Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Puerto Rico and The Election

Puerto Rico and the American Commonwealth

I do not know why Democratic Party gave 55 delegates to the associated free state of Puerto Rico when only Puerto Ricans who reside inside the territorial United States can vote in the Presidential election.

But listening to Hillary's acceptance speech, I certainly know how she got the votes. She promised the Puerto Ricans - whatever their decision on Statehood might be- the right to vote, Medicare, Medicaid and other federal program. Nice going. Just promise anything.

Puerto Rico is already a huge recipient of Federal largesse while paying nothing into the US Federal treasury.

While they do pay taxes, all their taxes are paid to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

My figures are not current, but based on the figures in 2002. At that time, Puerto Rico was the third largest recipient of HUD (Federal Housing Authority) money, the second largest recipient of FEMA (Emergency management- hurricane relief) funds, and received an additional $12 billion dollars in unrestricted funds. Much of that money was simply distributed to its low income people, distributed into their checking accounts with no restrictions, no embarrassing food stamps, and no lines at the unemployment center.

All this was in return for keeping Puerto Rico safely tucked under the US flag, at the entry to the Caribbean, particularly during the wars of the last century.

I know Puerto Rico quite well, having served on the Vieques witness for four years, alongside those who were intent on stopping the use of that inhabited island as a bombing range.

Puerto Rico has a peculiar status with the United States. Taken from the Spanish during the Spanish American War in 1898, Puerto Ricans were granted United States citizenship under the Jones Act of 1917, in an appeal both to recruit more men for the armed forces and to secure land for navy and military operations.

The United States used Vieques and Culebra as bombing ranges for 6O years, practicing air and sea landings, using live ammunition, and renting out the facilities to other foreign nations who might not have a convenient little bombing range - albeit inhabited. The people of Culebra, through non violent protest and resistance, closed that island to bombing in 1979. Twenty years later, in 1999, the people of Vieques occupied the bombing range on Vieques for a year, halting all Navy bombing operations. After 1700 of us crossed into the bombing range during Navy exercises and were arrested and went to jail, the US government agreed to halt the bombing of Vieques. They also threatened to close their Navy base on the mainland, Roosevelt Roads, the largest US Navy base in the world, which they did.

The US tried an unsuccessful "conquest" of this Spanish island during the 50's. We banned the use of the Spanish language in schools. We forbad the flying of the Puerto Rican flag; The Americans started "Operation Bootstrap" which was a prelude to our building our factories along the Mexican border, in China, etc, etc, etc. Now those factories lie most of them abandoned leaving behind them all the rivers polluted. But we also introduced potable water, good and decent roads, good public housing, sound banking, the US post office, and US federal law.

Puerto Rico now has an autonomy which it would lose if it were to become a state. I think that most Puerto Ricans would be shocked at the changes. Currently, Puerto Ricans have full control over their educational system, conducted completely in Spanish. They keep all of their tax money. Only last year did Puerto Rico impose a sales tax, at a modest 6%, when it was clear that the government would not have enough money to support itself.
Hillary won the Statehood vote. But the Statehood vote has never won in Puerto Rico. Every year, the vote for independence grows stronger - up from 6% in 2001 to 20% in the last election. Commonwealth status, which they have now, always just ties with Statehood.

Puerto Rico has 500 years of Spanish history.

They do not educate their children in English. There is no English radio station. There is no American music played. They are a deeply Catholic and religious nation. They are very much opposed to the death penalty, which is imposed on them under Federal law. One can be a fully qualified attorney in Puerto Rico without speaking English. Only an attorney who wishes to practice in Federal court needs to speak English.

As a state, of course, Puerto Rico would have to comply with Federal education standards, in English, would have to pay Federal income tax, would have to completely comply with United States law.

Puerto Rico uses Dominicans for agriculture workers. Puerto Ricans will not work for $5 an hour just as Dominicans here will not work for the $10 a day which the Dominican agricultural industries pay the Haitian workers.

Unlike the rest of the Hispanic voters in the United States, Puerto Rico does not have to face the immigration issue, does not have to worry about green cards or quotas, and does not have to worry about how many times they may be allowed home. They already have the blue passport.

To my great dismay, a recent survey here in the Dominican Republic stated that 57% of the population would immigrate if they were given the chance. This is only for economic reasons and, in my opinion, a direct result of the failure of successive governments to invest in education, for without education, there is little hope of rising out of poverty.

If there were a poll taken in Haiti, I am sure the results would be closer to 80% of the people would immigrate.

So rather than talking about Statehood for Puerto Rico, perhaps what the United States might want to consider is a great Caribbean-American Commonwealth for her nearest neighbors- including the DR and Haiti, at least.

Don't misunderstand - I am not suggesting that the DR should actually lose her hard won independence - which she has had since 1868. Don’t want to turn it into a strip mall, like, well, Florida.

But.... well.... a little more help other than loans from the World Bank, etc which now has the country paying out 45 % of its tax revenues in debt service, or DR-CAFTA which puts the local agriculture at a huge disadvantage against America's agro- industries.

Both Dominicans and Haitians are enormously successful as immigrants. A report two years ago said that 60% of the second generation Dominicans in the US have completed college. Collectively, the 3 million strong Haitian diaspora sent home 1.6 billion dollars - about $535 per person in the diaspora and $200 per Haitian.

There are only 16 million people here. And this is a really really beautiful piece of land, full of fantastic beaches, great natural resources, and a wonderful climate

Plenty of room left. Huge. Much bigger than Puerto Rico. Great climate.

Nicer really than Florida since we have mountains, as well.

Florida, if one remembers, was discovered by Ponce de Leon, who was born, incidentally, here. I just walked by his house last week.

Face it, Florida is almost full.

If the US would just allow Medicare to extend to foreign doctors, to the hospitals down here--- as it does to Puerto Rico --- we could start a really BOOMING retirement and eldercare business here.

Think about it. Really.

1 comment:

RONBOTHUNTER said...

WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPPOSES YOUR RIGHT TO BE FREE!!

Puerto Ricans, who desire to be free, must always know that the federal government, here in the States has no “subject matter jurisdiction” over the person, case or location and should be challenged to proof it. These are magic words to learn when in Court for desiring freedom.

You won’t be told this in court but: All jury members, judges, attorneys, and employees working in federal court, must reside in federal territory to legally be a federal juror or touch your case or they can be commercially sued, disbarred and financially ruined for violating your constitutional rights etc.

Your god given right to be free is not wanted by the USA, it will oppose your desire for independence and freedom.

The USA has been the biggest alien invaders the world has ever known. In order to win your freedom you must oppose them by knowing that their weakness lies in their violations to the Constitution and to the common law and common law remedies.

The Federal Government owns Puerto Rico, because it is a slave colony—whether you like the idea or not. But the Federal Government takes orders from those who own and run this Country, but are not of this country. The International Bankers, who really own the USA, will let PR be free, only if enough real men of Boricua blood wish to be free.

The answer to your freedom lies in your Constitutional rights --- To win --You must always reserve your constitutional, commercial rights and know what they are.

The majority of Americans have no idea that the USA has killed more Latinos, than Hitler Killed Jews, The USA has supported Traitors, Dictators, Gringitos, Butchers, Sociopaths, and Megalomaniacs who were supported and kept in power by these monsters, sucking up to the Anglo Alien Invaders.

Latin America has had enough of this form of genocide of Latinos. That includes other African, Asian etc. countries that lost millions of innocent people from USA aggression.

I want to vomit every time some ignorant fools says: “If you don’t like it here –go home”.

If the Alien Invaders would get out of each and every Latin Country and stop interfering in our affairs—it would make sense to say such a stupid thing. But unless the (Fed) Snakes get out of Latin America-we have just as much right to be here!!! So, grin and put up with it—this was once our land.

A Puerto Rican without a desire for independence and/or freedom from alien control has no soul of a man.

The fact that the public does not know that we are NOT free, makes no difference, to the desire to be free. The PR that wants Statehood is a Gringito, who has no soul of a man left in his traitor's heart. Freedom is happening all over the world and yet we allow Gringitos to kill our right to be free.

A Gringito is a non-Anglo thing/person who internally is so inferior, that he desires to be what he can not be—thus Gringito means little gringo.

The Gringito is like an Uncle Tom to blacks or a collaborator and traitor to many others.

We allow the Alien Invaders to kill, harm, abuse, rape, and scam us and yet the Gringito wants to give our Country away.

This abuse must end. No man or woman is a real Man or real woman who is too scared to fight for their souls and be free. If you listen to the Gringito, you will lose your soul.

Thru out eternity Humanity owes its freedom from slavery, ONLY to brave souls who fought for your right to be free.

The fight will NOT succeed if you don't fight the Gringito enemy at home first. He is there next door and claims he is a real man and tries to give you many excuses of why PR can't be a free Country.

The fight for the independence of Puerto Rico is now non-violent and will be won in the hearts of real men around the World.

The Ronbothunter,

A proud freedom loving Puerto Rican.

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