> From: "Mark Jones" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 17:37:41 +0100
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: RE: [CrashList] *?!*/�??//����!!!\\|\��|//???**
>
> Alanna, I meant to write you but have been ill for a couple of days. I
> was going to ask you to post your long piece from the DR, before I did
> unsub you. Perhaps you'll do that anyway: I thought it was important
> testimony.
>
> best wishes
Mark - I JUST NOW READ THIS! CERTAINLY hope you are feeling better by now.
If you still want to post my DR experience to Crashlist, here it is:
Subject: Alanna Hartzok reporting on her activities (9/28 to 10/3) in Santo
Domingo with Lucy Silfa, Director of the Henry George School of Social
Science of the Dominican Republic (Republica Dominicana - RD).
We are working for an economics policy approach which shifts taxes off of
wages, labor, homes and productive capital and onto land values and natural
resources in order to promote urban and rural land reform and alternatives
to wage slavery employment. (http://earthrights.net)
Report outline with day-to-day details following:
Monday, Oct. 2
* Najayo, a federal prison
* National Association of Professional Agronomists
* Direccion General de Impuestos Internos (like IRS)
* National Budget Director
* Minister of Finance
Sunday, Oct. 1
* Strategy and planning meeting
Saturday, Sept. 30
* Dominican Institute of Journalism
* Escuela de Ciencias Sociales Henry George
* Out to the barrios
Friday, Sept. 29
* Director General of the National Cadastre
* Military Mapping Institute
* United Nations Development Program
* FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)
* 34th Anniversary Program, Escuela de Ciencias Sociales Henry George
Thursday, Sept. 28
* Met with Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Vice President of the Dominican Republic
* Lunch at Congress with several legislators
* Director, Economics Dept., Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo
Monday, October 2
Helen Zapata arrives and takes us to Najayo, a federal prison 30 minutes
drive west of Santo Domingo. Lucy has been teaching classes there for two
years and has graduated 345 persons in courses in Fundamental Economics,
Protection and Free Trade, Science of Political Economy, and Urban and Rural
Tax and Land Reform. Today there were around 60 men and women � fewer then
the 200 expected for the special program today because the authorities had
brought in 92 new prisoners last evening who had to be removed from the
processing room.
Lucy gave them highlights of all the work we have done together the past
several days. She says they were delighted to hear of this, because they
had been urging her to do this sort of connecting. The prisoners are telling
their friends and relatives about the economic understanding they are
gaining. One woman hopes to be released soon and wants to start an Escuela
de Ciencias Sociales Henry George in Columbia, her home country. Another
prisoner told me in very clear English that he was from a large landholding
family whose roots go back to the conquistadores (original colonizers from
time of Spain). He said his strong intention is to work for the land value
tax policy (impuesto al valor de la tierra) and model it on his family
lands. (This could be interesting. He will receive a copy of Land for
People, Not for Profit, pronto!)
Next, at the Asociacion Nacional de Profesionales Agropecuarios (National
Association of Professional Agronomists), a man sitting on the sofa in the
waiting room warmly greeted Lucy, saying that she was an historical figure
in the country. We met with Geovanny Arias, Secretario General of the
Asociacion, who took the class from Lucy in 1986, and Jose Vasquez,
Secretary of Organizations. This very productive meeting resulted in an
agreement of collaboration between the two organizations for educational
seminars all over the country. At the end of our meeting the man who had
been sitting on the sofa took official photographs, after which he said to
me regarding Lucy, �You are walking around with one of the most prestigious
people in the country.� Upon leaving this office, we were greeted by Cesar
Cuevas, another former student of Lucy�s, who is now Sociologist with the
Professional Agriculture Association.
After a challenging drive through the chaotic freedom (read, no one obeys
traffic signs) of this capitol city, we met up with Fermin Acosta, who had
arranged an appointment with Julio A. Ramon, Subdirector General for the
Secretary of State for Finance, in the Direccion General de Impuestos
Internos (like IRS) and Zeneida Bautista de Delgado, also Subdirectora
General. They were very impressed with our message and wanted to learn more.
They agreed with us that what is being done today, taxing industry and
commerce and personal wages, is not a helpful approach. Their work is to
control tax evasion and they see that this is quite difficult. They asked
for some materials and expect to meet with us again in order to gain a
deeper understanding of our taxation proposals.
Next we visited the National Budget Director, Luis Ernesto Perez Cuevas, who
had learned about LVT in Taiwan. He has been in contact with the school and
Lucy wanted me to meet him. While we were at his office the Minister of
Finance, Fernando Alvarez Bogaert appeared and took part in the
conversation. Lucy explained the reason for my visit to the Dominican
Republic. Alvarez stated that he knew that Henry George was a very famous
man and he had learned about him while in New York when he was attending
Columbia University. He seemed pleased with our presence. While exiting the
front door of this government office building, Lucy was greeted with a warm
hug by Angel Lockward, the Secretary of Industry and Commerce, who said
�Lucy is a good friend of mine.�
Sunday, October 1
A productive strategy and planning meeting with a core group of ten
associates of Escuela de Ciencias Sociales Henry George. We reviewed the
activities of the week with the intention to follow-up on the opportunities
presented. We developed and agreed to a strategy for the implementation of
land value tax in the Republica Dominicana. Each member of the planning
group committed to specific responsibilities and tasks for the next steps
for the movement here. (Lucy says that my visit was an incentive for them to
be more active in the work here.)
After working on the computer with Maria Acevedo, she urges me to read Voice
of the Planet by Michael Tobias and loans me her copy.
Saturday, September 30, 2000
Lucy has been teaching a Georgist education class at Instituto Dominicano de
Periodismo (Dominican Institute of Journalism) and this morning she arranged
for a special seminar with me. Some of the students reported viewing scenes
on television this morning from Lucy�s 34th anniversary and graduation
program for the Escuela de Ciencias Sociales Henry George. Approximately 60
students, many from all over RD, listened closely for an hour and then
asked questions concerning globalization and Georgist economics, how to work
in the political realm and practical implementation of land value taxation.
One young man asked how more young people could get involved, so we
suggested that he form an economic justice/land rights organization for
youth. He is bright, bilingual, and has Internet access so we think he will
be a good leader. He has invited Lucy to give talks in his city of La
Romana. One of the students in this class is an excellent artist. After
seeing his paintings after the class, I made an agreement with him that I
would promote
them on <www.earthrights.net> website in exchange for his donation of a
percentage of his painting sales back to the land rights/tax shift movement
in RD.
After the class we went across the plaza to visit Santo Domingo Cathedral,
the first cathedral in America, built in the early 1500s. Sure enough,
another one of Lucy�s students was in the cathedral. He is with a newspaper,
El Caribe, and promised to help her with publications.
Next stop was to the location of Escuela de Ciencias Sociales Henry George.
It is a humble, modest building. The terrific work Lucy has been doing here
deserves much better facilities, but she has been making do as best she can
considering she has been running the School out of her own pocket with no
outside funding for the past three years. A former student, now a lawyer,
has been kind enough to give this space for the School without rent
payments.
In the afternoon, Fermin Acosta, an accountant who has an import business,
picked us up in his jeep and we went out to the barrios. We traveled through
sandy dirt lanes among tin roofed shanties where people were living crowded
together in one or two little rooms. Jammed between the hills and the
polluted river, some of the shanties experience frequent flooding. Such a
contrast, these terrible shacks with some traces of modern life � little
TVs, boomboxes, old refrigerators - crammed inside. Sprinkled here and
there were little stores selling food and household items. In open drains
flowed water contaminated with human waste and everything else.
Out of a city of three million people, it is estimated that about half the
population of Santo Domingo, the capital city, live in such conditions. The
second largest city is Santiago with a population of over a million. The
remainder of the people in this country, total population of eight million,
live in smaller towns. Lucy tells me that most of the rural land of the
country is vacant.
This we know is a typical pattern throughout Latin America and much of the
world. Neoliberal economic policies and social forces have resulted in
concentrations of large populations on small amounts of land. Disease runs
rampant, along with violence, crime, drugs and sexual abuse including incest
as children, teenagers and adults sleep in the same little room.
Lucy told me of visiting a barrio previously. She was invited for coffee
where there were swarms of flies all around and she accidentally swallowed
one. When she left she had to walk through such heavy and deep mud that her
leg sank down and when she pulled it up her shoe was lost forever. Because
of the miserable living conditions, many of these people are sick everyday
and some wait for days at the hospital for treatment. Some children die in
the arms of their mothers before they see the doctor. Lucy says there is a
big effort being made to help the situation and that it is getting a little
better.
After a walk in the park across from Lucy�s apartment, we came back to rest
and do other work in her office. Lucy did not rest long before receiving a
phone call from a television producer inviting her to be on a program.
Friday, September 29
First off this morning, we met with Hector Perez Mirambeaux, Director
General of the National Cadastre (Direccin General del Catastro Nacional).
(We met this man yesterday while waiting to see the Vice President � a
�meaningful coincidence� as we had intended to contact him.)
We discussed the situation in RD regarding the record keeping for land and
property evaluation. Perez informed us that the records are in some disarray
and disorder from past administrations, and that they have just begun the
work of improving the management of this department of government. He was
quite friendly and open and seemed in full understanding of the importance
of proper assessments in order to implement land value taxation. It is our
impression that he would welcome suggestions, assistance, or collaboration
with assessment experts and others in our movement.
Next stop was a visit to the Instituto Cartografico Militar for a meeting
with the Director, Colonel Eugenio A. Matos Rodriguez. This building was
guarded at the entrance by a soldier with a rifle and a friendly smile. We
explained our reason in wanting detailed maps of RD, and so after a cordial
chat over tea, he gave us five large maps with topographical and
geographical details of the entire country. This can help us gain an overall
perspective on land values as they might be expected to concentrate in
various areas.
We proceeded to our scheduled meeting at the United Nations offices in RD.
First off, we met briefly with a former student of Lucy�s, Adolfo Marti
Gutierrez who is now Oficial de Programa para Asuntos de Coordinacion y
Aspectos Economicos. We gave Adolfo a copy of the UN Habitat II Land Access
Action Agenda, my article which is published on the UNCHS website - �Land
for People, Not for Profit� - and the Green Tax brochure. Adolfo will be
giving Lucy various articles on the UN Development Program for RD and we
will be able to compare and advise regarding their approach. Adolfo was most
interested to connect with out associate Dr. Hector Sandler, Director of the
Instituto de Capacitacion Economica in Argentina so we gave him Hector�s
email address.
Next at the UN campus we met with Dr. Francisco Roberto Arias Milla,
Representante de la FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) en Republica
Dominicana. We met with him for about an hour and exchanged detailed
information concerning his work and the potential for application of land
value taxation. He was quite open and asked a number of specific questions
which we were able to answer.
Currently their main project is to give cash grants to the poorest of the
poor in order to buy agricultural land, seeds and farming equipment. They
will give technical and educational support in order to maximize the success
of these new farming operations. I mentioned to him the successful example
in Russia where farmers gave the government ten percent of their crop as a
type of resource rental fee. The government then sold this for cash.
Dr.Tatiana Roskoshnaya, Director of the Land and Public Welfare Foundation
in St. Petersburg, Russia, wrote about this in a recent edition of Land and
Liberty which I promised to send to him.
This evening was the special program for the celebration of the 34th
anniversary of the Escuela de Ciencias Sociales Henry George. We arrived
early at the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library). By 7:30 more than 100
people had filled the meeting room and several TV and newspaper reporters
had interviewed Lucy.
Fermin Acosta opened the program as Master of Ceremonies. After a short
talk by Adriano de La Cruz, the first student to register for the school
(1966), Lucy presented 137 graduation certificates.
Then a delegation from NAJAYO, a prison in San Cristobal, presented Lucy
with a Special Certificate of Recognition for the work she has been doing
there teaching the Henry George Progress and Poverty (Progreso y Miseria)
class.
After this, Dr. Cesar Bido, a Santo Domingo City Council member and also a
former student of Lucy�s, gave a heartfelt speech and presented me with a
beautiful certificate � a Resolution to Declare Alanna Hartzok a
Distinguished Guest of the City of Santo Domingo, the First City of
America. What a wonderful honor! Dr. Bido said it was remarkable that the
City Council had agreed to this proclamation unanimously, as unity of any
sort is extremely rare because the council members represent six different
political parties and there are usually big fights over most issues. The
mayor of Santo Domingo was also a student of Lucy�s. It is to her credit
that our movement received this high recognition from the City Council via
this proclamation of welcome to me. Lucy is held in high esteem everywhere
in this country.
Next was my speech. Fifi Dominguez, who works for the American Embassy, did
an excellent job of translating. The middle section of the speech contained
direct quotes from two of George�s lectures � Moses, the Apostle of Liberty
and Thou Shalt Not Steal.
The program ended with the beautiful music of singer/guitarist Rafaela Baez
and refreshments.
Thursday, September 28
Last evening the program that Lucy organized to celebrate the 34th
anniversary of the Henry George School here was announced on the television
show Punto y Punto. The program has also been announced in several
newspapers.
Today began with a meeting with Milagros Ortiz Bosch, the new Vice President
of Republica Dominicana (RD) who is also Minister of Education. She was
serving as President today because Hipolito Mejia is now in Guatemala
signing a new free trade agreement for the region. Lucy encouraged Milagros
to include Georgist economic education in the school system. The next step
is for Lucy to write a letter detailing her proposal.
Everywhere that Lucy goes she meets people who have taken her courses at the
Escuela de Ciencias Sociales Henry George. Or if they have not yet taken the
course she organizes one for them! For instance, while waiting to meet with
Milagros, former students of Lucy greeted her. She also spoke with a
military General and after a few minutes it was decided that Lucy would give
a special class for a group of high level military officials.
Our next stop was to lunch at the Congress with several legislators, two of
which had taken her classes -- Eulogia Familia and Elias Wessin. Eulogia is
working closely with a coalition of labor union leaders. Elias is Secretary
General of a political party (PQD � Partido Quisqueyano Democrata). After a
very stimulating discussion, it was decided that Eulogia would arrange for
Lucy to conduct a seminar with the labor union leaders in conjunction with a
selected group of legislators. We might mention that the Senate is now
working on proposals to bring in a national sales tax to replace funds which
will be lost when the country removes some of its tariffs, as called for by
the WTO. So the time is ripe to present LVT as an alternative to sales tax.
Next we met with Hector Romero Ramos, Director del Depto.de Economia ,
Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo and two other professors, one of whom,
Nelson Pena, had taken the course from Lucy in 1968. This university was
founded in 1538, just 46 years after Columbus landed upon these shores,
thinking he had made it to India. (They have built a huge monumental museum
on the spot where he landed.) It is the oldest university in the Western
Hemisphere and has 80,000 students in six campuses. Our meeting here
resulted in a plan to have Lucy present a seminar for the economics
department faculty on October 11. We also met Valentin Guerrero at the
university, another of Lucy�s students.
Accompanying us throughout the day were two associates of Lucy who had
graduated from her school quite a while ago. Fermin Acosta is now an
accountant, businessman and head of the Henry George Foundation here. He had
arranged for our meeting with the Vice President and is interested in
working on the research for practical planning for implementation of land
value tax in RD. Cesar Peralta is a law student and arranged for our meeting
at the University.
Afterwards we had dinner at a nearby restaurant and again, Lucy greets
former students of hers. I feel like I am traveling around with the Queen
Mother. Having taught Henry George classes here for 34 years, the seeds of
Georgist ideas have been well planted in the brains of many thousands of
people. With a bit more sunshine and water, we should be able to harvest a
crop of values-oriented, economically enlightened leaders to build the
political force for implementing land value tax in RD (Republica
Dominicana).
END of REPORT
Alanna Hartzok <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, UN NGO Rep., www.earthrights.net
Lucy Silfa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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