www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Very true. If mongers are getting mugged, nearly all ticos, ie those not making money off of us, will probably figure we've got it coming for participating in the hobby that we do. If they care at all it is because they fear it will reflect badly on their country and hence tourism in general. Their likely preferred solution, flush down the whole shithole of the Gulch down the crapper - good riddance to bad rubbish. If a mugged monger got his blood on the shoes of some politician's wife, he'd probably just be arrested for littering or vandalism or something.

GT,
The sales tax is still 13% and the tourism tax on hotel rooms is still 3.39% ... for now. The incoming administration faces a huge budget shortfall, $93M for the 1st 5 months this year according to http://www.amcostarica.com/062206.htm (though I believe that may be in colones). Still a huge amount for such a little country and nearly 25% of all expenditures goes to paying debt. To deal with it, they'll either have to cut social benefits or things like police funding or raise taxes or some combination of all of those things (or do like the US and raise debt further along with future interest on that debt). So don't count on the gov't to make a high priority of dealing with the problems of a bunch of sex tourists any time soon.

If anything don't be surprised to see a higher ICT tax and even less police presence in the Gulch (though I'm not sure how they could go less than zero). The ICT tax is "supposed" to go for promoting CR tourism by statute. I'd think one murdered tourist would cost CR far more in terms of their tourism image than any madison avenue advertising campaign. But, as you suggested, where what they collect actually goes in practice is an open question. I'm sure much of it is really used to plug the shortfalls in funding for their domestic social safety net.

But, forget about where it may or may not be spent for the moment. The ICT estimated recently that they collect less than 50% of the taxes they should from the hotels http://www.amcostarica.com/062306.htm. How about they're getting their shit together and collect the taxes we're already paying, instead of letting a bunch of crooked hoteliers further line their pockets? One would think they'd realize not paying for better tax enforcement of tourism businesses or better police protection for the tourists that pay those hotel taxes could end up costing them far more in lost revenues, but apparently not.
First of all, there would be a good reason why eco-tourist guests at the Prez haven't been, if that is really the case, and that is because eco-tourists get up early for their trips and retire early to their hotel. They tend not to wander around drunk or at all after dark as much as us monger-types. Mongers being attacked is probably given low priority but even something like that happening to one of us would ripple back to the larger tourism market. I don't think it is really because they hold us in such low regard although that is certainly part of it. There was a brutal gangrape of a female eco-tourist in Quepos this past March and at this point there is only a lot of talk about forming some sort of special tourist police to patrol popular tourist destinations.

Great advise !

Por Favor No Mas Whining

I must have missed this thread. I was in CR 6-24 to 6-27 and noticed a large police presence around the DR. Some Ticas told me that the police were trying to clean up all the riff-raff and make it safer for us gringos. Other than that, it was business as usual at the DR.

_________________
If it smells like fish, eat all you wish. If it smells like cologne, leave it alone.

Last night I left the DR around 10pm.On the corner of the Monkey Bar,and on the corner opposite the Horseshoe were groups of about 5 young looking thugs that I hadn't seen before. Since this was Thursday night,I immediately thought to myself. "hey maybe there IS something to this Thurday stuff". I walked over by the Colonial and flagged a taxi off the street and went home. Police presence was non-existant.