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in first of two readings By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The legislature passed on first reading Monday a measure that is designed to aid in the development of community rural tourism. The measure found support in all political factions, according to a legislative summary. The bill is supposed to provide a framework for the development of such tourism. Rural tourism is designed to bring the benefits of this industry to communities that are not typical destinations. In some cases, tourists live with families and participate in agricultural work. Others just relax in the small communities. The bill, which still needs to be approved a second time, will allow government financial support for rural tourism, said the summary. The measure also would allow government support for the development of tourism activities. Museum will celebrate International Book Day By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Museo Nacional is celebrating the International Day of the Book with activities all week. Today the museum is presenting a show of books about orchids that were used to set up the exhibit “Joyas del Bosque." Also today and through Thursday local school children will be visiting the museum and will receive a workshop based on the works of Henry Rojas and Álvaro Borrasé, who recounted the adventures of a native boy in the forest and the discovery of a new type of animal brought by the Spanish. Then children will be asked to make drawings and other creative works based on the narration, the museum said. The Day of the Book is Thursday, April 23, which also is the date in 1616 on which three literary greats died. They are Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and the Peruvian Garcilaso de la Vega. Prison sweep uncovers all types of contraband By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A sweep of the Unidad de Admisión de San Sebastián, the prison in south San José, turned up knives, drugs, a cell phone and even liquor Monday, officials said. The Fuerza Pública, the Grupo de Apoyo Operacional, the Unidad de Intervención Policial and the Unidad Canina began the sweep at 6 a.m. All units are dependencies of the Ministerio de Gobernación, Policía y Seguridad Pública that were invited by the Ministerio de Justicia y Gracia, which runs the prisons. The searchers also found 12 homemade sharp instruments used as weapons, radio receivers, money and other prohibited items, officials said. Our readers' opinions
Former insurance monopolyno friend to efficiency Dear A.M. Costa Rica: Beware, the facility for filing online “planillas” for Instituto Nacional de Seguros worker’s risk insurance may have a virus that will infect your computer. Or so says two separate virus scans. In fact, our agent for INS reports that a group of his clients (of which we are one) have problems this month accessing the online Web site to file monthly required reports. On the subject of INS worker’s risk, I have beefs. Perhaps other readers do also. First off: if it’s supposed to cover workers who may injure themselves whilst on the job, why does INS charge premiums when the worker is not working (eg. vacations, etc.) Also, they like to charge the whole month when an employee starts even on the last day of the month. That doesn’t seem kosher to me. With all the employees working for INS, do they not have enough to do the job right? And why, in the remotest of requirements would they need a 28-page manual on how to file online each month and an additional 100 pages of occupational codes and 5 pages of country codes. And then they have the audacity to insert a virus when you download their program. Again, two independent computer virus scans both picked up INS as the source of my computer virus. And why can’t INS and Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social get together on the filing requirements. Caja requires their own instruction for online filing each month: a mere 43 pages with their own codes (some 400+) that usually do not correspond to the same occupation codes as for INS. And why, even with make-work projects, can’t a company file a SIMPLE employment record to one agency of the government and they sort it out. And why does it have to be monthly? Why not quarterly. Silly me — I forgot: Government employees may be out of a job if they got too efficient and saved the employers time and money. But perhaps I shouldn’t complain that I will now be buying a $700 laptop computer whose sole function will be to do the monthly planillas for INS because I can’t risk a computer virus infecting my files. $700 might be extravagant, but it beats standing in line for up to 4 hours, taxi fares to and from both the Caja and the INS offices EACH MONTH to comply with their rules. Someday someone will click in that time is money. When that happens, a country may step out of third-world into developed nation status and its citizens will be better off. Before someone starts lambasting me for being so impatient in this lovely country, I do love Costa Rica but, whether here or in my home country, I do get a little ticked off at excess bureaucracy — it is wasteful and frustrating. What they say about civil services is so appropriate everywhere: They are neither civil nor do they serve. And don’t get me started on computer viruses! Mary Jay
U.S. embargo was goodAlajuela for Castro and his image Dear A.M. Costa Rica: Barack Obama recently observed that the embargo against Cuba has not worked. In fact, the contrary is true. The embargo against Cuba has worked extremely well. The U.S. embargo has united the Cuban people behind Castro and against the U.S. Which may have been what the U.S. wanted. The U.S. embargo against Cuba has given Castro the excuse he needed to back up his regime. Heroic Castro, all alone, against the mighty capitalist United States! The U.S. embargo has strengthened Castro in the eyes of his followers and has united Cuba against the U.S. Notwithstanding the U.S. embargo, Cuba has been able and free to trade with the rest of the world. So why hasn’t Cuba prospered if it was free to trade with the whole world except the U.S.? Cuba has not prospered because no country under a Communist dictatorship has ever prospered. (China began to prosper when it adopted capitalist modalities) When the present embargo ceases and when the barriers between Cuba and the U.S. no longer exist, then we may expect to see the beginning of the dismantlement and disintegration of the Communist regime in Cuba. Perhaps Castro and his fellows may seek political asylum in Costa Rica? -— more likely in Nicaragua or Venezuela. It was the U.S., for its own good reasons, that sought to maintain a Communist regime in Cuba under Castro for so many years, a warning to the U.S. taxpayer that the Communist ogre was right on its very doorstep, a relic and a left-over from Cold War games and tensions. Don't forget that Fidel Castro could be a great financial asset to Costa Rica. According to Forbes Magazine, Castro is one of the richest men in the world. Desmond McReynolds
San José
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Vol. 9, No. 77 | |||||||||
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An argument became a murder Sunday morning in Nosara when one party to the dispute pulled a gun and fired twice. Residents heard the shots that came from near the local airport and called police. The dead man, later found some 10 kms (6 miles) away in Garza was identified by the Poder Judicial as Michael Eduardo Rojas Murillo, 23, of Matapalo de Abangares. After shooting the victim, the gunman loaded the body into |
a pickup truck and then led police
on a chase from Nosara to Garza.
Another account said that the man was shot while sitting in the vehicle. The suspect was identified by the last names of Sirias Sequerira, said the Poder Judicial. He was remanded to jail for three months for investigation. Fuerza Pública officers said they finally found the body in a stream in Garza. Nearby they located Sirias and the vehicle, they said. Police said they recovered clothes and a firearm. |
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Country Day students
presenting theatrical version of 'Kindergarten' this week
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Country Day School students are presenting "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" as their annual theatrical production Thursday through Saturday at the school in Escazú. "Based on Robert Fulghum's best-selling books, 'Kindergarten' promises an evening of theatrical storytelling in revue format, with monologues, dialogues, and songs takes a funny, insightful, heartwarming look at what is profound in everyday life," said an announcement. The show, according to the announcement, features colorful characters such as a shy little boy who insists on playing the pig in his class production of Cinderella and steals the show; a mother of the bride who's staged a perfect wedding |
until the juggernaut of fate rolls
down the aisle; and a grandmother who
takes her granddaughter to the zoo only to have her chase pigeons all
afternoon, these stories celebrate our very existence, from the whimsy
of childhood to the wisdom of old age. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. in the school's cafetorium. Admission is 3,000 colons ($5.32) for adults and 2,000 for children. Tickets can be purchased at the Country Day School High School Office, between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., through Friday, said the announcement. More information is available at 2289-0919. The show is being directed by Lisa DeFuso and Kathryn Smith. Gina Velasco, a school math teacher, also is involved. Players include high school students as support from elementary and middle school students. |
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Proposed law would address
psychological harassment in the workplace
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A legislative deputy said Monday that she will submit a bill in the current session that seeks to avoid psychological harassment in the workplace. The lawmaker is Grettel Ortiz of the Partido Acción Ciudadana. She said there does not exist current laws to prevent these practices and the only internal work rules in governmental agencies are in the Judicial Investigating Organization. According to an online source, psychological harassment can stem from overwork, unrealistic work demands, withholding information and resources, arbitrary removal of responsibilities, public humiliation, lack of professional autonomy, favoritism and nepotism, excessive competitive work environment, disorganized working conditions, |
ambiguous tasks or
contradictory tasks, tasks that are deprived of purpose, constant
threats of dismissal, leadership styles, lack of communication, and
intimidation. That's according to the Psychological Harassment Information Association. According to a summary of the proposal, the bill would address actions by coworkers as well as supervisors. The measure was drafted with help from the Defensoría de los Habitantes and the Poder Judicial. Two similar bills have failed to win passage in previous legislative sessions. The bill would provide remedies for harassment, including leave for the victim and moral and actual damages, said a summary. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Vol. 9, No. 77 | |||||||||
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Obama gets crticism for shakings hands with Chávez
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A handshake at last weekend's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago is continuing to stir controversy in Washington. Critics say President Barack Obama made a big mistake in greeting Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Obama shook hands with all of the leaders attending the hemispheric gathering. But only one greeting got any real attention. Chávez — known for his anti-American rhetoric — was shown smiling as he met the new U.S. president. The image infuriated top Republicans in Washington, including Newt Gingrich — a former speaker of the House of Representatives and a possible candidate for the party's 2012 presidential nomination. "Everywhere in Latin America, enemies of America are going to use the picture of Chávez smiling and meeting with the president as proof that Chávez is now legitimate, that he is acceptable," he said. During an appearance on NBC television's Today show, Gingrich said Obama has adopted the wrong approach. "I am not against him talking to Chávez," he said. "But I think he ought to talk to Chávez in a cold and distant way because Chávez openly, constantly attacks the United States." |
But Obama has made clear that he has no regrets. He told reporters at
the end of the Summit of the Americas that the handshake was the right
thing to do. "It's unlikely that as a consequence of me shaking hands or having a polite conversation with Mr. Chávez that we are endangering the strategic interest of the United States," he said. His press secretary, Robert Gibbs, followed up at a press briefing Monday at the White House. Gibbs said that Hugo Chavez has used his rhetoric in the past to incite anti-American sentiment — most notably four years ago at the last Summit of the Americas in Argentina. "Is it in our national interest to have images going all over the world of thousands of protesters burning in effigy some look alike of the American government? I don't think that furthers our national interest," he said. "The president doesn't think that furthers our national interest." Gibbs said that engaging on the world stage is in the national interest because it helps create stability in an important region of the world. The White House failed to include any photos of Chávez in the 21 posted to its Web site relating to the Summit of the Americas. |
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World Bank, Monetary Fund
ready to hand out cash By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Next weekend, financial officials from around the world and development non-profits will be in Washington for the 2009 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Among the topics will be how best to apply the $1 trillion allocated by G-20 leaders last month to the fund. For development organizations, the meetings are a time to discuss some of the unfinished business of the G-20. Last month in London, its leaders pledged $1 trillion to the IMF for loans and other assistance to help cushion the developing world from the effects of the global financial crisis. But some questions remain. Activists say, for example, that the G-20 promised $100 billion for multi-lateral institutions like the African and Asian Development Banks, but did not specify where the money would come from. They also want clarification on how proposals made by the G-20 would work. One is the issuing of $250 billion worth of the fund reserve currency, called special drawing rights, or SDRs, to nations needing funding against the effects of the global financial downturn. It is estimated that nearly $19 billion would go to low-income countries under the plan and $60 billion to middle income countries like Mexico and Brazil. SDRs, which are worth about $1.50 can be exchanged for the leading currencies, including the dollar, the euro and the yen. The IMF would distribute SDRs to states according to the size of their voting shares within the institution. Soren Ambrose is the development finance coordinator for ActionAid International, based in Nairobi. He says bigger industrialized economies, which have a larger percentage of votes on the Monetary Fund's executive board, would receive more SDRs than poorer countries. The G-20 also agreed to sell more than 400 tons of the Fund's gold reserves. The move is expected to yield up to $11 billion, with a portion going to help finance developing countries. The IMF also has a program called the Flexible Credit Line, which grants emergency loans to countries with strong financial track records. Borrowers would not be required to make Fund-mandated changes to their economic policies. They could also have access to unrestricted renewals and up to five years to repay the loans. But development specialists are concerned the money will go only to medium-sized economies and bypass the poor countries that need help the most. At the spring meetings, many development activists will push for the Fund and World Bank to issue money to poor countries as grants rather than loans, which they say could lead to a second debt crisis in Africa. |
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| Latin
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German
musicians here to help youth orchestra By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Four musicians from the Berlin Philharmonic, one of Europe's top orchestras, are visiting Costa Rica to share their knowledge with 140 youngsters of the Orquesta Juvenil Centroamérica. In addition to Costa Rica, the youth orchestra has members from Guatemala, Honduras, Panamá and the Dominican Republic. The project is sponsored by the Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes and the German Embassy. This is the second year of the program. The four visitors are Wilfried Strehle on the viola, Andreas Neufeld on the violin, Wolfgang Dünschede on the flute and Gabor Tarkövi on the trumpet. The visiting musicians will present a concert Friday in the Basílica de los Ángeles in Cartago at 7:30 p.m. and the following night at the same time in the Teatro Nacional. The invited director both nights will be Lazlo Marosi of Hungary. University orchestra plans to honor violinist-teacher By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Orquestra Sinfónica of the Universidad de Costa Rica will give its first concert of the season Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Teatro Nacional. The concert is in honor of Walter Fields, who is a violinist. Fields, who will perform, has recently been elevated to emeritus status at the university where he has worked for more than 30 years. Another soloist will be his grandson, André Robles Field. The orchestra also will present a symphony by a Costa Rican composer. |
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