Getting Crowded ‘Under the Table’

Getting Crowded 'Under the Table'
September 13, 2012
Osmel Almaguer

HAVANA TIMES — Recently an article about the problems of education in
Cuba caught my attention.

The author, whose name escapes me at the moment, gave examples of how
education here is undergoing a discreet and gradual process of
privatization.

They referred to the "little gifts" that teachers expect to receive from
their students, with so little interest in studying.

The article also referred to crash courses and class reviews given by
private tutors — paid for by parents — when the classes given at schools
are substandard.

It pointed out that many of these teachers are the same ones who work
during the day in schools, with their shoulders being the very ones on
which rests much of the responsibility for instruction having have
declined to the poor condition it is today.

Today, in fact, I remember listening to my stepfather talking about
something similar related to his experiences with the "somaton," the
inspection that all motor vehicles have to periodically undergo to
determine whether they're in suitable shape to be on the road.

So what happened to my stepfather? He had to pay 5 CUCs (over a week's
salary for the average worker) for an "approval rating." "He who doesn't
sweeten the pot doesn't pass the inspection," crudely explained one
member of the crew.

Nowadays they don't even care if your vehicle meets the required
standards. Each and every vehicle inspected has to pay that amount,
except for larger cars – the price is even higher for those.

These inspectors try to rationalize their actions: Their wages aren't
enough to live on; life is hard, they're young and have to live, or they
have families and their kids need shoes.

When presented with opportunities, this is how many officials abuse the
power granted to them by the state, for reasons we shouldn't ignore either.

Almost everyone is charging and collecting for their work "under the
table," and any employee or official who hasn't started doing the same
will soon begin feeling the consequences of their principles when they
sit down at their dinner table.

http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=78529