Posted on 08/08/2019 7:32:19 AM PDT by cll
As I mentioned privately to another Freeper with interest in the island happenings, the situation is so fluid that each time I try to sit down and write down my thoughts, something changes. Another Freeper with PR roots, AuH2ORepublican, is summarizing the situation very well in this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3767397/posts
I've promised my own thoughts on the matter, but again, real life gets in the way and I probably won't be able to until things settle down.
Right now we're into our third governor in less than a week. One thing you have to know is that this now boils down to a power struggle within the pro-statehood political party. I hesitate to mention its name because it throws off the discussion based on the "progressive" part of it. So bear with me while I try to explain the name of this party so you can understand better what's going on.
The New Progressive Party has very little, if anything, to do with socialist policies. This party was founded in 1968, well before the socialists started using the word "progressive". And something that is lost in translation is that the Spanish word "Progresista", which is the actual tense of the word, means "For Progress", not "progresivo", which is what is used now by leftists. The difference is that back then island politics were dominated by the current opposition party, the Popular Democratic Party, which had settled on it laurels of power and not much was getting done on the island except for and by those in power. The only opposition they had was the Statehood Republican Party, which could never mount an effective challenge to the status quo. Then came Mr. Luis A. Ferré, known as "Mr. Republican", and founded the New Party FOR PROGRESS (NPP), to attract statehooders from all stripes. And that's what we have now, a party made up by both Republicans and Democrats.
So that's part of the power struggle that's going on right now. The ousted governor and his cronies are Democrats. The NPP head and Senate President is a nominal Republican (what you would call a RINO). And he wants our current Congresswoman, a staunch Republican, in the governorship. The governor we had until yesterday, the first one's replacement, was also a Democrat.
And the other part of the power struggle that you don't hear about in the states, is that the current governor, the lady who ascended to the position by virtue of the succession order, is an Evangelical Christian, when the island's "leadership" for hundreds of years has been heavily dominated by Roman Catholics. I'd love to hear the mainland press chew on that one.
It's a mess, for sure, but at least our Constitution has been strong enough to withstand the turmoil. And a positive side effect of this fiasco is that the people are learning the practical insignificance of a chief executive when viewed in the context of a broader republican form of government. The constant refrain here has been: The Constitution, The Constitution, The Constitution. And yesterday, a miracle in island politics, the Puerto Rico Supreme Court - dominated by conservatives - UNANIMOUSLY upheld the Constitution over the attempt of the Democrats to stay in power.
I know I promised a short vanity, but there's so much more to this and I have to get back to work.
This is all just my humble opinion.
Do you think that horribly corrupt woman Mayor will ever be held to account?
Calling your place of residence a country is an Old World Spanish idiosyncrasy. The Spanish word is “país”, which refers to a region, not necessarily a nation. I guess also like old English, as in when Thomas Jefferson said “my country and my countrymen” he was referring to Virginia and Virginians.
Well, Puerto Rico, as a territory of the United States, is fully under the the control of Congress by virtue of the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution. A denazification-like program would not come from the inside. never, ever. Only the U.S. Congress has the power and authority to do it.
The Mayor of San Juan is leaving that chair. She thinks she can be governor, and is or would be in the primaries for the opposition Popular Democratic Party (PDP). But she’s running against more popular, mainstream democrats. She’s almost universally disliked here on the island. Her only chance would be if the island’s pro-independence voters (usually about 5% of the electorate) invade the PDP primary as they did when she got the nomination for mayor of San Juan, and by virtue of a split vote among the others, she walks away with the nomination. It could happen but in a general election I don’t think she stands a chance.
But on corruption, I doubt she would go that way. She’s crazy, really really crazy, and incompetent, but stupid she ain’t in the sense that she’s taking the long view and her real goal is mainland politics.
Thanks for the update. I hope things get better for Puerto Rico soon. My wife and I love Old San Juan. Such a beautiful and colorful city.
Thanks. It’s not half bad, really.
Thank you and all commenters very much. This is how we will get info this election season coming...even linking will be pointless.
Maybe this would be worth a separate post, but what’s your opinion of repealing the Jones Act of 1920 for PR?
p.s. My daughter lives in Old San Juan and loves it!
I think the Jones Act should stay put in order to support a healthy U.S. Merchant Marine and shipbuilding industries. Nothing guarantees that prices of goods will go down if we let foreign flagged vessels trade between U.S. ports. I seriously doubt it. And it is a fallacy that only US ships can dock and unload in Puerto Rico. That’s an argument that proponents make. That foreign shippers must bring good to a US port first, and not directly to PR. That’s BS.
Humblegunner doesn't give a crap about Puerto Rico.
He would like to see the whiny putos cut loose to make it on their own.
I absolutely respect that aspect.
I still don't give a crap about Puto Rico.
Here are some of the “putos” (male prostitute or homosexual) of which you speak.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Puerto_Rican_military_personnel
I hope they stop being putos and try to lead a better life.
Checking in to see if you have the hatches battened down and ready? Has it started to hit yet?
great summary
Hi, it swung to the opposite end of the island, and the weather side of the storm will likely stay over water. It sucks for Vieques, Culebra and the V.I.
I’m actually in the office right now (San Juan) and it was still sunny a few minutes ago.
Thank you for your concern.
Thank you for the reply, I saw it headed at you and was hoping it doesn’t hit you too hard. Got my fingers crossed for you all down there. :)
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