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updated by 7:00 a.m. CST each day
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Court Declares
Strike in Limon Illegal
The Court of Work of the First Judicial Circuit
in the Atlantic zone declared illegal the strike of the workers of Recope and Japdeva, that began Tuesday in
Limon.
The decision was based on that the unions affiliated with the Federation of Trabajadores Limonenses (FETRAL) did not exhaust all the instances of negotiation. In addition, the Court did not consider the paralyzation of
public services legal.
Ovidio Pacheco, Minister of Labor, informed the
public yesterday of the court's decision.
Affected mainly, are the movement of fuel products
to and from the refinery and the loading and
unloading of cargo at the ports, as well as other
public services like garbage collection.
Over the last few days, some parents have not sent
children to school for fear that their children
might be hurt in a confrontation between police and
strikers.
Garbage trucks were sent in from San José,
contracted to the firm EBI, to collect garbage in
Limon, as municipal workers are also strike. Police
have been accompanying the garbage trucks to avoid
confrontations with the strikers.
The Secretary General of the Federación de
Trabajadores Limonenses (FETRAL), Roland Esna, questioned
the Court decision that took less than 24 hours in
declaring the strike illegal, that had been requested by the executive presidents of the two
Recope and Japdeva.
The union leader spoke on the radio show, Radio
America, and told how, in this country, a thief will
take years to be judged, however, in a strike, the
decision to call it illegal is instant. He also
confirmed on the radio program that the union had
responded to the latest government proposal on
Wednesday
At the center of the strike is the demands by FETRAL
that the government infuse some ˘3.000.000.000
Colones in JAPDEVA, for repairs and modernization of
the ports, including work on the crane and security
at the harbour.
The government on the other hand, is not convinced
of the true necessity for this money and is studying
the request very closely, claiming that some of the
requests made by the union are already included in
JAPDEVA's 2004 budget.
Emergency at the Red Cross
The effort and dedication are the same, the emergencies are handled in the best way, according to the available resources, which vary greatly depending on whether we are talking about the Red Cross or the Fire Department, both of which depend vastly on volunteers.
For the year 2003, the Red Cross is in a permanent state of emergency and is considering shutting down several units, due to a deficit of some $2.5 million, while the Fire Department is making plans to expand its network of stations.
The reasons for the difference are found on the sources of funding for the two emergency corps, whose services are provided mostly free of charge in Costa Rica.
While the firemen are supported by the state National Insurance Institution, the Red Cross survives on the income from certain laws and on donations, which do not assure regular amounts.
R
ed Cross leaders agree that unless funding by law and full support from communities are attained, the future is not likely to improve for the institution.
No Damage from
Earthquake
Authorities
confirmed no personal or material damages were
sustained from the result of the earthquake that
shook at 2:03 p.m., on Tuesday, that was felt in most of Costa Rica and even places as distant as Chiriqui, in Panama,
with a magnitued of 4.5 - 6 on the Richter Scale.
The epicenter was in Puriscal, southwest of San
Jose.
According to experts, the depth of the epicenter‚
established at 72 kilometers (44.6 miles)‚ accounted for the lower impact from such a violent earthquake.
According to experts, the difference in the intensity of the phenomenon reported by official institutions
is to the fact that while some have stations close to the epicenter, others depend on data collected farther from it.
Industry Grows at
Slow Rhythm
For the seventh consecutive month, the rate of growth of the industrial sector of Costa Rica‚
not including Intel‚ decreased, according to the monthly index of economic activity last July.
However, the overall image shows that there is steady growth, even though not at a desirable rhythm.
Lottery Scam Takes in
Pair
BY JASMINE KRIPALANI
[email protected]
Two people duped elderly shoppers with an offer that seemed too good to be true. Turns out it was.
Gloria and Hector Ortiz were shopping at a Publix in Weston,
Florida, when a woman approached them with what seemed like a way to make some fast money.
She told the two 82-year-olds she was in the country illegally from Costa Rica, and asked them to cash a winning lottery ticket worth $130,000.
Then, she asked the couple for a deposit of $15,000 that she would give back -- along with a share of the winnings -- once they cashed the ticket.
But instead of paying up, the woman took off with the couple's money.
''If you're ever approached at a supermarket and they tell you they have a winning lottery ticket for you to cash, look away and notify authorities,'' said Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Liz Calzadilla said.
``It's very likely a scam.''
The Ortizes, who are Cuban, apparently found out too late.
''We feel like we're dying,'' Gloria Ortiz said in a telephone interview. ``It hurts your heart when you think it would have been something good and it turns out to be bad.''
On Thursday, Broward Sheriff's Office deputies released surveillance photographs of the woman who duped the Weston couple.
Broward Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding her.
Here's how the scam worked, according to police:
On Tuesday morning, the woman approached the couple in the grocery store at 294 Indian Trace.
She told them she couldn't cash the ticket because she wasn't a legal resident. She showed the couple a counterfeit lottery ticket with winning Fantasy 5 numbers and a newspaper clipping that supposedly proved it.
In exchange, she asked the couple for $15,000 as a security deposit, saying she needed it to complete a $30,000 down payment on a home purchase.
A man joined the woman and the couple outside Publix, and they agreed to meet at a nearby Wachovia bank.
There, the couple withdrew $15,000 from the bank as a cash advance on their Wachovia MasterCard credit line.
Then, the elderly couple invited the suspects to their home for lunch.
The suspects agreed.
But instead of following the couple as they discussed, the suspects fled with the dough.
Hector Ortiz said a BSO deputy informed them on Thursday that they won't have to pay the money back.
The female suspect, who is Hispanic, is believed to be between 40 and 45 years old. She is described as 5-foot-4 and weighing about 150 pounds.
She had a cut on her lower lip. The Hispanic man who accompanied her is believed to be about 5-foot-2 and in his early 20s.
Anyone with information is asked to call Broward
Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.
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Californian mayors demand more federal funds for better security
Mayors from six major Californian cities on Wednesday urged the United States government to provide money for their expensive security upgrades against possible terrorist attacks.
The mayors, including Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, made the call at a two-day homeland security summit which began Wednesday in Los Angeles, where the mayors were to discuss with security experts from cross the United States the challenges and issues related to homeland security.
This is the first Homeland Security Leadership Summit to be held on the West Coast following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in2001.
Californian cities have been preparing for potential terrorist attacks by performing drills, ordering special protective suits and increasing patrols, but they complain that they lack the moneyto pay for these costs, as well as for other needed security upgrades.
Mayors criticized the federal government for being slow and bureaucratic in providing funding to local cities despite repeated warnings against possible terrorist attacks on the West Coast.
"We're not getting the money. The millions of containers that come into the Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland could contain nuclear devices and biological devices, but no one would ever know," said Jerry Brown, mayor of Oakland, a major Californian port.
Hahn said that Los Angeles, the second largest US city, has spent nearly 250 million US dollars on increased security and safety measures since Sept. 11, 2001, but the federal government has only provided 44 million dollars.
"We keep hearing about this number that's been designated... 3.5 billion-dollars in homeland security funds. And the line we keep hearing that's replaced, 'the check is in the mail'... 'the check is in the pipeline,'" Hahn said.
The mayors claimed there were too many bureaucratic levels -- the money went to the state, then to the counties and finally to the cities.
This was a clear example of a problem that must be addressed by Congress and President George W. Bush, they said.
During Wednesday's meeting, Hahn released a study by the US Conference of Mayors on homeland security funding and moderated a panel discussion entitled: "A California Approach to a Securer Horizon."
Although the West Coast was spared from terror strike during the Sept. 11 attacks, California as the most populous US state hasever since heightened the security alert against possible terror attacks in future.
Last week, an evacuation drill was held at the second tallest AON building in downtown Los Angeles to simulate an attack by terrorists. About 4,000 people working in the building were evacuated during the drill.
But faced with continued economic slump and a swelling state budget deficit, funding for expensive security upgrades has been ahuge challenge to big Californian cities.
No evidence of Saddam's link with Sept. 11 attacks: Bush
US President George W. Bush admitted Wednesday that there is no evidence of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
"We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th," Bush told reporters in the White House.
But Bush insisted that Saddam had connections with al-Qaida, the network believed to be behind the Sept. 11 attacks. "There's no question that Saddam Hussein had al-Qaida ties," the US president said.
Speaking on different occasions on Tuesday, both US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and presidential national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said that Saddam was not behind the Sept.11 attacks.
They were responding to a recent poll by the Washington Post which indicated that 69 percent of Americans believed Saddam was linked to the Sept. 11 attacks although there was no relevant evidence.
Giant redevelopment project announced for downtown Los Angeles
Officials and civic leaders of Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, unveiled a massive downtown redevelopment project that will cost about 1.2 billion US dollars.
The Grand Avenue Project is envisioned as a transformation of the city's government core into a vibrant entertainment oasis, which includes a 16-acre park, restaurants, bookstores, shopping and entertainment venues as well as a 400-room hotel and residential homes.
Plans for the project, mostly funded by the private sector, arebeing hailed as an unprecedented agreement between the Los Angelescity and the county.
About 300 million dollars will be needed for public infrastructure improvements, while 950 million dollars for real estate development.
The Grand Avenue Committee has been instrumental in the ongoing two-block beautification project to build wider sidewalks and outdoor dining areas along Grand Avenue in front of the Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
"Paris has its Champs-Elysees. New York has its Rockefeller Center, Times Square and Central Park," said former home-building mogul and Sun America chief Eli Broad, co-chairman of the nonprofit Grand Avenue Committee.
"Now, Los Angeles will have at its center a grand boulevard andurban park, providing millions of people each year the opportunity to walk, shop and play while enjoying downtown at its best," he said.
Broad and developer James Thomas, the committee's co-chair, hoping to build on the momentum of developments such as The Walt Disney Concert Hall, plan to raise most of the money for project privately.
City and county officials have already agreed to create a quasi-governmental agency overseen by a five-member board to help with infrastructure improvements.
The development is projected to generate 809 million dollars per year in rents and revenues, the Daily News reported. Backers also expect it to create 16,400 long-term jobs, and generate more than 85 million dollars a year in local, county and state tax revenues.
Most of the taxpayer funds needed -- the money would come from park bonds or future bond issue -- will go toward building parking structures, the Daily News reported.
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