Editorial, Panama's disappearing bus art

Let us make an argument, during improving but still difficult economic times, for yet another government subsidy.

Subsidies are an important public policy issue, one that will surely come front and center in any intelligent discussion about a possible free trade agreement with the United States. If we look at the experience of NAFTA, which is the template for bilateral US-Panamanian trade talks, we should expect that things like our public health care system, the state-owned IDAAN water utility and even the public schools will be attacked as unfair subsidies by market purists, while on the other hand US farm price supports will be rationalized as something else.

Our government has given some massive breaks to our private ports industry. Those are controversial, but it can be argued that the maritime sector is crucial to the Panamanian economy. That same line of reasoning is likely to come up when the nation debates the modernization of the Panama Canal and comes to understand that ship tolls will probably be insufficient to amortize the cost.

The Moscoso administration has created a $20 million fund to subsidize the private electric companies. Mireya wants more than $300 million to subsidize this country’s tiny manufacturing sector. Most government advertising under this and previous administrations has not been necessary to meet legal or practical requirement, and amounts to a subsidy to privileged media corporations. Panama has some agricultural subsidies, mostly to large export operations. In fact, the bulk of our subsidies go to rich people, and those that don’t usually go to well organized groups like the bus syndicates.

Fundamentalist dogma that opposes all subsidies does not serve Panama’s interests. There are certain ventures that need to be helped along for the indirect but very real benefit of the entire nation. However, given all of the possibilities for abuse, who and what get subsidized, and in what amounts, are always proper subjects of public scrutiny.

Meanwhile, a part of our culture, one that is most attractive to foreign tourists, one that makes life our national lifestyle more pleasant and colorful, is disappearing. The artwork that has traditionally graced our city buses is disappearing because the bus owners can’t afford it and the present administration’s idea of color-coding buses according to their routes discourages it.

Panama’s bus painters, whether we want to count the existing ones or the potential ones, are not likely to swing any elections. They’re easy for politicians to ignore.

The demise of a beautiful little part of Panamanian culture is harder to ignore, and should not be ignored. A little boost to this tiny part of our economy would be a much more substantial boost to a major part of our economy, the tourism industry --- not a panacea, but one more attraction.

This is one of those situations in which relatively modest subsidies to a relatively few people would be a good thing.

The Panamanian government ought to reimburse bus owners for part of the cost of having their buses painted by artists, create annual prizes to honor the best bus art, and sponsor an annual show of this part of our culture.

Of course this would not solve all, or even most, of our economic problems. But none of the other subsidies have either.

It would still be worth it for Panama to make this investment in beauty.

editorial

Subsidize Panamanian culture:
bring back bus painting

Bear in mind...

editorial

Subsidize Panamanian culture: bring back bus painting

Bear in mind...

Subsidize Panamanian culture:
bring back bus painting