringo. when iam on the beach trying to enjoy myself with my wife, kids or family and friends, i dont want one idiot sitting down on space and to bother me. what the hell is wrong with that?

last year two fools sat down on my blanket and beach chair, my wife got a little scared of this.
i had gone to get a drink. when i got back they looked up and saw my face or the mean look on it anyway. they where quick to move on , guess to look for maybe older, much shorter men to try and sit on their blankets.
size does matter..!!!

I liked the way sun village had their setup the beach stay'ed public but the locals could not come onto the property, I don't like the private beach thing but sometimes you get tired of someone trying to sell you something,hook up with you,or some MF'S being a A** hole's. just my opinion

No one has yet mentioned all the agitation that took place about the freedom of beaches when the new constitution was being debated and the NEW constitution did not guarantee that beaches would be for everyone . After much press comment , the relevant paragraphs in the proposed constitution were altered a little but still permitted private occupancy . ,,that is my recollection
My personal view is that the privatisation of beaches here has gone too far and this can be seen in Dominicus where the public used to have miles of beautiful beaches but now a very small strip .
The issue of the habit of Dominicans to litter is another issue altogether .

I'm glad the deslindes are coming back without allowing ownership of the 60 meter strip along the beach. The beaches should belong to all the people and should not be sold to the highest bidder. If the hotels and rich people try to take the beaches for themselves, it will create resentment and antagonism against tourists and the wealthy. Right now I believe the atmosphere a lot more agreeable for all concerned than it is in many places and I hope it stays that way. I would not like to see it like it is in many towns along the Jersey Shore, full of private - no trespassing signs despite state laws that are supposed to keep the beaches public.

I'm torn both ways. Yes, Dominicans have a right to enjoy their beaches, but I also know-because I've experienced first hand the mobbing groups that destroy the enjoyment of tourist who just want to relax and have a good time. Being harassed and constantly peddled stuff does not a vacation make. My solution is to have some beaches available for the public while keeping others semi-private. What do I mean by semi-private? I would allow the management of the private beaches to restrict the numbers of quests visiting the beaches AND guest would have to conform to the rules of the private development. No loud music and other nuisances, fighting etc. DR needs its visitors to feel protected and enjoy their stay. I just had an acquaintance, a fellow from Montana, visit Cabo Frances and he tells me that DR better watch it because the Young Turks go about with an attitude of "We own this place" that is off-putting to many visitors. Playing loud music and generally

creating an atmosphere that is not conducive to visitors wanting enjoy their stay and possibly to return some day. He suggested that they learn to just live life and allow others to enjoy their time while visiting the DR. Sound advise but why do i think it might not register with the Young Turks?

Tigeres are dominicans, too, and even though I do not like their actions anymore than some of you, they still have rights. If they break any laws, we can always incarcerate them but, as full-blooded dominican-born, the beaches belong to them, you and me, as part of national patrimony.

Negotiations are totally unnecessary, AIR's be damned! They can have their private enclaves with their food, music, etc., but the beaches are ours. Period. Enforce laws already in statutes and punish those who break them, including the tigeres, but don't take our birthright to enjoy our beaches, for they are clearly part of who we are.

To the many visitors, we certainly appreciate your patronage and you are welcome to share the beaches with us, but don't try to keep them away from us. We really don't have much, when you really think about it, but we have nice beaches and we enjoy them and they are part of our heritage and worth fighting forth, even if blood must be spilled.

MJEV.

Just because the beaches belong to the people doesn't mean there can't be reasonable rules about loud music, littering, swimming safety, etc. Those that don't obey the rules can be excluded no matter if they are tourists or citizens of the Dominican Republic. The rules should apply to all for the benefit of all. I'm sure most Dominicans who visit the beaches are just as bothered by the Tigures as the tourists. And it's not like all the tourists are angels either.

Agreed. Now for the enforcement part. I still think we should take into account the interests of the investors, that's why I've stated a semi-private option in some cases. Dominicans wouldn't be excluded per se in some of these developments, but some structure that takes into account both interests can and should be advanced. Perhaps, the investors will pitch in and renovate a portion of the beach for domestic use? Establishing washing and bathroom areas like in Boqueron Beach in PR, and in many beaches in the US. I'm against the total exclusion of Dominicans. The enforcement part must be sufficient.

Our beaches are non-negotiable national patrimony.

I'd much rather have dirty beaches open to all dominicans, than pristine ones for the exclusive use of a few foreigners and privileged dominicans.

Something has to be left for "el pueblo", since the bastards have already stolen everything else.

I'd encourage all dominicans to fight for what is legitimately theirs, even spill blood if necessary. I say: let's draw a well-defined line in the sand, stand our ground.

MJEV.

glomar, as usual, you just continue to make sense. after all, where does it stop? take away the beaches today, then what tomorrow? nowhere is it written that those who have access to wealth and power have a God given right to deprive the less fortunate of the basic pleasures of life, because they do not want to be in the same area as the poor. if they want privacy and seclusion that much, let them go build their own island.

The either 100% or nothing mantra will not fly. Interests have to be balanced. As I've stated, several beaches can be made 100% public with service upgrading provided by the tourist sector. The Tourist sector would manage beaches and provide access to Dominicans based on some negotiated terms. The numbers should not be mere tokens for show, but sufficient numbers so as to mitigate concerns about safety, upkeep and enjoyment of the beaches. There can be a win-win situation. Cooler heads need to prevail. You don't want to kill the goose, no?

Our culture, our country, our beaches, terms. Period.

I am not against anti-littering and common decency laws, and I believe bathroom facilities would be welcome by all. However, I, as a dominican-born, insist on free and unencumbered beach access for all my people. They are and must remain fisrt priority. Period.

MJEV.

Duplicate! Removed by contributor.

I'm also Dominican-born and believe interests need to be balanced. Both sides can and should reach a balance in their positions. Remember, I'm not saying deny Dominicans access; I'm saying allow some private-public management and in return get 100% access beaches WITH Public beach facilities to help all Dominicans who wish to partake in the enjoyment. In other beaches, some limits as to the numbers. You can call ahead and register before hand. Most of these beaches are large enough to allow both interests to enjoy themselves without too much trouble. But we as a tourist spot need to be careful about how tourist perception plays out. Look at the violence in Mexico-I know an extreme case-but noteworthy given the massive fall in tourist numbers in Acapulco. DR doesn't need to get a bad reputation for some "proto-nationalist beach movement" around the world.

@Atabey,

You may have been born dominican, but you are certainly now acting Anglo-American.

Look, our music is loud and we have tendency to talk loudly. that is who we are and our culture. If visitors are drawn to our culture, then they have to accept it for what it is. If they like what they have at home so much, then they should stay there and maybe enjoy Miami Beach, or Myrtle Beach, etc. the Canucks are out of luck, because they don't have much, when it comes to azure and white-sand beaches.

Look, we really don't materially benefit from tourism as much as some would want us to think. Money is concentrated in few hands, and much of it stays overseas. Yes, there are a few bed-turner and floor sweeping jobs, but that's it. We gave up our beautiful beaches for these menial jobs, many of which are provided by foreigners.

I own beach-front property which, since I was a kid, we use to vacate every "Semana Santa", yiled to the people and the many "giras".


Cnt'd.

@ Atabey,

Continued:

My family has come to accept that dominicans need access to their beaches and to express themselves, and we allow them to use our property. Yes they litter, are loud, drink a bit and have sex on our land. We realize that is who we are and have come to terms with it. We clean up after Holy Week and get on with our lives.

We have also sold prime beach-front land to those damn foreign resorts and have come to really regret it. I really wish we had kept it in family and just let the people use it, same as when my father was alive. I hate all of those cement walls and the exclusivity of it all. What would Caonabo and Anacaona think of that?

Say what you may about PR, but they still enjoy free access to all beaches, and I drink to that. That's the way it must be.

I will close with my previously stated position: free beach access for all dominicans, no exceptions, and I don't care how many resorts, or tourists choose to go elsewhere.

MJEV.

glomar....i cannot add anything to that. you said it all.. i have met foreigners who open bars, and refuse to play merengue and bachata, because they do not want to encourage Dominicans to patronise their places of business. the usual linguistics goes something like this ...¨we do not want them in here¨. that is fine. to each his own. however, my take on this matter is that if you do not want Dominicans in your place of business, go open the bar in Ontario.

@Dr. Dread,

You have been even more succinct than I. what makes your commentary special is that it comes from the perspective of a foreigner who has chosen to live in our land, respect our culture-just the kind of people we should welcome and embrace.

Some people here really do not realize that when we've filled the beaches with concrete walls and buildings, the tourist appeal would have been eliminated and visitors would just move on to the next paradise-wherever it might be. That is just the way it is. we must exercise greatest care to insure that some natural beauty remains unspoiled for all to enjoy. I really do not believe that this, or any other dominican administration, could be entrusted with this task. Sad, very sad.

MJEV.

As a foreigner who has retired to this country I know that there are some foreigners here who only appreciate the beaches, the climate and maybe the cheap rum, but they are missing out great warmth and spirit of the Dominican people. It's not always easy living in a country and culture different from one's own, but making the effort to do so provides rewards far richer than a mere suntan or escape from cold winters. Many of the foreigners I've met here know that, feel privileged to live here and wish the country and its people well.

carpintero,l am completely on board with what you just opined. sadly, too many people come here because the weather is great, and the material things like houses are relatively less expensive than they are in their respective homelands. so, they buy a house near the beach, and seek out the gringo colonies. they will usually find a Dominican life mate, but want nothing else to do with the rest of the society. their favorite pastime is sitting in the bar, getting ossified on beer, and berating every aspect of Dominican life. if they took the time out to look into the souls of the average guy, they would find the person that i myself have discovered...one who will give you the shirt off his back, if he thinks you need it. yes, if he thinks that you have more than he does, he will invent a cavalcade of scams to relieve you of it. but, if you are down, then he shines with his kindness. it is this selflessness about Dominicans which does not recieve nearly as much attention as it warrants.