Saturday, July 28, 2012

YouTube Videos: puerto rico news - Review: 3/20/12 - 7/27/12

YouTube Videos: puerto rico news - Review: 3/20/12 - 7/27/12
 
 

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by TVMartiNoticias on 3/20/12
(TV Martí Noticias) — Con una ventaja abrumadora, Mitt Romney ganó la primaria presidencial republicana en Puerto Rico sobre su principal rival, Rick Santorum. Los dos contrincantes se encaminan ahora a dos de sus enfrentamientos más reñidos, los estados de Illinois y Luisiana. Vanessa Ruiz informa.
Views:101
0ratings
Time:03:09More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by 666PressDept on 6/7/12
Today June 7 marks Day 23 in the countdown towards the biggest most spectacular event in history: The Transformation of the Man Christ Jesus, Jose Luis De Jesus. Yes, that's right, God in His second coming. He has been walking the earth for 66 but this year 2012 marks the year whereby He will transform into a body of immortality, fire and radiation to govern the Earth and restore world peace and equality for eternity. He is here to destroy the corrupt religious system, so any day now we can expect to see the Vatican go up in flames and be destroyed forever as it is written in 2 Thes 2:8. For more information, please visit: www.vaticancrimes.us and http We are living the best times in history!
Views:210
0ratings
Time:01:01More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by jaac21TV on 2/12/12
En Directo is a spanish newscast produced for the Television Production II course at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. 2011.
From:jaac21TV
Views:68
1ratings
Time:16:56More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by ActualidadRT on 2/17/12
Puerto Rico definirá en un referéndum si seguirá siendo un territorio no incorporado de EE. UU o será un país independiente. Las protestas estudiantiles en Chile corren el riesgo de ser penalizadas en el marco de una nueva iniciativa policial. Y Washington legaliza la ciberguerra contra cualquier nación que sea considerada una amenaza para EE. UU. Leer más : actualidad.rt.com RT en vivo: actualidad.rt.com.rt.com
Views:2941
33ratings
Time:26:10More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by GiachelloHealth on 3/26/12
ghwellness.net The one and only Giachello Health & Wellness website! AARP Home » Politics » Advocacy »Aida Giachello, Ph.D.,... Inspire Awards 2010 Honorees Aida Giachello, Ph.D., Latino Health Activist Jeanne Dorin McDowell | from AARP The Magazine | January/February 2010 issue — Patrick Fraser Inspire Awards A framed quote in Dr. Aida Luz Maisonet Giachello's Chicago office states: "If you have faith even as tiny as a mustard seed, all things are possible." This sentiment eloquently describes Giachello's own life journey, from an impoverished childhood in Puerto Rico to the corridors of academic excellence at the University of Chicago—and ultimately to the Midwest Latino Health Research, Training, and Policy Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago. There, Giachello works tirelessly to collect and analyze data—and to use that data to enact policies that promote good health, prevent disease, and control chronic illnesses. Although some progress has been made, much remains to be done. "The poor, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, and women are still not getting [adequate] access to health care," says the 64-year-old grandmother of five.
Views:19
1ratings
Time:03:35More inEducation

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by PopSugarTV on 7/20/12
It was a relaxing beach day for Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel on Sunday, in newly released pictures that show the engaged couple playing paddleball and enjoying each other's company in Puerto Rico. Jessica is currently visiting Justin as he shoots his film Runner, Runner, and she recently told us that the two often console each other after a long day on set. Get the full story in PopSugar Rush! Subscribe to PopSugarTV! www.youtube.com Visit our website for more celebrity and entertainment news! www.popsugar.com Are we friends yet? Join us on Facebook! https Get the latest updates via Twitter! twitter.com
Views:3582
17ratings
Time:01:56More inEntertainment

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by CNN on 7/19/12
Take a walk through the streets of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico to explore its history and sample the local cuisine.
From:CNN
Views:212
9ratings
Time:03:34More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by swagny3000 on 3/7/12
The establishment media has characterized the leader of LulzSec ratting out his hacktivist comrades as betrayal, but the incident reveals something far more sinister -- government is responsible for creating and unleashing computer hacker groups. www.infowars.com www.prisonplanet.tv twitter.com Hector Xavier Monsegur, said to be the leader of LulzSec, worked for the FBI, according to news reports. He was reportedly arrested in Puerto Rico last June, pleaded guilty to hacking charges, and then began working with the FBI -- or so the cover story would have it. Monsequr, aka Sabu, decided what targets to attack and who would participate in the attacks, more than likely at the direction of this FBI handlers. It is believed he participated in the Anonymous effort to hack HBGary, the security firm that works closely with the CIA, NSA, FBI, and the Pentagon. Sabu's Lulz Security, commonly abbreviated as LulzSec, claimed responsibility for taking the CIA website offline. It also attacked Fox News, PBS, Sony, and a number of gamer sites. LulzSec claims to have hacked local InfraGard chapter sites, the organization affiliated with the FBI, and released the emails and passwords of a number of users of senate.gov. LulzSec and Anonymous attacks have provided the government with an excuse to push their cyber security agenda and propaganda campaign, including the proposal for a "kill switch" that would have allowed Obama to shut down the internet (due to public outrage, the proposal was <b>...</b>
Views:895
7ratings
Time:09:02More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news tv by tecnetico on 4/27/12
Describimos qué es el nuevo servicio Google Drive. Emitido el 26 de abril de 2012 por Puerto Rico Network (Estados Unidos) / Puerto Rico TV
From:tecnetico
Views:108
2ratings
Time:02:00More inScience & Technology


via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by Pimpmania on 6/14/12
Puerto Rican Festival Rumba at 116th Street in NYC on June 9th 2012 Don't forget to hit the like button, share the love and Subscribe.
From:Pimpmania
Views:49
0ratings
Time:03:25More inEntertainment

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by copwatchnews on 7/8/12
CNN uploaded a video on it TODAY, making it a current event as far as we're concerned. The nonexistent antecedent of "this story" in the previous sentence being, "Puerto Rico's police force is super corrupt." The American Civil Liberties Union released a report on the Puerto Rican police, which is the second-largest police force in the United States (obviously including territories here), on June 19, and it ain't pretty. While attention on police misbehavior in ACTUAL states has increased thanks to the string of abuses associated with Occupy Movement protests, those incidents don't hold a candle to the sorts of horrors contained in the ACLU report. Did I read the entire paper? No, dummy, it's 182 pages long, but you can download it and knock yourself out if you want. The section headers alone, though, are enough to make you cancel your cruise to San Juan. They are: III. Shooting to Kill: Unjustified Use of Lethal Force IV. Police Brutality against Low-Income, Black, and Dominican Communities V. Billy Clubs versus Speech: Excessive Force against Protesters to Suppress Speech and Expression VI. Documented Cases of Police Abuse against Protesters VII. Failure to Police Crimes of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault VIII. Total Impunity: Failure to Investigate or Punish Police Brutality IX. A Lawless Police Force: Lack of Guidance Governing the Use of Force, X. Relevant Constitutional and Human Rights Law. Well then. Even if you remove some of the florid rhetoric, the ACLU <b>...</b>
Views:0
0ratings
Time:04:10More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by HotLatestNews on 7/8/12
From most of the last century, the Puerto Rican Island of Vieques was used by the US navy as a practice bombing range. Five years after the navy left the island, there is evidence that decades of bombings have caused serious health problems for the residents of the island. Mariana Sanchez reports. - Hot Latest News - Watch more on fastlatestnews.com
Views:10
1ratings
Time:03:34More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by BoricuaBoxingNews on 7/14/12
BoricuaBoxing.com - Julio Cesar Chavez SR takes a cheap shot at Puerto Ricans during the Chavez Jr vs Martinez Presser Undefeated World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight champion and Son of the Legend, JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ JR. (46-0-1, 32 KOS), of Culiacán, México, and two-division world champion SERGIO MARTINEZ (49-2-2, 28 KOs), of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, along with their promoters Bob Arum, Fernando Beltran and Lou DiBella, continue the four-city two-nation international media tour, in New York City, to promote their eagerly-awaited Méxican Independence Day middleweight championship battle. This is the third and final city of the US portion of the tour, which will conclude in México City on Friday, July 13. Chávez Jr. vs. Martinez will take place Saturday, September 15, at the Thomas & Mack Center, on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 pm ET / 6 pm PT. Promoted by Top Rank, Zanfer Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, in association with Wynn Las Vegas, AT&T and Tecate, tickets to the Chávez Jr. vs. Martinez Middleweight Championship Event will go on sale Thursday, July 12 at 3 pm ET / Noon PT. Priced at $600, $400, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, they can be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center box office and Town Square Las Vegas Concierge. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.unlvtickets.com. To charge by telephone call (702) 739-FANS.
Views:3921
0ratings
Time:01:54More inSports

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by CNN on 7/19/12
Take a walk through the streets of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico to explore its history and sample the local cuisine.
From:CNN
Views:212
9ratings
Time:03:34More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by PopSugarTV on 7/20/12
It was a relaxing beach day for Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel on Sunday, in newly released pictures that show the engaged couple playing paddleball and enjoying each other's company in Puerto Rico. Jessica is currently visiting Justin as he shoots his film Runner, Runner, and she recently told us that the two often console each other after a long day on set. Get the full story in PopSugar Rush! Subscribe to PopSugarTV! www.youtube.com Visit our website for more celebrity and entertainment news! www.popsugar.com Are we friends yet? Join us on Facebook! https Get the latest updates via Twitter! twitter.com
Views:3582
17ratings
Time:01:56More inEntertainment

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by LaughWithLulu on 7/17/12
GAMING CHANNEL - youtube.com Stories Covered: Bolivian Cocaine Production Maria Espinoza, Mexican Taekwondo Champion at London Summer Olympics George Zimmerman a Hero? Jennifer Lopez's Luxury T-Shirts Clorox Announces New Product Line for Latinos Nascar's First Mexican-Owned Team, Viva La Raza Racing US Fugitive Caught in Mexico After 24 Years Fernando Collor de Melo Practiced Black Magic? Bird Flu in Mexico Send your Latino Stories to @LouieBarra Please Like, Share & Subscribe!! Wassup ya'll it's ya boy Lulu! TWITTER - twitter.com FACEBOOK - www.facebook.com Google Plus -- gplus.to SEND ME STUFF Polar Barra Productions PO Box 140216 Gainesville, FL 32614-2851 This video was filmed with a Canon Rebel T3i and edited in Sony Vegas Movie Studio 11.0 Music courtesy of Kevin MacLeod -- incompetech.com
Views:151
23ratings
Time:02:47More inShows

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by ticovos on 2/28/12
Dr. Nicholas Faraclas is of Greek and Romani ancestry and was born in the United States in 1954. His early years were spent in Los Angeles, New Haven, Boston, New Orleans, and San Francisco. He did his undergraduate work at the University of New Orleans and Université Paul Valery, Montpellier, France, receiving a BA in Spanish, French and German Education from the University of New Orleans in 1980. He received a National Science Foundation Fellowship, two Fulbright-Hays Fellowships, and a Rotary Fellowship to do graduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and the University of Papua New Guinea, receiving a PhD in Linguistics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1989. Over the past two decades, Dr. Faraclas has taught courses in a wide range of areas in theoretical, descriptive and applied Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Port Harcourt and Calabar in Nigeria, the University of Papua New Guinea and the University of Puerto Rico. He has published several books, dozens of chapters in edited volumes, and articles in scholarly journals in Phonetics, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Creole Studies, African Language Studies, Pacific Language Studies, Sociolinguistics, Pragmatics, Language and Power, Literacy, Language Planning, and Language and Globalization. Prof. Faraclas has carried out extensive field research and has worked with communities to promote critical <b>...</b>
From:ticovos
Views:467
8ratings
Time:17:22More inEducation

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico news by sanuk on 4/4/12
Prepare to lower your expectations, this is Sanuk News. In this episode: a collaboration of comfy (and tasty) proportions, friendly banter with pro surfer Shayne McIntyre plus... the world's first-ever bodysurfing sandal! www.sanuk.com
From:sanuk
Views:478
1ratings
Time:05:08More inEntertainment


via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by OfficialMissWorld on 7/24/12
Video uploaded from my mobile phone.
Views:3213
53ratings
Time:00:41More inPeople & Blogs

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by opieradio on 7/25/12
Twitter - @OpieRadio
From:opieradio
Views:5609
97ratings
Time:00:53More inEntertainment

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by bonillashow on 7/26/12
tercerriel.com
Views:2259
7ratings
Time:00:12More inNews & Politics

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by iamashmclean on 7/23/12
Miss World Puerto Rico 1999 don't crown The Real Winner for Miss World Puerto Rico 2000 (Miss Toa Alta), but instead crowns the First Runner Up (Miss Vieques) Then, the First Runner up, had to crown the Winner.
Views:321
0ratings
Time:02:37More inPeople & Blogs

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by yannivideos on 7/4/12
Watch as Yanni and his orchestra brave the elements at El Morro as they attempt to record Yanni's latest DVD "Yanni: Live at El Morro, Puerto Rico.
Views:17961
175ratings
Time:04:55More inMusic

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by wp4mxl on 7/27/12
The 5th Puerto Rico Half Mile took place on June 23, 2012 at the Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla. Predator Performance attended the event with two new Alpha12 GTRs.
From:wp4mxl
Views:624
20ratings
Time:16:18More inAutos & Vehicles

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by Kofemanas on 7/7/12
Last seconds of match.
From:Kofemanas
Views:4548
42ratings
Time:05:42More inSports

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by moises martinez on 7/19/12
Views:35
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Time:46:07More inSports

via YouTube Videos matching query: puerto rico by Kevin Cavani on 7/23/12
Lucian Colareza OWN THE RIGHT OF THIS SONG Lucian Colareza - Last night in Puerto Rico Summer Hit Romanian House
Views:113
3ratings
Time:03:32More inPeople & Blogs

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PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico Statesman and Puerto Rico Report Revie...

PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico Statesman and Puerto Rico Report Revie...: Puerto Rico Statesman  and Puerto Rico Report  Review: 7/17/12 - 7/28/12     Mike Nova's starred items Manifesto for...
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PUERTO RICO NEWS: PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Review: ...

PUERTO RICO NEWS: PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Review: ...: PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Review: 7/14/12 - 7/27/12 : Puerto Rico Daily Sun  - Review: 7/14/12 - 7/27/12     Mike ...
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Puerto Rico Statesman and Puerto Rico Report Review: 7/17/12 - 7/28/12

Puerto Rico Statesman and Puerto Rico Report Review: 7/17/12 - 7/28/12
 
 


via Puerto Rico Report by hadeninteractive on 7/17/12
Although Puerto Ricans can’t vote in presidential elections as long as they reside in Puerto Rico, they can vote when they move to the mainland, as millions do. After all, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
However, Pennsylvania newspaper Philly.com has reported that the recent spate of voter ID laws may prevent many Puerto Ricans from voting in any election in the states in which they live.
In the past few years, numerous states have passed new laws requiring people to show photo IDs when voting. For the majority of Americans, this is no problem; in fact, if you live in one of those states, you might not even have noticed. Most of us have driver’s licenses and we’re accustomed to showing them when we’re asked, whether because we’re heading into a nightclub or boarding a plane, perhaps even to enter the buildings where we work or to pick up our kids at school.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, however, as many as 10% of people of voting age don’t have a driver’s license. Some groups show very different patterns: the same source claims that less than a quarter of African-American men between 18 and 24 years of age own a driver’s license, and that only two thirds of elderly voters in Georgia do. Add more requirements, as many states do, and the numbers climb. For example, states requiring a driver’s license which shows the voter’s current address can eliminate the great majority of the college students in their states.
Opponents of photo ID laws point out that these laws make it harder for the poor, the elderly, and other specific groups to vote. But Puerto Ricans face a special problem. In 2010, all Puerto Rican birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 were invalidated. Everyone of voting age who was born in Puerto Rico and did not already have a passport or driver’s license on that day must get a new birth certificate to apply for a state ID card to use as a voter ID.
In Pennsylvania, the Advancement Project and other groups have brought suit to challenge the state’s new photo ID law, alleging that it will force many Latinos, and especially Puerto Ricans, to “walk a longer path to the voting booth this election year.” These groups make the case that because Pennsylvania requires a birth certificate to obtain a photo ID, Puerto Ricans will face a “double burden” under the new law – first getting a new birth certificate from Puerto Rico and then obtaining a photo ID. As election day nears, the Advancement Project argues that many Pueto Rican voters will have to overcome two barriers to the ballot.
The Puerto Rican vote in Pennsylvania is significant enough to influence a close election. According to recent U.S. census data, there are roughly 340,000 Puerto Ricans in the state, which is slightly more than half of the Hispanic population.
Supporters of the Pennsylvania law contend that it addresses voter fraud. Regardless of who is right, the discussion has touched a nerve. United States citizens who live in Puerto Rico have always been treated differently from other U.S. citizens when it comes to the right to vote. In light of the continued disparate treatment of two groups of U.S. citizens, even the threat of another barrier to the voting booth has shown that it has the power to raise concerns and historic sensitivities.

via Puerto Rico Report by hadeninteractive on 7/18/12
The Federal Reserve Bank’s recent report on the competitiveness of Puerto Rico’s economy included a recommendation to reduce barriers to job creation and labor force participation by improving incentives to work.
Download the full report.
Caribbean Business saw optimism in the bank’s analysis, reporting that “the New York Fed noted that on several measures Puerto Rico has features that make it a strong — and potentially a highly competitive—economy.”
The positive points made in the report include the increasing literacy and educational attainment of the Puerto Rican population, the fact that many of its resident are bilingual, its open economy, the central location of the island between the U.S. and Latin America, and its close ties to the U.S. mainland. These points have made Puerto Rico an important asset to the United States.
The report also contained some criticisms, especially on the subjects of unemployment and labor market opportunities. For example, the report raises the idea that reducing the minimum wage in Puerto Rico might be a good idea. It recommends as a possible first step to consider a young-worker subminimum wage that targets workers under the age of 25. At the same time, the report also suggests that TANF (public assistance), NAP (food stamps), and SSDI (disability benefits) may tempt Puerto Ricans not to work.
These critiques are interesting because Puerto Rico is generally treated less generously under social programs than any state in the United States. In fact, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi discussed the need for parity for Puerto Rico in these programs in a recent speech. Listen to the speech. He has introduced legislation to create more equitable treatment for Puerto Ricans under TANF, NAP and SSI programs as well as portions of Medicare. He has also proposed legislation to include all U.S. territories in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
“Puerto Rico is treated unfairly under Federal programs designed to help our nation’s most vulnerable residents,” said Pierluisi in his speech. “When you look at the status and the well-being of all the American citizens living in the territories, you realize that what they face is geographic discrimination.”
Read more on this issue:

via Puerto Rico Report by hadeninteractive on 7/19/12
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visited San Juan on Friday, assuring the people of Puerto Rico that a strategy is in place to cope with increasing drug-related violence on the island. She said firmly that heightened security for U.S. border states was not affecting the level of support for the Caribbean.
According to a press release from the Department of Homeland Security, Napolitano met with Governor Luis Fortuño, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi and Puerto Rico Police Department Superintendent Héctor Pesquera “to underscore the department’s commitment to collaborating with local law enforcement in the region.”
Over the weekend following the visit, 19 people were murdered in Puerto Rico, bringing this year’s total to a new high: 100 more murders than during the same period in 2011, a year that saw a record number of murders in Puerto Rico.
PPD leader Alejandro García Padilla has asked Governor Luis Fortuño to declare a state of emergency, according to InSight Crime. Fortuño, however, appears to be well aware of the problem. “Right now, Puerto Rico is serving on the front lines,” Fortuño said at last month’s hearing of the US Congress’ Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management. “We need help fighting this battle along the Caribbean border, to protect the US citizens there being buffeted by violence and to precent the fight from spreading further onto the streets of the US mainland.”
Fortuño has repeatedly asked for Federal assistance with the continuing high crime rate in Puerto Rico.

via Puerto Rico Report by KG on 7/20/12
While Puerto Ricans can’t vote in presidential elections and don’t have U.S.Senators to represent them, they do have someone speaking for them – their Resident Commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives. Isn’t that just as good? One or two votes rarely change the result of a vote in Congress, and any speaker can potentially influence many votes.
However you feel about the lack of voting representation for Puerto Rico, there’s another factor that minimizes the voice of Puerto Ricans in Washington. An analysis of the voting records of state Congressional delegations demonstrates that United States citizens residing in Puerto Rico do not enjoy the same range of representation shared by all other U.S. citizens living in the United States.
According to the 2010 Census, Puerto Rico has a population of slightly more than 3.7 million people. Despite its sizeable population, Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. territory limits it to only one, non-voting Resident Commissioner. In comparison, states with similar populations have several representatives and two senators representing their interests, all of whom can cast votes.
Oregon, for example, has a population of 3.8 million people and five Members of Congress who represent a broad spectrum of political ideologies. The National Journal scores Members based on their votes on key economic, social, and foreign-policy issues and then rates them along liberal and conservative scales. Based on their 2010 votes, Oregon’s representatives present a real contrast:
  • National Journal ranked Oregon’s Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) at one end of the spectrum as the 43rd most liberal Member, scoring 0 out of 100 on the conservative voting scale for social issues.
  • Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) was the 296th most liberal member, with 71 out of 100 on the conservative voting scale for social issues.
Similarly, Iowa has a population of 3 million people and five Representatives with significantly different political views to represent them:
  • National Journal ranked Iowa’s Steve King (R) the 35th most conservative Member; on economic issues, Rep. King voted more conservatively than 81 percent of other Members.
  • Rep. Bruce Braley (D) was ranked as only the 353rd most conservative Member and voted more liberally than 88 percent of other Members on economic issues.
The divergent political ideologies of these state delegates showcase the wide variety of interests and viewpoints held by citizens within a single state. Given that Oregon and Iowa are both comparable in size to Puerto Rico, it is doubtful, at best, that Puerto Rico’s one – non-voting - Resident Commissioner is able to represent the interests of all Puerto Ricans alone as well as Members of Congress from Oregon and Iowa do as a team.

via Puerto Rico Report by KG on 7/23/12
At a recent hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance entitled, “Boosting Opportunities and Growth Through Tax Reform,” congressional testimony highlighted the effectiveness of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) in lifting children out of poverty. Studies have affirmed for years that the EITC and, to a lesser extent, the CTC encourage work, and findings are now coming out that these federal policies also improve school performance and boost children’s work hours and earnings into adulthood.
The EITC and CTC are refundable tax credits, meaning that they are not limited by the amount of an individual’s tax liability. This is important because roughly half of all Americans do not earn enough income to trigger the obligation to pay federal income taxes at all. Under the EITC and CTC, individuals can receive refund checks from the IRS even if they do not owe any federal income taxes.
The Child Tax Credit helps working families earning up to $150,000/year offset the cost of raising children by granting up to $1,000 credit on tax returns for each child under 17. The Earned Income Tax Credit assists working families and individuals offset federal tax liabilities on income up to $50,300 (depending on marital status and number of children).
Although residents of Puerto Rico are eligible for many types of federal financial assistance, they are ineligible for the EITC, and they qualify for the CTC only if they have three or more children. In the 50 states, all children under 17 are eligible, regardless of family size.
The recent Report on the Competitiveness of Puerto Rico’s Economy by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York suggests that Puerto Rico’s exclusion from these federal policies is a problem. The Report stated:
[Government assistant payments such as nutrition assistance, disability payments and welfare] provide a significant share of residents with sizable funds relative to average incomes. Significantly, these transfer payments are reduced as one earns wages, and thus may result in a particularly high implicit tax on earnings…Some of this implicit tax has been offset by Puerto Rico’s adoption in 2006 of the Worker’s Tax Credit[.] However, the maximum amount of credit is currently only $350 per year – a relatively modest sum even given Puerto Rico’s lower average earnings. The sum is much smaller, even in relative terms, than what is offered by the comparable Earned Income Tax Credit in the United States.
The 2011 Report by the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status included a formal recommendation to fully expand the Child Tax Credit in Puerto Rico. The Report further emphasized:
[T]he intersection between payroll taxes and social programs creates some disincentives to labor force participation. The Task Force believes that tax policy provides a vehicle for strengthening Puerto Rico’s workforce, as well as the well-being of Puerto Rican families with children.
Several Members of Congress have advocated extending the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit to Puerto Rico. In his statement announcing the introduction of his EITC bill, Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) explained:
With United States residents of Puerto Rico contributing so heavily to America, I firmly believe that the earned income tax credit should be extended to the Island. EITC is a proven tool and valuable resource in combating poverty and unemployment and boosting local economies. As long as U.S. residents of Puerto Rico serve honorably in our military, contribute to the tax base and make our country better, I see no reason to exclude them from this proven anti-poverty program.

via Puerto Rico Report by hadeninteractive on 7/24/12
On election day, the people of Puerto Rico will have no direct say in who becomes President of the United States. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. They serve in the U.S. military. But as a territory and not a state, Puerto Rico has no Electoral College votes, and its residents have no formal voice on election day.
Yet Puerto Rico has already impacted the presidential election, and the influence of the Puerto Rican vote within the 50 states is expected to be a factor in November.
First, Puerto Rico’s presidential primary helped Mitt Romney clinch the Republican nomination. Not only did Romney win the Puerto Rican primary, but his opponent, former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), lost broader Hispanic support when he told a Puerto Rican newspaper that before the Island territory becomes “a state of the United States, English must be the principal language.” Puerto Rican Resident Commissioner Pedro Peirluisi struck back, calling Santorum’s view “narrow and limiting,” and explaining that “English is the predominant language in the U.S. and will continue to be so, whether Puerto Rico becomes a state or not.”
In Puerto Rico, both English and Spanish are official languages. Hawaii also has two official languages: English and Hawaiian.
The second factor in Puerto Rico’s national influence is the Puerto Rican population on the mainland. There are now more Puerto Ricans in the 50 states than in Puerto Rico, and their presence affects political strategies, especially in Florida where Puerto Ricans now outnumber Cubans in the Orlando area.
This fact has not gone unnoticed in the national Republican and Democratic Parties, who regularly appeal to Puerto Rican officials from both the New Progressive Party/NPP (pro-statehood) and Popular Democratic Party/PDP (pro-Commonwealth) to help garner Puerto Rican support in the swing state. This strategy was in full view during the recent Florida primary when Gov. Fortuno, a NPP member who affiliates with the national Republican Party, endorsed Mitt Romney.
On the Democratic side, PDP gubernatorial candidate Alejandro García Padilla was in Florida last weekend campaigning for President Obama. Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, a member of the NPP Party, was an early Obama supporter in 2008 and has continued to be an advocate in support of the President – as well as Democratic candidates for Congress - in Florida, showing that members of opposing Puerto Rican political parties can and do sometimes come together in national politics.

via Puerto Rico Report by KG on 7/25/12
The big news today in partisan, gridlocked Washington is that Republican Congressman Don Young of Alaska has endorsed Democratic Representative Mazie Hirono of Hawaii in her bid for the United States Senate. Rep. Young has even taken the unusual step of filming an advertisement with Hirono to demonstrate his support.
This most recent Hawaiian-Alaskan alliance does not come as a surprise to followers of Puerto Rico. As representatives of the two most recent territories that became states, Members of Congress from Hawaii and Alaska have a long history of joining together – across party lines – in support for Puerto Rican efforts to similarly establish a permanent relationship with the rest of the United States.
In 1998, Rep. Young was the lead sponsor of Puerto Rican self determination legislation (H.R. 856). The Young bill called for a referendum in Puerto Rico with the options of independence, statehood or the current territorial status, and it provided guidance for a transition to a new status if chosen. The bill was carefully tailored to avoid the “commonwealth” option that has caused much confusion in past plebiscites, essentially rendering results of little value. The Young bill boasted Hawaii’s two Representatives– both Democrats – as original cosponsors.
The House approved the Young bill with bipartisan support, and the Senate then approved a comparable resolution. Among the bipartisan list of Senate sponsors were Sen. Frank Murkowski (R) of Alaska and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D) of Hawaii.
More recently, Rep. Young was an original cosponsor of Puerto Rican self determination legislation introduced by Puerto Rican Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi – a Democrat. They were joined on the bill by Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI).
Why such staunch support from Members from Alaska and Hawaii on Puerto Rican self determination? What is it about Puerto Rico’s status that can bring these Republicans and Democrats together? One possible answer could be a matter of philosophy – the importance of being consistent in our application of democracy throughout the U.S. As Rep. Young explained during consideration of the Pierluisi bill:
[M]y goal here is to really try to allow Puerto Rico to advance. And I do not believe you can advance as a commonwealth. I say that from my heart. Because we were not able to advance as a commonwealth. We were a territory….[M]y ultimate goal is to try to give the Puerto Rican people a choice.”
Another possible motivation behind bipartisan Alaskan and Hawaiian support for Puerto Rico self determination efforts may be economics. Before they achieved statehood, both territories had significant natural resources, but they were known for their troubled economic situations. Following admission to the union in 1959, Hawaii’s economy took off – quadrupling in size by 1989. In Alaska, personal income increased 80% by 1970, and the state became less dependent on the federal government. Today, both states boast unemployment rates and poverty levels below the national average.
Alaska and Hawaii have little in common aside from their admission as states in 1959, at which time they became full participants in American democracy and experienced measurable economic growth. It is not surprising that their Members of Congress have responded by working together – regardless of political party – to give Puerto Ricans the same opportunity.

via Puerto Rico Report by KG on 7/26/12
On July 18, 2012, Sgt. Jose J. Reyes, 24, of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, sacrificed his life for his country in Afghanistan when a vehicle he was riding in was struck by an explosive device.
The untimely death of Sgt. Reyes recalls the long tradition of honor and sacrifice by thousands of Puerto Ricans who have fought with distinction on behalf of the United States to advance democracy abroad – all while not experiencing full democracy at home. As First Circuit Judge Juan Toruella explained in a 2005 court case:
We cannot overlook, and in fact we should take judicial notice of, the many official actions of the United States in promoting democratic elections throughout the world – not the least of which is its support for the recently held national elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, places where thousands of U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico serve, at least twenty-five of whom have lost their lives in support of the rights of the citizens of those countries to vote. The situations in Iraq and Afghanistan present the further anomaly of two classes of U.S. citizens, both fighting and dying side by side, only one of which was able to vote for its Commander in Chief.
It is difficult to quanify the number of Puerto Ricans who have lost their lives fighting to bring democracy to Iraq and Afghanastan. In light of their extensive migration to the states, many native Puerto Ricans do not enlist for service until they are residents of a state. Back home in Puerto Rico, among family members and support groups, the toll of casualties is estimated to be close to 90.
Puerto Rican soldiers have fought in every major U.S. military conflict during the past century. Their service began upon being granted U.S. citizenship by an act of Congress on March 2, 1917, making Puerto Ricans eligible to serve in World War I. Few chose to do so. Two months later, President Wilson signed a compulsory military service act, and almost 20,000 Puerto Ricans were eventually drafted into the military.
In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in 1989, Jesus Hernandez Sanchez, counsel of the Puerto Rico Veterans Association, summarized Puerto Rican participation and sacrifice in service to the United States:
[Puerto Rico veterans] are very proud of their past performance; 18,000 Puerto Ricans served in the United States armed forces in the First World War; 65,000 the Second World War, out of which 23 died in action; 61,000 during the Korean War, out of which 371 died in action. More than 3,000 were wounded in Korea; 48,000 [fought] in the Vietnam War, out of which 342 died in action and 3,000 were wounded.
Four congressional medals have been bestowed upon our four brave Puerto Ricans, who in self sacrificing actions and with democratic devotion, have given their life backing up the American ideals of liberty and equality.
In sum, our legal position is that since 1917, Congress, as in the case of Alaska, had the intention of incorporating the territory of Puerto Rico to the United States when it granted to us the American citizenship.
  • For more information about the granting of U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans and related recruitment efforts for World War I click here.
  • For more information about the personal toll of Puerto Rican casualties in Iraq click here.
  • For commentary about the lack of democratic representation for Puerto Ricans despite their involvement in Iraq click here.

via Puerto Rico Report by hadeninteractive on 7/27/12
In 1899, Jose Celso Barbosa and a group of supporters founded Puerto Rico’s first political party dedicated to promoting statehood with the United States. At the time, he explained, “[w]e want and we ask for equality. Not colonial control or protection. We [support] the same ideal of the American union with equality in rights and in duties.”
Barbosa was born on July 27th, 1857, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. He went to New York in 1875 to attended prep school, learning English in a year and then studying medicine at the University of Michigan, where he was valedictorian of his class in 1880.
At that time, Puerto Rico belonged to Spain, and the government wouldn’t recognize Barbosa’s U.S. medical credentials. Only with assistance from the American consulate was Barbosa able to establish a medical practice in his home town.
In 1898, the United States attacked San Juan, and Barbosa was decorated by the Spanish for his bravery and medical service. Yet Barbosa had for some years been arguing for greater autonomy from Spain and sought to end Puerto Rico’s colonial status. The governmental model of the United States appealed to him, and Barbosa saw the change in sovereignty as an opportunity for Puerto Rico to gain a useful level of self-government — as a state in the United States.
The following year, Barbosa began his quest for statehood for Puerto Rico. From 1900 to 1917, Barbosa served as a member of the Cabinet in Puerto Rico. During this time, he worked for U.S. citizenship for Puerto Ricans, succeeding in 1917. He served in the Puerto Rican Senate from 1917 until his death in 1921.
While Barbosa is celebrated — and his birthday is an official holiday — largely because of his political work, he was also an active medical practitioner and public servant. He taught at the Athenaeum and worked to create quality public education. He developed a plan whereby employers could invest in their workers’ health care which was much like the employee insurance plans of today, and he founded the first Credit Union in the Western Hemisphere. He launched the first bilingual newspaper in Puerto Rico, El Tiempo, and was a regular columnist for it. In his day, Barbosa was known as a humanitarian and a visionary.
Barbosa also faced and overcame racial prejudice both in Puerto Rico and on the mainland. He was rejected by Columbia University due to his ethnicity. Objections to his medical practice upon his return to Puerto Rico were motivated, it is said, not so much by his American degree as by his ethnic heritage, which included African and American as well as European strains. Barbosa’s work for equality became his primary political as well as professional motivation. He wrote, “Puerto Rico aspires to reach all the rights granted by U.S. Citizenship, in the same method, in the same manner, under the same form, and under the full integrity as the one enjoyed by the residents of any of the regions that are called States of the American Union. To that we aspire, that is what we want, that is what we shall have.” (As quoted by Governor Fortuno in the House of Representatives)
You can Like Dr. Barbosa on Facebook and wish him a happy birthday!
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PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Review: 7/14/12 - 7/27/12

PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Review: 7/14/12 - 7/27/12: Puerto Rico Daily Sun  - Review: 7/14/12 - 7/27/12     Mike Nova's starred items (title unknown) via Puerto Rico ...
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Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Review: 7/14/12 - 7/27/12

Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Review: 7/14/12 - 7/27/12
 
 

via Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 7/27/12

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via Local News - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 7/14/12
By Nindi Méndez PagánNotiCel.comGov. Fortuño defended, though in different words, that strict rules should not be an obstacle to obtain justice. As follows from the Governor’s Friday statements, the justice system should be flexible enough to attain justice above other considerations, such as the right of bail, that in spite of serving as a guarantee to the presumption of innocence, delays judiciary processes thus lengthening victims’ suffering.“The criminal justice system is there to obtain justice, not to follow strict rules withing a square mode, not being flexible enough to do justice. The reason of being of the criminal justice system is to secure that justice is done.... Read More

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via Local News - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 7/15/12

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via Local News - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 7/20/12

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via Local News - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 7/23/12

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via Local News - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 7/25/12
The Daily Sun staffWashington, DC The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded over $2 million in federal funding for the Aids Drug Assistance Program on the Island, announced today Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi.“AIDS is an epidemic and these funds are critical to helping thousands of HIV/AIDS patients improve their health and quality of life, and access the medication they need. Every patient deserves the right medication and nobody wants to be on a waiting list. These funds help the local program enroll and serve more patients who are currently on the waiting list,” said Pierluisi.The Puerto Rico Department of Health will use the funds to provide... Read More
 

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via Local News - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 7/26/12
By Stefan AntonmatteiOf the Daily Sun staffsantonmattei@prdailysun.netHonoring the life of a 15-year old girl who was killed by a yet unknown criminal is full of irony, melancholy, and disbelief. Trying to explain a purpose, divine or other, behind such tragedy adds to the incomprehension.Karla Michelle Negrón Vélez was struck by a stray bullet in the back of her head on New Year’s Eve 2012. She spent 13 days in the intensive care unit of the Medical Center before dying as a consequence of the bullet. On Wednesday, San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini Padilla named the street and nearby park where Karla lived on Fajardo Street in Villa Palmeras, Santurce, the Karla Michelle Street and Park....
 

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via Local News - Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 7/27/12
By Manuel Ernesto RiveraNotiCelTwo agents of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived to the Institute of Forensic Science (ICF by its Spanish acronym) to interview family members of the pilot Francisco Bacó, who died Wednesday after his airplane crashed into San Juan Bay, some 1,500 feet short of the airstrip of the Isla Grande airport.The FAA agent Dennis Ortiz said that the agents brought to the ICF medical equipment to take from the cadaver toxicological samples which will be sent to the laboratories in the United States as part of the federal investigation into the fatal accident.“What we brought here are toxicological tests that that will be investigated in there. They are...
 

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via puerto rico - Google News on 7/26/12

Battling for Future Space Shuttle Program: Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico
Fox News
Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico are each offering millions of dollars-worth of incentives to attract Space X. Space Florida is even putting on the table world-famous launch pad 39A, from where the shuttles so often blasted off into space. "Right now ...

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PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico - Google News - Review: 7/24/12 - 7/26...

PUERTO RICO NEWS: Puerto Rico - Google News - Review: 7/24/12 - 7/26...: puerto rico - Google News  - Review: 7/24/12 - 7/26/12     Mike Nova's starred items Battling for Future Space Shutt...
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