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I think you’ve made my point for me!
“Your take that giving someone health care will make them a lazy slug is about the most moronic sentiment I have ever heard.”
My point is NOT that giving folks these benefits MAKES them lazy slugs (not sure I said that… but I’ll play along!)… it was that when a system continues to reward folks that make no effort to try to get ahead, make bad choice after bad choice, and instead feel thay are OWED a life… it only encourages more people make the same “lifestyle” choice and thus an ever increasing drain on society! At some point the system fails!
Here is what I DID say… perhaps you’d like to re-read it and comment on my properly quoted statement?
>>>Next we’ll see a socialized retirement system beyond social security for all those that NEVER put a dime into the system… and more “social” programs that continue to reward bad choices, lazy attitudes, uncontrol breeding, and a lack of work ethic…. folks enjoying all the benefits of working hard for a living, saving, planning, sacrificing, making good choices, without the bother of work! Oh the joys of sleeping late and not having to go to work!!!<<<
“Have you ever been to Sweden, or Denmark, or Italy, any TRULY socialist country? They don’t have a lot of slackers; they have very productive people who don’t have to worry that they will lose everything they have if they get sick!”
Well yes… and once again you’ve made my point… these coutries DON’T have a lot of slackers and folks that feel the “government” should be the answer to all their problems… UNLIKE the US where we have a LOT of slackers that want everything that you and I have worked hard for without the bother of going to work for it. And while we’re at it… folks in these counties, besides being rather productive people… are also better educated… and have a sense of pride in themselves… once again…. qualities that you don’t see with the current crop of people in the US….
“You right wingers truly amaze me. And the sad part is that way too many of you want to live in Costa Rica!!”
Well… let me see… by right winger… if you mean someone that has worked hard to get ahead, plays by the rules, respects hardwork… education… self reliance… and people that have pride in themselves and are willing to sacrifice to get ahead… I guess I’m guilty as charged… and it’s for THAT very reason that Costa Rica attracts “right wingers” like me…. the liberal left has sent the US on a path that will most likely be it’s undoing…. but then again… perhaps I’m just being moronic! LOL
Feel free to twist my words and misquote me…. it only tends to prove my point! 🙂
Come now…. you’ve seen the clip…. (here’s the clip in case you missed it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoqI5PSRcXM ) your boy said those very words… even if Joe doesn’t have the money! Perhaps Joe doesn’t… but there are LOTS of people that do that will be VERY surprised when their wealth gets spread around! LOL
Edited on Nov 04, 2008 17:23
speedo5… I suggest you start building as fast as you can… and do a bit of research yourself… there’s some MAJOR pain coming to the folk in the US… not just the working people that can’t retire… but their children that have been sold into debt before they’re even able to make a living! There will be millions of people, many that knew they could never retire… and more that have now had the CHANCE at retirement taken away that will at some point see what has been stolen from them… and at some point the system just breaks! I agree that the next president is in for a VERY rough ride… and so are the people in the US… there’s some MAJOR changes coming… and THAT I hope we can agree!
Socialism that places such heavy TAXES (In the US they hit you from so many angles you really don’t know WHAT you pay in “taxes”) on the working people while PRETENDING to live a capitalist democracy isn’t so funny!
But then again…. we’ll see how this all works out… or doesn’t!
Hey Trevor! Still enjoying the good life I see! I’m sooo jealous! And I see you have a new lady in your life and at the office! I’m looking forward to returning to Siepe IN January… I’ll buy the beer!
CJ
NYCome on Maravilla… the US was well on it’s way to becoming a socialist country before this! The final steps are in the works as we speak… or as Osama speaks… speading Joe the Plumber’s wealth around… which somehow morphs it’s way into “spreading the opportunity around” for the media…. a proposed socialized medical system which will cost TRILLIONS and be the end to all other plans except for the ultra rich. Next we’ll see a socialized retirement system beyond social security for all those that NEVER put a dime into the system… and more “social” programs that continue to reward bad choices, lazy attitudes, uncontrol breeding, and a lack of work ethic…. folks enjoying all the benefits of working hard for a living, saving, planning, sacrificing, making good choices, without the bother of work! Oh the joys of sleeping late and not having to go to work!!! LOL
Do you think for a moment that the “sudden” meltdown of the economy in the US has NOTHING to do with the direction this country is headed? There are some real smart folks out there that see the writing on the wall… BIG profits were made while the overall market lost TRILLIONS… and all those good worker bees (with 401K and other retirement plans) that were at or near retirement (and even those in retirement) lost TRILLIONS and are now LOCKED in nice and tight to support a system that they will never benefit from! The babyboomer problem has been solved… no worry about retirements overwhelming the system… now folks will have to work until they drop!!! Suddenly we’ll have MILLIONS of folks continuing to be taxed to cover SS and government programs cost! Isn’t that obvious with events over the past 6 months? You don’t have to believe in the boogie man to see this…. nor be a doomsdayer… it’s just plain simple fact!
The very idea of having worked hard for many years only to see the benefit of that work bestowed on all those that have NOT done so is enough to make one run off into the night screaming! Isn’t that what socialism is all about? And since we’re sharing this exchange on a site about Costa Rica I’d have to guess that most of the folks here see the same writing on the wall and have made plans to escape America. One has to wonder if the new proposals for migration to CR have a lot to do with the flight of folks from the US! I guess Arias is going to cherry pick those he wants in when the folks in the US see what has happened to the dream!
It seems Don Arias has completely lost his mind! Dumping Taiwan for China with their human rights problems… a secret slush fund to grease folks that he wants to reward… open pit mining… and now this MAJOR change that ,if passed, will have a BIG impact on folks thinking of relocating here as well as those already here! Does he think the flow of money, jobs, and investment will increase with such a move? It makes you wonder what he’s thinking!!!
No doubt these changes will have a MAJOR effect on good folks here that are trying their best to play by the rules now! Does he or anyone really think this will stop the flow of criminals and unwanted illegal migration? Is he looking to dump the lower income LEGAL residents already here? I can’t wait for the other shoe to drop and see that they want a HIGHER rate for required CAJA coverage for gringos… just a guess but we’ll see how that pans out!
We’ll have to wait and see if this passes in it’s current form… my best guess is it will see some changes before it makes it’s way to law!
Funny how this comes out just as the US is just about to elect a socialist! It might be time for a worldwide revolt folks…. it’s coming!
Edited on Nov 04, 2008 06:15
I’m guessing that everything we all thought about these folks is in fact true… promises… lies… threats of legal action aside…. I guess at the end of the day…. reality wins out!
No surprise here! Sorry to hear about your problem. I’m sure it will be one of many with a slowing world economy. A pyramid scheme only works as long as money keeps coming in. When it slows or stops… that’s when the poop hits the fan! With the world economic crisis right now… money will stop flowing in buckets to CR from folks spending the equity in their homes to buy vacant land with nothing more then promises! There will still be folks coming and investing… just not at the rate we’ve seen in the past. Remember… many people at or near retirement have seen their retirement accounts almost cut in half in the last few months!
In many cases here in CR… questionable developers count on deposits and payments on overpriced undeveloped properties to make the infrastructure improvements promised. REAL developers that have the financing and ABILITY to complete a project would be using their own money to build the project KNOWING they would see the return on their investment! Real developers put in the roads and the extras knowing that’s how you get top dollar for your project from knowledgeable investors. But not folks out for a quick buck and not interested in investing their own money in a project! They rely on money coming in to make it happen! When the new money dries up… they run… and you’re stuck with a lot on yet another dirt (or in the green season MUDDY) road to nowhere! Then you find the value of your lot in worth NOTHING as it’s nothing more than a slice of land with a number on it with no access or utilities! Costa Rica is full of dirt roads to nowhere…. and the wreckage of dreamers!
Stick to your guns… and make them pay! Doing BAD business in the US has a cost… and it’s time you get what’s due you! Good luck! And keep us posted!
Edited on Oct 28, 2008 13:10
Civil unrest or not… I think it’s MUCH more likely that we see some type of problems in the streets related to the current economic crisis rather than someone going after Obama. Crime is already on the rise no matter what you’re told. And people ARE going to be hurting with everything going on! The US is ALREADY in a recession even if they have not “officially” declared it! Folks at or near retirement have had their CHANCE at retirement wiped out within a month… and younger people perhaps haven’t realized it yet… but they will NEVER be able to retire!
Simple answer —-> Job… NO! Instead own a business and provide yourself an income… YES!
That’s the law in a nutshell! Besides… one of the things that makes the cost of living here so affordable is the labor market and rates. We hear this same question over and over from folks thinking about the move. To think you’d be able to relocate here, compete with the local labor for work (at local scale) and be able to support a family ANYWHERE near the style you’re use to is NOT going to happen.
But don’t let the idea die!
Keep the dream alive… do your homework (as you’ve done here)… research the possiblity of finding something (business) new and creative here, you’ll never be a millionaire but you can live a simple life, enjoy a beautiful country, raise children that are SO unlike the kids back home, and be the envy of everyone that knows you!
Edited on Oct 19, 2008 15:35
Hey Scott… Don’t mean to ruin your morning… but here’s some more good news. As most of us already knew… the problems out there WILL find their way to CR… the big difference is that the folks in CR are a hardy self reliant type that will ride out the storm in much better shape then folk in the US!
From the Tico Times…
Bad Economic Weather Moving In
Experts predict a recession here; signs of slowing already evidentBy Elizabeth Goodwin
Tico Times Staff | editorial@ticotimes.netThe financial crisis sweeping the globe is creeping up on Costa Rica, with a dip in foreign investment leading a pack of problems prompting some of the country’s economists to predict a recession.
While Costa Rica’s banking system is relatively isolated from the ailing banks in the United States and Europe, the general lack of liquidity in the global markets means the country is seeing less direct foreign investment.
Costa Rica’s banks, reluctant to loan, are holding on to their dollars and granting less credit, at higher rates. This means business customers will have trouble restocking their stores, and other clients will struggle in repaying their loans, leading to a slowdown in commerce.
“There is going to be less money (for consumers) to spend and lower production and lower employment,” said Luis Mesalles, a former board member of the Central Bank and general manager of La Yema Dorada, a food manufacturer. “This is going to come, and people need to be prepared.”
A Balancing Act
Unlike in other Latin American countries, where a recent but now-halted comm odity export boom allowed central banks to store up cash, Costa Rica has been running a trade imbalance for decades. In August, the trade deficit was nearly $3.9 billion (TT, Sept 26).
“A financial crisis is potentially more damaging for a Central American country than any other in Latin America,” said Mauricio Cárdenas, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, D.C., and the former minister of economic development in Colombia. “In Central America, countries are running a (trade) deficit, which means that they have to access markets to finance that deficit. If the markets somehow get more illiquid, then this country will be in a situation where they eventually will have to use their reserves.”
Costa Rica’s Central Bank has about $3.77 billion in reserves, the lowest in nearly a year. It’s been spending rapidly in the past few months to keep the colón-to-dollar ratio within the boundaries it set in 2006, as the trade deficit puts pressure on the colón’s value.
“Construction investment has already started to shrink in some sectors last month, whic h implies that we don’t have all these dollars that we used to finance our deficit anymore,” said Eric Vargas, strategy director at the financial advising firm Aldesa. “We’re in a recession. It’s already started or it’s about to start.”
The economy is definitely slowing. In 2007, Costa Rica’s gross domestic product grew by 7.3 percent. The International Monetary Fund predicts it to grow about 4 percent this year, and only 3.5 percent in 2009. Isaac Castro, chief economist at the finance company Interbolsa, said GDP growth could drop below 2 percent if the economic situation in the United States, Costa Rica’s largest export destination, worsens.
The delay of several major tourism projects, like the $800 million Cacique complex on the Pacific Coast, has economists worried about the decline of foreign investment, especially in the real estate and tourism sectors.
Bye-Bye, Credit
But it’s not just big international projects that are unable to raise funds. Small- and medium-sized businesses in Costa Rica also are feeling the credit crunch.
Anselmo Sánchez, the president of the Association for Small and Medium Businesses (ASOPYMES), said businesses that rely on imported goods, like clothing stores, are the first to feel the pain of tightened credit.
“It’s going to affect small businesses really strongly,” Sánchez said. “The projects that they aren’t giving credit to aren’t going to go through.”
Vargas said the decrease in liquidity won’t be as “violent” as it is in the U.S. and Europe.
“But our impression is that the financial system is facing a big restriction of banks’ ability to give credit.”
To restore movement in the credit markets, Castro said, the Central Bank should inject some capital into banks, even at the risk of worsening inflation, which is predicted to be at 14 percent for the year. Banks are required to keep 15 percent of their deposits with the Central Bank, and Castro thinks that number should be lowered, so that more currency can begin moving around.
“This would have an impact on inflation, but we think that the danger right now isn’t so much inflation as businesses not being able to finance their normal operations,” Castro said. Banks are holding on to their money so that customers do not lose confidence and demand their savings back.
“The banks are keeping their money to be safer, even though it has heavy consequences on their profits, but that’s better than having people forming a line outside to take out their money,” said Danilo Montero, general manager of Interbolsa. “It would be great if we had a Central Bank that was more in the game.”
Bank Deposits Secure
Despite the slow-moving credit, there is no reason – at least not yet – to fear defaults in Costa Rican Banks.
State-owned banks, like Banco de Costa Rica, Banco Nacional and Bancrédito guarantee their deposits without limit 100 percent. Private banks have a common reserve with the Costa Rican Bank Association, though its executive director, Maria Isabel Cortés, would not disclose the amount of money in that fund.
“There are some banks that invest abroad but mostly in foreign treasuries, so the impact (of the financial crisis) would be less strong,” Vargas said. “You can’t say it’s totally safe. They’re more isolated but still vulnerable.”
The Costa Rican banking system is also much less developed than that in the U.S. and doesn’t deal in the exotic financial instruments that sparked the crisis there, according to economists.
Cortés said the banks are safe.
“There are no important risks that could generate any worries about the Costa Rican financial system,” she told The Tico Times. “The banks will not feel, directly, the U.S. crisis. However, lines of credit that local banks have with U.S. banks could shrink.”
Cortés recommends caution before investing or taking on debt.
“In case of a profound crisis, public banks have support,” University of Costa Rica Professor Rudolph Lucka said. Public banks tend to have less invested abroad, he added, but also have lower interest rates than private ones.
“I think for the moment that we don’t have to worry about the money we have in the banks right now,” said former Central Bank President Eduardo Lizano said. But, he cautioned, “Keep an eye out, or even better, two eyes out.”
The Central Bank recently switched most of their reserves invested in North America to U.S. Treasury bonds, a safer investment, and raised their safety standards for investment in general, according to Héctor Ávila, the bank’s director of assets and liability.
Silver Linings
Two bright spots on the horizon are lower gas prices and an upcoming loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).
Gas prices dipped under $70 a barrel Thursday, a 52-week low, which could significantly help Costa Rica’s trade imbalance and inflation, said Eduardo Lora, the chief economist in the IADB’s research department.
A loan of $9.3 billion from the IADB and two other organizations will be divvied up among Latin American countries – no more than $500 million per country – for infrastructure and to help restore credit lines. Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly would have to approve the loan. The funds would most likely go to infrastructure projects.
A large infrastructure project would provide jobs, and better infrastructure might attract more foreign investment – both of which would be welcome relief if the economy contracts as severely as the experts are predicting.
a
So you’ve been there too Scott! You have to know how to buy Real Estate here in CR…. there’s nothing like it in the world! EVEN with the assistance of a local or a native speaker! The “normal” way of closing the deal doesn’t work here! Just as yelling and raising your voice due to some problem gets you nowhere here! Smile and work it out!
I love it when you show any interest in a property, even a grossly overpriced one that’s been on the market for years, and suddenly the price shoots up while you’re walking the place!
There is a “logic” here in CR with Ticos that if you’re willing to spend $XXX then there must be someone that will spend more! Or the other “logic” is that you left your brain at the airport… fell in love with CR… MUST have this property at ANY cost… and have a shopping bag full of cash that you picked off the money tree you have growing in your yard back in the states!
Tico’s are a very laid back sort of folks… they have time… patience and very rarely place themselves in a position that they HAVE to move on a sale now. Therefore they can wait you out… even if it takes a long time. Sometimes they’ll just wait until the market catches up with their asking price… then ask for more!!! LOL
Saw this on “Inside Costa Rica” this morning… seems the world slowdown is having an impact on the BIG players too!
AOL Founder Steve Case’s Project in Costa Rica Delayed Until 2010
The financial problems in the United States are taking a toll on Costa Rica. Several well-publicized projects have been put on hold, including Cacique, an ambitious us$800 million development on the northern Pacific Coast spearheaded by AOL founder Steve Case.
Construction was scheduled to begin next year on the much-discussed Cacique development, which includes two boutique hotels, a spa, an array of high-end home sites and a tennis facility designed by Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. But now the project won’t break ground until 2010, at the earliest.
“In the current environment, we do not consider it prudent to start construction,” said Jorge Cornick, spokesman for the project. “But as soon as the market goes back to normal, the project will proceed, as planned.”
A St. Regis hotel planned for the central coast and a Regent Hotel project in Guanacaste, not far from Cacique, are also in limbo due to financing concerns. “We are pausing for the moment, giving us a chance to investigate further how the situation with the capital markets might play out,” Regent hotel developer Blaine Kirchert said.
Costa Rican president Oscar Arias joined Case to announce plans for Cacique last year. The first project for Case’s company, Revolution Places, Cacique is designed to combine the “highest-end services and amenities” with the latest in environmental and green development practices, according to marketing materials. Plans call for only 300 private residential units on the 650-acre site.
The delay is more bad news for Agassi and Graf, who are having a tough time in their initial forays into real estate. Earlier this year, a project they were helping to develop in Idaho, the Fairmont Tamarack, also ran into financial problems.
