US election vigil still not booked

The Club had planned to stay open especially for the event, but according to an e-mail received yesterday, only 30 have signed up for the $20 buffet. The Club needs 100 diners to make the event feasible. Those who do not want to eat can attend at 7 p.m. on November 4 and pay just $5 admission. But first there must be 100 registered diners. Don’t be put off by the word vigil, implying according to the Oxford English Dictionary, missing your sleep to keep watch. Of course if there is another series of voting snafus, that could well become true. So sign up and visit the lLub to celebrate or mourn according whom the bell tolls for.

Dress is casual. In my last note I mentioned no “tongs” but a later message from the Society said no “ thongs”.

A COMMUNIST MANIFESTO. First Sarah, the hockey mom wearing the latest outfits from Neiman Marcus, and Saks, hits out at Barack Obama for his “Socialist” policies.

Now a U.S. entrepreneur in Panama thinks the new tourism Master Plan, recently introduced by Tourism Manager, Ruben Blades, reads like a communist manifesto, with the government mandating what areas of the country are of interest to tourists, and what can be built in those areas. Perhaps unbridled building and destruction of mangrove swamps and ending public access to the nation’s beaches would serve the developer better.

A JAZZ TROUBADOUR. Under his other hat, Ruben Blades the troubadour and actor, is named as one of the performers at next year’s Jazz Festival. It sounds like a change of tempo to those familiar with salsa renderings.

But in his role as tourism Czar, perhaps he could do something about the parking problems for those going to the Festival. This year it was chaotic during the day, leaving people, including jubilados walking from as far away as the fish market. Later there was no available parking, and thousands could not get to the evening performances.

The organizers are anticipating even bigger crowds this year, but if they can’t get there, the forecasts may be wrong.

SCARY WS. The latest figures show that credit card debt in Panama is higher per card holder than in the United States, where incomes are massively higher than here. With darkening economic clouds on the horizon that could be bad news for local banks. While they may not have been quite so profligate in the housing market, some have issued cards to people earning barely enough to feed themselves and pay the bus fare to and from work.

Word has it that there are many customers behind in their payments, on cards and cars. That, combined with falling car sales, could explain the absence of four banks from the recent Car Show at ATLAPA.

Meanwhile, owners of apartments in darkened towers in the pricier areas of the city who had hoped to make a bundle by flipping, are beginning to drop prices, and there is news that some builders, unable to raise financing, have abandoned projects. For some, the writing is truly on the walls.

BRITISH CHRISTMAS. No doom and gloom around in the British expat community. Tickets for the Christmas Ball at the Miramar Hotel on December 5 have risen to $85, but the rush is on, and only the early birds will be in on one of the top social events of the year.