Absolutely anything else
I think the challenges in developing the PR tourism sector are largely cultural.聽 There simply isn't a commitment to customer service in PR.聽 This isn't to say that you can't find employees who will "hustle", but as a general rule, that's not part of the culture.
The second challenge is language.聽 Last time I checked, the overwhelming majority of tourists to PR come from the mainland (roughly 95% if memory serves).聽 English, like it or not, is the language of business, yet many Puerto Ricans refuse to speak it, if they learn it at all.聽 Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that they abandon Spanish, or that expats shouldn't learn Spanish.聽 But if you want to succeed in what is by definition an international business, you better learn the languages that your customers will speak.
Apart from these two problems, I think PR suffers from a different "PR" problem -- that is public relations.聽 Most folks on the mainland don't think of Puerto Rico when they think of an exotic Caribbean vacation.聽 And when they do think of Puerto Rico, they think of crime and poverty.
Oh, to tekrider's point, I agree that "economic" issues play a role.聽 PR must abide by federal minimum wage, inflating costs relative to the other islands.
As an example: what If statehood gets 47% of the vote, Colony gets 46%, and independence gets 7% of the vote.
a) You could say that the will of the people was not for statehood even if the bucket with the most votes was for statehood because the other opising options together are equal to or greater than 51% of the votes.
b) or You could also look at it like a regular mayorial election where the winner is the bucket with the most votes period, regardless of what portion of the population voted for it. under this rule statehood would win since it was the bucket with the most wins even if it represented less that 51% of the population.
Which interpretation do you think Congress would choose to follow or do you have another way to tally up the results?
I have not heard what the rules for interpreting the result are, that is why I am asking.
mac00677 wrote:the category with the most votes is the one that wins... that's like saying, if Dems win 41%, and independants win 12%, and the Rep wins 47% that means 53% of the voters didn't want the Rep nominee, so let's put in... who? a Dem/Independant hybrid? NO, the one with the most votes.
I perfectly see your point but this is a potential change of goverment, should it not be required to get 51% and above to rule? Under that simple majority, most of the people are getting screwed. What if it was 34%, 33%, and 33%? Clearly 2/3rds are against it. I would think that a goverment type change would require a clear 51% win. On a normal election you can change the fool in 4 years, this decision could mean forever.
Very worried about this.
The results of the plebiscite will be determined by Congress.聽 Unless an overwhelming percentage of eligible voters actually cast ballots, and an overwhelming percentage of those are for independence, I expect Congress to do nothing.聽 Statehood given the current fiscal crisis is not an option.
What is this, 4-5 plebiscite already? What have changed?
adlin20 wrote:Well, we are going to be back at the island first week of May. My employer has agreed to let me work remotely, I will still have to travel to California every 5-6 weeks for a few days. I was going to retire this year but this way I am thinking I can work a few more years. I am looking forward to getting re adjusted to living in the island permanently.
1st of May, how are preparations going?
ReyP wrote:adlin20 wrote:Well, we are going to be back at the island first week of May. My employer has agreed to let me work remotely, I will still have to travel to California every 5-6 weeks for a few days. I was going to retire this year but this way I am thinking I can work a few more years. I am looking forward to getting re adjusted to living in the island permanently.
1st of May, how are preparations going?
Hi Rey!
It's been an experience! We drove back to Texas to drop my wifes car at my daughters house. Spending the last week in Texas shipping boxes (20 so far). Most of it sentimental stuff and stuff we "may" need(wife wise words) ;-)
We have a one way ticket to the island for this Saturday!

Nanraughley wrote:Thanks, Rey. You've already been very helpful. We would love to meet you when you're in PR.
Free food and booze and I am there.聽
I'll be a while, but I will be close by in Ceiba by PR 975
EDIT:聽 So I looked to verify, and it seems that the moderators didn't approve the business.聽 Frustrating.聽 I assure you, I get nothing out of this.聽 This is a charitable organization that wants to provide textbooks to kids in Haiti.聽 Since there is no record in the Business section, PM me if you want to learn more.聽 I'm rather proud of these young men.
It is like those movies and TV shows that are DUB into Spanish and you are used to a particular actor having a nice deep manly voice and the Spanish Voice actor they use for him has an almost girly voice. That kind of weird.
I must admit though that I used German keyboards in Germany in order to easily type 眉, 枚, 盲 and 脽. Strange enough the Z and Y keys are exchanged on German keyboards.
Anyway, I'm happy to be back on English keyboards,

I have no real issue with the switch, but it is weird.

Gary wrote:FWIW 99% of the computers I encounter at my clients are in聽 English. The odd one in聽 Spanish is easy to fix: change the language to English, fix, change back to Spanish.
English business yes, others who know. But natives I can only assume Spanish for the most part.
My next laptop will have a Spanish keyboard. Probably next October when the new MacBook Pro comes out. I want 32 Gig of memory as I run several VMs in my systems.
US citizenship is based on jus soli and not on jus sanguinis.聽 That is, it is the place of your birth that confers citizenship, not the status of your parents.聽 The US Constitution is abundantly clear on that point.
As a result, anyone born in an independent Puerto Rico would not be a US citizen, regardless of the citizenship of their parents.
I have two cousins who were born outside of the United States, one in Venezuela and one in New Zealand, and they are both full-fledged US citizens. Their parents were living abroad because of the father's job.聽 To put it in delicate terms, they were both conceived stateside but were not "Born in the USA".
Nanraughley wrote:My husband and I will be there Monday, May 8, to begin our serious house-hunt on the eastern side of the island. We're packing boxes for our daughter to ship after we buy a home. A lot of work, but we're looking forward to our move!
How is the search going?
it's a great list!
Lynn Stravecky
ReyP wrote:UBER permit was cancelled in PR.
The governor turn the decision around and even granted permission to pick up passages in all tourist areas due to the "dead line" the taxi drivers gave the government.
I just heard on the news that somebody broke into Palmas Academy
Oops, that was in April, they broke in twice in a week.
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