Moderators Moderator_02 Posted January 9, 2017 Moderators Share Posted January 9, 2017 http://www.prensa.com/in_english/octubre-Presidencia-millones-partida-discrecional_21_4662493705.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 I find it interesting that educational spending was so much less than spending on cultural and sports activities and "foreign activities of this type." I have to wonder about the priorities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF13 Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 2 hours ago, Bonnie said: I find it interesting that educational spending was so much less than spending on cultural and sports activities and "foreign activities of this type." I have to wonder about the priorities. Yes, one has to wonder about the new Kenny Seracin stadium vs. the poor condition of the schools in the area. Education es primero? Not from what I am seeing in the Potrerillos area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger B Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 JohnF13 We cant expect more from politicians. It is what is called "bread and circus". They need projects that could be shown on TV, photographed and print in the newspapers.... I do agree that sometimes priorities are not well set. They do projects just to show when looking for votes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Doug Posted January 9, 2017 Share Posted January 9, 2017 $5 million is not going to solve very much on a grand scale. As long as each expenditure is justified in a local sense, it really is peanuts compared to the $20 billion or so that is that is the government budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hil Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Tax more and you get better storm sewers, sewage treatment plants, water treatment plants, electrical grids, schools and roads. Just got back from Colombia. 16% sales tax for everyone. roads better than the U.S., modern buildings, clean roads, great infrastructure and schools in good shape. And no pablo escobar didn't build Medellin. 7% tax in David and Boquete (don't know about ANY other taxes or other city taxes) so you get what you pay for. 7% based on the population purchasing goods and services in Panama isn't much. Maybe 40 to 45 percent of the population work and pay taxes---not sure. I do agree spreading the pennies they collect is not done wisely at the local level and there isn't much collected considering what the country needs to move on from being second world. My 3 cents worth. At least Varela is giving the money collected in the province back to the province. Martenilli's format was not the same. The thief President living in Miami and his buddies short changed the provinces when dividing the money out unequal in Panama City. I read about the change right after Varela took office. Some things have gotten better and somethings have gotten worse. Over all in the last two years I've seen improvement in most areas. Just not wise distribution of funds or someone is skimming. A small country of mostly Poor people has poor ways. Florida has an ad valorem tax/property tax adjusted in mils at the local level for schools (county tax) and most states do the same. And the state kicks in millions to the counties from the Florida state 6% sales tax. Florida has some of the best schools in the USA and funded well. Tax at the county or parish level for the schools insures local control. Here it's a national system. It can't be fair at all. I don't look for the national system to change in Panama. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger B Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 17 hours ago, Hil said: Tax more and you get better storm sewers, sewage treatment plants, water treatment plants, electrical grids, schools and roads. Just got back from Colombia. 16% sales tax for everyone. roads better than the U.S., modern buildings, clean roads, great infrastructure and schools in good shape. And no pablo escobar didn't build Medellin. 7% tax in David and Boquete (don't know about ANY other taxes or other city taxes) so you get what you pay for. 7% based on the population purchasing goods and services in Panama isn't much. Maybe 40 to 45 percent of the population work and pay taxes---not sure. I do agree spreading the pennies they collect is not done wisely at the local level and there isn't much collected considering what the country needs to move on from being second world. My 3 cents worth. At least Varela is giving the money collected in the province back to the province. Martenilli's format was not the same. The thief President living in Miami and his buddies short changed the provinces when dividing the money out unequal in Panama City. I read about the change right after Varela took office. Some things have gotten better and somethings have gotten worse. Over all in the last two years I've seen improvement in most areas. Just not wise distribution of funds or someone is skimming. A small country of mostly Poor people has poor ways. Florida has an ad valorem tax/property tax adjusted in mils at the local level for schools (county tax) and most states do the same. And the state kicks in millions to the counties from the Florida state 6% sales tax. Florida has some of the best schools in the USA and funded well. Tax at the county or parish level for the schools insures local control. Here it's a national system. It can't be fair at all. I don't look for the national system to change in Panama. Hil Your writting has a lot of sense but.... we have a lot of taxes other than the 7% salex tax. Problem is that poor people dont pay taxes... because of their economic situation. Rich people pay lower taxes because they have good accountants and lawyers that find a "legal" way to pay lower taxes. The professional middle class is the one who is carrying the heavy burden of taxes in the country. We dont have any trouble by paying more taxes if we really see that all that money is going effectively where it is needed and you see the investment in infrastructure in the country. The problem here is our political class. There are corruptions scandals in almost all governments in the last 20 years in Panama. We are making new rich people in the political class because they use our tax money to get kickbacks and promote ways to become rich quickly and safely above the law. Some projects end costing more of what was budgeted because they have to pay the corrupt politician who helped to get the contract. At the end we finish with a lousy and bad quality project, costing more of what was expected and a politician and their friends happy with easy money on their bank accounts. It is really frustrating. I have paid all my Social Security payments. I can retire because I have paid all the payment but I dont have the age for retirement yet. Even that I have paid Social Security I never use it for medical assistance. Me, my wife and my boys have had to use private medical attention. Why? because the service is terrible and bad. So. I dont care to pay more taxes if they are used the best and honest way in making this country better each day. I hope that we could change the laws to make easier to investigate politicians in corruption cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hil Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Everyone pays 7% sales tax in panama. Raise it to 16% and it's fair to everybody. Then Allocate money to single projects, like schools, roads, etc-----through the proper agency. The other taxes get abused just like in the USA I get that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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