WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
District 32 Bronx County, New York
You should know that my beautiful Island
of Puerto Rico, where I was born and grew up, is going through a very difficult
financial crisis with a historic deficit of $72 billion dollars.
You should also know that this week, on Thursday November 5th, there will be a
huge March in Puerto Rico demanding for the United States of America’s
Government headed by President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress to help solve
Puerto Rico’s problem.
Almost every elected official from New York, including Governor Andrew Cuomo,
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYC Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Congresswoman
Nydia Velázquez, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr., State Assemblymen
Marcos Crespo and Luis Sepulveda, and many, many others - Black, Hispanic and
White legislators - who have traveled to Puerto Rico to join Puerto Rico's
Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla in this March.
It is important for you to know that there are some who say that because Puerto
Rico is a colony of the United States, that the problems of Puerto Rico will
only be solved one out of two ways: (1) The Federal Government issues
financial help – which they have refused to do; OR (2) Puerto Rico declares
itself bankrupt.
The problem with the second point is that because Puerto Rico is a colony of
the United States, it is not allowed to declare bankruptcy and receive
bankruptcy protection as 50 states and their municipalities are all allowed to
do.
As you can see, this puts Puerto Rico in
a huge predicament: the Federal Government refuses to help financially, and the
Federal Government refuses to allow Puerto Rico to declare bankruptcy.
What else is there for Puerto Rico to do?
You should already know that as a colony, the Federal Government can dictate
and impose all United States Federal Laws on the island and the people who live
in Puerto Rico, and all are obliged to comply with those laws.
The United States Federal Government can take the Puerto Rican youth – men and
women – and send them to fight in wars and shed their blood for the United
States of America. The United States Federal Government can take the best piece
of land in Puerto Rico. The biggest US defense satellite - to protect the
United States of America, is located in the town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
And Puerto Rico is a very strategic place for the defense of the United
States.
I, for one, believe that the problems of Puerto Rico will not be solved by the
November 5th March, regardless of the well intentions and good will of the
organizers and the participants which we Puerto Ricans will be forever
indebted. But the March will only put a bandage, if anything, on this big
problem facing Puerto Rico.
I appreciate and feel in debt to all of the elected officials who will travel
to Puerto Rico and defend my beloved island. As a veteran who loves this
United States of America to death, I believe that the only way to solve the
fiscal problems of Puerto Rico, and many others, will be for Puerto Rico to
become the 51st State of the United States. This way, the problem will be
solved forever.
If Puerto Rico becomes a State, it will have the opportunity to elect 7 Members
to the US House of Representatives and 2 United States Senators who will have
the opportunity to represent them and fight for the State of Puerto Rico, as
every other Member of Congress does the United States does for their State.
You should know that the NY elected officials
who travel to Puerto Rico will join Puerto Rico's Governor Alejandro Garcia
Padilla and more than 50,000 people who are expected during this day, but
I am afraid that they will have to keep traveling back and forth to Puerto Rico
and to keep marching as long as Puerto Rico continues to be a colony of the
United States of America. This is because as long as Puerto Rico remains
a colony, Puerto Ricans will continue to be denied all of the benefits and
opportunities that everyone in the other States have.
While those 50 other states of the nation have their representatives to fight
for them, Puerto Rico is at their mercy because it doesn't have anyone with a
vote on the Floor of Congress.
So, ladies and gentlemen, therefore the problem of Puerto Rico will not be
solved with this Youth March because the problem with Puerto Rico is its status
of colony.
I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.