Puerto Rican schools, government offices close

#1

Puerto Rican schools, government offices close
Governor, lawmakers fail to reach deal to avert financial crisis
Monday, May 1, 2006

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The government of Puerto Rico ran out of money Monday, forcing the U.S. commonwealth to close public schools and shut down government offices, putting almost 100,000 people out of work.

The legislature and governor failed to reach a last-minute accord that would have averted the first-ever partial shutdown of the government in island history.

All 1,600 public schools on the island were closed two weeks before the end of the academic year, and 43 government agencies were shut down after negotiations between lawmakers and Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila failed.

Acevedo blamed "legislative inaction" for the shutdown.

"As of 8 a.m. this morning, I don't have in hand a single legislative proposal that resolves this crisis," he told reporters.

The closure gave an unplanned holiday to 500,000 students and threw almost 100,000 government employees -- including 40,000 teachers -- temporarily out of work. The governor has said essential services, such as police and hospitals, would continue during the shutdown.

Unions planned protests outside the capitol in San Juan and elsewhere to protest the shutdown. Municipal governments, which provide services such as garbage collection, kept functioning.

Puerto Rico has a $740 million budget shortfall because the legislature and the governor have been unable to agree on a spending plan since 2004.

*Politics, in PR, is known as the "other national past time", it's that competitive, and that fucking petty. The governor and the legislature are of opposing parties, this term. This has caused a complete ego-driven halt to ANY sort of progress in the island's status, but most importantly the budget. The problem, of course stems back to nearly 10 years ago, with an unchecked Govnt. spending, as well as crippling fraudulent practices by the then ruling party, New Progressive Party (pro-statehood).
Here's the result...they have closed schools and government jobs. 500, 000 fucking bored and uneducated little fucks with nothing to do. I have my machete and my hand skills...they have the guns. Oh and don't worry, they are ALL legal AND American Citizens.
(continues...)

Taken from:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/ ... index.html

Bot · #2

Wow... 600,000 bored people... That shit's gonna get ugly fast.

#3

oh nononononononooooooooo...

They're just talking about students and teachers. There are a helluva lot more people, not all of them bored, most are really pissed-off.

*I was joking about being "bored", the problem is a lot worse.

Bot · #4

Well, students are the worst. They don't always think before they act.

#5

never fear at least they're going to maintain the "essential" services

#6

Nothing like personal agendas getting in the way of running the state. What a mess. I Hope it doesn't affect our gas prices. LOL.

#7

I think the only way I see it affecting you folks is that if Congress finally decides once and for all that PR is no longer an asset as a territory (sorry...a "Free Associated State"), and lets it go on its own. I just don't see what purpose it serves the US to have these fucking retarded leeches we have here running this joint to the ground.

Lots of suicides and a huge wave of Ricans escaping the perils of actual work and no handouts...the horror.
I assume I'll be here with the remaining 20 families or so. That's pretty sweet, even MORE pussy runnin round here with even LESS competition...come to think of it...I think I can sit through the shitstorm, I see a very very bright future, all filled with delicious asses...

...sorry, we were discussing something else, what was it?