Our esteemed governor Luis Fortuño said on Friday, May 1st in one of Puerto Rico's daily newspapers that everyone of us should alter our lifestyles to reality. This in anticipation of massive layoffs planned by the Commonwealth government as part of a plan of drastic spending cuts.
I wonder if he reflects on his public declarations and how they affect the collective psyche of Puerto Ricans. He and his peers in the cabinet are imposing a massive fiscal overhaul when government investment is what is needed most. But lets assume that, in his infinite conservative wisdom, he and the hand-picked economists (that told him what he wanted to hear), and the members of the island's business community (whom he consulted, disregarding other important sectors like cooperatives and small and mid-size entrepreneurs) are right and the government is in no position to increase spending, what happened to politics being the art of the possible?
When I say possible I don't mean get money where there isn't any. After all, the government's ark is depleted following all the plunder his immediate predecessors in government wreaked upon it (PDP definitely, but especially NPP) most of it the result of unsound fiscal, administrative, basically inept practices. What I mean is, is his plan the only way? During his inaugural speech our new governor insisted that Puerto Ricans would have to taste a bitter medicine. Fair enough, but some medicines are more bitter than others.
I understand, God! I can even see myself agreeing with this government in arguing that the last round of government job contracts were done in a deplorable, even illegal, manner. But firing thirty thousand-plus government workers reeks of three things: desperation, political retribution of the worst kind, lack of policy creativity and obstinate ideological dogma.
Why is throwing away the livelihood of 30,000 workers and families, all consumers, is sound policy?
Why does depriving the University of Puerto Rico of needed funds to educate a productive workforce and produce academic research (in all areas of scientific, including social, and humanistic endeavor) sound like a good idea? To me, it is a way - as one of my colleagues commented - of trying to destroy what you cannot control.
And why isn't the government listening to other voices, suggesting alternate ways to deal with the fiscal crisis while at the same time making parallel claims that there is no other way, but if there is, bring it to government? Is it a smokescreen? Does Fortuño dislike the suggestions?
Why aren't we appealing to a collective sense of sacrifice and tax where tax is due?
Ask yourselves...
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I wonder if he reflects on his public declarations and how they affect the collective psyche of Puerto Ricans. He and his peers in the cabinet are imposing a massive fiscal overhaul when government investment is what is needed most. But lets assume that, in his infinite conservative wisdom, he and the hand-picked economists (that told him what he wanted to hear), and the members of the island's business community (whom he consulted, disregarding other important sectors like cooperatives and small and mid-size entrepreneurs) are right and the government is in no position to increase spending, what happened to politics being the art of the possible?
When I say possible I don't mean get money where there isn't any. After all, the government's ark is depleted following all the plunder his immediate predecessors in government wreaked upon it (PDP definitely, but especially NPP) most of it the result of unsound fiscal, administrative, basically inept practices. What I mean is, is his plan the only way? During his inaugural speech our new governor insisted that Puerto Ricans would have to taste a bitter medicine. Fair enough, but some medicines are more bitter than others.
I understand, God! I can even see myself agreeing with this government in arguing that the last round of government job contracts were done in a deplorable, even illegal, manner. But firing thirty thousand-plus government workers reeks of three things: desperation, political retribution of the worst kind, lack of policy creativity and obstinate ideological dogma.
Why is throwing away the livelihood of 30,000 workers and families, all consumers, is sound policy?
Why does depriving the University of Puerto Rico of needed funds to educate a productive workforce and produce academic research (in all areas of scientific, including social, and humanistic endeavor) sound like a good idea? To me, it is a way - as one of my colleagues commented - of trying to destroy what you cannot control.
And why isn't the government listening to other voices, suggesting alternate ways to deal with the fiscal crisis while at the same time making parallel claims that there is no other way, but if there is, bring it to government? Is it a smokescreen? Does Fortuño dislike the suggestions?
Why aren't we appealing to a collective sense of sacrifice and tax where tax is due?
Ask yourselves...
[Composed with ShapeWriter -- www.shapewriter.com]
Sent from my iPhone
http://www.evernote.com/ Remember everything. Sign up for free
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