Realizarán manifestación para exigir el fin del status colonial

Por Primerahora.com11/18/2013 | 02:03 p.m.

Un grupo de puertorriqueños, encabezados por el comisionado residente en Washington, Pedro R. Pierluisi, y el exalcalde de San Juan, Hernán Padilla, realizarán mañana, martes, una manifestación ante el Capitolio federal para exigir el fin del status colonial y que se le conceda a la Isla la estadidad.

La actividad se dará en el marco de la conmemoración del 520 aniversario del Descubrimiento de Puerto Rico, informó Pierluisi en comunicado de prensa.

“Esta manifestación es auspiciada por Igualdad, una entidad independiente sin fines de lucro, cuya misión es exigir los mismos derechos y responsabilidades para los ciudadanos americanos en Puerto Rico que disfrutan sus conciudadanos en los 50 estados de la Unión”, señaló el comisionado.

Dijo, además, que congresistas republicanos y demócratas se unirán a la manifestación, pautada para comenzar a las 11:00 a.m. (hora local).

También, habrá representanción de las siguientes organizaciones: League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, Puerto Rico Statehood Democrats, Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association, Misión Estadista, y el Puerto Rico Statehood Council.

The most insurmountable obstacle to finding a solution to any problem is the refusal to accept the existence of the problem, or the belief that the problem has been solved. This is precisely what is happening in Puerto Rico, where the Governor, his cabinet members and particularly his public-relations and press assistants, are telling the people that the financial crisis that we «were suffering,» has been dealt with and is on track to being finally solved.

Why is the financial crisis not being solved? Because the Governor and his administration refuse to accept that the loss of confidence in our capacity to solve the present economic crisis is basically the result of the Governor’s budget request for 2013-14. Instead of reducing expenditures by 5% to 10%, he submitted a budget that increased expenditures by $850 million, which were eventually reduced to $750 million. On top of that increase, to collect the revenue necessary to cover the increase in expenditures, an incredible number of new taxes. These new taxes reduce the purchasing power of the middle-income groups that move and stimulate the economy.

The Governor’s strategy has scared investors in Puerto Rico’s bonds, who no longer feel Puerto Rico’s government knows, or is willing to put into effect, an economic-development policy that will help solve the financial crisis.

More and more economists and financial experts are looking at a federal government bailout as the only solution to our economic crisis.

I understand that the quickest, best and most efficient strategy to solve our crisis is to speed up the process begun in the referendum held in last year’s elections and making Puerto Rico a state. To that effect, I have sent a letter to President Barack Obama, which reads as follows:

Dear Mr. President:

Fully aware of your extremely important ongoing concern over the possibility that the United States might default on the payment of its government debt, I must nevertheless ask that you take a moment of your time to consider Puerto Rico’s economic crisis—which more and more experts are now saying can be overcome solely via federal intervention. However, no one has yet come forward with a specific proposal as to precisely how the federal government can help to solve the government of Puerto Rico’s economic crisis.

Drawing upon my 50-year quest for unconditional civic and political equality for every American citizen in Puerto Rico (a quest that has encompassed 44 years of hands-on experience in public policy, government service and politics, at both the federal and territorial levels), I welcome this opportunity to request, respectfully, that you give serious consideration to what I believe is a proposal that can contribute significantly to promoting not only the well-being of the American citizens who reside in Puerto Rico, but also the well-being of our nation as a whole.

Above all else, the adoption of my proposal would have the virtue of terminating the disenfranchisement— plus numerous other forms of nefarious «separate and unequal» treatment—to which an overwhelmingly Hispanic population (currently about 3.7 million people) has been subjected in Puerto Rico throughout the 96 years that have elapsed since Congress granted us U.S. citizenship in 1917.

At present, in the 50 states, each person’s share of the national debt comes to about $52,845. Puerto Rico’s estimated 3.7 million residents are all exempt from paying federal income taxes on money earned in Puerto Rico; as a result, we in Puerto Rico bear no responsibility for the U.S. national debt. However, our territorial («commonwealth») public debt amounts to roughly $70 billion. Each Puerto Rico resident’s share of that territorial public debt is about $18,900.

If Puerto Rico is admitted to the Union as a state, then its residents will join the 317 million residents of the other 50 states in shouldering the full burden of paying all federal taxes. Simultaneously, we shall assume responsibility for our proportional share of the national debt. Upon adding the 3.7 million residents in Puerto Rico to the population in the 50 other states, each individual’s share of the nation’s $16.7 trillion government debt becomes about $52,234—a drop of $611.

Under my proposal, the U.S. Treasury would accept responsibility for defraying the outstanding principal and interest on Puerto Rico’s government debt, as of the date upon which our territory is admitted to the Union. This step would facilitate economic growth and prosperity for the new state, while helping to offset Puerto Rico’s assumption of its share of the national debt. Thus would the national debt rise to a bit more than $16.8 trillion, while—now including the 3.7 million residents of Puerto Rico—each individual’s share of that debt would drop to about $52,430: $415 less than what it is now. In other words, as a result of Puerto Rico’s full integration into the Union, our nation would not only become more irrefutably democratic and culturally diverse, but also more fiscally secure as well!

Enactment of the formula set forth above, I am reliably informed, would generate for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service at least $8 billion annually in new income-tax payments from comparatively wealthy Puerto Rico sources. Moreover, this figure would surely increase substantially as U.S. statehood stimulates (as it has done for every former territory) a steadily improving Puerto Rico economic expansion.

Above and beyond the «bottom line» benefit summarized above, Puerto Rico statehood would convert a worldwide public-opinion burden into a major asset for the USA! Ever since the end of the 19th century, Puerto Rico has endured the ignominy of being what most nations throughout the world invariably brand as an American «colony.» After an appalling 115 years, U.S. statehood would erase that stigma. At last, 3.7 million natural-born U.S. citizens would acquire such absolutely fundamental American rights as the right to vote for the President, Vice President, U.S. Senators and for full voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives. No longer could despotic, intolerant, hate-mongering hostile powers point fingers at the President and Congress and credibly charge that they persistently deny voting rights and civic and economic equality to a large community of their fellow citizens who «just happen» to be predominantly Spanish-speaking and non-Anglo.

In closing, as you are well aware, the date of your re-election coincided with the day on which—for the first time ever—an absolute majority (54%) of Puerto Rico’s voters rejected our territorial status. Thus, our President and our Congress are now—without our consent—undemocratically governing us as a territory (colony). On that same date, also for the first time ever, 61% of our voters manifested overt support for U.S. statehood as a preferred alternative to our current territorial (colonial) status.

Within this context, I have no doubt that you could inspiringly burnish your administration’s legacy— and likewise extend an unprecedented abrazo of solidarity to all Hispanic-Americans—by submitting a bill to Congress that would unequivocally grant U.S. statehood to Puerto Rico, subject only to the eventual statute’s ratification by a majority of Puerto Rico’s registered voters.

So it is, Mr. President that I devoutly hope this letter will be recognized as a constructive exercise in «multitasking»: that is, in promoting two or more important causes via a single course of action. In that spirit, I eagerly look forward to discussing these points in greater detail with you or with whomever among your White House advisers you may choose to designate for that purpose.

Sincerely,

Carlos Romero Barceló

Carlos Romero Barceló is a two-term former governor of Puerto Rico (1977-84), a two-term former resident commissioner (1993-2000) and a two-term former mayor of San Juan (1969-78). He was president of the New Progressive Party for 11 years. He is now a consultant involved in real estate, doing business as CRB Realty. His email address is rbarcelo@prtc.net. Comments on this article are welcome at caribbeanbusiness.pr. Go to the «Sign in» link on the homepage to participate. Emails also may be sent to column@caribbeanbusiness.pr.

CRB: Una carta al Presidente Obama

Una carta dirigida al Presidente Obama

Por: CARLOS ROMERO BARCELÓ

column@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cbprdigital@gmail.com

Edición: noviembre 14, 2013 | Volumen: 41 | No: 44

https://estado51prusa.com/?p=36838

Carta Al Presidente Obama

El obstáculo más insalvable para encontrar una solución a cualquier problema es la negativa a aceptar la existencia del problema, o la creencia de que el problema ha sido resuelto. Esto es precisamente lo que sucede en Puerto Rico, donde el gobernador, miembros de su gabinete y en particular sus los de relaciones públicas y asistentes de prensa, están diciendo a la gente que la crisis financiera que «estábamos sufriendo», ha sido tratado y está en camino de ser finalmente resuelto.

¿Por qué no es la crisis financiera se está resolviendo? Debido a que el Gobernador y su administración se niegan a aceptar que la pérdida de confianza en nuestra capacidad para resolver la actual crisis económica es básicamente el resultado de la solicitud de presupuesto del Gobernador para 2013-14. En lugar de reducir los gastos en un 5 % a un 10 %, presentó un presupuesto que aumenta los gastos en $850 millones que finalmente se redujo a $ 750 millones. Además de ese aumento, de percibir los ingresos necesarios para cubrir el aumento de los gastos, un número increíble de nuevos impuestos. Estos nuevos impuestos reducen el poder adquisitivo de los grupos de ingresos medios que se mueven y estimulan la economía.

La estrategia del gobernador ha asustado a los inversores en bonos de Puerto Rico, que ya no sienten el gobierno de Puerto Rico sabe, o está dispuesto a poner en práctica, de una política de desarrollo económico que ayude a resolver la crisis financiera.

Cada vez más economistas y expertos financieros están buscando a un rescate del gobierno federal como la única solución a nuestra crisis económica.

Entiendo que la mejor y más eficiente estrategia más rápida para resolver nuestra crisis es acelerar el proceso iniciado en el referéndum celebrado en las elecciones del año pasado y lo que Puerto Rico un estado. A tal efecto, he enviado una carta al presidente Barack Obama, que dice lo siguiente:

Estimado Sr. Presidente:

Plenamente consciente de la gran importancia constante preocupación por la posibilidad de que Estados Unidos podría incumplir el pago de su deuda pública, debo sin embargo, pedir que se tome un momento de su tiempo para considerar la crisis que económico de Puerto Rico cada vez más expertos son diciendo ahora se puede superar únicamente a través de la intervención federal. Sin embargo, nadie ha presentado una propuesta específica en cuanto a exactamente cómo el gobierno federal puede ayudar a resolver el gobierno de la crisis económica de Puerto Rico.

Basándose en mi búsqueda de 50 años por la igualdad cívica y política incondicional a todos los ciudadanos estadounidenses de Puerto Rico (una búsqueda que ha abarcado 44 años de experiencia práctica en la política , el servicio y la política pública del gobierno , tanto a nivel federal y territorial), doy la bienvenida a esta oportunidad para solicitar , respetuosamente , que le dan una seria consideración a lo que creo que es una propuesta que puede contribuir de manera significativa a promover no sólo el bienestar de los ciudadanos estadounidenses que residen en Puerto Rico, sino también el bienestar de nuestra nación en su conjunto.

Por encima de todo, la adopción de mi propuesta tendría la virtud de poner fin a la marginación, además de numerosas otras formas de nefasta» separado y desigual» con el tratamiento al que una población mayoritariamente hispana (actualmente unos 3,7 millones de personas) ha sido sometido en Puerto Rico lo largo de los 96 años que han transcurrido desde que el Congreso nos concedió ciudadanía de los EE.UU. en 1917.

En la actualidad, en los 50 estados, el porcentaje de la deuda pública de cada persona viene a ser de $52.845. Estima que 3,7 millones de residentes de Puerto Rico son exentos de pagar impuestos federales sobre la renta en dinero ganado en Puerto Rico, y como resultado, nosotros en Puerto Rico no se hace responsable por la deuda nacional de EE.UU.. Sin embargo, la deuda pública territorial («ELA») asciende a aproximadamente $70 mil millones. Participación Todos los residentes de Puerto Rico de que la deuda pública territorial es de aproximadamente $18.900.

Si Puerto Rico es admitido en la Unión como un estado, entonces sus habitantes se unirán a los 317 millones de habitantes de los otros 50 estados de asumir toda la carga de pagar todos los impuestos federales. Al mismo tiempo, vamos a asumir la responsabilidad de nuestra parte proporcional de la deuda nacional. Al añadir los 3,7 millones de residentes en Puerto Rico a la población en los otros 50 estados del país, la participación de cada individuo de $16.7 billón de deuda pública de la nación se convierte en unos 52,234 dólares , una caída de $611.

Bajo mi propuesta, el Tesoro de EE.UU. aceptaría la responsabilidad de sufragar el capital adeudado y los intereses sobre la deuda pública de Puerto Rico, a partir de la fecha en que nuestro territorio es admitido en la Unión. Esta medida facilitaría el crecimiento económico y la prosperidad para el nuevo Estado, al tiempo que ayuda a compensar la asunción de su parte de la deuda nacional de Puerto Rico. Por lo tanto sería el aumento de la deuda nacional a un poco más de $16,8 billón, mientras – que ahora incluye los 3,7 millones de residentes de Puerto Rico, cada acción del individuo de esa deuda bajaría a unos 52,43 mil dólares: 415 dólares menos de lo que es ahora. En otras palabras, como consecuencia de la plena integración de Puerto Rico a la Unión, nuestra nación no sólo ser más fehacientemente democrática y culturalmente diversa, pero también más fiscalmente asegurar así!

Promulgación de la fórmula que se indica más arriba, me informan confiablemente, generaría para los EE.UU. Servicio de Impuestos Internos por lo menos $8000 millones al año en nuevos pagos de impuestos de ingreso comparativamente ricas fuentes de Puerto Rico. Además, esta cifra seguramente aumentará sustancialmente a medida que la condición de Estado EE.UU. estimula (como lo ha hecho por cada antiguo territorio) una mejora constante expansión económica Puerto Rico.

Más allá de la » línea de fondo » beneficio resumen anterior, Puerto Rico estadidad convertiría en una carga de opinión pública en todo el mundo en un activo importante para los EE.UU.! Desde el final del siglo 19, Puerto Rico ha sufrido la ignominia de ser lo que la mayoría de las naciones de todo el mundo siempre marca como un estadounidense «colonia». Después de la aterradora cifra de 115 años, la condición de Estado EE.UU. sería borrar ese estigma. Por último , 3,7 millones de ciudadanos nacidos estadounidenses adquirir tales derechos americanos absolutamente fundamentales como el derecho a votar por el Presidente, Vicepresidente, Senadores de Estados Unidos y para los miembros con derecho a voto de la Cámara de Representantes de EE.UU.. Ya no podía despótico, intolerante, la promoción del odio poderes hostiles señalar con el dedo al Presidente y al Congreso y creíble acusación de que constantemente niegan los derechos de voto y la igualdad cívica y económica de una gran comunidad de sus compatriotas que «simplemente sucede» al ser predominantemente español de habla y no anglosajona.

Para terminar, como usted bien sabe, la fecha de su re – elección coincidió con el día en que, por primera vez en la historia – la mayoría absoluta (54 % ) de los votantes de Puerto Rico rechazó nuestra condición territorial. Por lo tanto, nuestro Presidente y nuestro Congreso están ahora sin nuestro consentimiento, no democrática que nos rige como un territorio (colonia). En esa misma fecha, también por primera vez, el 61% de los votantes se manifestó apoyo abierto de la condición de Estado de EE.UU. como una alternativa preferida a nuestro estado territorial (colonial).

Dentro de este contexto, no tengo ninguna duda de que se podría, inspirado por nuestro legado y el de su administración, extiendo, asimismo, un abrazo de solidaridad sin precedentes a todos los estadounidenses de origen hispano – mediante la presentación de un proyecto de ley al Congreso que inequívocamente conceder la condición de Estado EE.UU. para Puerto Rico, sujeto sólo a la eventual ratificación del estatuto por una mayoría de los votantes registrados de Puerto Rico.

Así es, señor Presidente que devotamente Espero que esta carta será reconocido como un ejercicio constructivo en «multitarea»: es decir, en la promoción de dos o más causas importantes a través de una única línea de conducta. En ese espíritu, les esperamos con interés el debate sobre estos puntos con mayor detalle con usted o con la persona entre sus asesores de la Casa Blanca puede optar por designar a tal efecto.

Atentamente,

Carlos Romero Barceló

Carlos Romero Barceló es un ex gobernador durante dos mandatos de Puerto Rico (1977-1984) , ex comisionado residente durante dos mandatos (1993-2000) y ex alcalde durante dos mandatos de San Juan (1969-1978). Fue presidente del Partido Nuevo Progresista, por 11 años. En la actualidad es consultor involucrados en el sector inmobiliario, que opera bajo el CRB Realty. Su correo electrónico es rbarcelo@prtc.net. Comentarios en este artículo son bienvenidos en caribbeanbusiness.pr. Vaya a la «sesión» que aparece en la página principal para participar. Los correos electrónicos pueden ser enviados a column@caribbeanbusiness.pr.

A letter to the President

CARLOS ROMERO BARCELÓ

column@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cbprdigital@gmail.com

Edition: November 14, 2013 | Volume: 41 | No: 44

https://estado51prusa.com/?p=36838

The most insurmountable obstacle to finding a solution to any problem is the refusal to accept the existence of the problem, or the belief that the problem has been solved. This is precisely what is happening in Puerto Rico, where the Governor, his cabinet members and particularly his public-relations and press assistants, are telling the people that the financial crisis that we «were suffering,» has been dealt with and is on track to being finally solved.

Why is the financial crisis not being solved? Because the Governor and his administration refuse to accept that the loss of confidence in our capacity to solve the present economic crisis is basically the result of the Governor’s budget request for 2013-14. Instead of reducing expenditures by 5% to 10%, he submitted a budget that increased expenditures by $850 million, which were eventually reduced to $750 million. On top of that increase, to collect the revenue necessary to cover the increase in expenditures, an incredible number of new taxes. These new taxes reduce the purchasing power of the middle-income groups that move and stimulate the economy.

The Governor’s strategy has scared investors in Puerto Rico’s bonds, who no longer feel Puerto Rico’s government knows, or is willing to put into effect, an economic-development policy that will help solve the financial crisis.

More and more economists and financial experts are looking at a federal government bailout as the only solution to our economic crisis.

I understand that the quickest, best and most efficient strategy to solve our crisis is to speed up the process begun in the referendum held in last year’s elections and making Puerto Rico a state. To that effect, I have sent a letter to President Barack Obama, which reads as follows:

Dear Mr. President:

Fully aware of your extremely important ongoing concern over the possibility that the United States might default on the payment of its government debt, I must nevertheless ask that you take a moment of your time to consider Puerto Rico’s economic crisis—which more and more experts are now saying can be overcome solely via federal intervention. However, no one has yet come forward with a specific proposal as to precisely how the federal government can help to solve the government of Puerto Rico’s economic crisis.

Drawing upon my 50-year quest for unconditional civic and political equality for every American citizen in Puerto Rico (a quest that has encompassed 44 years of hands-on experience in public policy, government service and politics, at both the federal and territorial levels), I welcome this opportunity to request, respectfully, that you give serious consideration to what I believe is a proposal that can contribute significantly to promoting not only the well-being of the American citizens who reside in Puerto Rico, but also the well-being of our nation as a whole.

Above all else, the adoption of my proposal would have the virtue of terminating the disenfranchisement— plus numerous other forms of nefarious «separate and unequal» treatment—to which an overwhelmingly Hispanic population (currently about 3.7 million people) has been subjected in Puerto Rico throughout the 96 years that have elapsed since Congress granted us U.S. citizenship in 1917.

At present, in the 50 states, each person’s share of the national debt comes to about $52,845. Puerto Rico’s estimated 3.7 million residents are all exempt from paying federal income taxes on money earned in Puerto Rico; as a result, we in Puerto Rico bear no responsibility for the U.S. national debt. However, our territorial («commonwealth») public debt amounts to roughly $70 billion. Each Puerto Rico resident’s share of that territorial public debt is about $18,900.

If Puerto Rico is admitted to the Union as a state, then its residents will join the 317 million residents of the other 50 states in shouldering the full burden of paying all federal taxes. Simultaneously, we shall assume responsibility for our proportional share of the national debt. Upon adding the 3.7 million residents in Puerto Rico to the population in the 50 other states, each individual’s share of the nation’s $16.7 trillion government debt becomes about $52,234—a drop of $611.

Under my proposal, the U.S. Treasury would accept responsibility for defraying the outstanding principal and interest on Puerto Rico’s government debt, as of the date upon which our territory is admitted to the Union. This step would facilitate economic growth and prosperity for the new state, while helping to offset Puerto Rico’s assumption of its share of the national debt. Thus would the national debt rise to a bit more than $16.8 trillion, while—now including the 3.7 million residents of Puerto Rico—each individual’s share of that debt would drop to about $52,430: $415 less than what it is now. In other words, as a result of Puerto Rico’s full integration into the Union, our nation would not only become more irrefutably democratic and culturally diverse, but also more fiscally secure as well!

Enactment of the formula set forth above, I am reliably informed, would generate for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service at least $8 billion annually in new income-tax payments from comparatively wealthy Puerto Rico sources. Moreover, this figure would surely increase substantially as U.S. statehood stimulates (as it has done for every former territory) a steadily improving Puerto Rico economic expansion.

Above and beyond the «bottom line» benefit summarized above, Puerto Rico statehood would convert a worldwide public-opinion burden into a major asset for the USA! Ever since the end of the 19th century, Puerto Rico has endured the ignominy of being what most nations throughout the world invariably brand as an American «colony.» After an appalling 115 years, U.S. statehood would erase that stigma. At last, 3.7 million natural-born U.S. citizens would acquire such absolutely fundamental American rights as the right to vote for the President, Vice President, U.S. Senators and for full voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives. No longer could despotic, intolerant, hate-mongering hostile powers point fingers at the President and Congress and credibly charge that they persistently deny voting rights and civic and economic equality to a large community of their fellow citizens who «just happen» to be predominantly Spanish-speaking and non-Anglo.

In closing, as you are well aware, the date of your re-election coincided with the day on which—for the first time ever—an absolute majority (54%) of Puerto Rico’s voters rejected our territorial status. Thus, our President and our Congress are now—without our consent—undemocratically governing us as a territory (colony). On that same date, also for the first time ever, 61% of our voters manifested overt support for U.S. statehood as a preferred alternative to our current territorial (colonial) status.

Within this context, I have no doubt that you could inspiringly burnish your administration’s legacy— and likewise extend an unprecedented abrazo of solidarity to all Hispanic-Americans—by submitting a bill to Congress that would unequivocally grant U.S. statehood to Puerto Rico, subject only to the eventual statute’s ratification by a majority of Puerto Rico’s registered voters.

So it is, Mr. President that I devoutly hope this letter will be recognized as a constructive exercise in «multitasking»: that is, in promoting two or more important causes via a single course of action. In that spirit, I eagerly look forward to discussing these points in greater detail with you or with whomever among your White House advisers you may choose to designate for that purpose.

Sincerely,

Carlos Romero Barceló

Carlos Romero Barceló is a two-term former governor of Puerto Rico (1977-84), a two-term former resident commissioner (1993-2000) and a two-term former mayor of San Juan (1969-78). He was president of the New Progressive Party for 11 years. He is now a consultant involved in real estate, doing business as CRB Realty. His email address is rbarcelo@prtc.net. Comments on this article are welcome atcaribbeanbusiness.pr. Go to the «Sign in» link on the homepage to participate.Emails also may be sent to column@caribbeanbusiness.pr.

Una carta al Presidente Obama

Por CARLOS ROMERO BARCELÓ