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Roatan and Bay Islands Discussion List Archive
| Posted On: | 01-Sep-2003 |
| From: | karen kotowski [karensue23.....com] |
| Subject: | Re: [roatan] Pirates on Roatan Spotted! |
Janice Very well said...I am sure there are a lot of readers on this site that feel the same as you. I for one...Its the ones that believe that Roatan is so poverty strickly that they feel they are going to save this island...The way I see it is Roatan is going to prosper with or without them...They see a gold mine and they want to take advantage it...There are a lot of things they are missing though ..Intregrity comes to mind....Like fishing american ways...There are a lot of good fishermen on the island that I am sure could teach these Americans or whoever the immigrant a few things..( this one is for you eva).The sad thing about this conversation is that it is really going on...Maybe if enough people read this stuff that they can get more involved with supporting those that really own the island.There are laws which protect such thoughts and letting on that you dont want such laws tells me that checking has been a little slack on that island...So let the soap box begin...This all started with letting the people know exactly what this island is all about...I do believe you may have awaken a few people....Karen.. cowmowsow.....com wrote: For someone who seems to fully embrace American capitalism, why not compete in the States. If you had built in the States you would know that there are very rigid standards about what is to be built. There are building codes, zoning laws, traffic and impact studies that determine what is to be built. Inspectors come to see that the work is done by licensed electricians and plumbers. In many communities you have to be a licensed contractor to even get a building permit. You need insurance to obtain that permit, so that houses aren't built "upside down". Meanwhile, construction unions hire high school graduates who begin as apprentices, and move on as they gain skills. Small construction companies also hire young people who start out knowing very little, but learn on the job, the skills to progress in their company. I have worked with contractors both large and small and, in my experience, that is how it is. Now, why is Honduras be different? I visited the West Bay school in July. To say it is lacking is an extreme understatement. They just don't have the staff, supplies, or building to provide a quality education. It is the local public school. Do you think that local parents have the money to pay private school tuition? From what I saw many of the parents had difficulty with money for food. The school in Coxen Hole is on the main street, with choking dust and incredible street noise. It is remarkable that teachers can even be heard in the classrooms on the street. High School is not even an option for most of the children. So, that is one basic destinction that seemed to have whizzed over your head. I have watched the Gulf Coast towns of Florida develop. They seem to build without any planning or restraint. Capitalims sure ruled there. Houses were built on artificially created Gulf access lots. The canals that allowed this access became stagnant because of poor planning. There was not sufficient circulation to maintain water quality The houses were built with no central sewage system but with septic systems. These leached into both the Gulf and the canals. Currently in a number of these beaches swimming is no longer allowed because of the fecal pollution. Developments were built with no north south access between them. So, each gated community requires you to travel onto a highway to even go a few blocks north or south. The 2 lane Highway 19 of 1980 is now 6 lanes. Kmarts McDonalds, Publix, Winn Dixie and Eckerds repeat each other every few miles. Certainly builders made money. Developers made money. I'm sure that they live in their own gated communities far away. They are not effected by what they have done. I love going to Roatan. I love seeing the beautiful fish, butterflies, and hummingbirds. I enjoy the diverse people who live there. I don't want development to do to Honduras what it did to Florida's Gulf coast. I hope that whatever development is done is regulated so that the beautiful island that everyone loves is still there when they finish their building. Janice Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for Your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at Myinks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. | |
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