Seems like a painful, yet sensible, approach to communicate with a government that is not interested in the needs of the people, just in attracting tourists, to make money, to stuff their pockets a bit more.

Moreover, this is yet another example of how policies that produce target goods, that benefit the supporters of a particular party, have a higher priority than policies promoting public goods.

throw these union leaders in jail....and put baldy in there as well for whining in public

goully- seems your travels haven't taught you any manners. Why do people like you even bother to pollute the internet with your filthy thoughts. Not your policy position, but your bad manners. Why don't you take a step back and try to engage the issue of lack of government representation and the things that people have to do in order to get some services from government? Oh wait, that's too much of a civil approach for you to handle.

goully, you really are a piece of work! whining in public is what YOU do best. stop whining about come social critique. you think for a moment that anyone in this site cares for your thoughts? please, if anything you'd be the first voted off the island for your arrogance and bad manners. But in the real world there are many bullies like you, and it's up to people like me to not back down, else will just have a "Mad-max-like" world. But maybe that wouldn't be too bad, as then we can send you off to be fed to the pigs. Wait, that's another movie,

Let them all join Hubieres in his showboating hunger strike and then DON'T GIVE IN. Let see how long they last.

baldy thats just you sticking up for the unions...you dont have to be so nasty...you are just disappointed because Obama turned out to be not as big a lefty as you thought he was going to be

It is obvious from his thousands of posts that GC's role on this site is to prevent any intelligent discussions on the issues that this country faces. He is very good at what he does. I have not seen too many opinion pieces worth reading on this site since he has stated critiquing what is being published. Any discussion that smacks of progressive ideas is quickly dismissed by his cutting and insulting responses. He has made this forum his territory by pissing in every corner and ensuring that the level of discussion remains at the basic. He is very funny and entertaining at times but it is tiresome. Clearly he is not stupid and could probably contribute much, but that is not his role. I wonder if he gets paid to sit here and ridicule the discussions for the sake of maintaining the status quo? I'm not suggesting he should be censored but only taken with a grain of salt.

Juan thank you for your kind words...A box of salt would be better ... I have no intention of ruining any ones day except the people who attack me..please carry on your thoughtful discussions

you know what it is gc? is the fact that you post in every article here even if you don't no jack about it, and alway spiting fire out you mouth that is the reasons people in the dt post don't give s%^t about you posting.
it is ok to critize but your critizism is not productive or contructive or even relate to any topic

Those damn transportation thieves need to rot in prison or at the bottom of the sea.

brooto I post almost every article because I like to read what people have to say and if I really have nothing to say I just watch as in most Haitian Dominican food fights

right on snoopy

ok so do I. I read must of the article in dt they are short and i have very little to do in my office and I like to read everyone argument so are good and informative and occacionaly a jump in.

Every time they strike or do anything to be hear always hurt the massess so what is the purpose if the gov is not going to do anything. and remember the strikee will also suffer no money comin in. the goverment still going to do what they aways do nothing.

What's up with dread? I have not hear from a while

I'm not anti-union however I am very suspicious of transport strikes because transport is so sensitive to everyone's every day life. In this case at least it seems the transport laborers are trying to do good by the entire population by bringing attention to road conditions. So while I sympathize with anyone who has ever had to wake up to trains, buses, etc. not running (I've been there) at least this time they are demanding something that benefits all.

i fail to understand the disagreement with the strike. in any orderly society, the respective roles of individuals and groups is clearly defined. the family is a microcosm of society. the parents are charged with supporting the child, or children, and the child , by reciprocity of duty, must respect and obey the parents.if the parents fail to discharge support, there are criminal statutes which will importune them to change course, and act correctly. if the child becomes rambunctious and obdurate, he can expect unpleasant repercussions by way of discipline. the same applies to society and governance. the transport union is charged with operating within the administrative guidelines, paying taxes and other levies, and operating a safe vehicle. anything short of this will occasion wrathful responses from government. similarly, in this case, government is charged with providing and maintaining the highways and byways in a safe and passable condition. should it fail to discharge its

obligation, then should expect that repercussions will eventuate; in this case, withholding service. sadly, the collateral fallout is the discommoding of the passenger class, but all drastic actions are fraught with this type of peril. but this is the only effective method of getting the attention of the government. no amount of meetings and promises will do the trick. if people who are always discomfited by the failure of electricity delivery could find an effective way of squeezing the providers, we would all have electricity 24/7.

dread what good is going to do by striking if the only the massess get hurt. Strike does not work in a island like dr. Purpose and fundamental does not work.

brootto, i am conflicted by my post, to a degree. it is just like the cuban embargo; it only hurt the little guy. Fidel and Raul were still drinking fine sherry. but maybe, the wrath of the public will be diverted to the proper target; the government. i see your point, since the drones in government do not use public transportation. but what else can the transporters do?

Even though I'm an institutionalist, I have to point to our predominant pol culture to resort to private solutions for public problems. If there are pot-holes, get an SUV; if there are black-outs, get an inversol or a planta; bad public edu., go to private school. People just don't get together to address these public problems which affect all of us. Until we all get together and fight for public solutions, then things will change. But individuals can't just mobilize themselves, they need a structure, and the transportation union, I propose, is in this case a good way of organizing and articulating public interests.

We need institutional change to change our political culture of all versus all. If we empower our civil society organizations (like unions) to organize protests, may then the political society will have to pay attention. When we are organized, they HAVE to pay attention. But right now they can afford to ignore us b/c we're divided. We should praise the unions, this t

baldoria, my utmost respect for a most insightful observation regarding private solutions to public problems. i piggyback upon that the notion that the transport unions have very few options for private solutions; they cannot begin to transport their ridership in Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

massaging again

ok dread

baldy for you ....Liberals are growing increasingly nervous – and some just flat-out angry – that President-elect Barack Obama seems to be stiffing them on Cabinet jobs and policy choices.

Obama has reversed pledges to immediately repeal tax cuts for the wealthy and take on Big Oil. He’s hedged his call for a quick drawdown in Iraq. And he’s stocking his White House with anything but stalwarts of the left.

Now some are shedding a reluctance to puncture the liberal euphoria at being rid of President George W. Bush to say, in effect, that the new boss looks like the old boss.

there are times, GC, when massaging is warranted. this is one of those aforementioned times.

for once I support a strike...the roads are pitiful at best and promised so many times...yet instead of completing or improving the existing infastucture..they build more to towns of 1000 with a 76% motochonco/car average.

goully, what does your comment have to do with the price of tea in china???? you make me laugh (in a good way). Keep up the jokes, just make sure your civil...

Dread, always a pleasure sharing ideas with you and hearing yours.

What we need to do is get the Diaspora involved to help make the Dominican government more receptive to the plight of local people, and not just to fancy resort areas. But that's another topic.

cheers,

thanks Baldy keep up your dedication .....I know you love your country

dont hold back

Juansantodomingo..I totally agree with your comments and could not have described the situation here any better ...it is a tragedy that this board is used so badly by two or three people..there are some writers, who appear not to live in this country who make childish , irrational and inconsistent remarks on nearly every article posted and it is obvious that they are completely ignorant of the subject. There are many other occasions when a good discussion is railroaded by quite assenine comments or insulting remaks to a writer and many occasions when the same people do not even seem to have read the article properly ..
It would be a much better board here if comments were made more judiciously.

Ricardolito, the more things change, the more they remain the same!

PuntaCanaMike...like you, I had great sympathy for this strike if the reported motive was in fact correct...how many deaths and accidents will be needed before the government takes just a little action in improving the road between west of la romana and bavaro. More than 70 deaths in a year or two seems to have made no impression on any authority.
The two problems here are that the strike gave the public no chance of arranging alternative plans and maybe the reported motive is not the real story.
In the back of mind is a thought that the population , which is becoming increasingly desperate in these hard times, may move to some greater form of action against the government than simply a strike.

does this thug Juan Hubieres have any supporters ?...I dare them to speak up and defend this menace

This case is complicated. First, there is a struggle to control a transportation union and the power that be want to control the unions at all cost. Even by putting one of their opposition leaders in jail and applying a law that is constantly violated in the Dominican Republic. Furthermore, there is a local authority that serves as an accomplice to this illegal actions which forces the opposition (which are more but less powerful) to do the only thing they can do: to strike. Now it would be interesting if the authorities are questioned about how they handled the case of the opposition leader before he was put in jail. It would be nice if the Human Rights Watch would investigate this case.