Archive for February 23rd, 2010
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
At least one group is not too pleased with the drinking and driving sanctions in the new Ley de Tránsito. The Cámara Costarricense de Restaurantes (Costa Rican restaurant association) is making their concerns known to legislators as they continue discussion on making the provisions even tougher.
The Cámara says that at least 325 bars have closed and 6.000 people have lost their jobs since the introduction of tough drinking and driving sanctions in December 2008.
In their petition to legislators, the Cámara is asking legislators to remove the penal provisions of those that drive under the influence of alcohol if it is a first offense and no damage to property or people is involved.
Edgar Marín, president of the Cámara, said on ADN Noticias (90.7FM) says that the Ley de Tránsito and the economic crisis has hit hard the industry.
Marín said that the law is too harsh on first time offenders who face jail and losing their vehicle if found driving with blood alcohol levels of 0.75 and over.
In contrast, the Instituto de Alcoholismo y Farmacodependencia (IAFA), assures that the economic interests of bars cannot override the security of the roads.
Guiselle Amador, director of the IAFA, said that the safety and health of individuals outweighs the “profits” of business and did not agree with the petition of the Cámara.
Legislators have until the end of this week to approve tougher sanctions. Legislators are discussing a proposal to drop the drunk driving limit to 0.50.
The current law calls for a fine and points for drivers with a blood alcohol level of 0.50 and 0.75 and criminal prosecution above the 0.75.
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Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Legislators are racing against a March 1 deadline to pass a series of modifications to the transit law due to take effect that day.
Motivated by criticism that fines for traffic violations in the original law were too high, legislators are debating the introduction of more reasonable tickets.
The original traffic law was passed in November 2008 and threatened to raise the maximum ticket from $36 to $410. For those ignoring traffic lights or signs, it would be a $310 fine. Not wearing a seat-belt or holding a cell phone? Also $310.
Just weeks before the fines were scheduled to take effect on Sept. 23, legislators put its implementation on hold (estimated to cost $35 million), delaying it until March 1 of this year.
Speaking on the floor of the assembly on Feb. 18, legislator Andrea Marcela Morales said, “This is the hour to vindicate these mistakes, to give the Costa Rican people a better quality law, traffic legislation that is not lenient, but also doesn’t smother people.”
The Arias administration presented the law early in its four-year term, and his cabinet is pushing to pass it before the administration leaves office on May 8.
“It has been and will continue to be a priority for the government,” Rodrigo Arias, minister to the president, said in a statement last week. “We hope that … legislators will be ready to arrive at the necessary consensus, and once and for all, pass a transit law that is rational, that punishes those who insist on driving after drinking excessively, and who recklessly inflict death and pain on many families.”
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Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
Costa Rica is a country where gamblers of all denominations can feel right at home. Gambling is explicitly legal and proves to be a booming business within the country. The small nation is home to 30 large casinos and hundreds of other gambling establishments.
Costa Rican gambling law permits just about every form of gambling. Though the gambling industry seemed to be bounding on without limits, the government has started putting more energy into regulating it over the past few years.
Through gambling, the government has a great opportunity to raise revenue and through different regulations they can adjust their intake. Up until this point, the industry’s only concern was whether or not the government will raise its taxes on gambling.
A new president, Laura Chinchilla, has been elected in Costa Rica, but has a few months before she will take office. President-Elect Chinchilla is the first woman to be elected president. Land-based casino operators are not happy with the President-Elect due to her open dislike of gambling facilities due to their unfortunate relationship with prostitution. Land-based casino can expect stricter rulings and regulations from this point on, through the new government.
Online gambling sites in Costa Rica, however, have nothing to worry about. President-Elect Chinchilla is highly supportive of the online gambling industry and all of the business that it brings to the nation.
Online Casinos in Costa Rica are obviously much cleaner than their land-based counterparts when it comes to prostitution due to the lack of a physical location. Many online gambling havens are based in Costa Rica and are accessed from all over the world. Brick and mortar casinos also cater to an international scene being that new laws require casinos to be attached to large hotels.
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