There is journalism and then there is fluff.
FOX’s “STOSSEL” show is fluff. One-sided agenda journalism at its worst.
Republican and pro-statehood Puerto Rican governor Luis Fortuño, the incumbent who is trailing in polls to an opponent who has his own issues, is trying to put a spin on an economic situation on the island as he runs for re-election. Strategy #1: Get on a show where you get the most softball of questions from a supposed journalist. As for John Stossel? Try asking actual factual questions, like: Why is your island still stuck at 15% unemployment? Why is your labor force shrinking? Why is public sector employment still growing? If you are so popular, why are you not leading in the polls, even though you claim that you and your opponent are “dead even?” And why are young people leaving the island for jobs in the United States? Also, Fortuño should take credit for one thing: cutting taxes since the rate in Puerto Rico was actually much worse than the mainland, so all he did was bring it down to US levels. So, basically, it is not like Fortuño cut taxes to levels that are favorable. Sure, taxes in Puerto Rico were high, how hard was it to lower it to levels that match the US?
And why should you need facts to tell your story when you are running for re-election as an incumbent and losing in the polls?
To the Fortuñistas, the following video is the central focus on their re-election campaign. To the rest of Puerto Rico, it is a sham. And Stossel? Do some more homework about Puerto Rico, and stop pretending that you are all of a sudden an expert about it.
True… I live in Puerto Rico and our goverment activity is agaisnt the people. He “Fortuño” is trying to destroy our culture, our jobs and our family. He is with the “RICH” people.
Well unfortunately for most of us working stiffs, it is the rich people who provide all the jobs. But tell me, is “culture” more important than feeding your family? And if by “destroying our culture” do you mean Fortuno wants Puerto Ricans to learn English? If it provides someone with another tool to increase ones chances of getting a job then what is so wrong with that? Chances are better in the U.S. at getting employment, but without being able to speak English your chances are slim to zero of being hired. Culture does not feed a family.
You miss the point, Bruce, but that is ok. Culture is important to many in PR. Please don’t try to downplay it and say it is bringing the island down as it tries to transform its economy. They are different issues and not interrelated.
Maybe you are the one missing the point Julito, and the island economy and language are very much related. This is the point that Fortuno is trying to drive home. I worked for an american company here in Puerto Rico. The job was technically challenged in the aviation maintenance field. It was(is) a big government contract company. The company agreed to a 10 year lease with the Port Authority at a major airport here in PR. The company only lasted 3 years and then pulled out. I can tell you with absolute certainty that one of the major reasons the company left the island is because they could not hire enough English fluent aircraft technicians from Puerto Rico. The manuals were in English, the maintenance discrepancy log books were in English. We are talking about a field that is very technical in nature and it is important to have a strong grasp of the English language to perform up to the standards required to maintain a high level of safety in the aviation field. Because the company could not hire enough “qualified” local technicians they brought technicians from the US to complete the job. Unfortunately the company was required to pay per diem which drove up the labor cost making the contract a money loser. This is just one example of how the language barrier prevents US based companies from locating here on the island. I don’t know why this is so hard for people to understand, especially you Julito who is well educated and spends most of the time in the US. Fluent English is the basic tool used by most medium to large companies all over the world because for now it is the international language.
With the rich people? You didn’t complain when Sila Calderón was the governor,she really was with the rich people and was the worst governor ever.A governor that works with a tax reform is really with the rich? Stop the BS and analyze how was the government when he started as a governor.He is fixing what others destroyed.
Are you referring to me? I don’t think any of the political parties on the island are doing a great job but the biggest problem with Fortuño right now is that he does not have the courage to be a different politician. He is just like the rest of them for the past 50 years.
And if you followed this blog for the last three years, I have been highly critical of the Puerto Rican political system since it is not working. We can do better and unfortunately the Governor lacks the vision to be above playing the partisan card, which is sad.
What would you like to see the Governor doing that would make him a different politician Julito?
Be an honest person with a vision for Puerto Rico and not just his political gain.
I was kind of hoping for more specific expectations Julito.
Unfortunately politicians cannot be honest with the people if they want to keep their job. The people don’t want to hear the austerities that will be necessary to get the debt back down so the government can stop printing and borrowing money. I just don’t think the average person really understands the situation the world is in right now. If “we the people” would not crucify our leaders when they tell the truth and what is expected of us to fix the problems then maybe they will be more honest with us. “We” don’t like our leaders to be pessimistic, so they tend to sugar coat the economy issues and have the people believe they can “have their cake and eat it too”. This pleases most of the voters most of the time. We’ve taught our politicians how to win elections. Telling us what we want to hear. So who really is at fault for politicians lying to us?
That is a weak answer. Don’t defend politicians. They can do better. This is all a game, in the end. Fortuño can do better, be more humble, less concerned about his personal gain.
You want specifics?
1. Don’t lie.
2. Don’t play the same game every politician in PR has been playing for 50 years.
3. Foster new industries besides tourism.
4. Push the bilingual-ness of the island.
5. Move beyond pharma.
What else do you want to know?
You say I am defending politicians? I just told you why politicians are not taking the hard road. They want to keep their jobs like everyone else. If the voters are pressuring them to do the right thing then they will not. I hear you whine when Fortuno cuts government jobs, then you whine when you find out he is now hiring more government employees. So tell me, what is it you want from him? If his attempts to cut government spending create more private industry did not go as planned, then he would need to backtrack and hire government employees to get more money into the economy before it completely shuts down.
As for specifics, what exactly to you mean when you say:
1. Don’t lie. Don’t lie about what?
2. Exactly what games have politicians been playing for the past 50 years?
3. Help out a bit here! Provide some ideas. You’re a Harvard grad. Use your noodle.
4. Now this one surprised me coming from you. What happened to “not our culture”?
5. What do you mean by “pharma”?
What else do I want to know? How’s the explanation of “Enhanced Commonwealth” coming along? Only 6 months left to vote.
Bruce, you miss the whole point and that is okay. I “whine” because the Governor is not being honest, simple as that. He is manipulating message to win an election. You can’t have it both ways: you can’t say, LONG LIVE SMALL GOV’T IN ONE BREATH and then hire more public employees to look better this year. He is being anointed as the “small gov’t” wonder boy when in fact he bit off more than he can chew. Your mistake, Bruce, my friend, is that you try to make this a partisan thing, when in fact, it is so much more complex. The biggest problem with Puerto Rico is its current political system. It plays off status and US dependency to keep the island from prospering. The current system does not work and the Governor has done nothing to improve upon this system. What Puerto Rico can become is a technological bilingual and bicultural hub for the world, with its talent and its people, but we don’t do anything. I still have hope and I still believe the right votes will happen in November, but while my hope says one thing, political reality says another.
Initially the Governor cut 30,000 jobs when he took office. I have a friend who’s girlfriend lost her job. So now he has to hire back some employees because his attempt to expand private industry did not go as planned. I’m sure it killed him to admit his planned failed, but hiring government employees was necessary to keep money flowing into the economy.
As for a partisan thing Julito, I am only trying to figure out what exactly it is you stand for. Fortuno recently said he would like to see English pushed hard in schools. I think that is a positive step forward to help companies bring technically challenged, good paying jobs to PR instead of fast food chains, clothing stores like Victoria’s Secrets among a few unskilled occupations.
What I don’t fully understand “is a technological bilingual and bicultural hub
for the world”. Maybe you can explain this a bit more.
Hey, I’m not lookng for a fight here Julito, just trying to better understand my environment. I hear a lot of confusing and conflicting beliefs here. I hear a Republican mayor (PR) tell me personally that congress does not understand the Puerto Rican culture. To hear a statehooder make this statement truly baffles me. I expect to hear this from a commonwealther or and independenitista. Now I hear the Governor pushing for bilingualism. Not just having a strong English course taught in schools but have all courses taught in English. Sounds like one extreme to the other. If Puerto Ricans can’t decide on where they stand then how is congress suppose to know?! If it is so much more complex than I can imagine, it is only because the politicians and the people make it so.
I am for transparency and for truth in politics. I want a new political system in Puerto Rico that goes beyond the failed policies of the last 60 years. Fortuño should be credited for more rigorous English instruction in public schools, and the PPD and PIP are out of touch with this reality, but at the same time, Fortuño is at fault for biting more off than he can chew. As for Puerto Rico become a bilingual and bicultural Silcon Valley, that is what we should be doing. Creating an environment for tech companies to see Puerto Rica as an option, but when you labor force is shrinking, talent flees the island, and island politicians play the partisan game, I doubt it will ever happen.
A new political system? Some specifics would be nice. Do you think you might be biting off a bit more than Puerto Rico can chew? To get to running we must first start to crawl, then walk and then run. Right now Puerto Rico is in the crawl phase. There is a ways to go before PR becomes a Silicon Valley. I know you are proud of your island but let’s face it, there aren’t a whole lot of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs here. Your ideas need a serious plan. Pride and bravado just isn’t enough.
Your pessimism is unbecoming, my friend.
And Puerto Rico has more tech talent on the island right now that you think. Their creativity needs to be developed.
This coming from a guy who lives in Boston. Put your money where your mouth is and move down here and see just how far your career goes. I experienced first hand how limited Puerto Rico is on tech savy people. I lost a good job here because the company could find enough qualified aircraft mechanics here on the island so they shut down operations prematurely and left the island.
And I’m still waiting on an answer regarding your “new political system”. I’m beginning to think you are all fluff and no stuff Julito. You are just a dreamer with no substance just like so many politicians you complain about.
Hi. The convo with Bruce and Julito is pretty funny. I was looking for information about Luis Fortuno. I just wanted unbiased, unemotional info on the man and his performance as governor. Anyway, that’s how I came across this thread.
Bruce, I don’t think you are going to get the answer you are looking for from Julito. I think he just throws out vague comments, hoping someone will just agree with him and not question him. Haha.
I hate to say Puerto Rico is a lost cause but ignorance is so rampant. It is very hard to get through to a bulk of Puerto Ricans (like your average Julito’s), ya know? I think making education “bi lingual” is a good step toward shrinking the ignorance. Languages are a wonderful tool for learning and education. Maybe if instead of making people learn just English, the school system could offer lots of languages and let kids choose, since they are so “scared” that learning just English is going to ruin their culture. Having the choice among several languages to choose from could be less intimidating for the public, maybe even more interesting and perhaps could even lead to opportunities to introduce on the island a more international market. Languages and logic. That’s all schools should teach because that is what is really lacking. I just don’t see the possibility for improvement unless people become educated. Too many Julito’s in Puerto Rico.
This hesitance and fear about ruining the “culture” is keeping the “culture” brain dead…holding on to dear life to something that sucks. Whenever I go to Puerto Rico I feel like I hopped on a time machine back to the Jurassic Period. It is so backwards over there. It’s really fun to visit but it’s definitely not for me. I need intellectuality, integrity and I need to feel safe in the society I live in. You seem like a reasonable man Bruce…how can you take it?