1-2% of a “infrastructure” project doesn’t sound like much (and wasn’t 32 years ago) but where large buildings are being constructed, it is a significant amount of money. Rather than the blanket percentage of TOTAL construction, there should have been controls on which projects would get this funding and where within.

The projects that have significant public access, such as the Registro, common meeting areas and the areas of governmental buildings that are open to public access should be the ONLY spaces to receive these works of art and proportionate allocation of funds. As it is, a lot of the art is squirreled away in some closed office. I wonder if a new prison would be required to have “art” included. Is ICE adorned with art in it’s generator rooms? Should we expect a gallery crawl through the halls of the new sewage treatment plant?

32 years ago Costa Rica was a very different country. It might have been a nice idea then but that time has flown. Kudos to CCSS Executive President, Ileana Balmaceda for challenging this law. Her challenge has been welcomed by the Constitutional Court (Sala IV).

Her challenge is based on Article 73 of the Constitution, which stipulates that social insurance resources – such as those for healthcare – “may not be transferred or used for purposes other than those for which they were created.”

The Constitution trumps subsequent Legislative Acts and this challenge will be decided quickly. This is a simple legal decision. My biggest gripe is that 32 years of CCSS “managers” failed to see this waste. But late IS better than never.