Since I observed that my last post on #PuertoRico got such a broad reception from inside Russia - with more than 47% of the hits coming from there - I wanted to send out a shout out to all my cosmonaut friends over there and give you something for your listening pleasure tonight.
As you know, you have been really very important to us lately - what with all the dossiers and the meetings at #TrumpTower and we have become extremely interested in your dear leader #VladamirPutin and what, exactly, his intentions are towards us - and what we might expect from him and - of course - you - his loyal - or perhaps not so loyal - bots.
I wanted to share with you a most interesting podcast that I listened to this evening. Now it comes out over iTunes from NYC - but I am sure that you have perhaps heard it? - no - I suspect that you have not - since it was only last night - and you guys who are assigned to my blog are on the #PuertoRico desk. But obviously - you are fluent in English.
And - obviously - you can figure out how to download the itunes app? because that format ought to be available to you even if you using a home built computer.
Tonite's podcast is with a man named Preet Bhajara - you are free to google him - or GIFY - (google it for yourself) He has become pretty famous since Mr Trump fired him. It is a good road to fame here now.
His guest is a man named #BillBrowder - which may not actually mean anything to you "bots" (I do not mean that to be a demeaning term - I know that there are humans who are reading this - but 458 hits in one day from INSIDE of Russia?) - but certainly the name of Sergei Magnitsky rings bells in Moscow - or wherever you are.
Here is the BBC report - ( I do not know how censored your news is - I suspect it is deeply censored)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20626960
And here is the intro to tonight's podcast -- you ought to follow on Twitter .. https://twitter.com/PreetBharara/status/923656746387804160
Tonight's guest is Bill Browder - who has - indeed written a book...
but this podcast will do nicely
https://twitter.com/PreetBharara/status/923534221616078848
Try to stay warm. I just turned the heat on here in Florida for the first time this year. The temperature dropped to below 70 degrees! But I am a tropical bird now. At 70 degrees F - I put on a sweater.
Moscow must be very -very cold.
Bill Browder will be a great deal more trouble to you dead than alive -- I can assure you of that.
Trust me on that one, Vlad.
Showing posts with label Puerto Rico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Puerto Rico. Show all posts
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Friday, October 20, 2017
IRMA to MARIA
Will the Rains Never End?
It has been RAINING here - in the Northern Caribbean - in South Florida - since IRMA hit us with the 90 MPH winds. Huge Rains. Sheets. Torrents. Low Ceilings.
For myself - I am on MARIA watch for Puerto Rico, as my closest living relative is there strung out between the southwest tip of Cabo Rojo and San Juan - hungry, in search of water, without much money, without access to water, without electricity, frightened, alone.
Walmarts - he reports - is out of water.
The limit to buy is one bag of ice
Three cans of Chef Boyardee for one person.
There is running water but the reports are that it is not safe to drink.
Without electricity there is no stove, no way to heat food or boil water.
I send him again the formula - three drops of chloro to one litre of water - drink a half glass - if he does not vomit - it is safe.
The winds of IRMA hit here at 90 mph. They were the strongest I had ever experienced. When they hit him, the winds of MARIA were at 185 mph. !*!$$%# 185 mph is more that my mind can grasp. Like money over one million dollars.. my mind can not absorb.... how terrified he must have been
alone
in
the
house
with the
winds
bringing
down
the
old
trees
around
his house
in the campo
Now he has gone to San Juan
he reports that
that the CONDADO
is DARK
The CONDADO
which looks like MIAMI BEACH!!
is DARK
now
I know
Puerto Rico
And I know the Puerto Ricans
And I know that Puerto Rico Se Levanta
but
I weep
for
the
darkness
of
the
Condado
It has been RAINING here - in the Northern Caribbean - in South Florida - since IRMA hit us with the 90 MPH winds. Huge Rains. Sheets. Torrents. Low Ceilings.
For myself - I am on MARIA watch for Puerto Rico, as my closest living relative is there strung out between the southwest tip of Cabo Rojo and San Juan - hungry, in search of water, without much money, without access to water, without electricity, frightened, alone.
Walmarts - he reports - is out of water.
The limit to buy is one bag of ice
Three cans of Chef Boyardee for one person.
There is running water but the reports are that it is not safe to drink.
Without electricity there is no stove, no way to heat food or boil water.
I send him again the formula - three drops of chloro to one litre of water - drink a half glass - if he does not vomit - it is safe.
The winds of IRMA hit here at 90 mph. They were the strongest I had ever experienced. When they hit him, the winds of MARIA were at 185 mph. !*!$$%# 185 mph is more that my mind can grasp. Like money over one million dollars.. my mind can not absorb.... how terrified he must have been
alone
in
the
house
with the
winds
bringing
down
the
old
trees
around
his house
in the campo
Now he has gone to San Juan
he reports that
that the CONDADO
is DARK
The CONDADO
which looks like MIAMI BEACH!!
is DARK
now
I know
Puerto Rico
And I know the Puerto Ricans
And I know that Puerto Rico Se Levanta
but
I weep
for
the
darkness
of
the
Condado
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
The Three Kings
The holidays are just barely over here. Seems that those who have less, celebrate more. There is an understanding perhaps that time is more precious than money.
The Three Kings bring gifts on Twelfth Night. I remember watching at dawn one morning in a little town in Puerto Rico as the Three Kings, all beautifully costumed, rode into town on finely decked out horses, just before dawn.
The entire town had assembled in the dark, setting up tables and passing out cocoa and sandwiches. The Kings took the stage and sang a bit. Then one started handing out candy to the children, who, one by one, held out their hands and took, Sit Back, America- ONE piece each.
The only commotion in the crowd was to when the people in front turned around and motioned for the children who had not yet received their candy.
My heart turned a bit Latina that morning. I started to wear more hot pink with turquoise.
And here, even more Latin than Puerto Rico,(which is an associated free state of the US - a unique and peculiar relationship) I watch my neighbors' families all arrive for Sunday dinners together. They eat together then sit all afternoon and talk. No video games, no NFL.
It is only weddings and funerals that have brought my family together.
So even though the "poverty" figures for this country are heart rending: 42% of the population lives on less than $2 a day , the reality in observation is a bit different.
Poverty in possessions does not mean poverty of spirit. Indeed, there appears to be an inverse relationship.
Evenings at the colmados (the little corner stores that sell the essentials, milk, beer, sugar, canned goods, toilet papers), the younger unmarrieds sit around the little plastic tables, in the plastic chairs sharing fine local beer as couples dance merengue together.
Estimates are that by 2050, the US will be almost one quarter Hispanic.
I think it will be an improvement. After we do a little bit re-education on machismo.
The Three Kings bring gifts on Twelfth Night. I remember watching at dawn one morning in a little town in Puerto Rico as the Three Kings, all beautifully costumed, rode into town on finely decked out horses, just before dawn.
The entire town had assembled in the dark, setting up tables and passing out cocoa and sandwiches. The Kings took the stage and sang a bit. Then one started handing out candy to the children, who, one by one, held out their hands and took, Sit Back, America- ONE piece each.
The only commotion in the crowd was to when the people in front turned around and motioned for the children who had not yet received their candy.
My heart turned a bit Latina that morning. I started to wear more hot pink with turquoise.
And here, even more Latin than Puerto Rico,(which is an associated free state of the US - a unique and peculiar relationship) I watch my neighbors' families all arrive for Sunday dinners together. They eat together then sit all afternoon and talk. No video games, no NFL.
It is only weddings and funerals that have brought my family together.
So even though the "poverty" figures for this country are heart rending: 42% of the population lives on less than $2 a day , the reality in observation is a bit different.
Poverty in possessions does not mean poverty of spirit. Indeed, there appears to be an inverse relationship.
Evenings at the colmados (the little corner stores that sell the essentials, milk, beer, sugar, canned goods, toilet papers), the younger unmarrieds sit around the little plastic tables, in the plastic chairs sharing fine local beer as couples dance merengue together.
Estimates are that by 2050, the US will be almost one quarter Hispanic.
I think it will be an improvement. After we do a little bit re-education on machismo.
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