19452: Raber: Now that Aristide is gone....

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: P&M Raber <raber@valkyrie.net>

Woke up this morning again and checked the news.  It was not quite 8am for
the NBC mornigns how (sorry no cable) so I went to check my e-mail.  There
was an e-mail from a friend in Paris saying that CNN was reporting that
Aristide had left.  Quickly went to turn the NBC morning news at 8.    US
officials were reporting the departure but Ira Kuzban (spelling) was saying
he did not leave).. Mmmmm  Who should I  believe?

Whether he left of not, he will eventually leave.  I am urging all of you on
this list from the extreme left to the extreme right to call your
representatives and senators to ask that Haiti's foreign debt be forgiven
whenever the next acceptable government takes office. The payment of the
debt is a cannon ball for any government.  Bush is out getting countries to
forgive billions to Iraq.  Haiti relatively tiny debt should be easy to wipe
clean.   In addition, all those on this list should lobby so that money not
be lent to Haiti for the next 5 years so.  Haiti needs GRANTS not loans at
this point.    While Hati in all over the headlines, let's get this issue on
the table.  IT is probably more important than who actually will lead the
country right now.   In the long run it will be the deciding factor of
whether the next government sinks or swim.

Paul Farmer are you on this list?    You would be a great spokesperson for
this.  You actually get airtime and listening ears.

If one has lived in Haiti long enough to learn a little Creole, eventually
one gets approached by people wanting to borrow money.  I quickly learned
that you rarely loan but instead just give what you can afford.  You loan
when someone has an accident and must be rushed unexpectedly to the hospital
and you know that the person has a little job and can repay in 6 to 18
months. Most of those asking for a loan cannot even live off of what they
make.  How can they repay?   Haiti is just like those people who live in
Haiti .  She needs to be able to balance a budget and get an economy rolling
before she can get any loans.