U.S. TerritoriesPuerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, etc.
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I haven't googled "right-to-carry" legislation so I won't argue against your POV on this. However, it strains my mind to imagine a bunch of us Boricuas packing loaded guns during "fiestas patronales, noche de San Juan, 4 de Julio, etc." As most of us know, we tend to drink a bit too much during festivities. Could you imagine a scene where a bunch of drunken people are armed with guns? Be it due to drunkeness or emotions getting the best of us, I cannot imagine it as a good thing to have a bunch of people running around with loaded guns. Just a thought.
There are already plenty of people in fiestas patronales that are carrying guns illegally. The same argument that you make has been made in each of the 40 states when they considered passing "right-to-carry". They said that blood will run on the streets, that road rage would lead to shootouts, etc... The experience in each of those states has been quite the contrary.
Even in PR, a person that takes the time to go to a police station to apply for a CCW, gets fingerprinted, undergoes a background check, and completes required training that includes live fire, safety, and shoot/don't shoot scenarios isn't likely to be a criminal or a hothead. Most likely would be someone that works for a living and that understands the responsibility of having a firearm. And probably doesn't have time to go to fiestas patronales.
There are already plenty of people in fiestas patronales that are carrying guns illegally. The same argument that you make has been made in each of the 40 states when they considered passing "right-to-carry". They said that blood will run on the streets, that road rage would lead to shootouts, etc... The experience in each of those states has been quite the contrary.
Even in PR, a person that takes the time to go to a police station to apply for a CCW, gets fingerprinted, undergoes a background check, and completes required training that includes live fire, safety, and shoot/don't shoot scenarios isn't likely to be a criminal or a hothead. Most likely would be someone that works for a living and that understands the responsibility of having a firearm. And probably doesn't have time to go to fiestas patronales.
Are there shooting ranges in Puerto Rico? What about gun stores? Those are 2 things I have yet to see down there.
I think it's time for a non Puerto Rican to run the Commonwealth Police.
One did, in 1937. Got 19 unarmed civilians (including one seven year-old girl) killed and 235 wounded during a peaceful political demonstration, tried to cover it up (See Ponce Massacre). It got him recalled by F.D.R. two years later, as he was a repeating embarrassment to the administration. I do believe no one wants to go down that rabbit hole, again.
Good post! I would focus on jobs and the economy first. Why? I figure, if people are occupied making a decent wage, they will be less inclined to engage in crime. Any type of illegal activity is not worth risking a good salary. Theoretically, crime should deminish as jobs and wages increase.
Secondly, I'd ensure Puerto Rico incorporates at least two (2) Waste-to-Energy plants into its waste management strategy. Waste management is Puerto Rico's least talked about, yet one of its largest dilemmas. Sadly, as you stated, it's a problem that's been kicked down the road since the Rossello administration. In addition, it has been proven that as economies improve, waste generation increases. People buy more stuff (and therefore produce more trash) as individual incomes increase. So, given that my focus would be "jobs and the economy," by default, I must make waste management my secondary priority.
The third thing I'd focus on would be illegal immigration. Illegals tend to come (and people tend to look the other way) when economies improve.
So, I'd let the next adminstration deal with:
1. Police corruption
2. The natural gas pipeline
3. High cost of electricity
Hi,
I am new to this post but relate to the frustration in trying to get Puerto Rico on track.
I am a developer of distributed Waste-to-Energy facilities that first processes the municipal solid waste (in a material recovery facility) then using gasification, thermally converts the material into synthetic gas (SynGas). We then combust the Syngas to generate the electricity. It is cost effective, efficient and most importantly clean. Using a distributed approach we can place facilities in the areas where the waste is being generated thereby lowering transportation.
There are very real, economically sound and environmentally safe solutions. After working on the island for over 5 years, I can sum it up to one problem - Politicians!!
We continue to work until we eventually bring Puerto Rico a REAL solution!
Why isnt education on the list? the problems we have on the island have been a long time in the making, fixing them will take time and patience.
I genuinely believe in education, we have to get kids into schools and keep them there. educate them better so that (maybe) they'll make wiser choices in life. prepare them better for today's ever evolving industries so that they can provide for themselves in a licit, respectable and safe manner.
I haven't googled "right-to-carry" legislation so I won't argue against your POV on this. However, it strains my mind to imagine a bunch of us Boricuas packing loaded guns during "fiestas patronales, noche de San Juan, 4 de Julio, etc." As most of us know, we tend to drink a bit too much during festivities. Could you imagine a scene where a bunch of drunken people are armed with guns? Be it due to drunkeness or emotions getting the best of us, I cannot imagine it as a good thing to have a bunch of people running around with loaded guns. Just a thought..
I think Trucker answered quite well that one. Responsible law abiding citizens are as of now subject to the law breaking hotheads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chacho_keva
As an island, theoretically, it should be relatively easy to control illegal immigration in PR. I don't exactly know how so many illegals have made it into PR. Nonetheless, this is something that can and needs to be tightly controlled through existing laws. .
agreed, enforcement of existing law is all that is needed
Quote:
Originally Posted by chacho_keva
As far as I know, part of the reason for Puerto Rico's high cost of electricity is due to rampant theft. Many persons (including the recently appointed head of the AEE, Alberto Escudero) rig their electrical meters to avoid paying their fair share.
Another reason for the high costs is the import and storage of petroleum based fuels.
Oil based generation (the most expensive) still dominates in PR, hence the high cost.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chacho_keva
You probably know of the coal fired power plant in Guayama. It puts out 454MW which is approximately 15% of the island's energy needs. Even though coal is cheap and abundant, it does require lots of handling and preparation prior to combustion. Dealing and disposing of the fly ash and bottlm ash is a whole other subject. Therefore, handling and preparation of coal prior to combustion, combined with the treatment and disposal of fly ash and bottom ash adds significant costs to this fuel. I'm no ardent proponent of coal. However, I cannot deny its abundance and availability in this part of the world.
All that considered, It is still the cleanest and least expensive large power plant on the island outside of ecoelectrica.
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Oh, hell no.
