Well the current hoo-haa one the island is the budgetary problems. You see, the goverment never signed off on a 2006 budget. Or a 2005 budget, for that matter. What that means is they are using the 2004 budget, then taking out huge ($700M) loans to cover the difference. (Yea, I don’t quite understand it either.)

So the current gov is trying to get the reps to sign off on another loan (or, god forbid, sign off on the 2006 budget). Well, the reps don’t want to do it. So, the government has “run out of money” and can’t afford to run services starting–ta-da–this coming Monday (May 1st).

Rumor has it that all public offices will be closed down (including schools) and that 250,000+ (!!!) government workers won’t get paid. Oh, and let’s not forget that includes non-payment of the million plus people who get medicine filled every month by the government.

I’m not quite sure if it’s a good or a bad thing! After all, the goverment down here is extremely bloated compared to the States. Maybe it would be a wakeup call. In the end, both sides are probably bluffing. The governor will have a hard (impossible) time laying off a majority of the islands workforce and shutting down everything, and the reps can’t keep hoping that money will suddenly fall out of the sky.

So, for now, people are ill-informed and worried. Lines at gas stations and stores are long (so I’ve heard), because people are afraid that the truck drivers will go on strike too (as a sign of solidarity). Time to re-fill the bunker and lock the gates!
Here’s hoping that you’ll still hear from me after next week. If you don’t, then just assume that the island turned into Haiti 2 and we’re all in rafts making our way to Florida.

This is more fun than a hurricane!

Update:

Pro-immigration activists say a national boycott and marches planned for May 1 will flood U.S. streets with millions of Latinos to demand amnesty for illegal immigrants and shake the ground under Congress as it debates reform.

Those activists in the States better be careful, or a couple million Puerto Ricans might come up and take those jobs. After all, the ‘Ricans all already legal.