TwoSailors

Spain and Chile make a lot of great wines but their wines priced in the value category are sure good. 

15 hours ago, Marcelyn said:

Perhaps I can mention that last month Bud and I visited the offices of our two Texas Senators while we were in Houston. Some interesting conversation.

We send e-mails and make telephone calls to various government officials on topics related to support for expats.

We are doing everything we can to improve support for people who chose to live outside of the US.

You guys rock!

Indeed and this is not the first time with their event notices. I would think that there are very good, former marketing/event folks that are retired here, that could assist them with public marketing events.

8 minutes ago, Bonnie said:

I don't know, but I feel sure there were more than now because the purge of employees didn't begin until late 2016-early 2017. There may be hope, though:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/us/politics/mike-pompeo-lifts-hiring-freeze-state-department.html

This also addresses the issue of responsibility for the personnel and budget cuts.

Wonder why the embassy cut back there hours and service if this is the case?

I read this yesterday. Totally agree. It is time to get women into office worldwide! The men have been screwing things up on this planet for too long!

8 hours ago, Marcelyn said:

Wonder what the employee head-count at US Embassy in PC is now compared to 2016 and when John Farrar was the Ambassador to Panama.

It is impossible to find an answer to that GREAT question on the internet!  ( Must be a "National Security" issue, ? ) Currently, the US Embassy website is showing 6 openings. I bet there are a lot more!

https://pa.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/

It's not odd, the US State Department is in total disarray!

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/02/tillerson-trump-state-foreign-service/553034/

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-state-department-vacancies/

3 minutes ago, Brundageba said:

Over a decade ago with the influx of non-Spanish speaking residents there was a difficulty among them to call for emergency services ( for the most part).  If you need help and can not speak Spanish there's a problem.  Petty crime, home break-ins and theft were also occurring.  That's when AAC ( Stop Crime) started.  For a donation, you could avail yourself of their services to translate into Spanish your needs to the service provider you needed ( ie police/ambulance).  Rodny was the person that provided that translation via phone direct to where it needed to go. In time, Rodny went independent  ( Rodny Direct) providing a secured data base system with a broader stored data base.  In essence it is 911 on steroids.  As an example he keeps records for you of your nearest relative and local emergency contact, who cares for your pet, what medicine you take for whatever condition you may have.  The list is long.  When you need help, he not only translates to get you help but as well follows up to make sure your situation is handled in every regard to the point of resolution.  One year costs $80.00.  For my husband and I, it's an essential service even though we do speak Spanish.  Rodny on several occasions has been of enormous assistance when we did not know how to get things done in this country.    

Of note, Rodny is wheelchair bound.  He became fluent in Spanish when as a boy he was able to go to the USA Shriner's hospital for surgery and rehab for his handicap.  He was there a long time.  The connection between Rodny and this emergency service originated through the Handicap Foundation of Boquete.   Rodny Direct is now connected with other similar services all across Panama which he assisted in initiating.  It's now a network.  Hat's off to him!  

6

Hat's off to him!    Could not agree more!!!

I never said an ACL!  Read the whole comment.

12 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

The expat community really needs a fully bilingual person who’s available and willing to do some reporting by attending public meetings and liaising with Officials and Police

 As long as they are bilingual and are willing to put the time and energy into it, we don't care what country they come from.

It's trash like this that makes it bad for all of us. With this type of behavior, it is any wonder how the Panamians feel about us.

We just posted this on our blog: ( This is our point of view )

http://latitudeadjustmentblog.com/2018/07/21/boquete-a-renters-market-and-a-buyers-dream/

You do not need a travel agent. You can do it yourself. If you are a Copa Connect Miles member it is a piece of cake. One of the best mileage programs out there.

Go online and book your travel and use the 24-hour hold. Get your reservation number.

Call 321-3455, (Press 2 for English) and give them your Copa Connect miles number and your reservation number and tell them you want the Pensionado discount.

They will have you email a scanned copy of your Cedula to escalation@copaair.com   or you can do this step first to get confirmation they have received it.

Once you receive confirmation you are now in their system for future travel with the discount but you still must call in to get the discount and pay over the phone with your CC.

Once you book and pay by phone they will email you your travel documents and receipt. Very easy to do.

Getting worse!

Has anybody used this company?

The President says that if the National Assembly agrees to find $60 million in the budget, the increase will be absorbed by the state. 

Like that would be hard to do!

He made a wise decision.

On 7/12/2018 at 11:43 AM, Jim Bondoux said:

Automatic fire control systems may or may not be effective. We've gone through some fire at sea training and were told that if the fire on a fiberglass-hulled boat isn't put out within the first 60 seconds, the boa6t will be a total loss.

If interested in our experience with boat fire,  I invite you to check out my account:    http://jimbondoux.com/Miscellany/Fire1.html

 

Very true for fiberglass boats!

If you look at the remains of the boat in Keiths pictures, it is obviously a steel hulled boat. Any active and well-maintained fire suppressing system could have stalled the fire quite a bit. IF it started in the engine room, which it appears from the photos that it did.

A boat that size is required by International Maritime law to have an automatic fire extinguishing system in the engine room. It appears that is where the fire originated from. 

1 hour ago, Marcelyn said:

I don’t believe in awarding bad behavior, i.e., poor service. Perhaps asking for a rate increase after providing consistent, reliable electrical power would meet approval from customers.

You would think that would be the appropriate way to proceed.

We have been back here in Boquete 1 week from a fact-finding mission in Medellin. Our power has gone off 5 times. ( Granted no more than 10 minutes) We have had to reboot our internet modem twice. ( Cable Onda) and now there is no water coming in due to another broken pipe. Thankfully we have a huge backup tank. How could you live here and not have one?

We have been in and out of Panama since 2004. We do not see the infrastructure changes that are accruing in other countries that should be here. Especially with all the money that is being generated by the Panama Canal. Now they want to raise the electricity prices? Can't blame the Panamians for protesting about that! This is not a complaint just an observation. There is a lot to like about living here. But not forever! With the condition of the roads, lack of efficient police protection, increase in utility cost it's a wonder the Panamanians are not protesting in the streets in larger numbers.

We, as expats can afford the extra cost. ( And the inconveniences)  It's the Panamanian people that are getting the short end of the stick.

2 hours ago, Bonnie said:

I can't speak for Keith, but it has been my experience that the shortcomings of the police go beyond showing up late, even though that is an important concern. The failure to investigate or to investigate effectively I find deeply troubling. In my dealings with the authorities, they have made no effort I'm aware of to actually solve a crime. They fail to follow up proffered leads, do not interview named suspects, gather no evidence, etc. Rather, they engage the victim in hours of unproductive bureaucracy leading to nothing. And criminals profit when there is no apprehension and enforcement. Certainly the behavior of the young man in question was not caused by the police, but I also would be willing to bet that he has engaged in other criminal behavior during his 20 years that has gone unpunished.

Well said, Bonnie! The blind eye of justice starts with the lack of education in the schools.

10 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

Some friends who live way out in the boonies here spotted four guys yesterday in a nearly new vehicle and thought it suspicious.

I checked out the Plate for them and the car is registered to the U.S. Embassy.

Strange.

 

Maybe that is why they cut the Embassy hours? So the staff can get out and see Panama, in nice new cars paid for by US taxpayers.

21 minutes ago, Bonnie said:

Thanks for this, Keith. It's reassuring. My limited experiences with the police and the justice system, primarily related to my responsibilities as a U.S. warden, have all been bad: time-consuming and non-productive.

That is sad!

According to this article, changes will be made to the Police command and personnel in Boquete. Eighteen new officers will be assigned to the zone.

That's a pretty quick reaction!