Statement from Pedro Pierluisi Regarding Obama’s Trip To Puerto Rico

His constituents by-proxy are not thrilled about this visit. Puerto Rico’s population is about four million; what happens in the Unites States is affecting the island as well, so now they’re not happy campers. Puerto Ricans expect the same empty promises that Obama gave us. To make things more interesting, this is also Hillary Clinton‘s turf as she beat Obama in the Democrat Party’s presidential primaries in 2008 with a  3 to 1 margin.

Puerto Rico has also a lamestream media that is covering this four-hour visit as if he is staying for a week. Folks, it’s all about the money (read my Nancy Pelosi‘s blog post about this). There’s also that issue of Puerto Rico’s self-determination process that is in its infancy. Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR) gave this statement:

After noon, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in Washington, Pedro Pierluisi confirmed the information given ahead of time by EL VOCERO.  “I know that President Obama’s intentions is to show once again to the people of Puerto Rico that he identifies himself with us, with our causes and with our aspirations, and he wants to help us with our social and economical challenges that we face. I am positive that he will also use this trip to support the report of the Special Workgroup of the White House about Puerto Rico, and  to see firsthand how we’re benefitting from his initiatives of his administration”, said Pierluisi via written statement.  

Puerto Rico’s Resident Commish has “voice” in DC, but cannot vote on anything related to Puerto Rico nor the United States; he has to knock on a lot of doors to get things done.  What few people know on this side of the pond? That Puerto Rico’s Governor, Luis Fortuño (R-PR) has been friends with Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR) ever since their teens. It is a positive but awkward professional relationship.

I don’t expect the GOP to jump in and make a strong statement about this four-hour trip. The only cool thing will be that kids will finally see Air Force One in all its glory. Obama’s visit will certainly be a part of Puerto Rico’s 21st century but it will be exaggerated, as is with everything involving politics.

Barack Obama Will Travel To Puerto Rico

President Obama will make a four-hour stop in Puerto Rico on June 14. This is a very unusual visit for a US President to visit the island so quickly-Nancy Pelosi visited the island last year, gave a speech, grabbed Democrat fundraising for the past November elections, and left.

Obama’s visit will coincide with the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy‘s trip to Puerto Rico in 1961. The 43rd President of the United States will be the second president that visits Puerto Rico on official affairs, since the creation of the Commonwealth. Obama made a stop in Puerto Rico twice as a pre-presidential candidate during the Democrat Party’s primaries.

Now that Obama’s visit is confirmed, the logistics for Obama’s safety and security are put in place. The US Air Force, the Secret Service, Puerto Rico’s Department of State along with the FBI. Local police will be also on a serious alert and will provide security for the whole visit. All information regarding Obama’s visit is trickling in-so far the trip was in his agenda for weeks-but more details of this four-hour trip are trickling in, so stay tuned.

 

Related articles

• Puerto Rico governor announces Obama visit (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
• Puerto Rico governor announces Obama visit (via CNN Political Ticker) (techweev.com)
• Obama to Make Rare Presidential Visit to Puerto Rico – NYTimes.com (policyabcs.wordpress.com)

Another Plane Crash In Alaska

From the PR Newspaper, El Vocero (rough translation):

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, EE.UU. – A fleet of six airplanes and two helicopters started a search on Sunday of a small hydroplane with four people on board, amongst them three park forest employees, that disappeared by the southeast of Alaska in the midst of bad weather.

The search of the aircraft, called Dehavilland Beaver was focused on a rocky coastal terrain between Swikshak Lake and Katmai National Park, and the destination was to King Salmon, 460 kilometers (285 miles) to the southwest of Anchorage.
There has been no radio communication nor an emergency broadcast of its location, said Ralph Moore, who had hopes that the hydroplane could have landed on a cove and await better weather conditions.  The aircraft was reported missing after it did not reach King Salmon, according to the Alaskan Coast Guard.

Alaska has experienced several airplane accidents from the beginning of June, amongst them one on August 9, in which the ex-senator Ted Stevens passed away.  Other recent accidents, as in Denali National Park Elmendorf Air Force Base in the middle of Alaska and in the commercial district near the center of Anchorage.

Seventeen people have died so far related to plane crashes in Alaska from June.