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rebaragon,
I haven’t completed my move to San Ramon but I am interested in heirloom seeds, would you share where you get such seeds from in Costa Rica? Both the wife and myself enjoy the old heirlooms. We both love tomatoes with lots of acid, wonderfull taste!!!maravilla,
We have a home 5 kilometers north of San Ramon, between Los Angles Sur and Los Angles Norte, on the Arenal highway. There is a organic co-op just below us to the southwest. Not really being up on the names of the roads (the ones that have names) and such I can’t tell you exactly where it is but if you are interested my neighbors (Tom & Mary Anderson) know it well and can provide me with directions from San Ramon to the place.
Edited on Oct 14, 2007 16:30Edited on Oct 14, 2007 16:30
To all,
Whether it is good or not (TLC) shall be determined in the future. I have it from one good source that they (who opposed TLC) will now concentrate on making sure this “free trade” is in reality done as those (for TLC) said it would be. If not then in 1.5 years they will see that those are not re-elected. I think that is just the way it should be. Costa Rica proved that it is willing to control it’s destiny by the total number that voted. Should it work as said (if there is any truth to the definitions of what CAFTA means), then they will concentrate on helping as best as they can.
ArtI wonder what the difference between “free trade” and the trade that Costa Rica has now? All trade is “free trade” except that trade which is controlled by a bunch of regulations and such, that is not “free trade” it is controlled trade. You speak from a business owners point of view. I speak from a mechanical engineers point of view. I’ve seen what our government has done to our work force with their enforced regulations and such. If this treaty was such a good thing then why is it written so it is confusing? I know lawyers from both the US and CR that don’t understand what is written. If it were good for the people then it would be written so the people could understand it. Also, who from CR was in on the writing of this trade agreement? As I understand it was mostly done in the US by US politicians and their lawyers. I have noticed that many of the ex-pats from the US are moving to CR to get away from corruption in the US, how many from CR are moving to the US to get away from corruption? There are many Ticos and Ticas traveling to the US for educational purposes but they move back to CR when their education is completed.
BTW I have also had 3 successful businesses, I retired from the last before my 58th birthday so I do know a little about trade. My retirement home is in Costa Rica.Anyway it is not for us to decide, it will be decided by Ticos and Ticas in a matter of hours and the outcome will be the will of the people not the will of a foreign government.
A lot of ifs aren’t there? You cannot figure out how Costa Rica will benefit with ifs. I personally think that if Costa Rica rejects CAFTA then there will be other countries that will think about kicking CAFTA out of their country. I know how the government has taken over the educational system in this country with all their hooks and they will do the same to Costa Rica. Costa Rica will benefit from CAFTA for a short time but in the long run inflation and the lack of natural resources will cause that edge to go and end up with a worse situation than they now have. With CAFTA, Intel and IBM will be in a good position to control the wages that they pay by having many USA politicians in their back pockets. The USA will loose more jobs to Costa Rica and Costa Rica will loose to more of their local companies being put out of business by unbalanced financial backing. In the long run I cannot see CAFTA doing any good for Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s poverty level won’t change with CAFTA, if the people can’t find work now with their skill level then how will CAFTA change that, welfare?
How will CAFTA resolve increasing government constraints, are you telling me that CAFTA will take over the government? Oh, perhaps CAFTA will hand a lot of money over to the government to fix this problem. How many hooks would come from that?
Foreign investors will invest in Costa Rica for a long time that is unless the USA stops all trade with Costa Rica…. Where is the CAFTA type agreement that the USA has with China? “but that may not hold forever” is just another “IF”.
Tell me how well the USA has done in balancing it’s own multi trillion national debt?
Your point 5 is about Costa Rica or the US of A? Seems like it is a big problem in the USA.
Again in your point 6 are you talking about the USA or Costa Rica?
How can the USA solve problems for Costa Rica that it can’t solve for itself?The Costa Rican’s have a true democracy, that is a good part of their identity. Many of the Ticos that I have met are not always looking to become slaves to their lifestyle, they enjoy their families and love to spend time with them. Laid back, that is my term for someone who is not caught up in the rat-race. Someone who can be happy with family and friends and not with things.
Costa Rica has done well for itself, it doesn’t need a trade agreement with a country run by all too powerful political machines, the republicrats (republicans now sleeping with the democrats and this is the offspring). You can’t tell one party from the other if you look close enough and what that will do for Costa Rica is to put it in the fast lane to lose the identity that it has for some of the most laid back people in the world. Costa Rica will be in the fast lane for a huge trade deficit as they have little resources other than the slave labor that outsiders want to exploit. You must look at what NAFTA has done to other countries, do you think CAFTA will be any different? I think not.
ArtIt wouldn’t make any difference if you could charge more. The hogs have the money to pay, they would still do what they want to. The only solution is to limit the power they can use. If they can get all they want, they will and Costa Rica will have to deal with the pollution. If you limit the power they can buy then they will have to go solar and/or wind generated power. Let them put up with the cost not Costa Rica. Now find a way around that.
ArtHummmn, I wonder about all the luxury homes being built, are they not power hogs? Almost everyone has a swimming pool, pumps run continuously and lights that they let burn all night for security. I think modest well built homes are okay but things like Mel Gibson’s planned mansion will cause Costa Rica to go to more and more fossil fuels.
ArtTerry,
The cows won a long time ago, it as just become apparent to some recently. The INTERNET gave us a tool to finally spread the word about what is happening but all that happened was porn, we loose again. You can’t tell the truth because those with money will take you out. Slam dunk!
ArtGentlemen,
I forgot to mention something very, very important. Back in the 70s I worked for a heavy equipment dealership in Wisconsin. Part of duties I had involved going to some of the highway lettings (where the contractors made their bids for highway and and the awarding of those contracts), the company also sold and mounted 70% of the snow plows used in Wisconsin. After the lettings I heard contractors complaining on radio phones that a bid they had rigged (different words but meant the same) had been underbid by an outsider and he won the bid. This was on those radio phones that anyone could listen to, very bold you think? I was privy to the cost figures for the snow plows and the mounting of the same. Something I wondered about was a $250.00 miscellaneous charge, what I found out, it was for payola, you know the winning and dining of plow operators and their bosses. The real thing that set me back was everyone knew about this practice. The government we have today is a result of the neighbor that knew his friend was getting these free things and then doing nothing about it. Gentlemen, unless the bottom of the government pile is cleaned up the top will always be as corrupt as the bottom (stench rises). We get what we ignore. Our vote means nothing because we have allowed it to become worthless.
ArtPS, I’m leaving this mess too, I couldn’t get anyone to listen to me either.
David,
In my humble opinion there is no two party system anymore, there is only the “rebulicrats” (Republican + Democrats). Have you ever noticed that no matter what one party says the other makes fun of it, delays it but they always get just what they were looking for in the first place, more control. Either party drags things around until the bill or whatever never resembles what it was to begin with and has added things that ultimately take away more of our freedoms. The repulicrats use smoke and mirrors to baffle the public while they slide things through without the people feeling a thing (bend over, you’re going to get it again). Remember Nam, anything going on today that resembles that??? Who was on what side and who did what to the other party to get the things they wanted, more money for the political machine and their pockets. They all share in the power………. nuff said?
ArtTerry,
I read that article just a few minutes ago and was getting ready to do some posting, you beat me to it, good for you. Just goes to show that old saying is so true, “if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance them baffle them with B.S.” CAFTA will strip Costa Rica of everything they have gained by hard work on their own. I sure hope the Ticos get these articles so they will know what CAFTA will bring for them. I am surprised that the Tico Times printed that article as I’ve heard from several sources that they are pro-CAFTA (I hope this proves me wrong).
Artdavidcmurray
You have hit the proverbial nail on the head, there are many countries out there willing to deal with Costa Rica, CAFTA or no CAFTA. Besides the USA is kissing China’s butt when it comes to all the bad stuff in China’s products and CHINA HAS NO FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH THE USA, do you think that the US is going to stop dealing with China because they have no trade agreement???? NO WAY, Nuff said?
ArtGentlemen,
There is an old saying, “if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with B.S.” There is only one reason CAFTA is written so it’s confusing, it is so they (the States legal system) can interpret it anyway they want to. CAFTA will help the common Tico till inflation catches up then the poverty level will increase. If CAFTA was good for Costa Rica then it would be in plain understandable language. Costa Rica has done well for itself up to now, why would Costa Rica need CAFTA? Costa Rica will be controlled by outside money which controls the States government which will control the Costa Rican government. I don’t necessarily care for legalized prostitution but look what is causing the people of Costa Rica to consider changing that, “outside tourist money” and it ain’t the men that is doing it. That is the way it will go with CAFTA, money given or money taken away, either in the form of cash or through lawsuits.maravilla
I know there are places in Costa Rica that raise Tilapia, I am not sure about trout but I’m sure there would be some local trout farms. I saw one place (in CR) on the internet that would net Tilapia from their ponds for you and clean them. There is one restaurant that has Tilapia raised in their own pond and will catch your dinner and fix it while you wait. I would imagine that where ever you are there are local grocery stores that have local Tilapia for sale if you ask. I know when we get moved that will be one of the things we will be buying locally. I buy frozen fish (Tilapia) by the box (10 Lbs.) if it isn’t from China. I was told by another ex-pat in San Ramon you can find locally raised fish, chicken, beef and pork if you look around. She said that there is one fellow that comes around with fresh chicken all cleaned and quartered, another fellow brings around fresh veggies, just more things that are great about Costa Rica.
ArtI just heard on the news in California that the toothpaste problem just got a lot bigger. Seems like there might be several 100,000 tubes that have antifreeze in them all over the country. Of course the news media excusses the problem saying the Chinese don’t know what our safety standards are. I thought whatever company ordered the product would have a set formula they must follow. Now I suppose they’ll say the Chinese can’t read our formulas. Sounds pretty far out to me.
Art
