So, what are we to do to solve this physical, fiscal, and political mess in which we in Vieques find ourselves? Begin by honestly answering a few questions:
1. Are you happy with our schools? Are they teaching our children what they need to flourish in this world? Are they preparing our children well for the options of going to college or learning a fruitful trade? Is Vieques getting their fair share of the educational funds from the Department of Education? How much worse will it get as funding is cut?
2. Are you happy with our healthcare services? Do we have affordable access to the doctors, hospitals, medicines, and procedures we need? Is San Juan taking good care of our medical needs? Is the closed clinic going to survive and retain adequate funding?
3. Are you happy with our police and judicial system? Is the level of violent crime reasonable or even just okay? Is the corruption acceptable? Are the police willing and able to protect our lives and property?
4. Are you happy with AAA and PREPA supplying our water and electricity? Are they fair and accurate in their billing? Does it bother you that they continually fight making improvements that would lower our costs? Is the amount of corruption and graft in these government monopolies of disorganized crime disturbing? Are cutbacks going to bring even more service interruptions?
5. Are you happy with the ATM ferry system? Does the lack of capacity interfere with your access to services and shopping on the main island? Do the broken promises of improvements to the service and the steadfast refusal to implement the short route bother you? Are the levels of corruption, graft, and self-serving policies in this government monopoly disturbing? How much worse will the service get as the funding gets diverted to friends and family? Is it reasonable that the 22 indicted employees who claimed exorbitant and fraudulent overtime are still on the job?
6. Are you happy that we have absolutely NO control over these critical elements of our lives? Do you really feel like you live in a democracy when all of the decisions (laws, rules, regulations, and policies) are made by politicians and bureaucrats in Washington and San Juan with no real input from OUR citizens?
7. Are you happy that all of the years we have spent trying to get important improvements to our lives in Vieques have proven to be a waste of time? Do you think that we will have any success in the next 20 years begging for better treatment from our masters in the States and in Puerto Rico – especially now with the huge, overwhelming, physical and fiscal disasters?
8. Do you fear the further reduction in services and support coming soon? Do you fear the sale of our island assets by the government and the Fiscal Control Board? If you don’t, you should.
Would you be happy if we could develop an economic engine that would generate sufficient tax revenue to improve every one of the areas discussed above without sacrificing the beauty of our island and the tranquility to which we are accustomed; and do it without overdevelopment? Would you be happy if there were high paying jobs available that our own well trained residents could be employed at?
Out of the crisis and chaos we find clarity! There is an opportunity to make this happen, but it needs the support and input of the whole community.
In order to develop a suitable and sufficient economy, we must become independent from both the US and PR. We must be free to make our own laws, tax structures, school system, healthcare, transportation network, etc. In order to create an acceptable level of development without damaging our island, we need to annex Roosevelt Roads, and create a very desirable location for our global businesses.
This is neither an obvious nor simple task. But here is the point: as a sovereign nation, Vieques can effectively develop Roosevelt Roads in ways impossible for Puerto Rico. There are many reasons why Vieques (with RR) seceding would be extremely beneficial for PR:
1. Under the control of any Puerto Rican entity, savvy developers are loath to entrust their fortunes to the unstable political and economic system of the revolving, incompetent, delusional, and corrupt administrations of the Commonwealth. Likewise, municipalities are frozen out of the mix because they are subordinate to the Central Government.
2. PR has no money of its own, no way to acquire more, and no rational plan for the former naval base or the economic development of Vieques.
3. Without the controls and constraints of the EPA, OSHA, IRS, DEA, TSA, HSA, FDA, FAA, FCC, FBI, CIA, HUD, ADA, SEC, DOT, and the hundreds of other regulating organizations, Vieques would have an enormous competitive advantage. While these agencies offer many excellent rules, regulations, and guidelines, we can select the very few appropriate parts and include them in our laws and operations. It is up to us to make our government function as a partner with quality businesses, as opposed to as an adversary. We will make ourselves a Caribbean Powerhouse.
4. In addition to the residents of an independent Vieques, those of the Ceiba, Naguabo, and Fajardo areas would have many employment and career opportunities as well. Most of the business development activities envisioned for our Vieques economic growth would actually take place on the former base. The majority of the employees would live in the surrounding municipalities – shopping and paying taxes in PR. [Note: we will work closely with the surrounding municipalities to address their needs and establish partnerships.]
5. With the support of selected developers, a decolonized Vieques could buy the land and restore the infrastructure needed for commerce. Puerto Rico would still gain the economic benefit of the development through employment (PR resident income tax, property tax, IVU… many other taxes) increases in the area. Additional industry and commerce would develop on the PR side of the new border, as well.
6. PR would receive the critical windfall of indirect access to our port allowing them to export/import via international shippers, thus obviating the restrictions of the Jones Act. Savings from by-passing the existing oppressive colonial arrangement could save PR anywhere from $100,000,000 to $1,000,000,000 per year.
7. The airport could likewise focus on international air cargo.
Some (most, actually) might say this is crazy: “How can we possibly fund such an endeavor?” The answer is “10:50:250”.
10: A ten year transition into an independent, decolonized nation.
50: Annual $50,000,000 transfer payment to Vieques for 10 years; The US gives a net of $20 billion to Puerto Rico every year, which averages out to about $5,700 per person. With 9,200 Vieques residents, that’s the equivalent of $50M. The US would give the funds to Vieques directly.
250: The cleanup of the east end bombing range is slated to require 10 more years, cost another $250M, and leave 15% of the island uninhabitable. The US Navy has approved this funding already for the Vieques superfund. The monies would be channeled to economic development instead.
$50M per year would allow Vieques sufficient funds to operate the island while improving education, utilities, social services, and other infrastructure. Redirecting the $250M would give us credibility and the necessary kick start funding for economic development at Roosevelt Roads and in Vieques. All of this benefit with NO additional US funding required!
The US is looking to show the world we foster democracy and freedom, not colonization. We offer the lives of our young people to build free nations all over the globe. Doesn’t it make sense to help accomplish the same thing at home, where no solder need make the ultimate sacrifice?
Puerto Rico is looking for ways to cut costs, increase funding from any source possible, and save huge amounts from eliminating the colonial taxes of the Jones Act. Decolonization is not a silver bullet for PR, but it is a very significant incremental improvement, a step in the right direction.
While Vieques has suffered greatly over the years from neglect and oppression, Ceiba and Naguabo have been economically devastated by the closing of RR. No PR entity will be able to develop this property in any meaningful way for decades. An independent Vieques can provide a lifeline to the local area impossible in any other way. Additional funding for decolonization can be obtained from US and international business partners, grants, and philanthropic organizations. This is a win for the US, PR, Ceiba, Naguabo, Fajardo, and the people of Vieques. The alternative is to sit around, feel sorry for ourselves, and hope things get better while the Commonwealth burns. Out of crisis comes opportunity. If not now, when?
A great deal of research, discussion, and planning has been performed by a diverse group of residents concerned about the future of our island and our people. Over the last couple of years details of the many aspects have been analyzed and documented, but further resident participation in the dialogue is essential. We are on the 14th draft of this work in progress, and people are offering new ideas constantly. Nothing is set in stone, and critical feedback is very important to the process at this juncture. We especially need volunteers to make the discussion bilingual.
The choice is yours – do you want to help shape the Vieques of tomorrow? Contact us: discussion@vieques-libre.com.