US presidential hopeful Martin O'Malley visits Puerto Rico
Source: AP
By DANICA COTO
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley became the first Democratic presidential candidate to make a campaign stop in Puerto Rico this year as part of an effort to woo Latino voters.
He met Saturday with local legislators and residents to talk about their concerns as the U.S. territory tries to emerge from a nearly decade-long economic slump and struggles with $72 billion in public debt. O'Malley also was scheduled to attend a fundraiser Saturday night.
In a brief interview with The Associated Press, O'Malley said Puerto Rico should receive the same treatment as the U.S. mainland.
"Right now, the people of Puerto Rico ... are being treated very unjustly by forces on the mainland, forces on Wall Street and the intransigence of this Republican Congress in taking action to restore simple bankruptcy protections," he said.
FULL story at link.
Democratic presidential candidate, former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, left, talks to Jaime Perello, speaker of Puerto Ricos House of Representatives during a campaign stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015. OMalley is the first Democratic candidate to campaign in Puerto Rico. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/8ca696e94cbf4d42b0f48b3afffbebd0/us-presidential-hopeful-martin-omalley-visits-puerto-rico
scscholar
(2,902 posts)Hopefully he has a plan to do something about that.
elleng
(131,129 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)"Right now, the people of Puerto Rico ... are being treated very unjustly by forces on the mainland, forces on Wall Street and the intransigence of this Republican Congress in taking action to restore simple bankruptcy protections," he said.
Maybe I don't watch enough tee vee, but it seems O'Malley is about the only Democrat speaking about Puerto Rico's debt crisis at all.
elleng
(131,129 posts)Puerto Rico does send delegates to the Democratic National Convention, and there is a significant number of Puerto Ricans that live in and across the country, not just Florida, OMalley said. [Puerto Ricos] people have been part of the United States for more than 100 years. We have an obligation to help.
Fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have come out in favor of extending Chapter 9 protections to help mitigate Puerto Ricos $72 billion debt crisis -- calling for Congress to pass legislation already on the books. (allegedly.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cant-let-puerto-rico-fail-2016-omalley_55bd2c40e4b06363d5a2709c
AverageGuy
(80 posts)and our other Caribbean territories is not open Cuba to US tourism.
I lived 10 years in the USVI (both St Croix and St Thomas) and the one thing that all the business people were afraid of is what would happen when Cuba was open to American tourist. They though it would kill the islands. The Puerto Rican business people feel the same way.
Todays_Illusion
(1,209 posts)and his main job is to run on the conservative version of a liberal.
This candidate has no constituency. So far his speeches are made up of talking points Republicans love to identify as liberal and use to bash liberals/Democratic about.
He has called for gun control. That is anti-Democratic bias confirmation.
This Puerto Rico will be used as "Democrats love big government spending bail outs bias confirmation.
Jim Webb another to me fake candidate, no constituency and running on anti-Democratic bias confirmation talking points including that old Dixiecrat baloney, he did the "confederate flag is about tradition statement along with
Since actual Democratic are not pushing this, these candidates are needed by the opposition" to provide the "see what those nanny Democratic want."
dembotoz
(16,835 posts)If this was Facebook I would be blasting your---------
Damn, I am even hampered here