Posted on 10/09/2001 2:33:17 PM PDT by 4Freedom
Senate Minority Leader Kenneth McClintock said Monday the government of Puerto Rico "looks bad" when it carries out a telethon to raise funds only for family members of Puerto Rican victims of the terrorists attacks in the United States.
"The needs of a Puerto Rican family who lost someone in the attacks is not more, or less, than that of an Irish fireman who also died there," McClintock said, adding that the intention should be to help all those affected, not just one sector.
The telethon, entitled "United for New York," was organized by the government, and carried out Sunday. During the four hours of transmission and a week of collecting money - a lot from public employees - a little over $1.5 million was collected.
Gov. Calderon plans to travel to New York Friday to deliver the money to New York Gov. George Pataki. However, she said she will call Pataki before going to make sure that the current U.S. military attacks against Afghanistan does not lead to a change in plans.
It was not possible to get an explanation from Calderon Monday on how the funds will be assigned to the families of Puerto Ricans who died in attack. It was not immediately known if the money collected here would be for a general fund for all victims or for just Puerto Rican victims.
It is believed that about 6,000 people died in the attacks, including the attack on the pentagon. Of those, 900 were Puerto Rican, officials have said.
McClintock also said that the money collected is much less than in other telethons, such as the one after Hurricane Hugo, in 1989, when $14 million was collected.
"The cause suffered due to her mistake," said McClinton, referring to Calderon's decision to hold the activity despite the first wave of bombings in Afganistan. "It was a critical mistake to hold the telethon at a moment like this."
She probably wants to give the money only to the families of the Puerto Rican victims that support the Navy leaving Vieques.
Fact: Gov. Calderon considers all Puerto Ricans that support the Navy TRAITORS to Puerto Rico.
No, it just exposes their true ethnic loyalty.
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