Marbeth Díaz Noguera
Director of Santa Marta School

What do you expect from the next Government?
Better education so that the children can finish their studies. That there be a firm hand with the delinquents so that they can be punished as they should be. The next government must work very hard to conserve the environment.

In what should more investments be made?
A study should be done to see if the population is being benefited with the government economic help and if perhaps others who need aid don’t have it. There should be better inspection of the aid plans.

What do you think of the government of Oscar Arias?
For me it was good. Oscar Arias thinks that if there is more education the country is going to improve, and this is positive.

Clara Morales Soto Chef / First Time Voter Why did you feel that these elections were important enough for you to finally decide to vote? To change delinquency, youth drug addiction, and for there to be more education. I feel that we must support changes in [these] things. Yadira Porras Torres Business Employee That do you think of the government of Oscar Arias? It complied with 80% of its objectives; I think that it was a good government. But I expect a better government [providing] more aid to the people. Owing to the current system of patronage, well qualified people are ignored in favour of those who have influence with the “system”. In what should more investments be made? Highways and Roads. There are too many accidents and deaths.

Antonio Méndez Candidate for Municipal Councilman of Nicoya Are you nervous? I feel very excited because this would be my third time as councilman. If you had to do a self-critique of your years as councilman, what would it be? When one arrives at city hall one has an agenda, but the problem is that one encounters many people who do not have the spirit or leadership to carry out many things. I feel that Nosara has come to have economic independence on the canton of Nicoya. We are a town that nearly walks on its own feet and the people here are aware that we can set the policies we need. What do you expect from the next Government? That it continue with the projects begun [by the previous government], with international aid so that the funds promised to city hall are made available to execute the projects that have been approved and to pay off debts that the municipality has with the people and the environment. [I expect] that it not be a government that gives to the people to keep them happy for the moment, but [that it] have short and medium term projects. In what should more investments be made? In general social investment. And this next government should especially help small and medium [sized] business because that is going to generate employment. The [common] concern in all the cantons of the Guanacaste province is the very high level of poverty which is related to the problem of unemployment.

Alberto Barrantes
Artist and Small Business Owner

What do you expect from the next Government?
That they stop benefiting large corporations, giving them all types of subsidies. They make duty-free zones and the businesses pay nothing. What they do is come here and give mediocre jobs to Costa Ricans and the government celebrates as if what they are doing is a great aid. The reality is that little by little we are losing our natural resources and autonomy.

In what should more investments be made?
Small and medium sized businesses should be supported because they generate wealth so that the middle class doesn’t disappear. Taxes should be better collected, not charging everyone for their partner but depending on how much money one has.

Javier Gómez López Carpenter and President of the Nosara Development Association What do you expect from the next Government? Improvements in all aspects; work, security, health. In what should more investments be made? Security and Education. Education lacks much investment because everything is modernized and increasingly more technical. The (younger) generations should learn to use new technology. May [education] grow at the same rate as development. What do you think of the government of Oscar Arias? They should have been more serious. They made some road improvements but more are needed. Of all of Central America, [Costa Rica] has the worst roads in spite of being the country with the most tourism. This does not make good sense.

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Airport Crime – Nosara Businessman Sentenced
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Water Board Election Postponed Due to Legal Technicality

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The error can be corrected and the documents for that period can be rerecorded, but until that is done only the memberships of the 12 founding board members from 2004 are currently valid, according to the attorney for the ASADA, Andres Gonzales Anglada. Therefore, all those holding water meters will have to reregister with the ASADA in order to vote, he said, because their current registrations are invalid. More >