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[quote=”Johnhw2″][quote=”grb1063″]Basic public school education in CR is probably better than what most US school districts provide and certainly a more respectful environment.[/quote]
I agree that the typical Tico I have met seems better educated than the average American I run into. I wonder if its the school system or the desire of the students making the difference. I truly do not know but the typical tico seems more focused on things that matter in my view. Perhaps due to education, perhaps upbringing or perhaps out of necessity and believe they can better themselves this way.[/quote]
Consider the classification of the “typical Tico” you have met.
My wife and I support the education of seven children in a “life on the edge” Tico family. They range in age from age 7 (1st grade) to 16 (4th year colegio, 10th grade).
In my experience of two years I find that the schools are overcrowded and provide 4 to 5 hours a day in class study. The chidren are illiterate in history, geography and economics when they enter colegio. They may be able to read and write English (required) by the time they finish colegio but cannot speak it. They are not challenged in the classes and have little interest in education.
I worked in the education field before retiring and have been working to instill the importance and necessity of education and trying to make it interesting for them. It is like pounding rocks but there is improvement.
I blame the system and the over-crowding but I am unsure of the quality of the teachers under the circumstances.
If the Ticos you know are from families of middle class and above they have a definite head start and their parents can afford private schools.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]treat the area with the Mirex pellets (which they’ll take down into the colony) or Lorsban powder from a powser pump sprayer. [/quote]
Where can you purchase these products? I am particularly interested in the Mirex.
We have ant highways over here sonetimes as much as 3 inches wide.
[quote=”watchdog”]Although there is no specific language in either the Costa Rica Immigration Law, or the Regulations, the practise (Policy of Enforcement) has been for may years and continues to be, that if a party which has a Residency Application filed with the Costa Rica Immigration Department, carries the Immigration Department’s receipt for the filing of the Application (which includes the Application file (expediente) number) with their Passport, there will not be a requirement to leave Costa Rica to renew the Tourist Visa every 90 days, during the Residency Application period.[/quote]
The office of Controloria informed me that the only requirement once your had your expediente was that you must have a Costa Rican drivers license in your possession after the initial 90 days. Once I had my license I had no more problems.
The [b]only[/b] problem that I had was with the traffic police and their insistence on the drivers license. Never a problem with Fuerza Publica or local Policia.
[quote=”charlie”]I wouldnt take the chance as there are 2 sets of law books here in my opinion.[/quote]
Yeah, one set for you, whoever you may be and one for everyone else.I just got myy approval letter yesterday 04/27. Tells me that I was approved as of 02/26. It only took 2 months to let me know.
My documents went in August 28,’08. rejected twice, up to directors officve twice and back down for another review. Who knows why.
My wife’s docs went in the same day, essentially the same docs and she was approve a year ago. Go figure.
[quote=”Versatile”]
Although this is likely a futile exercise, let me give you a glimpse of my world. 55 years old, male, married, self employed, employees, overhead, vehicle fleet; parent of two self sufficient young adults. Working class parents and grandparents.I’ve had health insurance every day of my working life, paid for by my labor, sometimes with the assistance of my past employers, mostly not. In any event, I chose to allot that money for my peace of mind.
Like it or not, (probably not) people prioritize what they spend money on. Many people are bums and pitiful excuses for parents. Others will never get anywhere in life no matter what you do for them (See: LBJ, Great Society) There are dozens of reasons people don’t have health insurance, but only a few are truly valid. The recurring number I’ve heard reported is that 85% of Americans are happy with their healthcare, although the cost is a factor they’d like improved. So where are the cost savings in this new plan? All I see are mandates, taxes, fines; hardly a recipe for lower costs.
Question is: Does this justify a government takeover of private industry? Not for our welfare; it’s about tax, control, spend.
I suggest that if your having a hard time finding anyone that sees this takeover as objectionable, you need to start engaging people that you fundamentally disagree with, and try their shoes on for size. You might have an epiphany.
But then again, probably not.[/quote]
Been there, done that. Retired and 69, I did own my own business and my circumstances were similar.
Take a look at the cash that the insurors are taking in and they deny you for preconditions, set annual individual and family limits and decide for what treatment they will pay. No matter how many ways you can think of that the insurors can gouge you they are 10 steps ahead of you.
I agree about the bums and ne’er-do-wells but they are being forced into a system that will attempt to prevent your having to carry those people through your tax dollars. Every time they get free health care, you pay. They have to start carrying their own weight and the only way to do so is by law. I have siblings that fit this mold and I have resented it for years.
Happy with your health care? Keep it! but don’t let them dictate your treatment as they do now.
The number of “agents” is untrue that number includes support staff. For every agent there is a support staff but the tax $$$ saved by requiring insurance will more than offset the additional work force.
The government is not getting into the insurance business by setting up the insurance pool. It simply oversees the pool with a small staff. The idea of the pool is to force insurors to be more competetive in order to sell their product.
You can not name one piece of legislation that was perfect out of the box and this is no different. It will require changes as all other legislation has required changes.
Costa Rica has a truly socialist type of health care system and they are still changing for the better 61 years down the line.
Economics is a special interest of mine and I could be wrong but I think with patience you will fing that the kinks will be worked out over time.
I’ll give Obama credit for getting something done that bo other president has had the huevos to accomplished since Roodevelt (Teddy) first mentioned it in 1912.
[quote=”CostaRicaDreamin”][I guess we will all see before long. Maravilla, Take off those rose colored glasses you wear, and see what the secret elites really have in store for us all! Including mobster muslim Obama.[/quote]
Despite his proclivity for sexual adventure Bill Clinton’s administration was the only one which managed to reduce the debt to GDP ratio from 1980 to 2000. You can find the [b][u]facts[/u][/b] laid out at this web page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/note.php?note_id=314465136409
Google “debt to GDP ratio” and weep.:cry:
In the aftermath of Bush2 it will cost trillions to bring the U.S. back to economic health and Obama will be blamed for the cost of the correction just as Roosevelt was.[b]I would rather wear the rose colored glasses than be blindfolded to historical fact.[/b] Unless the American voter becomes intelligent enough to stop voting in favor of radical fringe philosophy, [b]liberal or conservative[/b], and starts voting for intelligent thinkers who can truly compromise the U.S. is doomed to become just another has been nation.
[quote=”edlreed
Again, the irony. The man got 100 million votes. He and his pop were VERY transparent, YOU knew where they came from, and the ilk he represented have done quite well. [/quote]
A little history will help your argument here.http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/note.php?note_id=314465136409
To all who have participated in this discussion I give thanks.
I worked in construction for 33 years on the other end of the job as a final wall repairman and painter and just as there is much to know about what I did there is much to be learned about the ins and outs of other trades.
I have a basic knowledge of process of all trades except HVAC. The details are something that I never had to consider until now.
We face a new world here with conditions that rarely had to be considered in the States.
Thanks again,
Les[quote=”Michlic”]polyfibers have great advantages over rebar. The consistency is from top to bottom where rebar can easily be tramped to the ground doing no good. Polyfibre also holds the hydration of the concrete elliminating shrinkage cracks or spalding and allows the concrete to cure at an even constant for the 28 day curing time. Polyfibre is same price as metal reinforcing and should not alter the price of installation. If your metal reinforcing as began to corrode, it will continue to corrode and emit gas (explain later). Thus losing reinforcing value.
[/quote]
One last question…I am leaning toward Fibromax without metal reinforcing. Control joints will crack exposing the metal to rust conditions.
If I go this route how much fibromax would be needed for what measure of concrete for best strength?
If you think this is not a good decision, let me know.[quote=”2BNCR”]After the grass grows in the block will you have traction problems on a 30% grade? Plus you have to weed eat the grass so it does not cover all the pavers. On the coast I see that the grass covers the sacate block but where I live in San Jose sometimes I see the block with empty squares.[/quote]
Zacate planted 1/4″ to 1/2″ below the level of the concrete should allow a mostly grassy appearance while the wheels should act as a weed eater does as it passes over it. The Zacate Blok should allow most water to drain through unless you get a very heavy rain. It will still require a horizontal gutter to accommodate those. I drive a 1980 Datsun 2 wheel drive pickup that’s light in the rear. The Zacate Blok offers more traction and I intend to experiment with the grass at the top before doing the whole thing. The parking area will have to be cut.[quote=”2BNCR”]If a contractor charges $4,000 for 100 m2 on concrete, what do the paver cost for 100 m2 or per m2?[/quote]
I haven’t priced pavers because they wont work for my slope. They are too slick.[quote=”2BNCR”]I have not built anything substancial in 10 years but with all due respect that $40 m2 seems high/ What do you all think?[/quote]
Look back at the cost estimates for Guanacaste and extrapolate from that. I don’t mind paying a little more for top-notch work but I don’t want to get ripped either.[quote=”2BNCR”]My nieghbor has the most beautiful brick shaped concrete paver driveway in harringbone pattern. magnificent. My concrete drive way after 12 years has wear spots in it.[/quote]
I agree with the beauty of the pavers. If you are substasntially level they are great.All of the estimates I get are labor with a list of material. Our money is tight and I am looking for a source of factory second or used blok.
[b]My advantage[/b] is having a Tico family in house that knows the San Jose area very well to help locate the items I need.
[quote=”kimball”]What is everyones opinion on pavers vs concrete in CR.[/quote]
Esthetics plays a part in my decision.
I have a hill of 75 feet at about a 30% grade and plan to use Zacate Blok planting zacate grass in all open areas will serve to stablize it and I have a 30 x 20 parking area that I want to use the zacate blok for the bottom. Zacate blok are 1,000 colones each. Blok size is about 8″ x 16″ x 4″ thick.
Unless I hear good arguements against it I would prefer the zacate and there should be no slippage of the blok down the hill.
Pavers are an advantage over concrete in that rain water will drain between the pavers .
[quote=”2BNCR”]Cali Skater I,
Are you saying that 100 square meters of surface of 4 inch slab costa $4000? What are the cost for labor and materials only – if you don’t mind…[/quote]
The breakdown on the bids for my work has been pretty consistent at 60% materials and 40% labor.
That includes fiber and metal reinforcing.[quote=”Michlic”][quote=”DavidCMurray”]Mike, I’m confident that any decent contractor would include rebar in his work, but what’s your take on adding or substituting fiberglass or polypropylene fibers to the concrete mix? I think I understand that these fibers greatly add to the strength of the finished product at quite a tolerable additional cost, but I have no inside information.
What’s your take?[/quote]
polyfibers have great advantages over rebar. The [u]consistency is from top to bottom[/u] where rebar can easily be tramped to the ground doing no good. Polyfibre also [u]holds the hydration of the concrete elliminating shrinkage cracks or spalding and allows the concrete to cure at an even constant for the 28 day curing time[/u]. [u]Polyfibre is same price as metal[/u] reinforcing and should not alter the price of installation. If your metal reinforcing has began to corrode, it will continue to corrode and emit gas but [u]for slabs is perfect[/u] and many of my government projects (over engineered) specify polyfibre.
[u]Rusting reinforcing emits a gas.[/u] [/quote]
It sounds like your recommendation would be to use polyfiber instead of metal reinforcing for this type of work.
Where does that leave us regarding joints? Is the fiber adequate or should metal reinforcing be used as well? When the concrete cracks at the joints, and it will, the metal is then exposed to rusting.[quote=”caliskatari”]I own a Construction company and do general contracting in the Guanacaste area. These are the costs in our area if I was to do the work (including profit for the company) cost would most likely be less in San Jose..
[/quote]
This is exasctly what I was looking for. Just a general idea what I should expect for a price.[quote=”DavidCMurray”]Mike, I’m confident that any decent contractor would include rebar in his work, but what’s your take on adding or substituting fiberglass or polypropylene fibers to the concrete mix? I think I understand that these fibers greatly add to the strength of the finished product at quite a tolerable additional cost, but I have no inside information.
What’s your take?[/quote]
All bids did include #2 Malla but only one included the fibramax. I think adding the fibre is a better way to go.Thank you David
