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Escape
From
Costa
Rica?
By
John
Holtz*
A
lot
has
been
said
about
the
grand
“exodus”
from
Costa
Rica
and
some
indicate
that
it
might
take
on
biblical
proportions.
Where
are
all
these
people
headed?
According
to
rumor,
places
such
as
Panama,
Nicaragua
and
now,
the
flavor
of
the
month,
Ecuador.
These
countries
are
becoming
very
popular
and
with
good
reason.
They
read
and
sound
like
attractive
places
to
live.
Sort
of
like
Costa
Rica
is
and
has
been
marketed,
but
them
comes
reality!
However,
before
I
put
my
property
on
the
market
at a
fire
sale
price
and
escape
“doomed”
Costa
Rica
not
to
mention,
God
forbid,
start
life
all
over
again
there
are
two
critical
questions
begging
to
be
answered
about
all
this.
First
what
constitutes
an
“exodus”?
Perhaps
a
couple
of
disgruntled
neighbors
who
thought
they
were
buying
into
“pura
vida”
but
discovered
differently,
or
some
longer
term
tourists
who
want
to
seek
more
stability
than
having
to
leave
the
country
every
90
days,
even
some
retirees
who
are
on
their
way
back
home
after
being
priced
out
of
the
market.
Granted,
the
reasons
to
leave
are
many
and
it
is
not
too
difficult
to
justify
a
departure,
al
la
Mel
Gibson
who
remained
here
long
enough
to
run
up a
delinquent
tax
bill
and
shorter
than
the
Kardashian
–
Humphrey
marriage.
After
reading
a
plethora
of
blogs,
comments
and
articles
I do
not
know
what
English
speaking
expats
bring
to
the
economic
table
that
warrants
such
self
imposed,
unabashed
esteem?
Even
less,
our
blatant,
distorted
sense
of
superiority?
When
sales
were
slower
than
a
slug,
General
Motors
rolled
out
some
irresistible
offers
that
increased
customer
attention.
However,
when
sales
recover,
the
discounts
vanish
and
prices
go
up.
Costa
Rica
is
no
exception
to
that
supply
and
demand
business
concept.
Sure,
some
expats
invest
into
businesses
that
employ
nationals.
But
overwhelmingly
most
of
these
micro
businesses
employ
fellow
expats
who
are
either
perpetual
tourists
or
just
here
illegally
until
caught
up
in
some
kind
of
police
raid.
(Maybe
this
is
what
is
meant
as a
“Free
Market
Economy”?)
How
many
times
have
we
read
and
heard
that
50,000
perhaps
100,000
North
American
expats
are
living
in
Costa
Rica
and
that
these
people
have
brought
buckets
of
money
and
feed
the
ever
hungry
economy?
But
according
to
the
official
census
report
of
2010,
that´s
not
the
case
at
all.
The
total
amount
of
expatriates
who
are
legally
residing
in
Costa
Rica
is
346,956
of
which
only
13,775
are
from
the
USA,
2,083
are
from
Canada
but
240,774
are
from
Nicaragua
and
they
came
to
work.
The
balance
is
scattered
about
the
globe.
Out
of a
4.5
million
population
346,956
are
legal
expatriates
which
is
less
than
10%
of
the
total
population
living
here
and
of
that,
about
17,000
are
U.S.
or
Canadians
who
call
Costa
Rica
home
and
that,
frankly,
is
not
going
to
get
much
attention.
These
numbers
do
not
factor
in
either
the
“perpetual”
tourist
group
or
those
people
living
in
Costa
Rica
illegally
which
in
total
might
very
well
outweigh
the
legal
residents.
I
also
read,
as
posted
by
an
English
speaking
commentator,
that
if
the
perpetual
tourist
is
eliminated
from
Costa
Rica
the
economic
results
would
be
staggering.
I am
curious
why
such
a
simplistic
conclusion
for
a
group
who
takes
away
local
jobs,
pays
no
taxes,
uses
but
does
not
pay
into
the
healthcare
system,
sends
their
offspring
to
public
schools
free
of
charge,
etc?
Here,
on
“Inside
Costa
Rica”
we
read
almost
daily
how
the
expat
is
running
for
the
borders
of
Nicaragua,
Panama
and
Ecuador.
Are
these
places
panaceas
or
excuses
for
not
coping
with
our
countries
of
origin
or
Costa
Rica?
Admittedly,
the
cost
of
living
has
become
expensive,
crime
has
escalated
and
corruption
is
rampant
on
all
levels
not
to
mention
there
is
an
endless
list
of
other
negative
factors.
On
the
other
side
of
that
fence,
Costa
Rica
still
offers
many
options
where
to
live
that
are
not
hectic,
the
traffic
is
not
horrific,
the
crime
rate
is
livable
and
the
cost
of
living,
while
not
cheap,
is
tolerable.
As
far
as
government
corruption
goes?
Not
too
often
will
it
directly
impact
the
expat,
but
when
it
does
or
will….that
hurts
just
like
the
President
of
Panama,
Ecuador
and
Nicaragua
found
out.
I
doubt
very
much
the
expat
claims
of
exodus
from
Costa
Rica
can
be
substantiated
and
are,
more
than
likely,
expressions
of
deep
frustration
in
search
for
others
who
will
empathize
with
an
“I
can´t
cope”
anymore
shroud.
And,
I do
know
that
feeling
all
to
well.
As a
long
time
professor,
part
father
who
has
since
died
used
to
say,
“..worry
about
what
you
can
correct
and
don´t
worry
about
what
you
cannot.”
But,
Stan
would
also
profess
that
if
you
are
legal,
take
every
advantage
of
your
rights
and
make
every
effort
to
effect
change
as
you
see
it
being
needed.
*John
Holtz
can
be
reached
at
[email protected]
Census
Source:
Planificación
Institucional,
cuadro
elaborado
con
base
en
el
Sistema
del
Departamento
de
Residencias,
información
de
las
Oficinas
Regionales
del
Régimen
de
Excepción
y
del
SINEX
2011
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