Puerto Rico on the Brink (Leftists wail for more money)

New York Times ^ | 4/30/15

[Obadiah]

An anomaly, or simply a means to blame Conservatives, I suppose. Most of Puerto Rico’s modern history has been dominated by liberals and liberal policies. PR is really not much different than Detroit, Oakland or other large American cities.

[Boogieman]

Let’s try a novel solution. Tell all the Mexicans they can have permanent residency status, but only in Puerto Rico. Let ‘em fight it out :)

[cll]

“They get to vote on statehood every few years and have always turned it down”.

Except the last time in 2012 when we voted for statehood.

[rbg81]

Yeah, given the choice, I’d rather go to the Virgin Islands. Been there a few times too — they are very close to PR. You used to be able to get there by ferry, but I think they shut it down.

[pabianice]

NS ROSEY

[woodbutcher1963]

Next time, go to the British Virgin Islands. Same area, no welfare, no drugs, everyone speaks English and they use US currency. Their economy is based on tourism and offshore banking. There is virtually no crime. There is also no gambling and outside investment is not allowed. Therefore, no big name resort hotels.

The problem that Puerto Rico and the USVI’s(not so much on St. John) have is that it is the ONLY place in the Caribbean that you can go on welfare. It attracts the lazy/slugs of the Caribbean. Every other island in the Caribbean IF you want to eat, you have to work. IF you want to work hard, you can become RICH. Sometimes, very rich.

[rbg81]

Thanks—I’ll have to remember that.

[Oatka]

I like that quote, and will use it somewhere down the line in the newspaper comments section.

Thank you.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Labor in PR is not as cheap as Mexico, so when the tax incentives ran out the companies that had relocated there moved on. I worked for such a company and made several trips to the island in the 80’s. Beautiful place but dirt poor outside of the touristy areas.