[hosepipe]

Obamanomics

[Texas Eagle]

My advice to Puerto Ricans: start swimming towards Germany.

[V_TWIN]

PR kicked the US Navy out because of Vieques in the early 2000s. This story and other economic woes are contributing factors of the US Navy departure IMO. So they have only themselves to blame. They wanted it, they got it.

[Texas Eagle]

Pagan said Lares is scraping by thanks to U.S. government funds that have paid in part for the construction of a park, renovations of rundown homes and a program to help the town's growing elderly population, which has swelled by nearly 10 percent the past four years, one of the biggest increases in Puerto Rico. "If it weren't for the help from the federal government, this would be chaos," he said Sheeeeeeyit. As if Puerto Rico isn't one giant welfare state.

[grania]

I don't understand Puerto Rico, not at all. The island could do very well with over-55 communities for those paying under $200,000 for a retirement house or $1200/month or so for rental. That would be the US retired middle class, who have lots of disposable income.

It's part of the US, and besides that retirees moving there would benefit from their advantageous tax status. FWIW, I'd go ASAP if there were safe English speaking communities with recreation, shopping, and cultural/entertainment options nearby.

[econjack]

Agriculture was once Lares' economic engine, producing surpluses of coffee, plantains, oranges and bananas thanks to the 25 to 40 sacks of free fertilizer that farmers received from the government. But as government revenues dwindled, officials instead gave each farmer $45, which buys one sack of fertilizer, said Mayor Roberto Pagan.

"How is that enough to make a living?" he asked, noting that the number of farms in Lares has dwindled from nearly 1,500 to less than 1,000 in recent years.

Is anyone really surprised that a propped up economic system collapses when the subsidies run out? People tend to forget the gov't "produces" nothing. It exists by taking money from Group A and giving it to Group B. Political power comes from being in the middle. Lamenting what we see here is like crying over the demise of the buggy whip industry in the US when the automobile appeared. Get over it and move on.

[pabianice]

I remember the chaotic but vital economy around NS ROSEY ROADS when I flew into and out of there in Navy aircraft. But the Liberal ruiners demanded the base be closed. It was. So live with it.

[dfwgator]

Rate things are going, nobody is going to be left in Puerto Rico, they’ll all be in Nueva York.

[Jim from C-Town]

Sounds like allot of communities in this country. Everything in the last seven years has pretty much been crappy. Stagnant is a kind way to put it.

[RayChuang88]

The stupidity of kicking the US Navy out of Puerto Rico (and all the tax revenue that brings to the that island) in end the will cause that island's economic downfall.

Indeed, the potentially loss of the Royal Navy out of Scottish bases (with the thousands of jobs that went with it) was one of the major reasons why Scottish voters turned down a recent referendum for independence.

[Awgie]

A place that should be a paradise. Beautiful land and climate. Surely some old white guy is to blame for all this malaise.

[cll]

Puerto Rico Ping! Please Freepmail me if you want on or off the list.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Agriculture was once Lares' economic engine . . . thanks to the 25 to 40 sacks of free fertilizer that farmers received from the government. But as government revenues dwindled, officials instead gave each farmer $45, which buys one sack of fertilizer, said Mayor Roberto Pagan.

So the government artificially created an economy with money it didn't have and then when the money ran out, the economy collapsed. And what is their answer? More government.

[PJ-Comix]

In more recent years, it had become a tourist destination for people coming to shop for crafts at its open air market and to visit the Lares Ice Cream Store, the most famous on the island. The shop, now closed, featured exotic flavors like sweet plantains, garlic and cod fish and was such a fixture that tourism dropped 80 percent after it shut down last year.

I'm sorry to hear that. I saw this ice cream store featured on Andrew Zimmern and wanted to visit in someday.