Letter #1 (Mailed – 10/24/2022)

October 24, 2023

Dear Senators and Representatives,

I moved to Puerto Rico on June 27, 2021, to live near my family.

I am deeply saddened by the frequent denial or extreme delay of federal resources, support, and services provided to this beautiful island that are rightly ours because we are a part of the United States.  In researching further, I was quite disheartened to learn Puerto Rico has always been treated as the “Cinderella” of U.S. Territories and Commonwealths since its acquisition when the Treaty of Paris came into effect in 1899, with many years of abuse and neglect.  Puerto Ricans were recognized as citizens in 1917.

One major hindrance to Puerto Rico moving forward is The Jones Act, otherwise known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920.  Senator John McCain made an unsuccessful effort to repeal the Jones Act in 2017.

While the U.S. Virgin Islands is also a commonwealth, it is exempt from The Jones Act which greatly increases the costs of goods in Puerto Rico.

Automobiles cost at least forty percent more. Groceries, supplies, and infrastructure are often double the cost of the same goods “stateside”. Shipping goods from retail companies is substantially higher and often more than the cost of the goods themselves.

Numerous services in Puerto Rico have been discontinued because we can no longer afford to re-establish them after disasters.

Puerto Rico has been in a recession for decades, and we have a crippling debt crisis. One study cites a $17 billion loss over ten years because of The Jones Act. Repealing The Jones Act would eliminate the public debt of Puerto Rico.

The cost of living in Puerto Rico is considerably higher than in numerous urban areas stateside, while the per capita income is close to half of Mississippi, the poorest of the fifty states. Puerto Rico has never been able to enjoy the quality of life of the U.S. Virgin Islands or the fifty states of America.

We have frequent power outages, frequently lasting several days, and sometimes even weeks. During these outages, hospitals are severely compromised. Diesel fuel is frequently unavailable during disasters. Neighboring islands and countries make the fuel available, but we are unable to access it due to The Jones Act. Those with medications that must be refrigerated, or families with special needs are compromised. Households and businesses frequently lose massive quantities of food that we are already paying double for. Appliances (that we already have to pay higher prices for) must be serviced or replaced frequently because the power outages continually short the electrical system in them. We have replaced a brand new air conditioner in one year because of the frequent power outages. Restaurants and businesses are forced to shut down because of a lack of power without a generator. The cost of electricity has doubled within a year.

Repealing The Jones Act would help consumer prices and energy costs to drop significantly.

With Puerto Rico soon to receive billions in aid, we cannot be good stewards and practice our due diligence because of how The Jones Act drives up costs. Whatever we receive will only be worth about half of its value.

Help us strengthen our world-class hospitalization system by making sure supplies, equipment and generators are available to ensure they are able to run during disasters. Ensure emergency rooms are not flooded, due to the lack of urgent care facilities. Help us have the world-class mental health system we need and deserve. Allow us to participate in the Affordable Care Act so we too can take charge of our health.

Help us win this century-plus old battle to be all that we can and should be. Let us work together to become the “fairy godparents” in grand style, and allow Puerto Rico to know its full glory. Yes, we have a huge drug problem. Yes, we have horrific corruption. But we have more grit and determination than I have ever seen. It’s infectious. If your energy is in the right place, you can’t help but want to be a part of moving Puerto Rico forward.

Help us find/create permanent, sustainable solutions to the challenges Puerto Rico has faced from the very beginning. Help us rebuild our schools. Our children here deserve a quality education. We have exceptionally well educated and trained teachers who are ready, willing and completely up to the task. Help us support our public university which is currently being defunded to make way for privatization. Help us rebuild our roads, just as India has done using polymer glues made from plastic waste. They are cheaper to build and have no cracks or potholes after years of extensive use in a climate similar to ours.

Help us create community gardens. Our soil is rich, ready to return to our agricultural roots. Help us move away from tourism towards self-reliance/self-sufficiency, with tourism being a plus, not the main source of income. All of the rich talent we need is already here, waiting.

Even with all of the challenges, Puerto Ricans know how to move forward. We have the skills and the labor to do so. We know how to rebuild. We have always been extremely resourceful. We have had enough hurricanes and earthquakes to give us the practice we need. Allow us to realize our dreams and visions for Puerto Rico that we have been unable to bring to fruition.

Allow us to be the example of sustainable energy in every aspect, with solar in every home and business, and all-electric/solar trains and buses throughout the island. This will help us become far more resilient in the wake of disasters. The island is only 100 miles by 35 miles, and around 3.2 million people. We are the perfect testing and training ground for everything using sustainable/renewable energy once we are completely solar, including hybrid and electric cars, and RVs. The possibilities are endless!

Sustainable/Renewable Energy – If Puerto Rico completely converted to solar/renewable energy, we would generate at least four times the amount of energy we need daily, and easily recover in the wake of a disaster such as a hurricane or an earthquake.

Allow Puerto Rico to be the example of the United States making a conscious effort to turn the page on its horrific, violent, sordid, capitalistic, racist past and present. What the United States has been doing for well over four hundred years is not working. It has never worked. From the very beginning, when it was first “discovered”, the United States had a history of “Rape, Burn and Pillage” or “Steal, Kill and Destroy”. This mentality has continued and is still quite prevalent.

Corporations from around the world have enjoyed extensive tax breaks with additional perks for many years that continually erode our tax base and infrastructure and put us further in the hole. Corporations should pay their fair share of taxes. This is an issue “stateside” as well. At the very least, allow us to benefit from their presence just as they benefit from being here.

Let us shift away from the single industry mentality which has repeatedly failed us (tourism) just as it has failed the United States (manufacturing, customer service, fossil fuel jobs, etc.) with jobs continually being shipped overseas.

Let those of us who are genuinely interested in living here be the ones to purchase homes and rebuild our neighborhoods, and communities, surrounded by family and friends, where we can care for each other. Currently, because of the tax incentives, people with no vested interest in Puerto Rico are purchasing homes, creating Airbnbs, and pricing those of us who live here and are here for the long haul out of the market and eroding our communities.

We too want to be our highest and best, but throughout history, the United States has never given us the opportunity. The foundation is set and well established. There is a fire – a passion here, a resilience. There is a deep love of country, and a deep love for each other. Young children are taught from an early age to seek out neighbors immediately after severe weather. Everyone looks out for each other. There is a thread that weaves through all of Puerto Rico that connects all of us. Even with all of the abuse we have received from the United States, we are not broken. Our hearts are filled with nothing but love, sharing, caring, (and salsa…).

It’s time to change the way the United States does things. Let Puerto Rico be the “Crown Jewel” of the United States, the example, and embrace a new, loving, peaceful chapter where everyone thrives. Allow Puerto Rico to light the way. We are already filled with love, peace, joy, (lots of music), and little to no racism. We are ready, willing, and waiting. Let us show you how it’s done.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.