Since islanders don't vote in mainland elections, what votes?
One New York congressman isn't going to have the stroke to get $18 billion in subsidies for his own district, let alone a district that doesn't vote.
I'm interested in the subject, so I'm not merely being combative here. I see that there is federal money there, all of the federal institutions have a presence there, from the post office, to the Coast Guard, to the FBI and Justice departments.
Welfare is probably an issue, but welfare reform has put everyone on a 5 year limit. This is a problem that should be correcting itself there as well as in mainland cities.
And, frankly, my impression is that work is available for people that want it. Maybe I'm comparing it with Latin America, but the place is prosperous. Wages are about 2/3 what they are on the mainland, but compared to the rest of Latin America, that is fantastic.
Most of the people I worked with had been to the Dominican Republic on projects, and some had ties to Venezuela, and all of them knew what life is like outside the US. All of them appreciated their citizenship in ways that the typical mainland leftist never will.
As I have mentioned, you are fighting the same battle in Puerto Rico that you fight everywhere. You have 45% Democrats, 45% Republicans, and 10% leftists. Which means that you have folks who get it, folks who sort of get it some of the time, and a few who will never get it, and will try to seize control of the 90% if you let them. The biggest push for island independence is the left, and not just the island left, but the mainland left, the same folks we fight on every other issue.
If our $18 billion is mis-spent, then lets identify which dollars are mis-spent, and work on doing something about it. Our congressmen outnumber Puerto Rico's congressmen, since they have "none". Maybe one guy in NYC that panders to them, as you say. But I suspect we will find dollars having to do with normal federal efforts that no one intends to curtail.
The Republicans are just as much for throwing the Navy off Vieques as the other parties. It was the RINO Rosello that went over to Clinton's campaign and supported his re-election (getting out the Puerto Rican vote stateside) in return for an agreement for the Navy to leave Vieques among other things.
It was the RINO Rosello that socialized medicine in Puerto Rico, not the Democrats.
Re-read what Serrano says about the stateside Puerto Rican vote. It went solidly Democrat and almost cost Bush the election.
You're kidding yourself if you believe the stateside Puerto Rican vote isn't a factor in all of the PORK/LECHON our pandering politicians lavish on the island.
The campaign contributions from the island are a factor as well. The largest single campaign contribution to Clinton's re-election campaign was $250,000 from the owner of a Medicare recipient dependent hospital in Puerto Rico.
Almost the day after Clinton was re-elected, Medicare funds were increased to the island.
Jeb Bush picked up $150,000 the last time he was there.
Then the Bushes say bye-bye to Vieques.
You have to learn how this pandering to special interest groups by our stateside politicians works.