Local Briefs
Christmas sales tax holiday in works
House Majority leader Rolando Crespo said Sunday he would push for a one-day exemption from the local sales tax during the Christmas season, similar to the back-to-school tax holiday on school supplies.
Crespo — who was handing out 235 Christmas gifts with Santa during a visit to the Bernardino Villanueva public housing project in Aguadilla — said he would file a bill to this effect in January.
“The moments of crisis we are going through allow us to seek additional relief for consumers’ pocketbooks as we did with the original measure, which called for a Christmas tax holiday,” Crespo said.
MINH to honor Mari Brás
The National De Hostos Independence Movement said Sunday it would dedicate the 109th anniversary of the Puerto Rican flag Tuesday to veteran pro-independence leader Juan Mari Brás for being a “symbol of rectitude and patriotic affirmation.”
Héctor Pesquera, co-president of MINH, as the group is known by its Spanish acronym, said that just as Puerto Rico’s national insignia was “persecuted and banned and today is a symbol of national reaffirmation of all Puerto Ricans,” Mari Brás “is an emblem of our people’s fight for freedom.”
Pesquera asked all those who want to celebrate the Puerto Rican flag’s anniversary to participate in a protest in front of U.S. District Court at 5 p.m. Dec. 22.
During the protest, MINH members will call for FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Fraticelli to reveal all agency documents related to Cuban right-wing insurgents’ plans to assassinate Mari Brás in 1975 and reveal their links to the murder of Mari Brás’ son in March 1976, as well as other political assassinations in Puerto Rico.
Pesquera said Fraticelli owes an explanation to the people of Puerto Rico as the FBI did “nothing” and has done nothing about those planning Mari Brás’ assassination who still are alive and well — Frank Castro, who lives in the Dominican Republic, and Rafael Pérez Doreste, Secundino Carrera and Reynol Rodríguez, all of whom live in Miami.
Fortuño, Pierluisi continue fight for health care parity
Gov. Fortuño and Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi vowed Sunday to continue their lobbying efforts to get the U.S.House version of health care reform, which gives full parity to Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.
The Senate version of the bill does not include the territories in the reform.
Fortuño and Pierluisi made the comments Sunday while they were meeting with Rep. Debbie Wasserman, D- Fla., a member of Congressional Allocations Committee.
Fortuño and Pierluisi added that Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the Health Committee chairman; and former Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn., have promised to include parity in the Senate version of the national health care reform legislation. Sen. Bob Menéndez, D-N.J., who are strong supporters of the territories, also is expected to vote in favor of such legislation, they said.
Other friends of Puerto Rico on this matter include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; House Ways and Means Commitee Chairman Charles Rangel; Energy Committee Chair Henry Waxman; and Education Committee Chairman George Miller, the local politicians said.
“White House Intergovernmental Affairs Director Cecilia Muñoz and Health Czarina Nancy-Ann DeParle are aware of the importance of fully including Puerto Rico and I am sure they will lobby on behalf of the island in the conference committee,” Pierluisi said.
The House version of the legislation would allocate $4 billion in funds for the Health Insurance Exchange, of which Puerto Rico would receive $3.7 billion.
Housing extended stimulus program
The Puerto Rico Housing Department has extended its Stimulus Program to Purchase a Home from Dec. 31 to March 2010 so more people can benefit from the aid to buy their first home, agency Secretary Yesef Cordero Lebrón announced Sunday.
Under the program the government grants up to $25,000 in subordinated debt for the deposit to purchase a new home and up to $10,000 to buy an existing house. The government will pay the subordinated debt, which is a second mortgage, during the first 10 years.
To date, 577 families on the island have used the program to buy their first home.
Planning Board nixes wind-farm
The Puerto Rico Planning Board declared without cause Windmar Renewable Energy’s call for reconsideration of the agency’s denial of a permit to build a wind-farm in Barrio Boca in Guayanilla.
Since plans for the wind farm were announced the project has met with opposition from environmentalists who questioned the damage giant wind turbines would do to birds and vegetation.
Mayaguez gives students scholarships
Mayagüez Mayor José Guillermo Rodríguez gave out $612,000 in academic scholarships to 792 low-income students who have good grades so that they can continue their studies, no matter what the academic level or location of the course.
“With these 792 scholarships the municipality continues making a reality the students’ desires to continue on an academic path, be this for elementary, intermediate, vocational or university studies, either here or abroad,” Rodríguez said.
The scholarship program also grants financial support for the studies of the children of police officers and athletes who have good grades.
“My commitment is to continue fostering an improved education for the youth in Mayaguez,” the mayor said.
House Majority leader Rolando Crespo said Sunday he would push for a one-day exemption from the local sales tax during the Christmas season, similar to the back-to-school tax holiday on school supplies.
Crespo — who was handing out 235 Christmas gifts with Santa during a visit to the Bernardino Villanueva public housing project in Aguadilla — said he would file a bill to this effect in January.
“The moments of crisis we are going through allow us to seek additional relief for consumers’ pocketbooks as we did with the original measure, which called for a Christmas tax holiday,” Crespo said.
MINH to honor Mari Brás
The National De Hostos Independence Movement said Sunday it would dedicate the 109th anniversary of the Puerto Rican flag Tuesday to veteran pro-independence leader Juan Mari Brás for being a “symbol of rectitude and patriotic affirmation.”
Héctor Pesquera, co-president of MINH, as the group is known by its Spanish acronym, said that just as Puerto Rico’s national insignia was “persecuted and banned and today is a symbol of national reaffirmation of all Puerto Ricans,” Mari Brás “is an emblem of our people’s fight for freedom.”
Pesquera asked all those who want to celebrate the Puerto Rican flag’s anniversary to participate in a protest in front of U.S. District Court at 5 p.m. Dec. 22.
During the protest, MINH members will call for FBI Special Agent in Charge Luis Fraticelli to reveal all agency documents related to Cuban right-wing insurgents’ plans to assassinate Mari Brás in 1975 and reveal their links to the murder of Mari Brás’ son in March 1976, as well as other political assassinations in Puerto Rico.
Pesquera said Fraticelli owes an explanation to the people of Puerto Rico as the FBI did “nothing” and has done nothing about those planning Mari Brás’ assassination who still are alive and well — Frank Castro, who lives in the Dominican Republic, and Rafael Pérez Doreste, Secundino Carrera and Reynol Rodríguez, all of whom live in Miami.
Fortuño, Pierluisi continue fight for health care parity
Gov. Fortuño and Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi vowed Sunday to continue their lobbying efforts to get the U.S.House version of health care reform, which gives full parity to Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.
The Senate version of the bill does not include the territories in the reform.
Fortuño and Pierluisi made the comments Sunday while they were meeting with Rep. Debbie Wasserman, D- Fla., a member of Congressional Allocations Committee.
Fortuño and Pierluisi added that Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the Health Committee chairman; and former Chairman Chris Dodd, D-Conn., have promised to include parity in the Senate version of the national health care reform legislation. Sen. Bob Menéndez, D-N.J., who are strong supporters of the territories, also is expected to vote in favor of such legislation, they said.
Other friends of Puerto Rico on this matter include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; House Ways and Means Commitee Chairman Charles Rangel; Energy Committee Chair Henry Waxman; and Education Committee Chairman George Miller, the local politicians said.
“White House Intergovernmental Affairs Director Cecilia Muñoz and Health Czarina Nancy-Ann DeParle are aware of the importance of fully including Puerto Rico and I am sure they will lobby on behalf of the island in the conference committee,” Pierluisi said.
The House version of the legislation would allocate $4 billion in funds for the Health Insurance Exchange, of which Puerto Rico would receive $3.7 billion.
Housing extended stimulus program
The Puerto Rico Housing Department has extended its Stimulus Program to Purchase a Home from Dec. 31 to March 2010 so more people can benefit from the aid to buy their first home, agency Secretary Yesef Cordero Lebrón announced Sunday.
Under the program the government grants up to $25,000 in subordinated debt for the deposit to purchase a new home and up to $10,000 to buy an existing house. The government will pay the subordinated debt, which is a second mortgage, during the first 10 years.
To date, 577 families on the island have used the program to buy their first home.
Planning Board nixes wind-farm
The Puerto Rico Planning Board declared without cause Windmar Renewable Energy’s call for reconsideration of the agency’s denial of a permit to build a wind-farm in Barrio Boca in Guayanilla.
Since plans for the wind farm were announced the project has met with opposition from environmentalists who questioned the damage giant wind turbines would do to birds and vegetation.
Mayaguez gives students scholarships
Mayagüez Mayor José Guillermo Rodríguez gave out $612,000 in academic scholarships to 792 low-income students who have good grades so that they can continue their studies, no matter what the academic level or location of the course.
“With these 792 scholarships the municipality continues making a reality the students’ desires to continue on an academic path, be this for elementary, intermediate, vocational or university studies, either here or abroad,” Rodríguez said.
The scholarship program also grants financial support for the studies of the children of police officers and athletes who have good grades.
“My commitment is to continue fostering an improved education for the youth in Mayaguez,” the mayor said.
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