The metro give LF a seemingly insurmountable boost - and rightly so, kinda. If the opposition parties were smart, they would focus on three things:
1. The ill-transparent nature of the metro - how it was conceived, how the contract was alloted, the lack of transparency TODAY
2. The Colosal (over)spending on the metro, and the Harly-Davison Bikes, the $6 mil. Airplanes that we paid $9mil for, and so on
3. How they (the opposition) would work to create institutions to prevent such ill-transparent practices to occur
oh, and of course the diversion of funds away from social programs and public investment.

There's a PLD advertisement touting the number of public works in Stgo in the last 3 months; I ask, what ABOUT THE PREVIOUS 3.5 years? The opposition lacks good strategists.In turn, the PLD just has to make sure that politics as usual continues. The status quo supports the PLD, and the opp is supporting the status quo. If the opp doesn't change their strategy, the PLD will win.

Metro issue should not be part of any political BLA BLA BLA & more BLA. What a waste of energy being spent here on the Budget Cost of the Metro system that everyone (all politicians & families) are going to have to use one day during there commute anyway. It shoudn't matter what political parties are saying in the media, it's just more typical un intelligent talking.

I'am confidant that the Metro, once it is fully under way, the people in DR (poor / rich) will want more Metros connecting the 2 Cities & Towns in DR, it's that simple, it is only a matter of time.

Also I'am sure some of the critics of the Metro, never rode too school or to work in a subway / metro during there "life time". So these critics, cannot realy understand the total concept of urban mass transit, and the cost involved to begin, and maintain a project of this nature.

So please shut up and go back into your 4x4's, and turn on the AC & eat some black exhaust fumes next time your stuck in traffic.

What if the metro would have cost twice or three times or 100 times as much, is it still worth it? Right now, LF has given himself (note that the reference to the lack of CHECKS-N-BALANCE inherent in Dominican Democracy) a blank check in the name of progress. This is a problem not only with LF, but with the DR's political system. The lack of institutions is the key! W/o the proper institutions any president could undergo any project for any amount.

What if tomorrow LF wakes up and says lets build a space program - well that's modern, but does it make sense? But who would stop him? congress? the supreme court? no... Just like with the metro, the president has the capacity to "go at it alone", which allows for HUGE transparency issues.

This is what I tell people here in the DR: "It's not what LF does, but rather HOW he does it." The metro is/will be great, but maybe we only needed to pay RD$20bil and not 40bil. We'll never know b/c there was no proper contract allotment.

If Mr Fernandez wouldnt push for the metro,we would not have one today nor tomrrow I mean 2020why because he has a different mentality of progress and what we need to get started.This is only the start of something great for the Nation,his legacy and the future of less strikes,gas usage and more help for the poor with no cars...Big cities in USA the most powerful in the world dont have a Metro...Hello this a proud moment In Dominican History...I am not in politics I cant even vote In DR

Dumb People DO NOT understand neither want progress, nor do they do anything other than criticize those who do.....

Nuff Said!!!!

Playa4thee;

Heyquit stealing my "closing line" of "Nuff Said"..
just joking, noharm done or offense taken.
What this hullabloo is all about is the fact that Leonel, despite his rhetoric of touting "democracy", has violated the BASIC PRINCIPLE of that very word by going against the overwhelming opposition from the public at large when theMetro was first announced.
That IS NOT the actions of an ELECTED head of State; rather, it is the action of sself-centered DICTATOR.
The action smacksof the "Hamiltonian" philosophy that the people are not capable of ruling themselves (again in opposition of Democratic rule). This idea of rule by the Elite, whom Alexander Hamilton asserted were better equipped to make the decisions of state, than the "man in the street". This was supported somewhat by the original requirement of a 40 pound/year income in order to vote. This applied to the USA early on andlater changed by Andrew Jackson

Ralph is right! This is one small big step for the Dominican Republic, and thats exactly how it should be done is in small steps to where it gradually takes progress and what I think he should do next is the energy problem we face and to fix the roads everywhere because many of the Dominican Roads are in need of fixing but first the roads should be done, like I said small steps.

Since, in theory, the Dominican Constitution was originally modeled after the US Constitution the idea of Democracy in the DR has gone through an adulteration in practices by the various Administrations in power. These Administrations have caused changes to be made that has no real meaning in political reapresentations of thepublic. The institutions have become mired in bureaucratic machinations, divided in effort and intent, jealous of their rights, andvindictive in their in-fighting. There is no similarity of them being other than self-serving and inept in providing the services they are mandated to do. There is no real authorityf or enforcement attached to any of theinstitutions of evernment. They ain't got no teeth! Those that do have, are easily intimidated by any controversy.
It would be easy to go on and on, but I'd only be "preaching to the choir" I'm sure.

TB

"Time will be the Judge".

Look! Let us talk Plainly as they say. We all know that there are many flaws in the current Government. But if we acknowledge that, then we must also agree that The Dominican Republic Is STILL very far AWAY Behind as far as Corruption Free Government of any kind is concerned. Dominican Republic cannot be compared to the democracy or the government of the USA. Still far behind. The problem is that each time some one comes along and tries to change things for the better, we take 1 step forward, advance 4 years. Then we vote a new person in that takes us back three steps and ten years.

SO are there many flaws with the current Government??? YES!! But the question is, will a new one be any better? At least LF is doing things to advance this country... What the FU** the last government do besides steal and make me ashamed to say I was Dominican each time he spoke?? That guy was an IDIOT!!!

BINGO!........"Playa4thee"......."The problem is that each time some one comes along and tries to change things for the better, we take 1 step forward, advance 4 years. Then we vote a new person in that takes us back three steps and ten years".

The POLITICOS in DR...needs a major infussion of new Blood Cells, from head to toe. DR needs to retire the old generations of politician still parading around always making false promises.

This is the game the Politicos are always playing, and taking advantage of the people in DR who are just so entertained with there BS gimicks.

That is the reason we are sooooo sloooooow when it comes to progress everyone is eating up all the BS, and the free goodies..

I'm glad the metro systems works, but the real measure of sucesss will be how the traffic situation improves, the amount of fuel saved and the number of people who use the train. Modernization for the sake of modernization means nothing. I hope there will be real benefits for SD, if this happens every politician from every party will want some of the credit, if it does not go right it will become a political land mine.

a success story

for god sake, when our people will learn the meaning of progress, iremember when they rebuild (autopista duarte) they critissice it , when they made las carreras bigger they critissice it , the monumento , now our people are upset because leonel is setting up all school with computers i heard that's a waste of money, why we don't want to progress why ?...i would like to bring the dominican republic up to day we have 100s of year far bihind yet, just at the end of 90s and 2000 we started to improve some, to get updated, let, face the changes we deserve it let's getr used to this we dominicans dominicans we are the new dominicans

as i know we had the first church in the americas, the firstcountry, first colony, first hospital etc, we provide 85% of sugar to the whole world 1800s and then we started getting back in everithin, we want to be # 1 in possitive numbers, we needed the metro that's a good start in a small scale we need trains all around the country mater of fact, next thing to improve is electricity, an be more independent of oil too , we had trains before people in trujillo era and the were verry modern at that time from 60s troguht early 90s we when back 100 years far bihin , let face the future its a great chalenge for us i want to stand up or what hipolito mejia and his p. r. d. did when he was president for the best of our country the people...? can anybody answer me.? p r d still the same they just change the joker ..

dominicans are ,rice beans chicken only, bachata only, motoconcho only,pelota only , we ignore that we have more choices to eat, dance,ride,play, entertan, c'man people we need a new dominican republic i wanna eat lasagna too, i wanna dance rock too, i wanna play football too,i wanna rideeeeeeeeeee a metro too instead a motoconcho for god sake!!!

The opposition needs to point out what other benefits to the population as a whole were sacrified for the construction of the metro which will only benefit a few. LF knows how uneducated his country is, therefore, he is using Balaguer's politcal strategies, which was to show the people physically what you have done, because they do not have the educational or academic ability to go beyond what is in front of their eyes. The fact that education, medical sector, social services, roads, housing, higher education and the environment where all put in the back burner to construct such an ineffective projects in the big picture, is enough to boot LF out of the presidency in an educated nation. Unfortunately, the DR people doe not have the ability to think so critically, not because they can not do it cognitively, but because their cognitive ability has been developed through an effective education and nutritional system. It makes me sad to see how LF takes adavantage of his people,cont

by making them believe that such project is to make their lives better. What they do not see, is that this is LF's dream, not the rest of the country. I am sure that every dominican dreams of better schools, doctors, medical system, collge for thei kids, better jobs and others. The metro is far from making any of those dreams come true.

Dagtan,

Do you believe Leonel will furfill the dreams of the Dominican people granted four more years? if not, who would come close?

ny4life, one can only judge LF based on his already served terms in the presidency. In advance I'll like to opologize to you for answering a question with a question. Do you think, based on LF already served terms that he would be able or have done the necessary to fullfil the dreams on the general Dominican population? Remembe, judgement could only be taken from already served terms, since to be fair to LF this is the way to quantify and qualify his governments.

What does the graphic identity look like - Every system should have world class ID. London. Toyko. New York. Where can I see logos and ID for the Santo Domingo Metro?

no comment

Dagtan, I believe LF is capable of starting and developing the Dominican dream. I just feel that he needs one more term in office to further develop the country. DR is a country with lots of necesities, inequaility, discrimination, partisan dealings, corruption which limits development. As such, in order to establish the DOminican dream, it's going to take more than 4 yrs. As we all know, consistently changing governments in DR brings the country nowhere because policies and projects are not completed by new government. THe PLD at this current time is the only party that is able to develop the country and start the process of the DOminican dream. I don't think Leonel or anyone can do it in four more years but I believe he is the most capable of starting it and creating policies aimed toward the future development of the DOminican dream of health, education, jobs, energy, civil rights, etc.

WHAT IS THE DOMINICAN DREAM? work hard, follow the rules, and you'll move up the socio-econ latter? I don't think so! The Dominican dream, right now, is to play baseball, migrate, become a politician, or find an old-gringo to sponsor you... Alas, this is the sad reality in our nation. A reality that is the result of the HUGE inequality we live with and the lack of opportunities for people to truly move up.

But no worries, the metro will help people move from one part of the city to another... That seems to be LF's definition of "mobility" :-)

Mostly what Leo-nel is doing its just “Prostituting” the Dominican State like many others at Latin America. The State & Government its not for the public to bash like a “Pi~ata” as been done by DR actual “Administrator” buying others opposition parties officials.
DR’s its growing a generation of (Leashes) that only see the State as the only form to do a living and creating a dependency on it.

I’m not very sure what Dominicans are fighting for, but if this is what they want, I suggest every single honest person to run for cover.

Unfortunately, the Dominican population has become dangerously extrovert and this is a result of the lack of foward view due to the lurky conditions and road blocks that deliberatly are put in place by the few. Baldoria, you said it, and I can but only agree. However, this condition can be reversed and fixed if the Dominican government adapts the right priorities that actually benefits the population at large. This is precisely the problem with the Dominican Republic in general, we spent a lot of energy and precious resources trying to satisfy the eyes of our foreign partners. You can see this clearly working in the capital city, only the roads and areas transited by dignitaries are cleaned and prep for presentation sake, hence our extrovert attitude. Baldoria, the Dominican people dream and yes they have big dreams just like any other person in a develop country. Unfortunately, they know that it is almost impossible to progress in the DR by using your cognitive abilities, cont.

unless you are connected and have the right last name. However, leaving the country free them from the institutionalized racism and discrimination to which they have to endure, playing basebal makes larger than life, but they do not present a threat to the establishment, because playing baseball is more a physical ability, rather than a cognitive one, and finally hoping for an old American to arrive and be their savior is something that many female dreams of in DR these days. However, the last hope is the one that many dominican-york capitalize on. They go and pretend they love these women to just get in their pants and leave them behind. There is a great % of dominican-york childrens running around in DR. So the damage inflicted by the Gringos, hurt less than the damage inflicted by our own people Baldoria, yes the Dominican-york.

However, the last hope is the one that many dominican-york capitalize on.

0000

!!!!!!!

Couldn't find a plan of the stations, so played around making one.
http://web.mac.com/puntoaparte/Ou....ro_System_files/Station%20Key.jpg