Politics in the Dominican Republic

[SavePros321]

Http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt...wha/154503.htm

"Washington's 'corrupt' label could cost Dominicans US$200M (April 11, 2011) ; Santo Domingo- The Dominican Anticorruption Alliance, ADOCCO, warned Sunday that the USA State Department's report disclosed Friday would keep Dominican Republic from accessing funds from the Account of the Millennium.

In said the report, which cites violation of human rights, killings and torture by police, subhuman prison conditions, a marked increase in people trafficking, violence against women, discrimination against minorities and a little enforcement of labor laws, stresses "instances in which security forces acted independently of civil control" last year.

But what most concerns ADOCCO is the report's affirmation that "Corruption is generalized in the Dominican Republic, ' an element it says would shut the doors to benefits of nearly US$200 million, from the Account of the Millennium."

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/loc...inicans-US200M

From the 2010 Human Rights Report: Dominican Republic, US Department of State (link for the full report is above) : "Serious human rights problems included unlawful killings; beatings and other abuse of suspects, detainees, and prisoners; fair to harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention of suspects; a large number of functionally stateless persons; widespread corruption; harassment of certain human rights groups; violence and discrimination against women; child prostitution and other abuses of children; trafficking in persons; severe discrimination against Haitian migrants and their descendants; violence and discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation; ineffective enforcement of labor laws; and child labor."

The DR will comply with whatever the US tells them to do:

"The Dominican Republic's exports to the USA in 2008 were USA $4 billion, a 5. 6% decrease from 2007 but up 29% over the previous 14 years."

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35639.htm

The people in power over in the Capital do not want the free money spigot turned off, so they will comply (if only temporarily) in order to get Washington to keep the cash flowing.

It will be interesting to see how the next Presidential election will play out in that country (if the candidates haven't been hand-picked by the US already). The reason the Japanese kicked the Portuguese out of their country long ago is because the Portuguese tried to tie in trade with converting the Japanese to Christians. Once the Dutch appeared on the scene (the Dutch cared nothing about religion and only wanted to trade) the Japanese were relieved.

I don't think the DR has the option of choosing its trading partners, plus they are currently competing with the Chinese in the textiles industry:

(From State Dept.) : "The textiles sector-which constituted 53. 6% of FTZ exports in 2000-has increasingly played a smaller role in the FTZ sector. It experienced an estimated 19. 5% drop since 2008 (and a 63. 3% drop since 2000) due in part to the appreciation of the Dominican peso against the dollar, Asian competition following expiration of the quotas of the Multi-Fiber Arrangement, and a government-mandated increase in salaries."

[Jaosousa]

even still, what does the us care about haitians in the dr? haitians tricking in boca chica at that? if they are specifically referring to **** haitian prostitution then that is another thing. but your summary says the report mentioned overall there are more haitian women in the boca chica after the earthquake.

so is the us asking the dr to begin an ethnic cleansing of the haitians or else face economic sanctions (#6 in the summary)?

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt...wha/154503.htm

"washington's 'corrupt' label could cost dominicans us$200m (april 11, 2011) ; santo domingo- the dominican anticorruption alliance, adocco, warned sunday that the usa state department's report disclosed friday would keep dominican republic from accessing funds from the account of the millennium.

in said the report, which cites violation of human rights, killings and torture by police, subhuman prison conditions, a marked increase in people trafficking, violence against women, discrimination against minorities and a little enforcement of labor laws, stresses "instances in which security forces acted independently of civil control" last year.

but what most concerns adocco is the report's affirmation that "corruption is generalized in the dominican republic, ' an element it says would shut the doors to benefits of nearly us$200 million, from the account of the millennium."

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/loc...inicans-us200m

from the 2010 human rights report: dominican republic, us department of state (link for the full report is above) : "serious human rights problems included unlawful killings; beatings and other abuse of suspects, detainees, and prisoners; fair to harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention of suspects; a large number of functionally stateless persons; widespread corruption; harassment of certain human rights groups; violence and discrimination against women; child prostitution and other abuses of children; trafficking in persons; severe discrimination against haitian migrants and their descendants; violence and discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation; ineffective enforcement of labor laws; and child labor."

[Jaosousa]

I really think I'm talking to kids sometime."A Dominican Republic that does not exist" Wow! I must have mistaken those tourist in the Colonial District for putas. I must have mistaken the Euro couple at the new plaza on George Washington for shoe shine kids. The group of businessmen at Jaragua and Malecon for touts and the british couple in Boca Chica for a local or the family at the beach as aberrations. Yall are full a shit. You see what you want to see. Also, a couple that stays in the all inclusive will bring in more revenue than you will spend any day and its taxable.

I hang with you guys. Why try to Bull Shiat Me. I know your a bunch a cheep bastards so stop with the "we spend big dollars" Bull Shit, some of you are the cheapest some of a biatches I have seen in my life. From Rio, to Coasta Rica back to DR yall have got to be the worst. I have had to pay several of you assholes bills while drinking with me because I could not stand you haggling over a 1, 000 vs. 900. Really, your going to sit hear and waste time out of my life over $3 dayum dollars. Especially after you ran the waiter in the ground for the last hour? You sit on here and in person@Santo And brag about how you buy provisions at the market to save money, never pay the Tourist rates and then try to compare yourself to a normal tourist? Hell, I almost had to fight a couple of you for telling me what I should and should not pay to put my dick in a chick.

COME ON MAN! I'm CALLING HYPOCRITE!

It is well known by most Mongers who frequent DR, that sometimes getting change after you purchase something in DR can be a pain. Oftentimes cashiers don't have many low denomination bills or many coins. I know one ISG member who goes to DR frequently, he told me will makes a scene when a cashier does not have enough coins to give him all his change, he will wait and make a scene over 5 pesos (13 cents US).

I know, when I do not have low denomination bills or loose coins, I will not buy certain low cost items at certain businesses in DR. I don't take it personally that a cashier might not have change and it is not worth it to have to wait 10-15 minutes over 13 cents and to fight and make a scene over 13 cents.

[Bq Ribs]

I really think I'm talking to kids sometime."A Dominican Republic that does not exist" Wow! I must have mistaken those tourist in the Colonial District for putas. I must have mistaken the Euro couple at the new plaza on George Washington for shoe shine kids. The group of businessmen at Jaragua and Malecon for touts and the british couple in Boca Chica for a local or the family at the beach as aberrations. Yall are full a shit. You see what you want to see. Also, a couple that stays in the all inclusive will bring in more revenue than you will spend any day and its taxable.........................

No mistakes on what you saw. The mistake is the guys who think the few trips they make a year and spend on putas or online chicas is bailing out the DR economy. Alex save your breath because the Pica Pollo high rollers will never believe you. I always admit I try to save a buck here and a buck there but at least I am not foolish enough to think the DR wouldn't exist without my few monger bucks. Then again with my numerous trips a year I probably spend the same yearly amount as a 4 or 5 trip guy. But the bottom line the way I see it The Monger Dollar Ain't Crap!

[Alex Deuce]

I really think I'm talking to kids sometime."A Dominican Republic that does not exist" Wow! I must have mistaken those tourist in the Colonial District for putas. I must have mistaken the Euro couple at the new plaza on George Washington for shoe shine kids. The group of businessmen at Jaragua and Malecon for touts and the british couple in Boca Chica for a local or the family at the beach as aberrations. Yall are full a shit. You see what you want to see. Also, a couple that stays in the all inclusive will bring in more revenue than you will spend any day and its taxable.

I hang with you guys. Why try to Bull Shiat Me. I know your a bunch a cheep bastards so stop with the "we spend big dollars" Bull Shit, some of you are the cheapest some of a biatches I have seen in my life. From Rio, to Coasta Rica back to DR yall have got to be the worst. I have had to pay several of you assholes bills while drinking with me because I could not stand you haggling over a 1, 000 vs. 900. Really, your going to sit hear and waste time out of my life over $3 dayum dollars. Especially after you ran the waiter in the ground for the last hour? You sit on here and in person@Santo and brag about how you buy provisions at the market to save money, never pay the Tourist rates and then try to compare yourself to a normal tourist? Hell, I almost had to fight a couple of you for telling me what I should and should not pay to put my dick in a chick.

COME ON MAN! I'm CALLING HYPOCRITE!

[Jaosousa]

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/loc...ocaine-monthly

"SANTO DOMINGO- Spain's General Prosecutor estimates that Arturo del Tiempo Marques, who doesn't have any recognized business activity in that country,"exported" at least two containers of "marble" to that nation monthly.

It's suspected that cocaine and other drugs were disguised in those shipments consigned to the owner of the luxury building Torre Atiemar, whom the Spanish authorities are convinced also owned the container in which 935. 5 kilos of cocaine were seized on November in the Port at Caucedo, Boca Chica."

"so if each shipment averaged say. 1000 kg, then 1000 kg x 2 (shipment) x 12 (month) x 2 (years) = 48, 000 kgs"

A kilo of cocaine price from $30, 000 to $100, 000 (I have don't know the exact price of a kilo of cocaine, I have read different prices, cut or uncut prices are different) Price of Kilo of cocaine multiplied by 48, 0000 = a whole hell of a lot of money. No monger dollars are going to be able to compete with that much money.

[Doker44]

I have traveled to DR with groups of people, some of whom had no interest in leaving the All Inclusive Hotel for mongering purposes. DR was chosen as a destination because it can offer the all inclusive type of vacation and also mongering opportunities. The people who never exited the all inclusive resort, spent very little money in DR. People who exited the all inclusive at night to Monger, spent much more money.

I have stayed at numerous all inclusive resorts in the DR. At one all inclusive resort in La Romana, someone in my group met a young pretty European woman who was at the resort alone. She had returned to the resort alone because on a prior trip with her parents, she had met a Dominican guy who worked at the resort and she returned to the resort to see that guy. To me the purpose of her trip was to Monger (a traveler who goes to a destination to engage in sex). Casa Marina all inclusive hotel in Sosua, I have seen plenty of the foreign female guests hooking up with workers at the resort. In Mangu disco in Bavaro, near Punta Cana, I saw numerous overweight foreign chicas hooking up with local guys. When Field of Dreams, across the street from Playa Dorada all inclusive complex, was open, I can remember reading posts that said they had many clients who were guys from the all inclusive hotels across the street. I have read posts where guys who were on a family "normal" tourist vacation in playa dorada, have visited Crystals in Puerto Plata (Crystals prices supposedly $100US and up). The average secretary in DR may make $200-$400 per month, a pro in Crystals may make that in a week. One ISG member will insist Monger dollars are crap.

I have read posts on the ISG, where one member said an older relative pays the rent for his novia in Santiago. Manizales wrote a report that some Monger bought a nice house for his novia in some small town. I met one chica in SDQ who was living in a nice apartment that her foreign boyfriend bought for her. I know one ISG member who told me he met another sdq chica who was living in an apartment bought by a foreign boyfriend.

At the Palms apartment building in Sosua, foreign women own apartments and I saw them living there with their Dominican boyfriends. The English woman who owned a strip club in England, owned an apartment in Sosua, she was murdered by her Dominican boyfriend. Another English woman I know owns apartments in Santo Domingo and Samana and is married to a Dominican guy.

It is not just foreign men who are going to DR for sex, foreign woman go there for the same thing.

I have been in casas in Santo Domingo and seen guys taking chicas out, those guys were paying 2500 to 3500 pesos per chica, those guys never wrote reports on the ISG. I showed one Newbie a few venues in Santo Domingo (the guy has mongered in Brazil and Sosua and other locations) , he is not a member of the ISG, he is a member on some other site, he did not know some well known casas in SDQ. In the span of 5 hours he spent 7000 pesos on two chicas, taking them out of a casa on the malecon. He visits SDQ about twice per month.

Also in Dom Rep, exist the expensive all inclusive mongering resorts, Oxygen and others. The large sums of money spent at those resorts supposedly are crap.

I have driven a country mile in DR and visited different towns. Most towns outside of the main tourist areas have very few normal tourists. I have seen very few "normal" tourists in Santiago, San Cristobal, San Pedro de Marcoris, Bonao, Moca, La Vega. I do know other Mongers travel to some of these towns and other towns where there are very few normal tourists and obviously these Mongers spend money in these towns.

The money sent to DR, through western union, moneygram, xoom or through bank transfers, by foreigners to their novias or novios, I am sure is a considerable amount of money that amounts to something greater than crap.

Great Post!

You have seen many of the same things I have seen. I don't see many tourist in Santiago or SD because they are scared crapless. Just talk with them. My experience are only being in a few places and hanging with tourist sometimes granted, so maybe my sample size isn't big enough. But to try to put a number on it or read any official govt docs on the subject is worthless because they can't track monger bucks for reasons posted above. So yes I agree that the assumption that Monger money isn't shit is inaccurate. These tourist that come down don't spend and many Americans will never return. Just ask them! The reason they want change is the right (or I guess from our prospective the wrong) people are not seeing that money.

Alex...once again your talking about a DR that doesnt exist. Traveling across the country I sure did see these investments....you know all 2/3 built buildings. So yes they could make changes and take some risks to get it where they want it. But it is much easier to run the monger out let the poor suffer while they try to build it into something.

[Jaosousa]

I posted a response in the Santo Domingo, how much of that "investment" is in the form of illegally obtained money, I. E. Drug Money? I hope you make a killing there, make a lot of money, just watch your back. As another ISG member said, some people in DR will try to screw a foreigner any which way they can. Leonel probably has lots of money squirreled away in some off sure bank account out of the DR. People who invested with Madoff thought it was legit.

It is crap. And the economy is moving past the need for those dollars if that activity is going to drive away investment dollars. You kind of just made my point for me. DR borrows so much money to fund infrastructure projects and there has been a lot of private investment in Gazue, that they are sensitive to foreign pressure concerning International Sex Trafficking in all of its forms especially in its capital city. I also stand on the facts that its a $1-5 spending ratio of Monger vs Tourist. If they have to get rid of one its going to be the monger at this point and take the short term hit.

Again, every politician I have talked to or read see prostitution as byproduct of tourism or worse as vulchers on their soil. They recognize the needs for the dollars but its to be managed and not flaunted about like it had become in the entirety around the Jaragua. As debaucherios heaven it had become it really was getting out of hand.

I could not leave the Mystik or Malecon Center and walk a block at night without 7 putas hitting on me or some kid offering me up card for 305, girls house, sky house etc. Etc.

[Alex Deuce]

I don't know what the Motivation is, for someone to say the Monger Dollars pumped into the DR economy is crap. Is it a way to discourage other Mongers from visiting DR, by implying that the money a Monger may spend in DR is crap and therefore not appreciated in DR?

Young beautiful chicas in DR, treat old, fat, ugly, foreign mongers like kings, because the old, fat, ugly, foreign mongers are offering them crap?

In 2009 the DR government borrowed almost 2 billion dollars from the IMF. DR government gets about 40 million dollars from the US government every year. Many people in DR live without electricity and running water for 10 or more hours per day. The large sums of money pumped into the DR by foreign mongers is crap and not needed?

Can people in DR survive in without Monger Dollars? Sure, as long as the DR continues to get aid from the US and can continue to borrow money. Do many people in DR have a better life because of Monger dollars? Yes. Would the lives of many people in DR get worse if there were no Monger dollars in DR? Yes.

Money laundering and drug trafficking are sources of income in DR, illegal sources of money. Monger dollars in DR are totally legal.

It is crap. And the economy is moving past the need for those dollars if that activity is going to drive away investment dollars. You kind of just made my point for me. DR borrows so much money to fund infrastructure projects and there has been a lot of private investment in Gazue, that they are sensitive to foreign pressure concerning International Sex Trafficking in all of its forms especially in its capital city. I also stand on the facts that its a $1-5 spending ratio of Monger vs Tourist. If they have to get rid of one its going to be the monger at this point and take the short term hit.

Again, every politician I have talked to or read see prostitution as byproduct of tourism or worse as vulchers on their soil. They recognize the needs for the dollars but its to be managed and not flaunted about like it had become in the entirety around the Jaragua. As debaucherios heaven it had become it really was getting out of hand.

I could not leave the Mystik or Malecon Center and walk a block at night without 7 putas hitting on me or some kid offering me up card for 305, girls house, sky house etc. Etc.

[Jaosousa]

I don't know what the Motivation is, for someone to say the Monger Dollars pumped into the DR economy is crap. Is it a way to discourage other Mongers from visiting DR, by implying that the money a Monger may spend in DR is crap and therefore not appreciated in DR?

Young beautiful chicas in DR, treat old, fat, ugly, foreign mongers like kings, because the old, fat, ugly, foreign mongers are offering them crap?

In 2009 the DR government borrowed almost 2 billion dollars from the IMF. DR government gets about 40 million dollars from the US government every year. Many people in DR live without electricity and running water for 10 or more hours per day. The large sums of money pumped into the DR by foreign mongers is crap and not needed?

Can people in DR survive in without Monger Dollars? Sure, as long as the DR continues to get aid from the US and can continue to borrow money. Do many people in DR have a better life because of Monger dollars? Yes. Would the lives of many people in DR get worse if there were no Monger dollars in DR? Yes.

Money laundering and drug trafficking are sources of income in DR, illegal sources of money. Monger dollars in DR are totally legal.

[Jaosousa]

Well Bq Ribs you were responding to Toronto where he was talking about AI so thats why I made a point about it. I think your over stating the spending of tourists, thats it, I just don't think its 5 to 7 times more. I happened to go on a 6 hour tour a month and a half ago with tourists of SD. We had 10 people. Do you know how much we each paid. 40 US each. Thats it! The guide took us around to all his shops he gets kick backs from and those tourists were buying cheap junk that added up to nothing! The average person probably spent 45 bucks. Hardly a 5 to 7 time money maker.

Cruise ships come in for hours, once again people eat on the boats, they arent spending 100's of dollars on food and booze. Yes there are many places in the world that make it on cruise ship ports where tourist spend on junk and tours but once again its not 5 to 7 and its not the DR as we know it now.

I don't understand your point about the girls. Why dismiss the money a girl has that goes into the clothing shop and buys 50 bucks of goods but mention tourists getting off cruise ships who will buy 5 dollar trinkets.

If the DR wants change and runs out the monger and they are successful sure the monger dollar may mean nothing someday.

I have traveled to DR with groups of people, some of whom had no interest in leaving the All Inclusive Hotel for mongering purposes. DR was chosen as a destination because it can offer the all inclusive type of vacation and also mongering opportunities. The people who never exited the all inclusive resort, spent very little money in DR. People who exited the all inclusive at night to Monger, spent much more money.

I have stayed at numerous all inclusive resorts in the DR. At one all inclusive resort in La Romana, someone in my group met a young pretty European woman who was at the resort alone. She had returned to the resort alone because on a prior trip with her parents, she had met a Dominican guy who worked at the resort and she returned to the resort to see that guy. To me the purpose of her trip was to Monger (a traveler who goes to a destination to engage in sex). Casa Marina all inclusive hotel in Sosua, I have seen plenty of the foreign female guests hooking up with workers at the resort. In Mangu disco in Bavaro, near Punta Cana, I saw numerous overweight foreign chicas hooking up with local guys. When Field of Dreams, across the street from Playa Dorada all inclusive complex, was open, I can remember reading posts that said they had many clients who were guys from the all inclusive hotels across the street. I have read posts where guys who were on a family "normal" tourist vacation in playa dorada, have visited Crystals in Puerto Plata (Crystals prices supposedly $100US and up). The average secretary in DR may make $200-$400 per month, a pro in Crystals may make that in a week. One ISG member will insist Monger dollars are crap.

I have read posts on the ISG, where one member said an older relative pays the rent for his novia in Santiago. Manizales wrote a report that some Monger bought a nice house for his novia in some small town. I met one chica in SDQ who was living in a nice apartment that her foreign boyfriend bought for her. I know one ISG member who told me he met another sdq chica who was living in an apartment bought by a foreign boyfriend.

At the Palms apartment building in Sosua, foreign women own apartments and I saw them living there with their Dominican boyfriends. The English woman who owned a strip club in England, owned an apartment in Sosua, she was murdered by her Dominican boyfriend. Another English woman I know owns apartments in Santo Domingo and Samana and is married to a Dominican guy.

It is not just foreign men who are going to DR for sex, foreign woman go there for the same thing.

I have been in casas in Santo Domingo and seen guys taking chicas out, those guys were paying 2500 to 3500 pesos per chica, those guys never wrote reports on the ISG. I showed one Newbie a few venues in Santo Domingo (the guy has mongered in Brazil and Sosua and other locations) , he is not a member of the ISG, he is a member on some other site, he did not know some well known casas in SDQ. In the span of 5 hours he spent 7000 pesos on two chicas, taking them out of a casa on the malecon. He visits SDQ about twice per month.

Also in Dom Rep, exist the expensive all inclusive mongering resorts, Oxygen and others. The large sums of money spent at those resorts supposedly are crap.

I have driven a country mile in DR and visited different towns. Most towns outside of the main tourist areas have very few normal tourists. I have seen very few "normal" tourists in Santiago, San Cristobal, San Pedro de Marcoris, Bonao, Moca, La Vega. I do know other Mongers travel to some of these towns and other towns where there are very few normal tourists and obviously these Mongers spend money in these towns.

The money sent to DR, through western union, moneygram, xoom or through bank transfers, by foreigners to their novias or novios, I am sure is a considerable amount of money that amounts to something greater than crap.

[Geolopes]

I just tried checking FOD's website and it appears to be down. Anybody else having the same problem? I wish them well converting to a "regular" hotel.

Hi Mr Gogo


I don't want to argue with you. I have always enjoyed your posts and respected your opinions, but you shouldn't make sweeping statements or unfounded innuendos without having much idea of the facts. There is a big difference between a hotel being shut down and a hotel with 60% occupancy and better than breaking even (quite a difficult feat at present).

To correct your latest misrepresentations:
I am not an investor in Field of Dreams and I don't have enough spare cash to invest in a pica pollo stand. Also there are no "new investors" as far as I am aware. The ownership remains as it has been since reverting from the Cristal connection. It is being offered for sale, but that is not exactly a novelty on the North Coast. What isn't for sale?

I do have a remote interest in FoD in that I am an investor with Anoeca, the owners of Field of Dreams (which is how I am able, from time to time, to post the actual facts rather than bar-room gossip), so it is in my interest that all Anoeca's ventures flourish. However Field of Dreams represents only a very small part of Anoeca's holdings. It has hovered around the break-even point for many years so it's current fortunes are not affecting Anoeca's profitablility appreciably. Their new venture, the Roka Cabañas, is a great success and this is a vastly more profitable operation than FoD could ever be.


With respect that simply shows that you must either be a relative newcomer to the North Coast or have a poor memory. Field of Dreams has been "just a (chica-friendly) hotel with a pool" for much longer in its history than as a Blackbeards-type operation. That is how Dominican Billy set it up, and that has always been the condition of its permitted existence. Many experienced mongers "know it" that way and liked it that way, otherwise they would have stayed at Blackbeards instead.

I like Blackbeards. It's a great institution and it sold me on the DR where I now live. But after my first stay there I afterwards always stayed at Field of Dreams because I preferred that type of environment. Not everyone likes the same thing. We may be a minority, but there are more than enough of us to fill Field of Dreams and make it profitable if only Anoeca would stop chopping and changing.

It is to be hoped that this loyal clientele will now start to trickle back, but Field of Dreams needs to have a business plan and stick to it otherwise guys get confused as to what they are committing to.

I spent yesterday evening with a young monger from the States. He hasn't visited the DR for four years. He is delighted and impressed with the improvements at Field of Dreams since his previous stay. He hasn't known it under the regimes of Leno or Randall so he cannot compare it to them. He is not at all interested in staying at Blackbeards or in Sosúa.


That is correct. That is not in dispute. Nor have they been allowed to hang there (hooking) for most of FoD's history.

I liked Randall. He was very friendly to me, he worked hard and had a lot of bright ideas. However, his efforts were doomed to failure from Day One because:
1) He employed far more staff than could ever be justified, making it hard to be profitable.
2) He operated in defiance of the understanding upon which Field of Dreams was founded. It was inevitable that the day of reckoning would come. I am only surprised it did not come sooner, but we all know how slow the wheels can turn in the DR.

In further defence of Randall, I am not sure how many of the additional staff were added at his instigation. Some were certainly friends and relatives of the owners. And Anoeca should have kept tighter reins on what he was doing. Advertising Field of Dreams inside Playa Dorada was a suicidal idea, for example.

Bribes or no bribes to cops is a complete red herring and nothing to do with recent changes.

I am not sure why this exchange of posts is under "Politics". It seems to be purely concerned with Puerto Plata.

[Charles Pooter]

Sounds like you might be one of the new investors.

Hi Mr Gogo

I don't want to argue with you. I have always enjoyed your posts and respected your opinions, but you shouldn't make sweeping statements or unfounded innuendos without having much idea of the facts. There is a big difference between a hotel being shut down and a hotel with 60% occupancy and better than breaking even (quite a difficult feat at present).

To correct your latest misrepresentations:
I am not an investor in Field of Dreams and I don't have enough spare cash to invest in a pica pollo stand. Also there are no "new investors" as far as I am aware. The ownership remains as it has been since reverting from the Cristal connection. It is being offered for sale, but that is not exactly a novelty on the North Coast. What isn't for sale?

I do have a remote interest in FoD in that I am an investor with Anoeca, the owners of Field of Dreams (which is how I am able, from time to time, to post the actual facts rather than bar-room gossip), so it is in my interest that all Anoeca's ventures flourish. However Field of Dreams represents only a very small part of Anoeca's holdings. It has hovered around the break-even point for many years so it's current fortunes are not affecting Anoeca's profitablility appreciably. Their new venture, the Roka Cabañas, is a great success and this is a vastly more profitable operation than FoD could ever be.

Also sir FOD was shut down as we know it. Anything less is just a hotel with a pool.

With respect that simply shows that you must either be a relative newcomer to the North Coast or have a poor memory. Field of Dreams has been "just a (chica-friendly) hotel with a pool" for much longer in its history than as a Blackbeards-type operation. That is how Dominican Billy set it up, and that has always been the condition of its permitted existence. Many experienced mongers "know it" that way and liked it that way, otherwise they would have stayed at Blackbeards instead.

I like Blackbeards. It's a great institution and it sold me on the DR where I now live. But after my first stay there I afterwards always stayed at Field of Dreams because I preferred that type of environment. Not everyone likes the same thing. We may be a minority, but there are more than enough of us to fill Field of Dreams and make it profitable if only Anoeca would stop chopping and changing.

It is to be hoped that this loyal clientele will now start to trickle back, but Field of Dreams needs to have a business plan and stick to it otherwise guys get confused as to what they are committing to.

I spent yesterday evening with a young monger from the States. He hasn't visited the DR for four years. He is delighted and impressed with the improvements at Field of Dreams since his previous stay. He hasn't known it under the regimes of Leno or Randall so he cannot compare it to them. He is not at all interested in staying at Blackbeards or in Sosúa.

I personally have had three chicas tell me that girls can't hang there.

That is correct. That is not in dispute. Nor have they been allowed to hang there (hooking) for most of FoD's history.

I liked Randall. He was very friendly to me, he worked hard and had a lot of bright ideas. However, his efforts were doomed to failure from Day One because:
1) He employed far more staff than could ever be justified, making it hard to be profitable.
2) He operated in defiance of the understanding upon which Field of Dreams was founded. It was inevitable that the day of reckoning would come. I am only surprised it did not come sooner, but we all know how slow the wheels can turn in the DR.

In further defence of Randall, I am not sure how many of the additional staff were added at his instigation. Some were certainly friends and relatives of the owners. And Anoeca should have kept tighter reins on what he was doing. Advertising Field of Dreams inside Playa Dorada was a suicidal idea, for example.

Bribes or no bribes to cops is a complete red herring and nothing to do with recent changes.

I am not sure why this exchange of posts is under "Politics". It seems to be purely concerned with Puerto Plata.

[Mr Gogo]

Yes, its still open as a regular hotel but it was closed to chicas as of 7/14 when I was there. I cancelled for my reservation for that night thanks to the good intel I gleaned from ISG just before leaving for the trip. I spoke with a girl who used to work it there. She's a decent chica and I speak good Spanish. She told me it was her opinion that FOD wouldn't pay off the cops so they had it shut down as a chica bar. Her opinion not mine. On my way into BB's we stopped in for a few minutes to pay our respects to the dead, so to speak. Everybody I spoke with there told me the chicas were gone. Yes, you can still bring in your own but there were no chicas hanging out at the bar, the feature of this place.

My chica contact told me that the girls were often getting $2, 500 pesos a pop and that many of the mongers were staying at the Playa Dorada complex across the street, sneaking away from the family, etc for a quick screw. These guys didn't know the economy and would often overpay. She said that Randall, the American ex-pat manager was doing a good job before he left and was making a serious effort to cross market as an added attraction to the sterile all inclusive scene nearby. The stripper bar was removed. Too bad, I was going to buy it and surrender the booty as tribute to BB's.

Location, location, location. The big monster(Playa Dorado) can't have it's all inclusive clientel spending money outside it's walls. That's called a defection. To be more specific defection of the peso's. Black Beard is the one and only. Half of the guys in Sosua were broke in at BB. Some people want to discriminate, and keep mongering only to a certain few. But these same mongerers that want loyalty have have no loyalty to BB, go figure. Black beard was my first and I always stop by to have a drink and say hello, even though I rarely saty there.

[Geolopes]

Sounds like you might be one of the new investors. The Puerto Plata Crew has always frowned on Sosua, hoping for it's demise. Also sir FOD was shut down as we know it. Anything less is just a hotel with a pool. I personally have had three chicas tell me that girls can't hang there. It's easy to flip words and insult others but I will not lower myself to that level with you.

Yes, its still open as a regular hotel but it was closed to chicas as of 7/14 when i was there. I cancelled for my reservation for that night thanks to the good intel I gleaned from ISG just before leaving for the trip. I spoke with a girl who used to work it there. She's a decent chica and I speak good Spanish. She told me it was her opinion that FOD wouldn't pay off the cops so they had it shut down as a chica bar. Her opinion not mine. On my way into BB's we stopped in for a few minutes to pay our respects to the dead, so to speak. Everybody I spoke with there told me the chicas were gone. Yes, you can still bring in your own but there were no chicas hanging out at the bar, the feature of this place.
My chica contact told me that the girls were often getting $2,500 pesos a pop and that many of the mongers were staying at the Playa Dorada complex across the street, sneaking away from the family, etc for a quick screw. These guys didn't know the economy and would often overpay. She said that Randall, the American ex-pat manager was doing a good job before he left and was making a serious effort to cross market as an added attraction to the sterile all inclusive scene nearby. The stripper bar was removed. Too bad, I was going to buy it and surrender the booty as tribute to BB's.