Let them eat cake, if they pay the tax

In December the Honduran Congress passed a tax package to try to deal with the fiscal crisis the country and the government face.

It was passed by the outgoing Congress which had a majority of members from the National Party – the party that “won” the presidential election. In the incoming congress the National Party has a plurality but that is not enough to pass legislation without votes from other parties.

In a December 2013 news story, a Reuters correspondent suggested that:

 “The National Party, which holds the presidency and dominates Congress, pushed the law through before it loses control of the legislative body next month.
“The party's president-elect Juan Hernandez, who takes office on January 27, will then be able to keep a campaign promise not to raise taxes during his administration.”

I was surprised to see such a cynical (though truthful) analysis of the situation in a news source that I consider a bit conservative.

But worse is that the tax package will affect the poor and the tiny middle class more than the wealthy political and economic elites.

There will be tax increases on some items.

The most notable is that IVA, the Value-Added-Tax will go from 12 to 15%. IVA is a hidden sales tax. It is usually included in the price of items and only listed on the receipt. In the US the sales tax is not included in the listed price.

This tax is also now extended to some items that used to be on the list of items in the basic food basket, as well as other items.  The cost of electricity and fuel will also rise.

What is the reaction of people here?

I have mostly heard some indignation.

The opposition political parties will try to overthrow the tax package in the new congress.

But the Cardinal archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez, is quoted as saying that  “it was sadly necessary that the Honduran Parliament approve, a the request of the Government, a packet of fiscal measures to avoid that the Central American country enter into a greater economic crisis.” He added that “now what we have to do is [assure] that these are the least hard precisely for the poorest people.”

I disagree with the Cardinal, mostly because the tax package hurts the poorest.

Sure bread is not taxed – but not many of the poor eat bread. Tortillas are central to the Honduran diet.

But birthday cakes are taxed.

Sure, one might say, these cakes are a luxury.

But celebrating a birthday with a simple cake is a way the poor try to show the worth of each person. They might have saved up the money for a child’s birthday. celebration. But not it will be 15% more.

It’s just not fair.

Why is Honduras so poor?

Why, despite all the aid to Honduras, are there still so many people who are poor?

This is the question plaguing so many of us who live here. On Christmas day I was sitting around with two US friends talking about this. Reflecting on what I said, I pulled together this long, unscientific, unorganized, rambling tirade.

Honduras is a country with great resources: water, minerals, fertile land, bananas, coffee cacao, people.

Why so poor?

There are people, even young kids, who work harder - with fewer resources - than people in pother parts of the world world.

Youngsters working on sugar cane production

Why so poor?

Hondurans abroad send a lot of money to their families. In 2012, the remittances totaled $2.761 billion.

Why so poor?

Honduras is a country which has been the recipient of massive international aid for many years.

Why so poor?

Tens of thousands of people, mostly evangelicals, come on mission trips to Honduras.

Why so poor?

It’s complicated. Yet I find that there are many people who want to reduce the causes of poverty to a few.

Corruption is the cause, some say.

Yes, Honduras is, according to Transparency International, the most corrupt country in Central America.

But corruption is not unrelated to any number of issues – including a history of paternalism and of economic imperialism. It was a US banana corporation executive who got the Honduran president to change a law that would adversely affect its profits – in the 1950s.

Radical inequality causes poverty, others say. This year’s Human Development Report shows the top 20 per cent of the Honduran population have average incomes 29.7 times greater than the bottom 20 per cent. The only countries with more inequality, based on that measure, are Angola and Micronesia.  Even the failed states of Africa don’t reach that level.

But radical inequality here is the result of economic, political, and social structures that favor those who have money. Just a few days ago the Honduran National Congress raised the Value-Added-Tax from 12% to 15%. Who pays that? Mostly the poor and the few middle class people.

Poor and inadequate education is the cause of poverty, many say. The way out is to promote education. Yes, the educational system is a mess. Teachers are at times not paid for months and have inadequate supplies. In addition, the education system promotes memorization as the way to learn. How many children will learn the skills of critical thinking? If they did, they’d probably revolt.

The lack of health care is more a symptom of poverty, though the poor health system generally doesn’t help cure people so that they can have the strength and the health needed. The public hospitals sometimes run out of medicine. Operations have been delayed for lack of supplies. One hospital had no money for food in late 2012. Nurses and other workers are sometimes not paid for months.

Violence is a cause, some might say. No, violence is a symptom of something else wrong. People without money want to be able to survive and some resort to crime (or seek to get the benefits of crimes and corruption). People who are not respected and are systematically shamed by the political, social and economic powers-that-be as well as by family members, teachers, or the educated might seek the power and respect that they might get from being a gang member.

I think there are several contributing factors that are seldom discussed.

I find among most people a lack of critical consciousness. An education based on memorizing – from kindergarten to college – promotes the idea that those in authority have the answers. Criticizing orthodoxies (of right or left) is not found as much as I would hope.

In addition there is a lack of solidarity among the poor.

In the face of scarcity of resources some of the poor feel that they must fend for themselves. It’s the survival of the fittest. Thus, solidarity and mutual aid are not encouraged or find little resonance in the lives of some of the poor. This does not mean that the poor are stingy. They are very generous to beggars and are often very kind to strangers, especially in the countryside. But, in the light of the structures, it is often hard to build a long-term commitment to solidarity.

     

Some still look on partisan politics as the solution. Hondurans have been closely tied in to a two party system for over a hundred years. Often people were either Nationalists or Liberals, depending on the party that their parents belonged to. Even though there was fraud and manipulation, the recent elections changed that a bit, since the Resistance-related LIBRE party and an Anti-Corruption Party had significant support. (LIBRE received more electoral support than the Liberal Party.)

But I think that the partisan solution is inadequate. I would even suggest that the Resistance may have weakened itself by forming LIBRE as a political party. Much effort was put into winning votes. What had impressed me about the Resistance before the formation of a poltiical party was the effort being put into organizing and raising the consciousness of people. That part of the long process of social change is continued by some groups (Caritas and ERIC-SJ, among them). As I see it, partisan politics with its deals and compromises may demand more energy from the Resistance and the process of consciousness-raising and organization might be neglected.

I think this is related to a tendency I’ve seen here of looking to governments or outside organizations to do everything. They look for a "sugar daddy"and get "screwed" as a result. (Sorry, if this language offends; but it's part of the reality.)

I am not a libertarian. I believe government has a role in promoting the common good and the lives of the poorest. Government also has a role in dealing with the social structures that promote poverty and providing a counteragent to the ever-present temptation to a savage capitalism.

But all too often I see people not doing something they could do and waiting until the government provides funding. They lack a sense of their own capabilities.

This looking for handouts is both a result and a cause of corruption. Politicians and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) use incentives to have people work with them. Giving out bags of concrete and tin roofing are part of the electoral campaigns. Paying for lunches and travel are common practices of most NGOs.

Corruption flourishes where the poor do not have resources, are unorganized, and lack power. They think they need someone to give them what they need. This person, the “patron,” provides for the person’s needs and then demands loyalty.

Unhealthy help also may not really provide the change needed to overcome poverty.

Probably close to 80,000 internationals come to Honduras on mission trips each year. They come with their medical brigades, building brigades, missionary brigades, educational brigades, and more.

Some groups do good work that really helps the people live better lives, but all too often these groups undercut efforts to have the Honduran people themselves develop alternatives to the broken system they live in. Also, many groups are politically naïve and have little sense of the unjust social structures. Some are also paternalistic, thinking they know more than the people who live here. Others come and give things, without asking for any financial contribution, thereby promoting a "give-me" approach.

There is also the unhealthy help of some non-governmental organizations.

I know cases where several NGOs compete for people for their programs. The people are often enticed by NGOs that offer better perquisites than others – better lunches, more money for travel to the meetings. There are some areas that are saturated with NGOs that may offer over-lapping or duplicate programs. Some NGOs also come in with their program and their ideological bent – and the people have little say in the programs, projects, and processes.

I think a critical cause of poverty is that the poor are “kept in their place.”

To change that means a change of structures as well as a change in mentality.

That’s much more difficult than another project, another give-away, another brigade coming into the community, another outside expert.

But I think it’s what we need to start working on (or, in some cases, continue working on).

A part of it will be dealing with the sense that many of the poor have of diminishment and worthlessness.

A few years ago the president of the National Congress, who later became the de fact president of the country after the 2009 coup, is reported to have called people “gente del monte” – which literally means “people of the weeds.” For him, they are hay-seeds, hicks, hillbillies.

Classism is strong and the poor often have a poor sense of their own worth and capabilities. Somehow this has to be undermined and replaced.

The poor are capable; the poor have worth; the poor can do things.

They don’t need people to do things for them. They need people to accompany them in the process of social and personal change.

That’s why I’m here - to accompany people in the process of beginning to live as real daughters and sons of God, people with a dignity that all should respect, people with capabilities that need to be encouraged and assisted.

Let us begin.

Visitors

I haven’t written for quite some time since I had visitors – and I was often in places where internet access was limited.

Father Jon Seda, the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas in Ames, Iowa, came with two young men – one is a graduate of Iowa State University who had visited about two years ago; the other is a senior at ISU, active at St. Thomas.

Tyler, Fr. Jon, and Joe (Chepito) with Adán and his family

For a few days we followed Padre German, Dulce Nombre de Maria’s priest, as he visited some of the distant villages. There Father Jon concelebrated and even helped in baptisms.

anointing with the oil of catechumens

In the villages, they also shared the banners that St. Thomas Aquinas had made for the churches of the Dulce Nombre parish.

Fr. Jon presenting a banner to the San Antonio church in the town of Dulce Nombre

 The town of Dolores and the village of Plan Grande Concepción had the experience of a Mass in English – with translation of the homily.

The group also stayed in Plan Grande for a night. The next morning they experienced the process of making dulce, raw sugar. They had hoped to do a little harvesting of coffee – but the weather was too wet and cold.

Isaías pouring the sugar into molds.

A few more photos follow.

  

Joe with some of the baptized in Aldea Nueva

Tyler and Joe in San Jose El Bosque

Tyler and Joe outside the Yaruconte Church

Father German and Father Jon - with Yaruconte in the distance

Moises, an incredibly good 13 year old lector in San Jose El Bosque

Delmar tying Joe's shoe

Delmar enjoying the sugar cane juice being cooked

Fr. Jon at the Greeting of Peace in Dulce Nombre

Fr. Jon and Padre German concelebrating

______________________

More photos of Fr. Jon's visit can be found here.   

More photos of the sugar cane process (including some photos from 2013) can be found here.

Hope in Honduras 2014

A new year has begun.

The prospects for Honduras are not good.

A new president will be inaugurated in the shadow of serious charges of fraud in the election. He is a president connected with the ruling political and economic elites. As president of Congress he railroaded through legislation and packed the Supreme Court with supporters. In the midst of the violence he promises to do whatever needs to be done. What this means can be seen by his pushing through the establishment of a military police force.

The economy is a disaster. The coffee harvest is not good, because of the roya fungus which affected much of the coffee raised by the small coffee farmers. The Congress passed new tax laws which will raise the value-added-tax (a hidden sales tax) from 12% to 15%. The cost of the basic food basket will rise.

Violence continues, especially in the large cities and the north coast. The lack of a functional judicial system – only about 5% of crimes come to justice – lead many people to take the law into their own hands. The lack of a culture of dialogue in some areas leads to vengeance killings.

The drug-traffickers maintain and may even be increasing their control of some political leaders.

I could go on; in fact, I’m trying to write something on why there is so much poverty here.

But can one hope?

Pope Francis has written: "Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope!"

Last November’s elections saw the emergence of new political parties. I hope that this means a breaking of the “bi-opoly” [a two-party monopoly] by the two traditional parties. The strong sowing for LIBRE, the new party that is an offshoot of the Resistance to the 2009 coup, showed that there are many who want a radical change in Honduras.

Now that the elections are over, I hope that there is renewed interest in real grass-roots democracy – not just the politics of power-seeking political parties.

Those are “hopes” I have, but they are not signs of hope. For those, I have to look at what I see around me. And since I am most rooted in the rural parish of Dulce Nombre de Maria, that’s where I find signs of hope.

Small signs of hope in the Dulce Nombre parish.

Padre German changed the rules for baptism of infants and children under seven. As a result of the changes and the new manner of preparing parents and god-parents, he baptized hundreds of small children and infants.

Baptism in El Zapote on December 29 (one of almost 50)

The catechists tell me that this openness has provoked another reaction from the people. Some of their communities are seeing more attendance at the Sunday Celebrations of the Word and even some people returning to base communities.

I have also seen a number of young people getting involved in leadership roles in the parish. Some of them experience discrimination from some who have been leaders for decades. But the presence of young people is something that is encouraging – and that I hope to encourage this coming year.

A new young catechist at a training session

There are also about 90 catechumens, mostly young people in their late teens and early twenties, who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil this coming April. 

Catechumens at the rite of entrance into the catechumenate

Another hope I have is based in the parish planning.

There will be continued formation of catechists, so that they can better lead their communities to a living participative faith.

There will some formation of choirs and music groups, leaders of Celebrations of the Word, and base communities.

The Triple Ministry – liturgical, prophetic, and social – needs to be renewed in the base communities. These communities also need to become more participative and imbued with a sense of real solidarity which responds in faith to the social challenges the people face.

This year there will also be more retreats to help provide a spiritual base for faithful living.

All too often some people here have reduced their faith to knowing about the faith and adherence to doctrine and rules. Padre German is trying to move from preaching and religious education based mostly on “information” to processes that lead to real “formation,” so that, with the grace of God, we may be “transformed.”

One way we hope to do this is forming teams for faith formation and spirituality in each of the four zones of the parish. A small team will be entrusted with helping these teams grow in their faith and in understanding of participative religious formation.

That’s what is inspiring me with hope for this coming year.

But that means work – for hope is not something that just happens. As Pope Francis has written: “True Christian hope, which seeks the eschatological kingdom, always generates history.”

Hope is God calling us forward.

In this I share what Pope Francis wrote in his extraordinary apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel,  ¶ 25:

I hope that all communities will devote the necessary effort to advancing along the path of a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are.

There are many things that are not good here. But, as Pope Francis also wrote (¶109):

Challenges exist to be overcome! Let us be realists, but without losing our joy, our boldness and our hope-filled commitment. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigor!

In this spirit, I look forward in hope to a new year of challenges, of possibilities, and of the opportunity to accompany the poor of the parish in our efforts to be signs of God’s Reign – on earth as in heaven.

Dawn in Dulce Nombre, December 7, 2013