Fines pay for 50% of city’s traffic control budget, Bus and business owners demand money, Covid-19 info, Alianza Francesa war photo exhibit

Jueves, 5/3/2020

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

Exposición – A photography exhibit at the Alianza Francesa (Tadeo Torres y Solano) opened tonight. French war photographer José Nicholas is showing his work from wars in Afganistán, Bosnia, Somalia, Liberia, Ruanda, Central America, and more.

Otras cosas –

Titular – El magisterio cambia la vida a los maestros (Teaching changes the lives of teachers) – <I don’t understand the basic theme of this article at all.> I think it’s about teachers who have passed courses or a competition to advance to a higher level of teaching.

$14.2 million in fines to EMOV – About 50% of EMOV’s budget comes from paynment of traffic fines and infractions, making it the most profitable of the municipal businesses. <Think how much more profitable it would be if traffic cops issued more moving violations. No more turning left against a red light right in front of a traffic cop.>

Fines cover 50 percent of the budget of the city’s traffic control office. (El Mercurio)

Bootleg liquor – 100 liters of liquor without a sanitary seal <This is probably the stuff that causes blindness and, in sufficient quantities, death.> was found in stalls at the mercado El Arenal, hidden among the potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and other stuff. It was bottled in disposable bottles. <Vendors just doing their best to recycle plastics.> Sanctions will be applied for selling unauthorized products and selling alcoholic beverages inside the market. The sanctions can include suspension of the stall or revoking the contract for the stall.

Tranvía – Directors of urban buses, people fronting on the Tranvía route, the El Arenal mercado, and the 9 de Octubre zone joined yesterday to issue demands to the mayor, Pedro Palacios. The president of the CTC said the city owes it $1,898,500 in subsidies from 2018. This is the amount of $600 per month per bus that the Comptroller’s office considered unjustified. What is due is $598,500. The 2nd subsidy the bus owners want is the 1 cent subsidy which started when the fares rose from 25-31 cents with 1 cent to be subsidized by the city. That debt was delayed for 1 year and is now $1,300,000.
The CTC also said that the 50,600 “Movilízate” cards the city had printed can’t be used on the buses because the electronic collection systems aren’t compatible. It would take at least 6 months to make the software adjustments. Also the Movilízate name is the intellectual property of the CTC and can’t be used without permission. A meeting with the City and the CTC has been scheduled for lunes, 9/3. <I wonder if the CTC will blow this meeting off, too.>

Information about covid-19 – The Consejo Cantonal de Salud has set up information tables in schools, the municipal hospital in Patamarca, Medisol health centers, and the Mariscal La Mar airport where there is also a medical team ready to attend to people arriving with flu symptoms. The Ministerio de Salud Pública is also meeting with owners of interprovincial buses about the correct way to disinfect a bus. <Spray it with 151 proof rum – also a hand sanitizer substitute and you can lick it off your fingers when you’re done.>The Farmasol municipal pharmacies are stocked with products such as masks and antiseptics, but they are for wholesale buyers. The priority is for buyers with contagious diseases and medical centers in the city.

Correa for VP or Asamblea – Reforms to the Código de la Democracia which was approved by the Asamblea el 3/12/2019 and officially published el 3/2/2020 will not be modified to change the procedures for presenting candidates. The procedures in effect would allow ex-Pres. Correa to run for the Vice Presidency or the Assembly in the febrero de 2021 elections. However, if he is convicted of crimes he will be ineligible.

Exporting electricity – Ecuador exported 234.38 gigawatt/hours of electricity to Colombia in the first 2 months of this year, representing $16 million in income to the country. This year, 90% of the energy produced will be from renewable resources – hydroelectric, photovoltaic, and wind. <See what can be done if oil companies don’t run a country?>

Internacional –

Bolivia – Bolivia will recount the votes from the election in mayo using British firm Reckon Digital, a different software provider than the original. <So what will happen if the recount confirms that Morales won?>

And that´s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne