2 Wednesday, July 13, The San Juan Daily Star

Transcription

1 2 Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The San Juan Daily Star

2 GOOD MORNING The San Juan Daily Star, the only paper with 3 July 13, 2016 News Service in English in Puerto Rico, publishes 7 days a week, with a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday edi on, along with a Weekend Edi on to cover Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Proposals Approved by Democratic Party Platform Committee Seen as Steps Toward Statehood Local Mainland Business Interna onal Viewpoint Fashion Entertainment INDEX No cias en Español Legal No ces Sports Games Horoscope Cartoons By JOHN McPHAUL jpmcphaul@gmail.com The delegate for Puerto Rico on the Democratic Party Platform Committee, Norma Burgos, said Tuesday the committee approved a number of proposals regarding Puerto Rico, including the ability to vote in presidential elections and a non-territorial solution to the status question. What was approved in the Democratic Platform Committee is an important step in the process of the decolonization of Puerto Rico and in achieving the equality that we long for, Burgos said in a written communique. She said the Platform Committee approved a series of commitments that include supporting permanent and non-territorial solutions for Puerto Rico, giving the presidential vote to Puerto Rico residents, achieving parity in Medicaid and Medicare programs for the benefit of families that reside on the island, establishing equality for residents of Puerto Rico as American citizens and allowing Puerto Ricans to vote for those officials who approve laws that affect Puerto Rico. As part of the discussion, a motion was made to include an amendment to indicate that the island has autonomy under the Commonwealth, but the measure failed. 47 Norma Burgos Burgos said the measures approved are not only an important step toward the decolonization of Puerto Rico, but also establish the environment in which Puerto Rico can achieve statehood. The theory of a developed Commonwealth was defeated. We were victorious, she said. Included in the original text was an amendment indicating that Puerto Ricans must have the capacity to vote for the people who approve their laws and must be treated in conditions equal to other American citizens. It is precisely what we have been claiming for decades as a right for all Puerto Ricans and the only way of electing our senators and represents to the federal Congress is to become the 51st state of the American nation. This is an important achievement in the struggle to achieve equality that only statehood guarantees us, Burgos said. For his part, New Progressive Party (NPP) President and gubernatorial candidate Ricardo Rosselló expressed pleasure with the proposals approved by the Democratic Party Platform Committee and indicated that he hopes that what was approved by the Committee does not only remain in words, but that affirmative steps are taken under the administration of Hillary Clinton to comply with these commitments, respecting the will of Puerto Ricans and achieving statehood. Rosselló said the commitments can only be achieved by making the island a state of the United States. The only permanent option that permits a vote for president and those elected officials who approve laws that affect Puerto Ricans, and [ensures] equal treatment for the American citizens who reside in Puerto Rico, is statehood, he said. What was approved is nothing more than establishing mechanisms so that Puerto Rico is made into a state. This is an important step, and together with the affirmative actions that we are going to take here, I have no doubt that we will achieve this equality that only statehood gives us.

3 4 Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The San Juan Daily Star PREPA Union Chief Alleges Privatization Plan By JOHN McPHAUL Ángel Figueroa Jaramillo Union of Electrical Industry and Irrigation Workers (UTIER) President Ángel Figueroa Jaramillo alleged Tuesday that the subcontracting of services announced by the management of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is part of a strategic privatization plan for the public corporation. The only objective of the plan is to provoke an even greater crisis that justifies giving ever more areas of the public service to private enterprise, which, he said, would make energy costs ever more expensive, reported Inter News Service. PREPA indicates that it wants to strengthen the private sector areas such as the center for telephone services, the light machine shops and maintenance shops, after they have gone about dismantling these same areas with their policies of austerity and unmeasured savings to pay creditors, Figueroa Jaramillo said. The union leader said PREPA debt negotiator Lisa Donahue told him that the days of the union are numbered. On May 15, 2015 we had a meeting at UTIER headquarters with Lisa Donahue to present alternatives for the situation of the Authority. One week later her answer was to eliminate a large part of the collective bargaining agreement, Figueroa Jaramillo said at a press conference. We told her that she would have to kill us to give up the collective agreement. She responded that I m not going to kill you, you are going to kill yourselves. The union leader added that since 2011, and as recently as last March, UTIER presented proposals to Executive Director Javier Quintana to mitigate the impact of the retirement of 1,157 employees who have 35 years or more of service. One of these proposals, he said, was the contracting of emergency employees, as provided for in the collective bargaining agreement in force. These employees would have lower salaries and fewer benefits than the regular workers. [Quintana] ignored the recommendations that we made for the good of the public corporation. For that reason, his negligent irresponsibility demonstrates once again that he should be fired or resign from his post, Figueroa Jaramillo said, adding that neither Quintana nor any other director of PREPA has discussed the subcontracting plans with UTIER. The union leader referred to statements Quintana made Tuesday morning in an a radio interview with WKAQ 580 in which he recognized that private companies capable of maintaining electrical lines do not exist in Puerto Rico. So, Figueroa Jaramillo said, public funds will be used to create and train private companies to perform, at greater expense, tasks that are usually the job of UTIER workers. On Monday, Quintana said in a public hearing in the island Senate that to bring the line maintenance program up to date, which is three years behind schedule, would cost at least $100 million. Figueroa Jaramillo said that $100 million would be used to create private companies and train their personnel. He said it would be municipalities that would create many of those companies. García Padilla Says Fiscal Challenges Far From Over Puerto Rico could be shut out of debt markets for another two years as it battles with fiscal challenges, Gov. Alejandro García Padilla said on Tuesday. García Padilla said emergency fiscal measures were not sustainable and that Puerto Rico will not endure any more austerity. He criticized legislation allowing the federal government to appoint a control board for undercutting self-government but said it would help the island, which recently declared an historic default, confront its fiscal problems. Our challenges are not over and prosperity will not return overnight, he told an event at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

4 The San Juan Daily Star Wednesday, July 13, Five Casa Cuna Employees Face Termination in Toddler s Drowning Death By JOHN McPHAUL jpmcphaul@gmail.com San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto announced Tuesday the dismissal of four employees of La Casa Cuna de San Juan and one from the municipal Emergency Management Department in relation to the death by drowning last July 4 of four-year-old Emiliana del Valle Colón. The mayor said the Municipality of San Juan must establish responsibility for the tragic incident given that on July 7 a civil suit for more than $1 million was filed against the municipality on the part of parents and grandparents of the minor, according to CyberNews. There is no legal strategy nor political consideration that can be considered when such a painful situation as this is involved, said Cruz Soto, trying to contain her emotions before announcing the sanctions. She said the deputy director of La Casa Cuna would be fired Tuesday when she received a letter of termination of employment, while the formulation of administrative charges and notification of dismissal will begin against the supervisor of caregivers, the section supervisor and the caregiver of the girl. In addition, Emergency Management will proceed to formulate administrative charges and notification of intent to dismiss for the auxiliary director. In total, there are four managers and one union member who are the object of the findings and the pertinent disciplinary actions, said Cruz Soto, who limited herself to reading a statement of a little more than five pages. The mayor thanked commonwealth Family Secretary Idalia Colón Rondón for her rigor and integrity in conducting the investigation into the incident at La Casa Cuna. The visits to Casa Cuna by members of the Family Department are continuous, as they should be, the mayor said. To give you an idea, in the month of May of this year, Casa Cuna received 55 visits from Family Department personnel for various actions at Casa Cuna. Also in June, there were 38 visits. Cruz Soto said officials will continue to work together to improve any situation for the benefit of our children. No words of condolence, no disciplinary action, no quantity of money can return the life of Emiliana del Valle Colón, she said, adding that nothing in the investigation showed any express intent to do harm on the part of the five people mentioned. The employees found themselves involved in a series of events that resulted in the death of an innocent girl, she said. The death, without reason, of any human being is a tragedy; and if this human being is a boy or girl with their whole life ahead of them, it is a tragedy that creates pain that is almost unbearable, she said. She called on her municipal colleagues at all levels to use situations such as this to redouble our efforts in the execution of our responsibilities. No Review of Taxi Fare Rates on the Near Horizon, Gov t Says By MARIA MIRANDA SIERRA mirandasanjuanstar@gmail.com Puerto Rico Tourism Co. (PRTC) Director Ingrid Rivera said Tuesday that she is leaving the door open to reviewing island taxi rates after the arrival of the international ride-booking service Uber, although no re-evaluation is being contemplated for now. This is the market that exists today with the tourist taxi, Rivera said in a radio interview with NotiUno. Obviously it doesn t preclude our looking at that opportunity [to review taxi fares], but at this moment it s not being contemplated. It doesn t mean ruling out the opportunity for re-evaluation given the situation with competitiveness. She explained that fare rates for taxis have for years been analyzed based on costs and needs including mileage and gasoline prices. According to the website Taxi Fare Finder, the estimated cost of a taxi from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport to Old San Juan is $ From the airport to Fajardo the estimated cost is $74.44, and from the airport to Ponce the cost is $144.19, according to a CyberNews report. Meanwhile, the data offered by Uber reflects a basic rate of 70 cents while the cost per mile is 50 cents. In addition, the company charges a 45 cent fee for each minute of the duration of the trip. The minimum fare would be $3. Public Service Commission (CSP by its Spanish acronym) Ingrid Rivera President Omar Negrón made the recommendation to the PRTC that they revise the taxi rates so that they can be more competitive with the Uber fees. Uber began offering transportation services free of charge on Monday as a way of introducing the service on the island. Puerto Rico, your Uber has arrived, the San Franciscobased company announced Monday on its mobile application. And it s free. Starting at 10 a.m. Monday, you can move around with Uber and, in addition, because we are celebrating our arrival, all trips are free. Thousands of drivers reportedly signed on to partner with Uber ahead of the launch. The CSP went to court in San Juan afternoon against Uber on Monday, seeking a cease and desist order until the company complies with the corresponding permits required by law. Meanwhile, Uber also went to court against the CSP and the island government alleging obstruction of technological and economic development. San Juan Superior Court Judge Ángel Pagán Ocasio dismissed Uber s request and set a preliminary and permanent injunction and cease and desist hearing for Thursday at 10 a.m. Rivera, meanwhile, defended the three fines issued to Uber drivers on Monday for picking up passengers at Muñoz Marín Airport. She explained that the drivers were fined because the Tourism Transportation Law establishes that passengers can not be picked up at the airport or at the ports in vehicles that are not in compliance with Tourism Co. permits. She added that they will continue to issue fines as deemed necessary. Rivera said there is room on the island for the services offered by Uber, but it is important that they comply with the permits required to operate. The main objective is avoiding what can amount to a disadvantage for existing tourism drivers, she said.

5 6 Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The San Juan Daily Star Officials Urge Thoughtful Deliberation in Aerial Spraying Debate By MARIA MIRANDA SIERRA State Agency for Emergency Management and Administration of Disasters (AEMEAD by its Spanish acronym) Executive Director Ángel Crespo on Tuesday defended aerial spraying of the insecticide Naled while acknowledging the dangers of the chemical substance. It s a chemical that if applied incorrectly could have awful consequences for the [person] applying it or where it is being applied if it is not applied as indicated by the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], Crespo said in a radio interview with NotiUno. Crespo also justified the fact that Gov. Alejandro García Padilla is taking his time in making a decision on whether to order aerial fumigation using Naled. Ultimately, it is up to García Padilla to decide whether to implement aerial spraying, which would be conducted and paid for by the U.S. government. Crespo said a decision has not been made yet. The governor of Puerto Rico is analyzing it, Crespo noted. What is important here is not Naled, what is important is that the people of Puerto Rico raise their level of awareness about what the Zika disease is. At the end of the day, if the governor decides to apply Naled or not to apply Naled, I think that Ángel Crespo Naled has allowed us to have a discussion about the disease [Zika] that we hadn t had before, Crespo said. He said he is seeking not to promote a particular strategy, but rather immediate action, as he pointed out that seven out 10 people don t realize they have the Zika virus. It is the first time for a disease that is transmitted by a mosquito bite and at the same by sexual transmission, he added. Although he acknowledged that aerial fumigation is not the only measure, the increase in cases has grown so much that what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are suggesting is to take a tactical measure to put a stop to the increase in cases. Regarding that, of the products that are being analyzed, the mosquito in Puerto Rico has developed resistance to many of them, Crespo added. There are many conflicting interests here, from many sectors, and that is why a decision has not yet been made, and I think that Naled has been proposed to establish a tactical measure. Meanwhile, Dana Miró, Puerto Rico director of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), said aerial spraying, if implemented, will partly be a consequence of citizens not paying attention to the preventive measures for avoiding the spread of the Zika virus. People are ignoring the message we are sending, she said. If they were [paying attention to the message], we would probably not be even evaluating this today. Miró added that as in the majority of cases Zika doesn t show symptoms, citizens are not taking the preventive measures. Commonwealth Health Department Epidemiologist Brenda Rivera said the recommendation being made to the governor is to seriously consider using Naled in a program of aerial spraying. What we are consistently seeing is an increase [in Zika cases], Rivera said. The rainy season just started. Imagine what is waiting for us come September and October, which are the months of greater rain intensity Crespo said that even with all the government efforts to fight the reproduction of the mosquito that causes the Zika virus, they haven t been enough. Our conclusion is that the efforts we have carried out have had a degree of impact, but definitely not enough, Crespo added. The proposal that is in dispute [aerial spraying of Naled] if applied correctly could create a level of control. Rosselló Meeting With Credit-Rating Agencies in New York A. ZEPEDA REALTY COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES MANAGEMENT INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY Please Contact Atilio Zepeda Lic. # atiliozepedarealty@gmail.com By The STAR Staff As part of a strategy to achieve the recovery of confidence in Puerto Rico, New Progressive Party (NPP) candidate for governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares traveled to New York on Tuesday for a series of meetings with officials from various credit-rating agencies, NPP Secretary General William Villafañe announced. Meetings with representatives of the principal credit-rating agencies form part of the measures that [the NPP] president has begun immediately, to begin the transition toward the stability of finances and the recovery of the island, Villafañe said. The meetings form part of the initiatives by Rosselló aimed at Puerto Rico recovering the confidence of the financial markets, in the wake of historic defaults on payments of the island s $70-plus billion debt load, according to a statement released by the NPP. Dr. Rosselló will hold meetings with high-ranking officials of the credit evaluator Fitch Ratings, in New York, Villafañe said. He will also meet with officials from Moody s The NPP official contrasted Rosselló s scheduled meetings with press reports on Tuesday that the García Padilla administration contracted financial consultants for more than $250 million whose result was the certification of the bankruptcy of the commonwealth. To this figure of $250 million in questionable contracts for financial consulting, we have to add over $135 million in contracts for financial consulting in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, whose result has been an increase in the cost of electrical energy services, the NPP official said. With the confirmation of this waste of public funds for consulting services, which did not prevent the bankruptcy of the government, Popular Democratic Party [gubernatorial] candidate David Bernier has said absolutely nothing coherent regarding his participation in this government. Villafañe said Bernier was not only the second in command in the failed government of Alejandro García Padilla, but through the designation of the governor, he was in charge of economic development and supervising government reorganization.

6 The San Juan Daily Star Wednesday, July 13,

7 8 Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The San Juan Daily Star Medical Cannabis Seminars Slated for This Weekend By MARIA MIRANDA SIERRA In May 2015, Gov. Alejandro García Padilla signed an executive order legalizing the use of medical marijuana or cannabis and its byproducts for a number of conditions, and announced that thousands of patients in Puerto Rico would benefit from the executive action, which ordered commonwealth Health Secretary Ana Ríus to authorize the medical use of the cannabis plant. The executive order cited various studies conducted in the mainland U.S. that show the therapeutic value of cannabis and its byproducts. The treatment would help ease the pain of thousands of local patients suffering from an array of diseases for which studies have proven that the medical use of cannabis is in fact helpful in treatment. The governor said when he signed the executive order that investigations have proven that the use of cannabis for medical purposes helps alleviate the pain caused by multiple sclerosis, the AIDS virus, glaucoma, Alzheimer s and Parkinson s Disease and migraines, among other diseases that often don t respond to other traditional treatments. During the past two years, the issue of medical cannabis has evolved and Puerto Rico will become an example to be followed, as it will soon begin to legally regulate the certifications and procedures used to implement it, the Medcan Foundation announced in a written statement Tuesday. The Medcan Foundation is the company that is organizing the educational and certification process for the licensing of doctors, professionals, entrepreneurs and others interested in working in the medical cannabis industry. The first graduates will obtain their certification on Saturday at the La Concha Hotel, at the end of the first of several seminars designed to train and certify participants. Although there are already some existing organizations dedicated to educating professionals in various states in the U.S. or in countries like Canada, it s a great step for Puerto Rico to establish a structure that serves as a model for other places, avoiding possible conflicts related to regulations and handling of medical cannabis, for physicians as well as for patients and entrepreneurs, reads the statement issued by the Medcan Foundation. According to the company, tests have shown that the contributions and benefits of medical cannabis have exceeded the conflicts. Before the United States federal government, compelling evidence has been presented that validates its effectiveness, and it will be Puerto Rico that will jointly start a formal education of professionals and all the participants in this new industry, the news release adds. As part of the content of the programmed seminars, the Health Department s Regulation Number 8766 as amended will be discussed. This regulation has also been approved by the island State Department, the news release states. The first seminar on Saturday will be offered in the Convention Room at La Concha from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The seminar is directed to all doctors and health professionals and other professionals outside the medical branch who wish to participate. However, only physicians will receive the certification required to obtain the official license for prescribing or recommending medical cannabis to patients with certain conditions authorized by the Health Department. The course will carry a six-hour contact requirement and will include lunch and parking. The cost of the course will be $400 per person. The second seminar will be held Sunday, also at La Concha, and is directed at those people interested in the operational areas of the medical cannabis industry, such as growers, budtenders, cutters, chefs, lab analysts, chemists and security staff, among others. The goal of the second seminar is to provide participants with the information and certifications needed to obtain the occupational and cultivation license. This course will have an eight-hour contact requirement and also includes lunch and parking. The cost is $350 per person. PRFAA Logs Over $2 Million in Savings By The STAR Staff As established by existing governmental statutes and regulations, the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) Director Juan E. Hernández Mayoral on Tuesday delivered to Puerto Rico Treasury Secretary Juan Zaragoza a check in the amount of $500,000, consisting of the savings generated by the PRFAA. This is in addition to savings of public funds generated so far in the past four years, totaling $2,026, The PRFAA operated with an assigned budget of $3.8 million during Fiscal Year , which ended June 30. The amount returned represents savings of 13 percent during that fiscal year. Currently, PRFAA has an assigned budget of $3.3 million, of which amount $3.1 is assigned for the operation of the main office in Washington, D.C., and the regional office in New York. The remaining amount of $200,000 is assigned to the regional office in Florida. This represents a reduction of $6.7 million in contrast with assignments under past administrations, where the PR- FAA budget reached up to $10 million. Since I was entrusted by the Governor to this position, I adopted a policy of austerity to reduce expenses in the Agency, Hernández said. We renegotiated the D.C. office s lease agreement, reducing the monthly rent by percent, professional consultants services by percent, and the payroll of trust employees by percent, compared to June of The results of these adjustments generated over $2 million dollars in savings that we returned to Puerto Rico s Treasury. Puerto Rico Treasury Secretary Juan Zaragoza, left, and PRFAA Director Juan E. Hernández Mayoral