Thursday, November 12, The San Juan Daily Star

Transcription

1 2 Thursday, November 12, 2015 The San Juan Daily Star

2 GOOD MORNING The San Juan Daily Star, the only paper with 3 November 12, 2015 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. Island Veterans Saluted for Most Obvious Exemplification of Dedication to Democracy Local Mainland Business Interna onal Viewpoint Cinema Movies INDEX No cias en Español Legal No ces Sports Games Horoscope Cartoons By MARIA MIRANDA SIERRA mirandasanjuanstar@gmail.com Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi was one of the main speakers on Wednesday at the island s official Veterans Day observance, in which he described military service as the most obvious example of dedication and service to our democracy and our freedom. The event was held at the Luis Muñoz Rivera public square in the northern coastal town of Arecibo. Pierluisi participated in the official acts after accepting the invitation from the hosts of the event, Arecibo Mayor Carlos Rodríguez Molina, New Progressive Party Reps. José Aponte, Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló and Veterans Advocate Agustín Montañes. It is imperative that we always have in mind the work that our veterans did to defend the worthy ideal of democratic equality upon which our American nation was founded, Pierluisi said. That U.S. democratic tradition is fundamental to the nation of which we form a part and whose relationship we aspire to perfect. We must never take for granted what our veterans have done for us. The resident commissioner said honoring our veterans is our moral responsibility, not only today on Veterans Day, but every day. We must never forget that we enjoy freedom thanks to the service that our veterans have provided. We must never forget that we sleep in peace at night because there is a soldier standing guard, he said. We must never forget that thousands of Puerto Rican brothers and sisters have been willing to put their lives in danger to protect ours. That is what our veterans have done for us. That is service. That is patriotism. That is values. This year, the official Veterans Day activity was dedicated to veterans of the Vietnam War, a conflict whose wounds, the resident commissioner said, still remain unhealed in the hearts of many veterans. In his message, Pierluisi paid special tribute to Puerto Ricans who rendered service in Vietnam, highlighting the Puerto Ricans who received honors for their heroic acts. The Vietnam War was a historic moment that divided national public opinion but, regardless of what anyone may think about the Vietnam War, the service rendered by more than 40,000 Puerto Ricans in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces is cause for great pride for Puerto Rico, Pierluisi said. As a representative of each and every one of the American citizens of Puerto Rico, I am proud to pay tribute to those brave veterans, and honor the memory of those who gave their lives in that faraway land to serve our democracy. He added that all Puerto Ricans who served in Vietnam are worthy of this recognition. In the archives of history they are well represented by some who received notable awards including the Congressional Medal of Honor for their actions during the Vietnam War, such as Sgt. Carlos Lozada of Caguas, Capt. Euripides Rubio of Ponce, whose name graces the Veterans Clinic in Ponce, Capt. Humberto Roque, specialist Héctor Santiago of Salinas, in whose honor Camp Santiago was named, and Sgt. Félix Conde Falcón of Juncos, who was recently recognized with the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House on March 18. Continues on page 4

3 4 Thursday, November 12, 2015 The San Juan Daily Star From page 3 Furthermore, the most decorated soldier from all U.S. Armed Forces in in the Vietnam conflict was Puerto Rican First Class Sgt. Jorge Otero Barreto, of Vega Baja, who participated in 200 U.S. Army combat missions, Pierluisi added. The resident commissioner described his work as a fight for veterans so they can receive the same or better treatment than that received by veterans in any state of the Union. He also spoke about his work with veterans and their families. During my tenure as resident commissioner, I have dedicated my entire body and soul to fight for veterans, and have had great achievements for them. In the past seven years, the Veterans Administration has allocated more funds for services to veterans in Puerto Rico than ever before in our history, Pierluisi said. Projects have materialized at the Veterans Hospital in San Juan at its parking, outpatient clinics around the island, including a clinic in Ponce for which I continue fighting and which will be twice as large and offer more and better services for our veterans in the southwest of Puerto Rico so they don t have to travel to San Juan. He also said he hopes that early next year the preparation and dedication process of the Gold Congressional Medal of the 65th Infantry Regiment, the Borinqueneers, will be granted. This congressional action, although it has taken a long time, honors the Borinqueneers, and all Puerto Ricans are proud of them, Pierluisi said. Besides, I am still vigilant before the claims of poor services that have been made against the Veterans Hospital in San Juan, as well as several other veterans hospitals in the U.S. I am, and will continue to be in constant communication with senior officials at the Department to ensure that our demands are met and that the deficiencies are overcome, Pierluisi said. It is imperative that our veterans receive the same or better treatment than that received by veterans in any state of the Union, because if at war they were equal, then when they return home they should also be equal. They have earned it. The resident commissioner concluded his message with a tribute to military service and urged everyone to express their gratitude to veterans. There are not enough words to express the gratitude we feel toward our veterans, so it is essential that we demonstrate it with our actions, he said. I invite all of the people of Puerto Rico to show their appreciation every time they have the honor and joy of being in front of one of our heroes, one of our veterans. Officials Call Attention to Unequal Treatment of Veterans in PR By MARIA MIRANDA SIERRA mirandasanjuanstar@gmail.com Veterans Advocate Agustín Montañes on Wednesday lamented that the economic crisis in Puerto Rico has limited veterans purchasing power, forcing them to resort to applying for public assistance to survive. Obviously right now we have an economic problem on the island. One is seeing how the economy is being affected in different areas, Montañes said in a radio interview. Veterans are a reflection of the society, just as you see people in general complaining that their purchasing power has diminished, that they have much less money to purchase their products, well the same thing is happening to veterans. He said veterans are now seeking all available resources in order to boost their family incomes. Among these resources [they] are seeking pensions, looking for their compensation. Often they felt like they had stability and that it wasn t necessary to seek such help, Montañes added. We also can see an increase in the use of the Veterans Hospital, because obviously they are seeking service that will be much cheaper. Montañes made his comments before the official Veteran Day s ceremony got started at the Luis Muñoz Rivera public square in Arecibo. As a participant in the Arecibo observances, New Progressive Party (NPP) Rep. José Aponte called on President Barack Obama to treat Puerto Rican veterans with justice and equality in terms of better and more medical services, the construction of a second Veterans Hospital on the island and parity in the benefits received by veterans on the island with respect to those received by their comrades in the mainland U.S. Today our nation commemorates Veterans Day, which was established as a tribute to the men and women who participated in the Great War, the first global conflict in history, Aponte said. This event also marked the first time that Puerto Ricans fought alongside men from all the states of the Union. The lawmaker added that it is sad to say that a century later, American citizens living in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico and who participate in the U.S. Armed Forces have been treated unequally since According to official Department of Defense data, the number of Puerto Ricans who enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I ( ) was close to 230,000. Out of that number, some 17,500 saw active combat in Europe, Aponte noted. Despite having a current population of more than 200,000 veterans, the island only has one hospital to care for those veterans, Aponte said. Despite a current need to build another facility, the U.S. Congress has yet to approve the funds to begin the work.

4 The San Juan Daily Star Thursday, November 12, Calderón Joins Hernández Colón s Stand-Down Request to Acevedo Vilá By EVA LLORENS VELEZ llorenseva4@gmail.com Former Gov. Sila Calderón on Wednesday agreed with remarks made by former Gov. Rafael Hernández Colón, who told former Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá to refrain from openly criticizing the efforts of the current administration to handle the fiscal crisis. Hernández Colón said former governors should give constructive opinions on the issues affecting the island, but should not partake in public criticism. Acevedo Vilá said the government should discontinue putting more burdens on the working class and should sue the federal government to act on Puerto Rico. The U.S. Treasury recently offered a series of proposals to help Puerto Rico, but noted that its hands were tied because they depended on Congress to approve them. I totally agree, Calderón said during a press conference where she announced a Christmas concert to benefit the Center for Puerto Rico of the foundation that bears her name. Calderón, however, declined to broaden her comments, making it clear that she was not going to talk about politics because she was in a holiday mood. The concert for the Center for Puerto Rico of the Sila Calderón Foundation is slated for Dec. 6 and will feature the songs of Glenn Monroig, Victoria Sanabria, Charlie Aponte, Alberto Carrión, Ángel Cucco Peña and the Puerto Rico Philharmonic Orchestra. The former governor did not refrain totally from speaking about public issues when asked how the island government should deal with poverty when the factors of out-migration and unemployment are worsening the fiscal crisis. Calderón announced that many top nonprofit organizations, including her foundation, will join forces o deal with the issues affecting the island. She noted that eradicating poverty and inequality require long-term action. It requires a concerted effort beyond ideological lines and our country has a lot of ideological divisions, she said. Political divisions sometimes prevent us from focusing on important programs and projects to help people get out of poverty and reduce the level of inequality. Puerto Rico is ranked third in the world in terms of social inequality, with a high percentage of wealth in the hands of the top two or three percent of the population. This country needs unity of purpose, Calderon said. Partisan politics does a lot of harm.

5 6 Thursday, November 12, 2015 The San Juan Daily Star PREPA Revitalization Bill Passes Yet Another Cost to Customers By EVA LLORENS VELEZ The proposed Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) revitalization bill will pass on to consumers the costs of the contribution in lieu of taxes, or CELI, paid to the 78 municipalities as well as other subsidies, which are estimated to be $800 million, according to the Energy Commission. The cost will be on top of planned hike to electricity rates and the inclusion of the costs of financing the restructuring of the utility s $9 billion debt. The CELI is currently paid using revenues obtained by PREPA. The current law states that PREPA must set aside 11 percent of its gross income to pay for fuel as well as to cover subsidies and the CELI. The proposed bill would amend the formula to calculate the costs of the subsidies and the CELI. Specifically, the bill would create a separate charge to cover the costs of subsidies and the CELI. The accumulated costs of the CELI are $425 million as of The annual costs of the CELI and other subsidies, meanwhile, total around $350 million. In other words, for this fiscal year 2015, and starting with the new rate structure, PREPA will be including as part of the calculation to determine this charge, around $800 million to consumers, Energy Commission Chairman Agustín Carbó said. He also noted that the bill eliminates from Law 57, the Energy Reform, dispositions that gave municipalities incentives to save energy. All municipalities are supposed to reduce their energy consumption by 5 percent to earn a higher contribution. Governor Open to Amendments to PREPA Revitalization Bill By EVA LLORENS VELEZ llorenseva4@gmail.com Gov. Alejandro García Padilla on Wednesday said he was open to amending the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) revitalization bill to ensure the powers of the Energy Commission in approving electricity rates are not undermined. García Padilla urged the Legislature to pass the bill as soon as possible but not to neglect the responsibility that is necessary to evaluate each page of the bill and to ensure that haste does not negatively affect the bill. He also said he may convene a special session to pass the bill, which needs to be approved by Nov. 20. No one has said that it needs to be approved before the end of the session, the governor said. The last day of the session to pass bills is today. The measure already says that it does not affect the Commission, but García Padilla said that if lawmakers want to clarify the language, he has no problem. The measure contends that elected officials cannot intervene in the decisions of PREPA. Once I sign the bill into law, the political intervention in PREPA must end, the governor said. The legislation will, among other things, create a corporation to be in charge of the securitization process that will be used to pay the debt, whose costs of financing and transition will be passed on to consumers. The Energy Commission, the island s independent energy industry regulator, will have 60 days to evaluate the proposed electricity rate. If the Commission does not finish the evaluation in 60 days, the rate will go into effect as a provisional rate and the panel will have 30 additional days to evaluate it. If the Commission does not approve it in 90 days, it will become final. PREPA last week sealed a Restructuring Support Agreement (RSA) with fuel-line lenders and a group of bondholders and banks. It still has to negotiate with monoline insurance groups. The RSA also calls on lawmakers to approve by Nov. 20 an acceptable form of the proposed legislation, which is to be fine-tuned to make way for the utility s negotiated recovery plan.

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7 8 Thursday, November 12, 2015 The San Juan Daily Star Gov t Revenues Outpacing Previous Fiscal Year s by 4.6% By The STAR Staff Commonwealth Treasury Secretary Juan Zaragoza announced Wednesday that net revenues recorded in the Puerto Rico government General Fund in October totaled $626 million. Fiscal year (FY) 2016 revenues were approximately $2.57 billion, some $112.6 million, or 4.6 percent, above revenues when compared to the same time last year. The Treasury secretary noted that actual revenues reached 99.7 percent of the original revenue estimates, while sales and use tax (IVU by its Spanish acronym) collections in October totaled $180.9 million, a $66.9 million increase year-over-year. Total revenues for October 2015 are not totally comparable to those from October 2014, Zaragoza noted. In October 2014, the Treasury Department received approximately $102.9 million in non-recurring revenues ($90.6 million from individuals and $12.3 million from corporations) associated with Act 77 of 2014, which granted a temporary period during which certain transactions, such as those involving Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), retirement plans and other capital assets, could be prepaid. If last year s revenues were adjusted for comparative purposes only, this year s revenues would exceed last year s, Zaragoza said in a written statement. As for the performance of the different categories, the IVU registered $180.9 million in October, approximately $66.9 million more than in October Year-to-date IVU revenues for FY 2016 were approximately $703.9 million, which is a year-overyear increase of $252 million, or 56 percent. From this amount, $247.6 million corresponds to the 4.5 percent rate increase. The year-to-date IVU revenues of $703.9 million are allocated as follows: $456.3 million of fiscal yearto-date IVU revenues were allocated to the Puerto Rico Sales Tax Financing Corp. (COFINA by its Spanish acronym) for debt service payments, and $247.6 million to the General Fund, pursuant to Act , as amended. Corporate taxes registered both upward and downward changes in October. Specifically, corporate income tax revenues increased by $17.4 million. This is notable, as $12.3 million in corporate income taxes were collected as non-recurring revenues related to Act 77 in October The non-resident withholdings registered a $26.8 million decrease, which includes royalties in the use of manufacturing patents, which are mainly attributed to the fact that a corporation made a non-recurring payment in October Foreign excise tax collections for the month were $116.6 million, representing a $20.8 million decrease from the same month of the previous year. This was due to the fact that two corporations reached the cap for this tax for calendar year Contrary to October of last year, one of these corporations did not make the payment this month because it had reached the cap in September. The other corporation paid only the amount needed to reach the cap, which represented a lower amount for the month than the amount last year. Regarding consumption excise taxes, alcoholic beverages increased by $1.9 million in October. Motor vehicle excise taxes registered a $17.3 million decrease in October, and year-to-date revenues registered a $39.5 million decline. This can be attributed to two factors, the main one being that a number of corporations claimed approximately $30 million in tax credits, and the second factor is that there was a reduction in sales. Cigarette excise tax revenues totaled $15 million. From that total, $5.7 million was accounted as transfers to different non-budgetary funds by virtue of various laws. 521 Fernández Juncos, Avenida Puerta de Tierra Tel Horario: lun a dom de 11:00 am a 11:00 pm

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9 10 Thursday, November 12, 2015 The San Juan Daily Star English-First Advocate Blasts Carson for Endorsing PR Statehood By EVA LLORENS VELEZ U.S. English Chairman Mauro E. Mujica on Wednesday criticized Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson for endorsing statehood for Puerto Rico because most people on the island speak very little English, according to remarks published on its webpage. Mujica urged all other potential presidential nominees to support English as the official language. English is one of the two official languages of Puerto Rico. During a convention organized by gubernatorial candidate Ricardo Rosselló, Carson said he would be incredibly honored and delighted to support Puerto Rico statehood, noting that the commonwealth is very strategically located and suggesting that given the threat of terrorism, statehood would mean added unity for the United States. He also said having Puerto Rico join the Union would strengthen the United States. Mujica in a statement said that contrary to Carson s suggestion, declaring Puerto Rico the 51st state would be detrimental to our sense of national unity. An overwhelming majority of residents of Puerto Rico speak Spanish and nearly 85 percent of residents are of limited English proficiency, meaning they would struggle to carry on a basic conversation in English, he said. Without a common means of communication, a nation cannot prosper and residents remain separated by linguistic divisions. Furthermore, he said, Puerto Rico faces $72 billion in debt and a poverty rate of nearly 50 percent. Rather than taking on the added burden of a non-english-speaking state, Dr. Carson would do well to encourage the United States to adopt a national language policy with English at its core as our common, shared language, Mujica said. When armed with a firm grasp of English, the language of global commerce, residents of the United States are placed on the path to success. On this path, residents will be more likely to secure a better, higher paying job that will contribute to a stronger economy. Puerto Ricans have voted several times on the issue of statehood. At least half of the population has never wanted to become a state of the United States. Right now, they have the best deal: they are American citizens, and they have their own independent country [sic], Mujica said. I urge Dr. Carson -- and all potential presidential nominees -- to support a stronger United States economy by way of recognizing the unifying power of English as the official language. New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a native of Bayamón, also slammed Carson s call for Puerto Rico to become the 51st state, albeit for very different reasons. Good luck with that, Mark-Viverito who has backed Puerto Rican independence told the New York Daily News on Tuesday, referring to Carson s declaration that if he becomes president, he would work for statehood. I do not believe in statehood for Puerto Rico. It s a very complicated process. And I don t think that he would be the best spokesperson. Congress Passes Transportation Reauthorization That Boosts PR Highway Funds by $8 Million By MARIA MIRANDA SIERRA mirandasanjuanstar@gmail.com The U.S. House of Representatives has approved the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015, which would reauthorize all federal highway and transit programs for six years, Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi announced Wednesday. The legislation includes a provision -- supported by Pierluisi -- that would increase the annual allocation for the Puerto Rico Highway Program by some $8 million. If enacted into law, this would raise funding for the program from the current $150 million to $158 million. These federal funds are made available every year by the U.S. Department of Transportation to the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority (PRHTA) an umbrella agency within the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP by its Spanish acronym). The funding is used to improve roads and bridges throughout the island. The $8 million increase we secured in the House bill for the Puerto Rico Highway Program would help the PRH- TA execute more projects each year, Pierluisi said. At the same time, I remain concerned about the slow pace at which the PRHTA is accessing federal highway funds that are already available. The PRHTA needs to do a much better job of utilizing already available federal funds to improve infrastructure and create construction and related jobs. The resident commissioner said leaders in the U.S. House and Senate will now work over the next few weeks to reconcile their respective versions of this legislation, given that the Senate passed a different version earlier this year. The bill in the U.S. Senate -- where Puerto Rico has no representation -- would make no change in the amount available for the Puerto Rico Highway Program, Pierluisi said. Also included in the legislation is a reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). Pierluisi has been part of a coalition of Republicans and Democrats in the House advocating for reauthorization of the Bank, which provides direct loans, loan guarantees and credit insurance to international buyers of U.S.-manufactured products. In 2015 to date, EXIM has supported nearly $18 million in exports from 19 different companies in Puerto Rico, 16 of which are small businesses located in the towns of Barceloneta, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Guayanilla, Hormigueros, Juncos, Salinas, San Juan, Toa Baja and Yabucoa. The largest financing support provided this year by EXIM was for $6.5 million in export purchases from Schnitzer Puerto Rico Inc. in Salinas. Other EXIM financing assistance for purchases over $1 million supported Air Master Awning Inc. in Barceloneta, B&B Manufacturing Corp. in Bayamon,Fortiflex Inc. and Indusa Industrial Supplies Inc. in San Juan, Olein Recovery Corp. in Yabucoa, and Southern Wood Treating Inc. in Guayanilla, Pierluisi added. Both federal transportation programs and EXIM financing help create and sustain jobs in Puerto Rico, Pierluisi said. Investments in our transportation infrastructure improve our quality of life, help our economy grow, and create an attractive environment in which to do business. In addition, Pierluisi is supporting legislation being advocated by Rep. Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, that would establish a pilot program enabling states and territories to trade toll credits. Pierluisi is a co-sponsor of the standalone bill, H.R. 2172, which would establish this program, and he is working to include it in the final transportation legislation that will be sent to President Obama to become law. If the program were to be established, the PRHTA could sell a portion of its $700 million in accumulated toll credits to willing states in exchange for cash. That cash, in turn, could be put to use for any number of priorities, not simply transportation projects. Last year, the PRHTA was awarded over $700 million in toll credits reflecting the revenues it has collected from multiple toll roads around the island, and then invested it back into the highway system, Pierluisi said. Absent a new law allowing PRHTA to sell these credits for cash, it can apply the credits to satisfy the 20 percent local matching requirement for local highway and bridge projects in Puerto Rico that would be funded from the federal Puerto Rico Highway Program. The resident commissioner added that he has called on the PRHTA to make use of the toll credits so that the over $300 million in unspent Puerto Rico Highway Program funds can jump-start critical road and bridge projects on the island.