Posted on 05/04/2006 6:56:57 AM PDT by Ebenezer
(English-language translation)
[Puerto Rico] Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá should resign from office if he is incapable of taking economy measures to avoid the present government crisis, former Governor Carlos Romero Barceló said yesterday, and also asked what became of the $400 million that were not assigned to the Aqueduct & Sewer Authority (AAA).
The [opposition] New Progressive Party (PNP) leader declared that the short-term solution to this fiscal year’s deficit problem is a loan with a tax to corporations and organizations with a gross income that exceeds $10 million.
In Romero’s judgment, the long-term solution to the economic problem is to control the treasury’s expenses and [establish] a 5.5% sales tax.
“If Acevedo cannot formulate to the people of Puerto Rico an economy plan and avoid an economic downfall, then he is inept and should resign for the good of the people,” the former Resident Commissioner stated.
Romero maintained that the House [of Representatives] offered [Acevedo] four alternatives, of which [the Governor] chose two. He said that, if the Governor signs House Bill 2557 authored by [Puerto Rican Independence Party Representative] Victor García San Inocencio, and which concerns taxing corporations, the alleged crisis would be solved.
“If public employees don’t get paid, it’s the Governor of Puerto Rico’s fault,” the former Mayor of San Juan insisted.
To EL VOCERO’s question on whether the PNP has conducted a study that analyzes the impact the corporate tax would have on the economy, [Romero] indicated that, if there is any problem, then the possibility of imposing a tax on exempt corporations may be considered.
He alleged that there is no legal impediment to that measure.
Likewise, [Romero] answered that it is not the Legislature’s responsibility to provide ideas of how to cut fat in a fiscal reform, since it is the Chief Executive who has access to agency heads who have budget data.
He affirmed that the problem exists because Acevedo did not adjust expenses to match the $8.895 billion budget his predecessor Sila Calderón had, and now he claims he needs $738 million.
Romero compared the [present] situation with the experience he himself had while in the Governor’s Mansion during the late 1970s and early ’80s, when the world oil crisis increased the price per barrel from $11 to $42, the highest increase in history.
He said that, at the time, he had the opposition party controlling the Legislature, and loan-interest rates had increased to 21%, which paralyzed the construction industry.
The PNP leader pointed out that he demanded from each agency head a 10% cut in expenses and demanded the resignation of whoever would not be willing to do it.
This is a measure [Romero] said Acevedo has not taken.
WHERE IS THE AAA’S MONEY?
Romero called on the Governor to explain how the $400 million that the General Fund did not provide the AAA this year have been used.
“Acevedo has $400 million more than his predecessor Sila Calderón,” he stated.
Your thoughts, amigo?
You're really on top of this story, aren't ya? ;-)
One of your other threads' still going on, even after being hijacked by 4F.
What does this mean? The governor's side is not really given here at all.
The current governor is an ace as far as politicking goes. But he's a total failure at running the executive. He's all about dog and pony shows.
If I were to go to extremes, Congress should exercise its plenary powers over the territories, suspend Public Law 600, remove this clown, and place the island government under a trusteeship.
A more practical way to get him out would be to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review the 2004 election where he was fraudelently awarded thousands of invalid ballots which put him over the top. So far the SCOTUS has refused to intervene. If they did, we could have a new (and proven) governor, Dr. Pedro Rossello. Rossello is still a Democrat, but he's sort of a Truman Democrat.
We'll see if the Governor refutes Romero's allegations.
“If public employees don’t get paid, it’s the Governor of Puerto Rico’s fault,” the former Mayor of San Juan insisted.
must not have gotten the memo.............
To tell the truth, never, *ever* did I see the island face such an unstable situation. Having being raised there, I am especially concerned with the outcome.
There's no second-guessing it; to keep afloat, the Puerto Rican government has to cut down its size severely and get rid of useless agencies. I mean, why does the island need *118* agencies that provide for *30%* of the total work force???
Why doesn't the place become of a state of the US already and get it over with.
This commonwealth thing can't go on forever.
"The current governor is an ace as far as politicking goes. But he's a total failure at running the executive. He's all about dog and pony shows."
Back in 2004, Acevedo wasn't even the Popular Democratic Party's (PPD's) first choice as candidate for Governor, and there was no love lost between him and then-Governor (and fellow PPD member) Sila Calderón, another incompetent who reminds me of Kathleen Blanco here in Louisiana.
I'll start worrying if the truckers and the Teamsters go on strike. The rest we can handle.
We're trying to do that, but there are many forces working in opposition to us.
Thankfully, the head of the largest trucker organization just announce on the radio they they will not add to the situation and go on strike.
Pardon my cynicism, but I hope they are not going to strike for the good of the island and not to bail Acevedo out. I was just wondering if they would had been that altruistic with Pedro Rosselló in the Governor's Mansion instead (but then, Rosselló would not have pulled this shutdown stunt a la Acevedo).
*ping*
"One of your other threads' still going on, even after being hijacked by 4F."
LOL!
Funny, I don't recall Truman Socializing Health Care and Auto Insurance in the United States.
Rosello is more of a Bill Clinton Democrat. You remember Clinton. Rosello quit the Republican Party, so he could manage Clinton's reelection campaign.
Si, si, that Clinton.
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