To listen to the Democrats talk, any cuts in spending will destroy not only our fragile economy, but the entire balance of the universe.
If only there were a small, isolated island where those crazy conservative theories could be tested. You know, somewhere like Puerto Rico.
ChicksOnTheRight.com has a story that surprised the hell out of us. In a good way.
BEHOLD: Gov. Luis Fortuno, from Puerto Rico, who is basically like the photo negative of Obama. I mean, yes, they are similar in that they came into office at exactly the same time, and they both faced seriously troubling economic issues. The U.S. had a 7.6% unemployement rate when Obama was sworn in, and Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate was 9.4%. But the way that Fortuno responded to Puerto Rico’s fiscal woes was the POLAR OPPOSITE of how Obama responded.
Fortuno, the first Republican governor in PR since 1969, didn’t call for a gigantic stimulus the moment he took office. He didn’t ask for a bailout. Nope – instead, he cut government expenses by 20%, including a salary reduction for himself of 10%. He cut government perks (cars, cell phones, credit cards) by 10%. He eliminated 17,000 government jobs, and he streamlined services by making more of them available on line. He cut the corporate tax rate from 41% to 30%, and it’ll go down another 5% in 3 years. He’s cutting individual tax rates by 29% starting in 2013.
And in just two years, the deficit in PR has shrunk from 44% of revenues to only 11%. Compare that to Obama, who’s managed in that same time to increase the deficit and debt by TRILLIONS of dollars, by growing government.
And the Democrats’ answer is, “Yeah, but … yeah, but … yeah, but …”
Source: ChicksOnTheRight.com
This post was last modified on January 26, 2021
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Is so easy to know why you all believe this insane governor and their fake statistics, you don't live in PR! I do. Some info here from an insider. 1) You don't trust statistic in PR 2) Unemployed people are leaving the Island in great numbers, ask ANYBODY and they had a relative or friend that have left already (I have 2) 3) Many people are in temporary work that pay so little that still are in the welfare system 4) Many unemloyed are probably dead, the rate in crime in the Fortuno administration has broken all imaginable records. 5) The cost of food is unbearable.....but all is great ....! Oh yeah! The Island is great! Just like in the 1950s...! remember? of course not!
1) I don't disagree with you there. Statistics are used often by politicians and the media to shape public opinion, not reflect it.
2 & 3)What do you think is causing the massive unemployment? Why aren't there more businesses setting up tent in PR? Why are other businesses packing up and leaving for greener pastures? Do you think maybe the government and its policies (no matter which party is in power) has something to do with that? Government employees don't really count towards the real unemployment, since somebody else in the private sector has to be taxed first in order to pay their salaries. And having the entire population work for the government doing whatever is not going to solve anything. Somebody has to produce something first before government can tax it. Laying off government employees, albeit painful, is necessary. In this specific case, Fortuno did what should have been done 30 years ago. There comes a point where there just aren't enough tax paying citizens to support the massive government bureaucracy. No matter how much kicking and screaming and protesting is done in the streets; if the money isn't there to keep paying those government salaries, that's all there is.
4)High crime rates are nothing new in PR. Is it really fair to say that the recent increase is because of Fortuno? That kind of sounds like the "it's all Boosh's fault" line we hear every day, whether a particular situation really was his fault or not. Crime rates always go up during lousy economic periods. Not to mention that PR has these really asinine laws for people who wish to own firearms for self protection. Criminals and murderers don't really bother getting a "licencia de armas de fuego" or registering their guns with the police anyway.
5)The cost of food, gasoline, and everything else...go look at what they're doing in Washington DC for that...google "inflation" and "hyperinflation", drilling moratorium, etc.
I was born and raised there, and I also know firsthand the shithole that PR is. I'm glad I had the foresight to GTFO earlier.
Rnrnr
If Obama manages to get re-elected (heaven forbid), and I feel the need to leave the US for a few years just to keep from going completely nuts, I may have just found my Caribbean locale to pass some time until it's safe to come back. . . .
Interesting that the place that is a fairly legit option for being the 51st state is the one that is showing us how it's done. Not that guys like Mitch Daniels haven't done so as well.
It IS possible, you know. Not that you would know if you only got your news from the libs in the MSM. And that's just one reason why I HATE THE MEDIA. (Have to plug the site! Keep up the good work guys!)
Gov. Luis Fortuno reminds me of the Greatest American President of my lifetime, Ronald Reagan
The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Ronald Reagan
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'
Ronald Reagan
“Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.”
Ronald Reagan
“We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much”
Ronald Reagan
“The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.”
Ronald Reagan
“Man is not free unless government is limited.”
Ronald Reagan
The best line from Reagan :
How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."
He also referred to Washington as a something like a city of denial floating in a pond of unreality or some such quote!
"And the Democrats’ answer is, “Yeah, but … yeah, but … yeah, but …”"
And then comes the 'Palin's an idiot!' or 'But if Palin had won things would be worse' or, 'Bush left a big mess', or 'He's only one man', or if you talk to the JournOList media you always get 'Problems? What problems? The economy is fine!'
If this could be considered as a "trial balloon" for running for President - what with the direct mention of being a Natural Born Citizen and the questions about National politics -- Taxes, immigration, etc ... then he has passed the first test for me. I'd almost vote for him on the spot... and I'm NOT that impulsive ... I just look at what the ruling class Repubs are offering and saying to myself - no thanks.
yeah, but ...
Fiscal conservatism in action... cut government, cut taxes, and... GASP! It actually STIMULATED the PR economy AND cut the deficit by 75%? EGADS! Why hasn't someone thought of that before???
gee... wonder if Detroit or East St. Louis would ever try this...
The obvious difference is one is trying to save and rebuild his country while the other has implemented a systematic and apparently choreographed deconstruction of the country he seems to despise, a constitution he holds in competent, a value and moral system he finds repugnant, the exceptionalism that is America he feels compelled to apologizes for on his continual campaign, refuses to honor American war dead but agrees to go to the mosques and pray. Rises taxes, adds more burden to the working class while giving away 770 million of our tax dollars for mosque renovation in the Middle East. Once a community organizer, always a community organizer!