will someone tell these people to stop coming here and creating those lousy jobs we do not need there lousy money......We would much prefer the free lunch of the socialist systems of cuba and Venezuela

They don't go to haiti gouletcolonial, and we do want them in DR... and yes DR does need their lousy money.... what the hell is wrong with you.

ooops sorry I forgot and got up on the wrong side of the bed....and thought I was a communist

If you don't know by now GC is our resident Bill Mahr/Jon Stewert commentaor.

I knew where he was going with his comment.

Keep the tourists coming as this will help offset the rising cost of fuel and food and keep this economy afloat.

Don't get me wrong it's a rotten deal, but still it's an important aspect of a modern economy.

So explain how imports, that happen to surpass exports, will be balanced without the hard cash created by the tourist industry... remittance alone can not make up for shortfall and last time i checked the Peso is only worth something within the national territory.

Well I am not an economist but the DR is in good shape and has a better chance of surviving this worldwide economic crisis then any of the other Caribbean nations that only have tourisim to rely on.
Rather then speculate I research

Murilo Portugal, Deputy Managing Director
International Monetary Fund
Washington DC, February 7, 2008

I read this interview last night With
Now this was in February but as the Gentlemean said "As you know, they are in the middle of an electoral process now with Presidential elections. Probably they would need to wait for that phase to elapse, and to see what the results are and then for the new administration to take that decision.

This link will take you the entire interview.

http://www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2008/tr080207.htm

thank you Jander for your research..... Soon the whiners and complainers will be checking in with their reasons backed up with DATA and STATISTICS to say that only a very small group benefit from these investments that is illogical considering how many small businesses are springing up to support these projects ? their agenda is the socialist road to disaster

To gouletcolonial:

Whenever you stop whining around!!!!! since the first day I read one of your comment up to this day, you just have dedicated your time to bash on the DR, why don't you fu$# offffff dude and go back wherever you from.

icky ..pay attention to what I post it could hardly be considered negative about the DR...you must increase your vocabulary dude!

actually, jander, some of the other caribbean islands have more than just tourism, last time i checked. trinidad has petroleum and natural gas, and jamaica has bauxite. also, countries like barbados have a wealth of human based skills, which translate into development. singapore has very little in the way of natural resources, but has well educated, skilled, disciplined workforces. in todays world, that is an asset which sometimes is worth more tha simple tangible assets.

Dread you got it right about Trinidad and oil but Bauxite being in demand is a stretch and barbados could be debated as far as comparing it to Singapore

goulet, i stand ready to listen to you if you show me proof about the lack of demand for bauxite. also, nobody is comparing singapore to barbados, but similarities do exist. they both have very little in the way of tangible natural resources, but have managed to overperform with what they have, because of a highly educated, informed and disciplined population. they outperform us in every conceivable statistic and index, with very little to work with. with all the resources we have here, haiti should not tie for 17th with the usa in the latest education survey, while we languish at position 107. resources alone to not make for progress; in some cases they bring about a condition called RESOURCE COMPLACENCY. it is sort of like a beautiful girl who believes she can be a world beater solely on her looks, and sees no need to get an education or a personality.

GC;
Everyplace has it'sbegining in today's world.
Why can not Barbados become the "Singapore" of the Caribbean?
Even the DR could do so should the current and future Administrations concentrate on educating their people toward that end.
I see this concentration on Tourism as a "get rich quick" scheme amid all the other opportunities which are evident in any society.
As I posted in another response, the lack of forward planning is one of the main features of the Latin American Community of nations. They concentrate on the "whims of global society today" instead of taking advantage of the opportunities presenting themselves universally.
The DR has many very intelligent and industrious people who could be educated in the technologies available within the international scenario and subsequently exploited(put to work) by international investors.
Why the DR government doesn't take advantage of this is beyound me. They're just not thinking.

TB

Again, the concentration on Tourism is but a "stop-gap" measure which will have it's demise in a very few yeaas when the world's petroleum supply exhausts itself and all travel of todays volume, especially the international type, will be a thing of the past.
So, unless this, and future governments begin to move priorities in another direction, we will be face with another economic crisis of a more significant impact than the previous one.
Think about that scenario and plan accordingly.
Remember that investors gravitate to areas where they can get good returns on their investments and abandon those where the returns have dried up.
That's the problem in Africa today. The governments there have denuded the investment opportunities from outside.
Will that happen in Latin America??
You betcha'!!

TB

Texas Bill, another sage insight from you. yes sir, you are so right when you refer to the latin american proclivity to ¨get rich quick schemes¨ i think Mr Lautaro pointed to the inclination of investors here to sink their money into schemes with quick response, such as exchange banks, compra-ventas, bancas, and the ubiquitous short stay motels. the orientals, on the other hand, invest in schemes with medium to long term projections. they work with what they have, but seek to change the modalities to suit the times. you are so right, Mr Bill; vacations are a luxury and a discretionary item. if petroleum keeps spiralling out of control, travel will shrivel , and tourist investments will begin to show red in the balance sheets. many tourist operators will cut their losses and fold the tent, and we will be left sucking wind!

Trnidad is the exception and I have been doing business with TSTT for over a decade so I can speak with experince.

In Fact here are the islands I have worked and hired locals and lived in for short periods of time.

Antigua
Barbados
Dominica
Grenada
Jamaica
Montserrat
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trindad and Tabago
and Cuba..

So I am very aware of what these islands have and don't have.

Now with that said and a surprisingly un-optimistic post from Texas Bill , I think that not only tourism but the telecommunications sector will grow . I twill be less expensive to hop on a plane to the the DR then to drive across a state(s) especially Texas . Worst experince of my life driving from Corpus Christi to Denver back in the old oil explortation days.

the orientals do that everywhere and yes you can compare the miracle of Singapore with small educated places like Puerto Rico in some ways and just because it is part of the US does not make it any less of a miracle ....the capital to make Singapore happen was not indigenous ....Puerto Rico as its own thing stands as a shining example of what Latin America can accomplish with direction....a balanced economy is ideal but how can you sneer at tourism ....incidentally bauxite boom is temporary there is plenty of bauxite to go around electricity to produce the aluminum will be the problem there.

Jander, since you have lived for periods of time in each of the aforementioned islands, kindly list the qualities that they have and don´t have, so we can make some sort of relative analysis. thank you.

furthermore, what is pessimistic about Texas Bill´s post? it is called realism. or have you not noticed the economic conditions being occasioned upon the world these days? do you think that some guy in denver , who is about to lose his house to foreclosure, already having lost his job to some guy in sri lanka, cares about punta cana? do you think that his most pressing priority is to head off to cabarete for a week of kitesurfing?

been there done that...... British West Indies seen one seen em all

isn´t that kind of like latin america, Goulet? seen one latin american country, seen them all?

mas o menos

Thats for sure, except for Trinidad they do have the best looking women after the DR and then Jamiaca.

Anyways the topic here is that the DR realized decent growth in tourism and are now getting the US market.. 10 years ago I could find maybe 1 out of 10 people who had ever been to the DR now it is more like 4 out of 10.


As far as the tourism industry these huge resorts are not a short investment or get rich quck scheme they are here for the long haul.

Trinidad where they invented the song "mother and daughter workin for the yankee dollar "....drinkin rum and coca cola....you see they had hookers there to before and after they discovered oil.....get me a Roti while your there

dread drank to many of those Anita Bryants with his flying fish sandwich he got allusions

I had a guy from the phone company take me to one of the worst neigborhoods in Port of Spain and treat me to the "the best Rotti in the islands" I am not sure it was the best but it was definitely the biggest and boy did I get some stares from the locals. But Trinidad is friendly place and a mix of Muslim and Hindu. The best time I had was going to a calypso show during carnival pre-festivities.

I love Mount Gay but over ice...

Nver heard the song before or contributed to its contents as my wife was always with me ,but I was in TT when Wendy Fitzwilliam was crowned Miss Universe and I guess that inspired the women there .

who was the fool who edited that recipe

what happen to my recipe for Anita Bryants ? 2oz Mount Gay rum 5oz orange juice and a squeeze......but now he drink Cockspur Barbados rum

jander here it is very famous early 50s....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNQaS37X7_o

Thats to funny, catchy , I think I will convert it to a ringtone for my phone.. LMAO

Jander, in all respects, the Tourism industry is now in it's "hay-day" of existence. I truly believe that this scenario is short lived due to the very high operating costs of thefuel needed to drive the "tourist aircraft" to Caribbean destinations from both the USA and Europe.
Air fares from the USA will hit close to US$1000.oo per person, ONE-WAY before this year is out due to the escalating cost of petroleum. I don't see too many individuals being able to bearthat sort of cost just for a week or so of marginal relaxation and/or entertainment. They will opt for destinations within their own countries as a result of thecosts involved.
I realize that is a very pessimistic outlook, but the economics of air travel will dictate those results to tourism within the very near future. No amount of optimistic can obliterate economic fact, no matter how thinly you slice the meat for the sandwich.
You run the numbers, but there aren't that many rich folks left today.
TB

Texas Bill,
Understood and I don't think you are pessimistic more like realistic.

I am trying to ignore it but it is getting more difficult

I know I am afraid to even look at the oil prices anymore.

God help us all because it sure ain't pretty

well it is a good thing the DR is moving towards Ritz and Four seasons type hotels and second residence on golf courses ...because I dont care if it gos to 200 dollars people will still want to come and play in the sun that is why to move away from rubber chicken all inclusive is a good direction...jander tell these people what it cost to stay at cap jaluca in Anguilla or st barths or Jumby bay Antigua ...it is 800 bucks a night do you think Casa in la romana is going to go broke.....bill when it gets that bad we will be living like Mad Max.....wow what gloom and doom.....this to will pass....not many rich people left who bought that 100 million bucks worth of condos last week in juan dolio.?were they food stamp recipients

the public is very resilient they will adapt ....nobody wants to freeze in Buffalo in february....if they have to get here in kayaks

GC;

It ain't all gloom and doom from my perspective. It's just plain common sense.
These "rich" people you speak of will be finding their fortunes dwindlng away bit by bit as it did during the Great Depression. Look up as to how much "investment" was being done during those10-15 years. Even Trujillo had a hard time balancing thebudget then. I might add that at that time in history, that man took theopportunity to bankrupt many companies right here in the DR then proceed to have thegovernment buy them; Then he transferred ownership to hispersonal accounts and ownership. As the Dictator, with the Military in his pocket, he could afford to do so. With that done, he reduced the National debt to zero and put the Peso on par with the US Dollar. Something NO OTHER COUNTRY was able to do. BUT, do you want a return to that day?? I think not.
In the meantime, the DR is going deeper and deeper in debt, both locally and internationally.
Think about it a bit longer.

TB

The main thing right now is for the government to adopt severe austerity, reduce the bleeding Treasury, tie the politicians hands to their sides to forbid the massive dipping as in the past and start applying good common business sense to their operations.
I just don't think they have the intentions nor the guts to do so.
If things don't change radically, you're looking at a bloodbath revolution within the next 5-7 years, and I certainly don't want to be around for that. You'll have another Military dictatorship to contend with. Dominicans are just too emotionally driven for it to be otherwise.

TB

can we get a refund on the metro.?...

Yes bill the right scenario and we could be in 1932 all over again I hope not

probably not alot of americans.. i'm sure the baggage handlers are raking in the camera's, dvd's and video cameras.. the dollar is weak and most of the tourist are from europe.. any idea's on what the corrupt dominican government did with the 90 million they received from the u.s.?
who won the election?.. did i miss something? i think obama will be running for presidente next term.. he can be everyone together for a change.. bring the parties together, work as one.. what a great presidente he will be for the dominican republic.

Free lunch and a socialist system over jobs and money.....err, NO THANK YOU. I rather be a hard working capitalist pig and buy my own lunch with my own hard earned money than be a socialist parasite.

If the the democratic system of the post Trujillo era keeps delivering garbage and chaos, then yes another military (or not) dictator can be elected, no need for a bloody revolution. It could be a good thing if it's like Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan or even Chile.

Well Trujillo, you obviously are not a bit like your namesake, ara you.
Don't mean by that statement that Trujillo was a Left Leaning person, what I mean is about your social, political and economics philosophy and ethics.
Keep those thoughts and ideas before the public. That's the best way to combat the opposition, regardless of the rhetoric of Belial and his ilk.

TexasBill

The thing with my name is that it will definitely get your attention.

El Jefe you have gained my respect ...wether you want it or not......for I am also a hard working capitalist pig..................................oink oink

Well we may get Obama wether we like it or not......and then I will be hopeful ......and get my rosary out...actually when you really look at it even Bubba was a Centrist....we can hope

El Jefe keep wackin those lefty socialist whiners with the old pinata stick.......as someone once said to H.S.Truman "give em hell Harry " he replied " I just tell the truth and they think its hell"