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Talk on the Impact of the 1910 Earthquake on Costa Rican Architecture
May 5, 7 p.m., Cartago Culture Center, former library, Cartago.

“Finding Stillness: Meditation for Modern Living”
Talk, May 5, 6:30 p.m., Trejos Montealegre, Escazú, 800 m west of Tony Roma's, house #18. Info: 2228-3232.

Funk-Rock Fusion Concert
Performed by Robert Aguilar, May 5, 10 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro. Info: 2253-8933.

Without having purchased property or laid a brick, President Oscar Arias unveiled a new Casa Presidencial on Tuesday, which the government plans to build a block south and east of the Legislative Assembly in downtown San José.

Like many of his promised infrastructure projects, a new Casa Presidencial would have to wait for a later administration, he said, because “public works take a long time here.”

“If things were different, I would have finished this in my term,” Arias said, just before he unveiled a plaque bearing his name as a founder of the project. “But that is not how things go in Costa Rica.”

The idea to relocate the headquarters of the executive branch to sit close to the court buildings and the legislative assembly was born in the third administration of José Figueres Ferrer (1970-1974), who envisioned a downtown “civic center.” This vision was put forth by Arias on the campaign trail.

Pressed on why he chose to unveil a plaque on a project that has been nearly 40 years in the making, Arias became defensive and responded, “What difference does it make? (The property) is being purchased.”

Arias said if property owners refused to sell, their property would be expropriated. Current plans are to build the project with financing from the Central American Integration Bank (BCIE).

“This is an opportunity to help the Costa Rica government,” said Alfredo Ortuñu, Costa Rican director of the BCIE, about the $38 million project. “It will be strategically located to unite the three branches of government and facilitate integration of government.”

Arias also expressed interest in redoing the facilities of the Legislative Assembly. He said, “We really don't have an assembly (building) that dignifies democracy in Costa Rica, and the same is true with Casa Presidencial.”

The Institute on Population Studies (IDESPO) interviewed 800 young people aged 15 to 35 in March to learn about their beliefs and habits.

Around 70 percent of those interviewed don't think the Costa Rican government does enough to guarantee employment, housing or a healthy life. Over one-third would improve quality of and access to education for youth if they were in a leadership position, according to the institute, which is a population research department at the National University (UNA).

The results, which are available in the publications section of IDESPO's website (www.una.ac.cr/idespo), also revealed that around 20 percent of young people feel the state does not provide protection from discrimination based on nationality or race, and over a quarter feel the state does not offer protection from discrimination relating to sexual orientation. Only 14 percent believe that the government does enough to guarantee youth participation in decisions about policies that affect them. Seventy-four percent claim that the government does not do enough to support youth in starting their own businesses.

Out of a list of 11 public entities, the young people surveyed placed the most confidence in public universities and the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, and the least confidence in political parties (46 percent reported having no confidence in them). Public universities and the Sports and Recreation Institute (ICODER) were perceived by 68 percent and 50 percent of respondents respectively as doing a good job of carrying out programs relating to young people.

Specific findings related to health care, home ownership and work place rights showed that more than half of those interviewed have sought private providers for dental services, medical visits, medicines and lab exams. Ninety percent said that the main reason they couldn't afford a home was that the cost of living outpaced their income. Seventy percent felt that their workplace rights were respected.

Regarding decision-making, more than 90 percent of young people rely on information from their family when making important life decisions, whereas 53 percent rely on friends.

Over one-fifth of those interviewed belong to a religious, sports or social group.

Outgoing President Oscar Arias signed a law Tuesday morning that would gradually funnel more of the government's $18.9 billion annual budget to local governments.

The law had been sitting in the legislative assembly for years, as local community leaders and mayors fought for more money to fix fading infrastructure, underfunded schools and unmet social needs.

Though Arias had expressed his support for decentralization in his campaign and government plan – viewing it as a way to stimulate citizen participation and develop rural communities – he encountered opposition from people who feared municipal leaders were too corrupt or too inexperienced to manage greater responsibilities.

Costa Rica has always acted as a centralized entity. In fact, fewer than 2 percent of public resources are managed by local governments, which is less than any other country in Central America.

“The centralized state was working,” said University of Costa Rica professor Mariela Castro, a specialist in local government, explaining Costa Rica's slow move to decentralize. “It was responsive to the people, so there was no need for strong local government. But when the state became less responsive, people began to look for alternatives” (TT, Nov. 13, 2009).

Under the new law, the central government has seven years to begin transferring at least 10 percent of public resources to local entities. It must also ensure that the infrastructure is in place for municipalities to use the funds productively.

“This is not an (unimportant) act,” said newly-appointed legislator Fabio Molina, who spoke moments before the law was signed. “This law will change the political system.”

Approved by the legislative assembly on March 4, the law is considered a milestone for municipalities since it's the first big step in a process of strengthening local governments.

Arias said on Tuesday, “The strengthening of local governments ultimately means that power will be brought closer to its rightful owners, that is, closer to all citizens. To understanding this taken a long time in Costa Rica. Despite our remarkable democratic development, we remain one of the most centralized countries in the Western Hemisphere.”

He added, “We are convinced that without a strong central government and without local governments that are also strong, the progress of a country will almost always be unequal.”

The Tico Times did an extensive report on decentralization in Costa Rica in November. The two articles can be found by clicking on the following links: Reinventing the Municipality and A Fix for Local Governments.