30159: Leiderman re: 30153: (viewpoint) Haitian rubber-stamp (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leiderman@mindspring.com


dear Readers:

that's a harrowing story about the rescue at sea north of DR, but after so many years, the obligatory wrap-up paragraph is beginning to seem like a rubber-stamp, pounded in ink or blood at the bottom of most every wire-service article:

"Thousands of Haitians take to the sea on flimsy boats each year, heading north toward Florida to escape grinding poverty and frequent political turmoil in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country. Nearly all are intercepted and repatriated to their homeland, where the vast majority of the nation's 8 million people lives on less than $1 a day."

imagine for a minute that we require an obligatory paragraph about the US and rubber-stamp it at the bottom of every Wall Street Journal article:

"Thousands of Americans take to sea on high-tech boats each year, heading south from Florida to escape rush-hour and incomprehensible political policies in the Western Hemisphere's most materialistic country.  Nearly all finally give up their romantic flights of fancy and return home, where the vast majority of the nation's 300 million are hocked up to their eyeballs in debt, yet spend $3 for a cup of coffee they can make at home for ten cents."

by the way, I really appreciate Patrick Lucien's spirit in his post today.  the ten percent transfer charge on remittances that Haitians pay Western Union and other agents could indeed be a private engine for development.  for that, there simply needs to be a trust fund or partner banks in Haiti to process wire transfers at minimal rates.  I think this could free up $100 million or more per year.

thank you,

Stuart Leiderman
leiderman@mindspring.com