Obama in Puerto Rico: How Will His ‘PR’ Stunt Play Out?
Puerto Rico is abuzz with preparations for President Obama’s visit tomorrow.
The airport is being renovated, painted, and landscaped to welcome the president, the officials, and media accompanying him. The main highway linking the airport to Old San Juan is being repaved, adding to the customary traffic jams.
Local media has been running a countdown to the visit, featuring hard news along with lifestyle, first ladies’ fashion, and even cooking articles (“What Would You Serve Obama?”).
Security will be tight. The runway that Air Force One is expected to use has already been closed. Police are already stationed at all points where the president is scheduled to visit, and more officers will be added. In addition to the Secret Service, the FBI and the Air Force are on alert. Last Friday afternoon police received an anonymous phone call alerting them to a possible threat on Obama’s life: following an investigation, the police superintendent assured the public that the threat was unfounded.
While the continental U.S. media is focusing on the visit as Obama’s effort to court Hispanics, to bring attention to the $7 billion in stimulus money that went to Puerto Rico, and to discuss immigration issues, local media is not.
Obama may want to have a bloc of Puerto Rican voters that live in Florida who may lean Democrat as a counterweight to Cuban voters who lean Republican. However, current Governor Luis Fortuño is a bright star in the Republican Party, and was elected with an overwhelming majority. Puerto Rico’s economy is recovering due to Fortuño’s austerity program and his aggressive measures to reduce the size of government. He wants to privatize more sectors of the economy, including the airport where Obama is scheduled to land.
Immigration issues do not play in Puerto Rico as they do on the mainland. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens from birth, and Puerto Rico has an illegal immigration problem of its own: people trying to sail from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, often unsuccessfully. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Border Patrol frequently find the bodies of those who didn’t make it.
What will the visit be like, then?
I can’t predict what will happen in Obama’s visit to Puerto Rico, but I can predict what won’t happen. The One(tm) isn’t going to suggest that Puerto Ricans pay federal income taxes.
They can’t very well as that we pay federal taxes if we can’t vote or even have a voice in Congress. Taxation without representation ring a bell? Contrary to what people think, we do pay taxes, and they are quite high, but they are comparable to state taxes.
You know that’s the District of Columbia’s situation, right?
Puerto Rico residents that work for the Federal Government are required to pay Federal Income Taxes. Most Puerto Rico residents are required to pay federal payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare).
Typical – catering to an island full of welfare recipients who don’t contribute to any of the benefits they receive – time to kick them off the government teet and let them fend for themselves.
Tyler,
Stop talking thru your azz. Puerto Rico is the second state/Territory that has sent more solders to each war United States has been involved and many other contributions to this nations. How can you say “They don’t contribute to any of the benefits they receive”??? If you’re gonna give an opinion, say something intelligent and with facts! Dont just go spreading hatred!
God bless our Armed Forces! “No ethnic group has greater pride in itself and its heritage than the Puertorican soldiers. Nor have I encountered any that can be more dedicated and zealus in support of the democratic principles for which the United States stands. Many Puertoricans have fought to the death to uphold them. General William W. Harris At World war 1 (18,000 Puertoricans served) After this they fought on foreign shores as member of the US. World War 2 (65,000 Puertoricans served). Korea War (61,000 Puertoricans served). Vietnam War (50,000 Puertoricans served).Thousands & thousands served at the Gulf war, Iraq and Afghanistan.
At World war 1 (18,000 Puertoricans served) After this they fought on foreign shores as member of the US. World War 2 (65,000 Puertoricans served). Korea War (61,000 Puertoricans served). Vietnam War (50,000 Puertoricans served).Thousands & thousands served at the Gulf war, Iraq and Afghanistan.
God bless our Armed Forces! “No ethnic group has greater pride in itself and its heritage than the Puertorican soldiers. Nor have I encountered any that can be more dedicated and zealus in support of the democratic principles for which the United States stands. Many Puertoricans have fought to the death to uphold them. General William W. Harris
Tyler,
You are simply wrong about the Puerto Rican people. You should ‘fess up and admit that this was a completely unwarranted slap.
I’ve been to PR numerous times and rarely saw evidence for your bigotry. Puerto Ricans are wonderful people, hard-working, friendly and with a joy for life you’d probably never know, Tyler. Yes, the US foisted welfare programs on the island just like it did and does on the mainland. See what happened to San Juan or Ponce and compare it to the vibrant, life-affirming rest of the island, Tyler, and maybe you’ll ditch the simple-minded hate.
That has fostered some resentment toward el Norte and justly so: this is a proud Latin culture fighting to retain its identity in the face of condescending gringo attitudes left and right. People like you don’t help. At all.
I don’t think they have thought this all the way through. This could blow up in their faces. Let sleeping dogs lie. PR issues being raised in a campaign can lead to many awkward moments.
Tyler, just as any other commonwealth or territory, the Island is not full of Welfare recipients. Is there more than there should be? You bet. But do not offend Puertoricans in and outside the Island with such generalization. Personally, even though I have not lived in the Island since 1989, still have many relatives and friends there. Please do not generalize. There are hard working people there as well.
I agree with you RicanPrincess, many hard working folks in PR and Puerto Rico is slowly moving to the conservative side. Not all Puertoricans are on the government tit.
I agree with you Rican. I had some Puerto Rican friends in the Army and they were good people. so were the Cubans, the Governor of Puerto Rico sounds like just the person we need for president so I dont expect obummer to score many points with him,
“to discuss immigration issues”
WTF? Puerto Ricans are US citizens- they can come to CONUS whenever they like.
However, current Governor Luis Fortuño is a bright star in the Republican Party, and was elected with an overwhelming majority. Puerto Rico’s economy is recovering due to Fortuño’s austerity program and his aggressive measures to reduce the size of government. He wants to privatize more sectors of the economy, including the airport where Obama is scheduled to land.
Outstanding point! One which (not surprisingly) is completely ignored by the MSM.
Maybe Gov. Fortuno should run for president. His economic policies are 180 degrees opposite from Obama’s and the dems’.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/05/06/puerto-ricos-tough-new-fiscal-policy-answer-nations-budgetary-problems/
Good stuff! He definitely deserves a higher profile so that people on the mainland know more about his policies and how they are helping Puerto Rico rebound.
Maybe Obama’s advisors are worried that the Mexicans will be coming over the “border” (Gulf of Mexico) into Puerto Rico and they need to address this ASAP!
All kidding aside, my fiance is half Puerto Rican and she is a strong conservative with a lot of love for Ronald Reagan (due to the fact she lives like 10 minutes from the Ronald Reagan Library).
Hilarious to pretend conservatives sticking up for government welfare. I guess racial pride trumps conservative principles or belief in America. Not at all surprising to see more immigrant pandering by Imam Hussein to welfare recipients. Its all about the illegal vote for the Dems.
Hilarious to see pretend conservatives sticking up for government welfare. I guess racial pride trumps conservative principles or belief in America. Not at all surprising to see more immigrant pandering by Imam Hussein to welfare recipients. Its all about the illegal vote for the Dems.
Are you obtuse? Puerto Ricans are not illegals. They are American Citizens with the same privileges and they certainly didn’t cross any borders to gain American citizenship. Don’t call me a “pretend conservative” by the way.
I live in Fajardo. We were in Condado and Old San Juan Sunday. Police on every corner, literally, along the road into the old city. Lots of work cleaning the roads and so on. At least between the Airport and the old city.
You make a mistake about this being the first presidential visit. Kennedy came, I think, in 62 or so. At least all the flags on every lamppost say so.
And Ford came in 76. Not a word about him. He was a repo, afterall
I am not going anywhere near San Juan today.
John Henry
Cariduro Puro
You are correct, John. It should read “the first presidential visit in fifty years”.
Just to clarify on Puerto Ricans and citizenship.
Puerto Ricans born in PR after 1943 (yr?) are full, 14th Amendment, citizens. The citizenship of a person born in PR is identical in every way to a person born in NY or Nebraska.
Persons born before 1917 were naturalized citizens. Persons born between 1917 and 1943 are citizen but it is unclear whether by statute or by birth.
In any event, all are US citizens with all rights and privileges. The only difference is that pre 1943 citizens may (emphasize “may”) not be eligible to run for president.
John Henry
First ever presidential candidate from PR in 1988.
Every voting cycle they vote not to become a state. Why should they get to vote? Do they pay Federal taxes?
It is significant that the Republican Governor Fortuno is successfully moving Puerto Rico towards the private sector. Plus, his administration is accepted by Puerto Ricans as it moves from any wasteful spending to austerity. It’s what mainland USA needs to do! Obama can pander all he wants, but Puerto Ricans know exactly what is going on in their island.
I served as an NCO during the fighting in Korea in the ’50s. In that time, young men from Puerto Rico were shipped in to bring our unit up to strength.
They were good soldiers, and with their kind-natured tutelage they taught me the Spanish I needed to know to be a better NCO. It happened approximately 60 years ago, yet I remember their faces, their acts of devotion to duty and courage, like it happened yesterday.
Funny that BO is visiting PR, the first since JFK. As I recall (correctly) JFK was predicted to lose- BIG- in his next election, too.
On the statehood issue, I had a coworker about four years ago who was from Puerto Rico. I asked him once if he thought PR would ever become a state. His response (paraphrased) was, “Are you kidding? We’ve got all the benefits of being U.S. citizens, but we don’t have to pay taxes. [He meant federal taxes, I assume.] Why would we want to change that?”
Makes sense to me.
I lived in Fajardo myself from 2000-2002. I heard that very same statement many times myself. A local friend told me that of the 3 major breakdowns in PR politics( 1-super commonwealth, 2-independant and 3-statehood types), most are “watermelons”, one color on the outside and completely differnet than what is inside. Every election it seems that the majority of PR folks vote for the commonwealth status quo. Puerto Ricans do not get taxed at the fed level, primarily becuase they do not have representation in congress (although high, local taxes are really irrelevant to those that do pay fed taxes in the U.S., as that is internal to PR). I noticed the article linked in the lead article here stumps for doubling the fed expenditures to 40+ billion, to bring it on par with U.S. states, but does not address what the tax payers in those states pay in fed taxes.
http://caribbeanbusiness.org/cb_content/news02.php?nw_id=4458&ct_id=0
I also recall most of the independance advocates where very far left types, that wanted complete autonomy from the U.S., but to keep the fed funds flowing.
You have the gist of it Mike. The party breakdown in PR is by status choice, as you listed, but there are degrees of social and economic thought within the parties. The current governor is both socially AND economically conservative.
I personally come from a long line of Military Service people (although I personally have never served), and was brought up with a healthy understanding of both rights AND responsibilities as a Citizen.
Obama does not need to raise campaign funds for his reelection. He is running using our tax dollars. It is goo0d to be KING!!