Puerto Rico governor says U.S. shouldn't close Vieques base

AP | 1/16/03 | RICARDO ZUNIGA

[kattracks]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Puerto Rico's government hopes the U.S. Navy won't close its Roosevelt Roads Naval Station on Vieques Island after it halts bombing exercises there in May, the U.S. territory's governor said.

Gov. Sila Calderon, who had pressed for a halt to the training, said Wednesday that her government will lobby for the base to remain open. With some 4,800 employees and temporary contractors, Roosevelt Roads is one of Puerto Rico's largest employers.

"The people of Puerto Rico don't have any interest in the closing of the Roosevelt Roads base," Calderon said. "The government of Puerto Rico is interested in that base staying in Puerto Rico, for all the economic benefits."

The Navy says training now under way is the last scheduled on Vieques. It will abandon its firing range there by May 1, turning over the island's eastern third to the U.S. Department of the Interior to become a wildlife refuge.

The United States stopped all live-fire training in Vieques in 1999 after a guard was accidentally killed. It has used non-explosive bombs and shells since then.

Once the Navy leaves Vieques, all operations at Roosevelt Roads associated with Vieques will be discontinued, Navy officials have said. Adm. Robert Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, went further last week, saying: "Without Vieques there is no way I need the Navy facilities at Roosevelt Roads -- none."

Other Navy officials said any decision about closing the base in eastern Puerto Rico would have to be made by an independent commission that has yet to begin its work.

The Navy estimates the base injects some $300 million each year into the Caribbean island's economy.

Training continued Thursday with two U.S. warships firing inert shells at the island. The USS Arleigh Burke and USS Cape St. George participated in the training, said Lt. Cmdr. Kim Dixon, a spokeswoman.

President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the base built in 1940, and it was used for World War II naval operations.

The Navy has trained on Vieques since 1947. Opponents say the exercises have damaged the environment and the health of the island's 9,100 residents, but the Navy denies the accusations.

[VeniVidiVici]

I, too, laughed when I saw the headline in the Orlando Sentinel that PR wanted the navy base to stay open even though they opposed the bomb range. Gee, nobody saw that coming </sarc>

While I don't think anybody doubts the PR contribution to the nation's defense, I don't see much flying of the American flag among the PR residents of Orlando.

With a sizable PR population here, all I see are Puerto Rican flags being flown. Hanging from rearview mirrors, decals on the windows, flying from houses (though to tug their chains I ask them why they fly the Texas flag) etc. But, nope. No American flags. Maybe the ones that truly enjoy being part of America are still on the island (or in New York).

[4Freedom]

"Maybe the ones that truly enjoy being part of America are still on the island (or in New York)."

Yeah, right!

LOL!

[4Freedom]

"...the percentage of Repubs to Demos in Puerto Rico is...about 46% to 48%."

Marron, maybe you can name a couple fiscally/socially conservative Republican politicians in Puerto Rico that are Ronald Reagan style Republicans. You know, for smaller government, less Welfare from the U.S. and lower taxes.

AuH2ORepublican, maybe you can tell us what happened to these 4 terrorists in Puerto Rico.

4 Protesters held for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at Navy on Vieques

The majority of Puerto Ricans love the United States and the Navy so much that they wouldn't allow the corrupt courts in Puerto Rico to just dismiss the charges against 4 terrorists and let them all walk, would they?

The cries for justice would be deafening, if that happened, no?

[Brian Allen]

<< Here's another way to look at it. There's approximately 1 million families in Puerto Rico receiving $18 billion dollars plus from the U.S. Taxpayers each year.

That's a check for $18,000 plus to everyone of those families every year! >>

Yep.

Give Puerto RICO's squalidly-socialist saprophytes back to the bloody Spanish! Bomb Cuba instead!

[4Freedom]

The Spanish wouldn't have them anymore.

What country wants a territory that consumes $18 billion plus dollars of their wealth directly each year, requires companies in the territory to pay 90% less federal taxes yearly (another $3 billion to $4 billion tax dollars lost) and for your federal government to employ 30% of it's workforce???

There's only one country in the world that's sucker enough to tolerate a territory like that.

[not-alone]

I am sorry about Rosie Rhodes closing. I admit, sometimes when my home on St. Thomas was rattling from the bombing on Viequies, I wasn't happy. It did a lot more than ripple a rum and coke at a resort, but the benefits were huge also.

The ideas of many here are scary. We gave away The Panama Canal and have very little defense in the area. Right now Venezuela is a problem. One of our largest refineries is on St. Croix. Drug trafficking (money to terrorist) needs watching.

Over many years, I watched the visiting military have a very positive influence on the youth of the Islands. This probably changed the lives of many. The pride these kids felt about being an American, after visiting one of our ship was wonderful. They have memories of beach parties with American Sailors and other events. The American Military is the best public relations we can have in this area.

[AuH2ORepublican]

The Black Angus was a bar and strip club with an illegal brothel out back, and was raided from time to time, although you are correct that the authorities pretty much turned a blind eye for years. But Governor Rosselló closed it down for good about 4 years ago, and they actually tore down the place. I'm sure there are other strip clubs in Puerto Rico where prostitution takes place, but I don't think any state of the union is completely free of prostitution. The point is, prostitution is illegal in Puerto Rico, as is sodomy and adultery, and as was abortion until Roe v. Wade struck down the law.

[4Freedom]

"It did a lot more than ripple a rum and coke at a resort, but the benefits were huge."

Oh please, do thrill us with a few tales of the tremendous damage wrought on the island of St. Thomas by the Naval maneuvers on Vieques.

Wheeee, now that's what the U.S. Navy should be doing in the Caribbean, public relations. The U.S. Navy should be giving ship tours and throwing beach parties for Caribbean island youth. We should just forget about that silly old training.

LOL!

[AuH2ORepublican]

4Freedom, I used to live in Bayamón, and now live in Guaynabo. There are dozens of homes in both my old neighborhood and my new neighborhood that fly American flags, although I freely admit that not as many as after September 11 (when over half the homes flew Old Glory). As I said before, I dare you to find suburban areas in the U.S. mainland with as many U.S. flags as you will find in the San Juan suburbs (my father recently went to a seminar in Nashville and was appalled by the dearth of flags on the streets and homes). And if you drive down the Las Americas Expressway today, you will find American flags on many lamp posts, put up by the not-so-silent majority that was fed up with the anti-Navy protests by local left-wingers and political opportunists from the mainland.

You are correct, of course, about Carlos Pesquera being arrested for putting a U.S. flag back in a government building. But that incident actually proves my point concerning the patriotism among a majority of Puerto Ricans on the island. Governor Calderon, who was aided in her come-from-behind victory by left-wingers, named Dolores Fernos, a well known Communist sympathizer, to head a new "Office of Women's Affairs." Fernos decided to show her clout by moving the U.S. flag from the lobby of the government office into the library, leaving the Puerto Rican flag by its lonesome in violation of Puerto Rico law (which, consistent with flag protocol, mandates that the Puerto Rican flag may never be higher than the U.S. flag, and must be to its right as one looks at it). When people became aware that Fernos had removed Old Glory, they began to complain by calling radio stations and writing to newspapers. Governor Calderon was afraid of a showdown with Fernos, who had been named to a 6-year term and thus could not be removed from office, so she stayed quiet on the matter. But a grassroots movement was quickly formed to put the U.S. flag back in its rightful place, and Carlos Pesquera, President of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, led (with flag in hand) a large group into the vicinity of Fernos's building. Fernos quickly ordered the doors to the lobby to be closed, leaving Pesquera and his followers out in the sun for several hours. Pesquera kept insisting that he had the right to enter and place the flag back in the lobby, but Fernos wouldn't let him in. After some pushing and shoving, Pesquera was able to open the doors, blew a kiss to his cheering supporters, and placed the American flag back in its place. Because some of the windows on the door were broken (most likely by TV cameras), and because Fernos's employees claimed to have been "trapped" in the building, left-wingers quickly denounced Pesquera as being guilty of causing a riot, and Governor Calderon found it politically useful to charge her probable 2004 opponent with a felony. The case has not been heard yet, although they already had to remove a judge who had expressed that she wanted to nail Pesquera for political reasons, and I am certain that Calderon's ham-handedness will come back to haunt her in November of 2004. That, 4Freedom, is the story of Carlos Pesquera and the flag. Saying that the people of Puerto Rico are anti-American because Pesquera got arrested is like saying that the people of Alabama are atheists because Justice Moore got in trouble for placing the 10 Commandments in his courtroom. And as in Alabama, the common-sense majority in Puerto Rico will eventually prevail.

[Godel]

"The people of Puerto Rico don't have any interest in the closing of the Roosevelt Roads base," Calderon said. "The government of Puerto Rico is interested in that base staying in Puerto Rico, for all the economic benefits."

Huh? Last I checked, military bases stayed open because they served a vital purpose in our national security, not because of the economic benefits they provide the area. If the ignorant Puerto Ricans don't want the bombing of a tiny pissant island, they can do without the base. You reap what you sow.

[4Freedom]

"I'm sure there are other strip clubs in Puerto Rico where prostitution takes place..."

Yes, the 'Black Angus' has been replaced by the 'St. Tropez Gentlemen's Club', now. If they continue to pay their bribes and make their campaign contributions on time, they'll stay open.

"The point is, that prostitution is illegal in Puerto Rico, as is sodomy and adultery..."

Maybe you can tell all of us the last time someone was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced for sodomy and adultery in Puerto Rico. LOL!

Homosexuality and AIDS is rampant on the island of Puerto Rico. AIDS is now taking its toll on the elderly of Puerto Rico, because they suffer from what the Health Department calls '3rd of the Month Syndrome'.

It seems that when retired and disabled, Puerto Rican men receive their U.S. Social Security checks, on the 3rd of the month, they run to the local prostitutes (a lot of which are male transsexuals) who prey on this eager clientelle.

You can find the transsexual's ads in the 'The San Juan Star's' personal section right next to the big ad for the 'St. Tropez Gentleman's Club', daily.

They really sweat those anti-sodomy laws down there.

LOL!

[4Freedom]

I can drive 20 miles in any direction from Bayamon and not count 12 American flags flying on non-governmental buildings in Puerto Rico. I don't know what gated urbanization you live in, but I've driven through many and have never even seen one American Flag, even after 9/11.

Half the homes in Puerto Rico never flew an America Flag, ever. A phenomenon like that would have been written about in the San Juan Star, but it wasn't. As a matter of fact, I recall just the opposite being written about.

The American Flags are on Las Americas Expressway right along with a Puerto Rican Flag on every other pole. The government of Puerto Rico couldn't do it any other way. The American Flags get torn down all the time.

So, what happened to those 4 Molotov Cocktail throwing, Puerto Rican, terrorists arrested on Vieques, August 10, 2001?

[AuH2ORepublican]

I've lived in a couple of gated urbanizations during the last year (I recently moved), and there are still plenty of homes with flags (although, as I said, not as many as after September 11). Maybe you should drive thorugh Tintillo Hills or Torrimar more often.

The American and Puerto Rican flags along the Las Americas Expressway were put up not by the government, but by grass-roots, pro-Navy activists led by state Senator Myriam Ramirez de Ferrer. While it is true that one of the flags put up by Dr. Ramirez was torn down by a left-winger and mailed to her Senate office, that certainly does not constitute American flags getting "torn down all the time."

As for the 4 punks who hoisted Molotov cocktails in Vieques, I did a websearch, and all I could find is that a couple of them were freed because a *Federal* court ruled that there wasn't enough evidence to charge them. Again, while I agree with you that the local police did nothing to stop many of the protestors from breaking the law (the Chief of Police at the time, Pierre Vivoni, was a former liberal judge who was an embarrassment to men in uniform, and allowed protestors to break down fences and illegally go into Navy land), these 4 terrorist wannabees were immediately arrested, and even the spineless Vivoni and several left-wing Vieques agitators went on the record denouncing their acts. If Clinton appointees in the federal judiciary let them go on a technicality, I hardly see how this says anything about the patriotism among the 3.8 million U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico.

[Willie Green]

I am absolutely appalled by the many ignorant responses by those who forget the Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.

The base closing is indeed a situation that will adversely affect Puerto Rico's economy significantly.
And disposition of the base property should be monitored closely for corrupt political influences.

That said, there should be action taken to offset the negative economic impact of this decision. Rather than expansion of government welfare programs, I would prefer to see government investment in infrastructure that would both provide short term employment opportunities and long term development of private commerce.

As an island economy with limited natural resouces, there are special considerations to be taken in this respect. Chief among these would be energy policy. Puerto Rico currently generates 99.22% of its electricity from fossil fuel (the 0.78% balance is hydroelectric.) It should be relatively easy to displace this dependence on fossil fuel with a combination of nuclear, wind and solar sources.

Similary, Puerto Rico often suffers from limited fresh water availability, so development of desalination facilities would seem appropriate. (Along with any necessary wastewater treatment systems.)

Lastly, to improve transportation infrastructure on the island, construction of a modern, efficient, electric light-rail passenger system should be considered. (The island is too small to benefit from any kind of interstate highway system and/or high-speed rail or maglev).

Ooooops! Did I say "lastly"???
There is one more thing: Both Congress and Dubya should do a little arm twisting of Major League Baseball to locate a permanent franchise in San Juan. Such a move would be good, both for baseball and the Puerto Rican tourist industry.

[4Freedom]

"...I hardly see how this says anything about the patriotism among the 3.8 million U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico."

Ok, I'll tell you.

These 4 terrorists wore ski masks and threw 4 Molotov Coctails at a Navy convoy and had 4 more ready to throw when they were caught.

There was hardly a peep out of anybody in Puerto Rico when it happened and not a peep when these 4 were let go.

You live in Puerto Rico and you had to look it up.

The majority of Puerto Ricans are American only if it helps them, when it comes time to collect their benefits or apply for a job.

[adx]

While I don't think anybody doubts the PR contribution to the nation's defense, I don't see much flying of the American flag among the PR residents of Orlando.

And they mostly vote RAT.

[4Freedom]

Willie, how many times are you going to post this same inane post?

Nobody here has forgotten that Puerto Ricans were awarded statuatory citizenship by the U.S. Congress, but you've obviously forgotten that the same U.S. Congress could take it away. We should be so lucky.

Again, if you've never been to Puerto Rico, how can you speak as to what the ingrates haven't been GIFTED by the U.S. Taxpayers, already?

You want to give the capability to generate the raw materials to construct nuclear weapons to an island with residents that still resort to acts of terror against Americans to achieve their political ends? An island only 1,000 miles off the coast of Florida.

Are you out of your mind???

[KansasConservative1]

"Gov. Sila Calderon, who had pressed for a halt to the training, said Wednesday that her government will lobby for the base to remain open. With some 4,800 employees and temporary contractors, Roosevelt Roads is one of Puerto Rico's largest employers. "

Cake and eat it too. BWAHHHHHHAAAAA.

All your base belong to us. Buh Bye.

[KansasConservative1]

"Gov. Sila Calderon, who had pressed for a halt to the training, said Wednesday that her government will lobby for the base to remain open. With some 4,800 employees and temporary contractors, Roosevelt Roads is one of Puerto Rico's largest employers. "

Cake and eat it too. BWAHHHHHHAAAAA.

All your base belong to us. Buh Bye.

[KansasConservative1]

"The Navy has trained on Vieques since 1947. Opponents say the exercises have damaged the environment and the health of the island's 9,100 residents, but the Navy denies the accusations."

9100(island residents) - 4,800(bye bye jobs) = 4300 people left to complain. The problem is solving itself.