Puerto Rico update

[L_F_Miranda]

Just came back from "La Isla del Encanto" where it has been more like, " La Isla del Diluvio". For the two weeks I was there it rained and rained like no end in sight. In fact, the rain caused nearly as much damage as if a hurricane had passed over the island. The small stream in my home town swelled up to a torrent of water that covered up some streets. Land slides were rampant in Lares and other mountain towns.

On another note, Politics is alive and well. Not that an active COMPETENT government is governing, it isn't! Just the same old "Dime y Diretes" among the PPD and the PNP.

BIG NEWS ITEMS:

1-Chemo, the folkloric and loud PNP mayor of Canovanas had a semi-stroke and his place might be taken over by his foul mouthed daughter. She was recently investigated by the FBI for some mis appropriated funds. She is also a PNP representative. About being Foul Mouthed, she was photographed screaming obsenities in the Senate at Kenneth McClintock during his fight to keep his Senate president seat from being taken over by Pedro Rossello.

2-The P.R Department of Education was highly criticized by PNP big wigs for turning down $31 million from the U.S Departament of Education. "Instruccion Publica" refused to let Washington bureaucrats test Puerto Rican kids for the "Reading First Program." Some say it was because of the teaching methods used. Most of these methods have failed with minority populations in the U.S., so why use them on P.R. kids? The bottom line seems to be that the Puerto Rican government refused students to be tested by questionable methods used to test Mexican Americans on reading English. In addition, stateside bureaucrats refused to accept Puerto Rican methods on teaching Spanish.

Bottom line, why do we have to adopt teaching and testing methods that have kept minorities DUMB in the U.S?

3-The uproar of the Filiberto Ojeda case seems to be cooling down. Depite creating an anti- FBI backlash among all political parties, it's been put on the back burner because of the floods. The PNP is also taking a much needed breather on this one.

4-Dominicans marched in Santurce celebrating "Dia de la Raza." In its 5th march, Dominicans were stressing their identity vs. assimilating as Puerto Ricans. Remember several years ago when a group started the Dominican Statehood party? They wanted to make sure their rights were respected when the island became a state. MMMMMMM, but that was before the Gringos left Roosevelt Roads and Vieques.

5-Almost everyone on the island is OBLIVIOUS to the soon to be published White House status recommendations and the Congressional Office study on the economy of Puerto Rico. No one seems to care what it will say, maybe except the Independentistas. MMMMMMMM, while Washington might be moving away from any commitment towards annexation, in the colony, everyone is living in La-la land thinking of how much "Beneficios" each one will get under Statehood.

6-There is a RUSH to get get Passports! The Plaza Las Americas office is swamped by thousands asking for passports. The office had to be closed early last week in order to meet the demand. MMMMMMMM, Are Puerto Ricans traveling to places other than Disneyworld or The South Bronx? I don't know what their anxiety is?

7- Scariest news! Pharmaceuticals, once thought of being the anchor of the new Puerto Rican economy are begining to LEAVE the island. The Far East is their destination. As the 936 tax incentives are phased out this year ( thanks to the PNP) Puerto Rico is only left with with a feeble FOREIGN TAX INCENTIVE that is highly controlled by people we don't even vote for. Ireland and the Bahamas also have this incentive and their economies are booming. Statehooders know that if we ever become a state we will no longer be viable for a FOREIGN TAX INCENTIVES, therefore the economy might collapse overnight. But what do they care! Statehood has always relied upon LOS BENEFICIOS DE LA ESTADIDAD , in other words, Transfer Payments, and in course language, WELFARE!

With Washington in a tight budget crisis "Los Beneficios de la Estadidad" are also in jepordy. Statehooders just better come up with SOLUTIONS other than Welfare and flying Old Glory because things are getting bad.

[Ecuajey]

Originally Posted by L_F_Miranda

Almost everyone on the island is OBLIVIOUS to the soon to be published White House status recommendations and the Congressional Office study on the economy of Puerto Rico. No one seems to care what it will say, maybe except the Independentistas.

Luis Benítez, the former President of the Economist Association of PR and UPR professor said in an El Nuevo Día article that the results of the study of the General Accounting Office are "surprising" and "bad news for the statehooders" because, according to him, the study favors the notion that PR can survive economically as an independent republic. The former President of the CEE wrote about it for El Nuevo Día two days ago. Let's see what the reactions will be when the study is finally published. For direct quotes, go here: TresCaminos

[El_Jibaro]

Hey, I took Macro-Economics with Benitez while he had a short stint at Mayaguez (was he organizing cells...?).

I remember him pontificating at the disaster and future failure of REAGONOMICS, which discarded the 'Keynesian Economic Model' established by the FD Roosevelt Presidency.

According to that Model, Canada and Cuba should be the strongest economies in this hemisphere.

History proved the pontifficating "Economist" wrong .

It goes to show how ignorant Leftists are about reality.

[RepublicadePR]

Originally Posted by L_F_Miranda

Just came back from "La Isla del Encanto" where it has been more like, " La Isla del Diluvio". For the two weeks I was there it rained and rained like no end in sight. In fact, the rain caused nearly as much damage as if a hurricane had passed over the island. The small stream in my home town swelled up to a torrent of water that covered up some streets. Land slides were rampant in Lares and other mountain towns.

On another note, Politics is alive and well. Not that an active COMPETENT government is governing, it isn't! Just the same old "Dime y Diretes" among the PPD and the PNP.

BIG NEWS ITEMS:

1-Chemo, the folkloric and loud PNP mayor of Canovanas had a semi-stroke and his place might be taken over by his foul mouthed daughter. She was recently investigated by the FBI for some mis appropriated funds. She is also a PNP representative. About being Foul Mouthed, she was photographed screaming obsenities in the Senate at Kenneth McClintock during his fight to keep his Senate president seat from being taken over by Pedro Rossello.

2-The P.R Department of Education was highly criticized by PNP big wigs for turning down $31 million from the U.S Departament of Education. "Instruccion Publica" refused to let Washington bureaucrats test Puerto Rican kids for the "Reading First Program." Some say it was because of the teaching methods used. Most of these methods have failed with minority populations in the U.S., so why use them on P.R. kids? The bottom line seems to be that the Puerto Rican government refused students to be tested by questionable methods used to test Mexican Americans on reading English. In addition, stateside bureaucrats refused to accept Puerto Rican methods on teaching Spanish.

Bottom line, why do we have to adopt teaching and testing methods that have kept minorities DUMB in the U.S?

3-The uproar of the Filiberto Ojeda case seems to be cooling down. Depite creating an anti- FBI backlash among all political parties, it's been put on the back burner because of the floods. The PNP is also taking a much needed breather on this one.

4-Dominicans marched in Santurce celebrating "Dia de la Raza." In its 5th march, Dominicans were stressing their identity vs. assimilating as Puerto Ricans. Remember several years ago when a group started the Dominican Statehood party? They wanted to make sure their rights were respected when the island became a state. MMMMMMM, but that was before the Gringos left Roosevelt Roads and Vieques.

5-Almost everyone on the island is OBLIVIOUS to the soon to be published White House status recommendations and the Congressional Office study on the economy of Puerto Rico. No one seems to care what it will say, maybe except the Independentistas. MMMMMMMM, while Washington might be moving away from any commitment towards annexation, in the colony, everyone is living in La-la land thinking of how much "Beneficios" each one will get under Statehood.

6-There is a RUSH to get get Passports! The Plaza Las Americas office is swamped by thousands asking for passports. The office had to be closed early last week in order to meet the demand. MMMMMMMM, Are Puerto Ricans traveling to places other than Disneyworld or The South Bronx? I don't know what their anxiety is?

7- Scariest news! Pharmaceuticals, once thought of being the anchor of the new Puerto Rican economy are begining to LEAVE the island. The Far East is their destination. As the 936 tax incentives are phased out this year ( thanks to the PNP) Puerto Rico is only left with with a feeble FOREIGN TAX INCENTIVE that is highly controlled by people we don't even vote for. Ireland and the Bahamas also have this incentive and their economies are booming. Statehooders know that if we ever become a state we will no longer be viable for a FOREIGN TAX INCENTIVES, therefore the economy might collapse overnight. But what do they care! Statehood has always relied upon LOS BENEFICIOS DE LA ESTADIDAD , in other words, Transfer Payments, and in course language, WELFARE!

With Washington in a tight budget crisis "Los Beneficios de la Estadidad" are also in jepordy. Statehooders just better come up with SOLUTIONS other than Welfare and flying Old Glory because things are getting bad.

Plaza Las Americas office of passports is always packed.
:-D

[Rafa3x]

Originally Posted by El_Jibaro

remember him pontificating at the disaster and future failure of REAGONOMICS, which discarded the 'Keynesian Economic Model' established by the FD Roosevelt Presidency.

According to that Model, Canada and Cuba should be the strongest economies in this hemisphere

Reagonomics, or the trickle-down theory, is loosing it's footing after a few short decades. Hurricane Katrina was a crack in the glazing. Every economic theory needs to be adapted to the changing times, it is a natural process of innovation, much the way Drucker has praised we "stay on top things."

Supply-side economics was an insurance plan for the wealthy -- nothing else. Naturally, Puerto Rico was forced to adopt this plan in order to maintain a close membership to the status quo -- that's the REAL "Commonwealth." Except this "membership" never materialized the way people dreamed it would, at least certainly not for everyone. So Puerto Rico, espcialy outside of San Juan, has never had much in common with the wealth of the United States. But it's cute when people talk about it like it's real.

Regarding "Canada," with a population of just 32 million, vast land and resources, a trillion dollar GDP (31,500 per capita), 7% unemployment, 1.9% inflation rate, Canada is not doing too bad at all. And, oh yea, they figured out a healthcare system that works!

Cuba is a more complex issue, but let me just say this: after everything they have been through, they never collapsed. Many other countries folded in the last 50 years. Although Cuba may not be a glorious example for Puerto Rico just yet, they certainly have figured many things out that should not be ignored just because they're "socialists." (Ahhhh, run!)

Another example that Puerto Rico should start looking at in preparation for The Great Transition is Venezuela. Ok, so PR has no oil reserves, but it does have an oil refinery infrastructure. In addition, Puerto Rico has a wealth of financial services and other institutions that have been doing well because of the geopolitical place between Latin America and the US. Two other major assets are its ports (as well as the Rafael Hernandez airport in Aguadilla, which can be turned into a major international hub with the right investment portfolio of Latin American and European carriers) and young and well educated population.

I know it sounds crazy to some people, but independence is inevitable. If the US Congress (the ONLY body that has ANY say in the matter whatsoever!) never accepted PR into the union in the last 107 years, it will certainly not do so for at least another 50 years -- and God knows in what shape the US will be in then. This is probably the worst time in history for the United States to consider taking on a financial (per capita GDP less than half of the poorest state in the US!) and political (instant "blue state") liability like Puerto Rico.

There is an imbalance in the current macro-economic equation of Puerto Rico, where the poor and working class are getting nowhere, and the rich are staying rich or getting richer.

An infusion of some balance is needed -- nothing crazy and radical, but we also cannot allow the United States have its cake and eat it (it has been doing that for 107 years!). Puerto Rico is now choking to death because of the premium it pays through mandatory US-regulated trade. This has to end ASAP.

Puerto Rico needs a major investment in government restructuring and capital improvements to commerce, including international trade, education, healthcare services, communications and civil defense. In the energy sector, it needs to immediately cut loose of expensive US oil contracts and re-channel its supplies through Brazil and Venezuela in order to restabalize its immediate energy needs. In the long run, renewable energy is no longer a cute side option, but needs to be a major factor in Puerto Rico's big energy picture. An extensive (and retractable, to protect it from hurricanes) wind farm should be built in the eastern section of Vieques, for example, where the destroyed and contaminated lands and shores will serve little use for anything else any time soon. And of course, solar energy should become a major player as well.

Puerto Rico has a wealth of potential as a republic -- and it has the infrastructure, and geopolitical advantage excel in its natural evolution toward a self-sustained nation.

Rafael Merino,
NY Latino Journal

[Eddier1]

Nice knowledge by description you have given us on the status
issue and the historical tendency towards independence for
Puerto Rico. It is, however, for most Puertorriquenos only
viewing the issues as a patch in their brain. It is idealism or
utopian for them in other words. What they need is a critical
and/or social realism that permits them to see the issues through
a knowledge by acquaintance with them on a material level.
The barrier to that unfortunately is that they only see and
experience on that level the bindings on their need for freedom
and justice caused by the colonial chains which they must
drag along with them. They are incapable of defending
their rights to freedom and justice because of the chains, and
therefore sense on a daily basis the lack of respect for them
which the entire world has for a people who cannot defend
themselves as independent and just. This is a catastrophe
for them, since the only option as an historical tendency in
the future would be to arm themselves and demonstrate
through such force that they are not a people to be trifled
with any longer. But to do this effectively, they must cease
being idealists or utopians who opine that they live in 'la
isla del encanto'. They must become critical and social
realists in order to materially understand what has
happened to them, and which continues to happen to
them on a daily basis. And the catastrophe rears its head
since it is only through force of arms that they can reach
understanding and cause changes towards freedom and
justice on a material level. If that is the only way it can
happen, and I think that it is, then it is historically
determined to happen in the near future.

[El_Jibaro]

Originally Posted by Eddier1

Nice knowledge by description you have given us on the status
issue and the historical tendency towards independence for
Puerto Rico. It is, however, for most Puertorriquenos only
viewing the issues as a patch in their brain. It is idealism or
utopian for them in other words. What they need is a critical
and/or social realism that permits them to see the issues through
a knowledge by acquaintance with them on a material level.
The barrier to that unfortunately is that they only see and
experience on that level the bindings on their need for freedom
and justice caused by the colonial chains which they must
drag along with them. They are incapable of defending
their rights to freedom and justice because of the chains, and
therefore sense on a daily basis the lack of respect for them
which the entire world has for a people who cannot defend
themselves as independent and just. This is a catastrophe
for them, since the only option as an historical tendency in
the future would be to arm themselves and demonstrate
through such force that they are not a people to be trifled
with any longer. But to do this effectively, they must cease
being idealists or utopians who opine that they live in 'la
isla del encanto'. They must become critical and social
realists in order to materially understand what has
happened to them, and which continues to happen to
them on a daily basis. And the catastrophe rears its head
since it is only through force of arms that they can reach
understanding and cause changes towards freedom and
justice on a material level. If that is the only way it can
happen, and I think that it is, then it is historically
determined to happen in the near future.

This is not the scaly reptile whose diatribes and demeanour I grew to dislike. This new version of Eddie should remane itself to Eddier2.0, or Uncle Lizard LIGHT.

Either he shed his entire skin off (gross), or someone else took up his post. The spelling of his diatribes is different, and he stopped using FOUL LANGUAGE.

The only one who I know to drop all FOUL LANGUAGE completely was none other than me, and that was when as a teenager I embraced JESUS and became BORN AGAIN.