For Chamber of Deputies, austerity is only talk

Santo Domingo.- Despite the government’s and the Senate presidency’s talk of adopting austerity, and that the handout of gifts isn’t one of its functions, the Chamber of Deputies still applies its own welfare program.

Through it, the lower Chamber has made a call for tenders for 125,000 pounds of imported turkey, such as "Premium", 63,000 pounds of such as "Red Globe" grapes; 1,500 boxes of "Red Delicious" apples, and 450,000 pounds of rice premium , in bundles of 12 packages of five pounds.

In addition, the Chamber of Deputies website also reveals its plans to buy locally 98,340 pounds of red beans, and large amounts of cooking oil and chicken.

And although the Chamber’s Social Assistance Program doesn’t figure in the budget, the approaching holidays set in motion the politicos’ traditional habit of using taxpayers’ money to distribute handouts.