Postal Convention Welcoming Remarks

NAPUS Welcoming Remarks

by Kenneth D. McClintock

San Juan, Puerto Rico

August 12, 2011

On behalf of Governor Luis Fortuño, I am honored to welcome you to Puerto Rico. ¡Bienvenidos a las Islas del Encanto!  Welcome to the islands of enchantment!

Even though he cannot be here this morning, since he’s devoting all of this week to visits and meetings in eastern Puerto Rico, Governor Fortuño wanted to express to you his appreciation for choosing our Islands to hold this important gathering of postmasters.

I would like give special thanks to Robert Rapoza, NAPUS’ National President, as well as its Executive Board, for allowing us the opportunity to welcome you and, most importantly, to be your hosts.

Leaving all pretense of modesty aside, NAPUS could not have chosen a better place to hold its National Convention.

…and I am not referring necessarily to the fact that Puerto Rico is a beautiful tropical island destination —which I am sure that those of you coming from more temperate latitudes are particularly enjoying…

…but to Puerto Rico’s political, geographical and cultural attributes. Located at the crossroads of the Americas, and with bilingual and bicultural U.S. citizens, Puerto Rico is not only where the United States and Latin America meet but also where the United States becomes a Caribbean nation.

Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States since 1898 and, together with the 50 States of the Union and the District of Columbia, comprises the Customs Area of the United States —the only U.S. territory having this attribute.

And yet many are not aware of this crucial asset… Puerto Rico’s potential as a trade hub of the Americas is virtually untapped because Puerto Rico is largely unknown and often misunderstood —incorrectly perceived as a Caribbean nation with a special relationship with the United States of obscure characteristics from a political standpoint having unclear implications in terms of trade and investment.

Not so the U.S. Postal Service… which clearly recognizes and treats Puerto Rico as a part of the United States.

Not surprisingly, the U.S. Postal Service has been to many citizens, regardless of where they are situated across this vast country of ours, the most visible symbol of national unity. I even venture to say that the political union and common market that America is today, would not have been possible without the U.S. Postal Service.

So important the U.S. Postal Service has been to the purpose and objectives of the federal government that until 1970 it was the Post Office Department and the U.S. Postmaster General was a member of the Cabinet.

Despite criticism from competitors and political ideologues who want to put an end to it, the Nation still needs the U.S. Postal Service today as a function of the federal government… and Americans wants to keep it that way.

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, sixty-four percent (64%) rate its performance as good or excellent and just 11% say the Postal Service is doing a poor job. Moreover, seventy-seven percent (77%) think it is at least somewhat likely that there will still be a need for the Postal Service in 10 years. Compare that to the President’s 46% approval rating and to Congress’ dismal 12%!

It is true that the U.S. Postal Service has been facing declining revenues and increasing costs —and so has the federal government— but no one has seriously proposed to do away with the federal government because it has been running a budget deficit every year since 1969, except at the end of President Clinton’s second term.

The administration of Governor Fortuño recognizes the value of the U.S. Postal Service to the residents of Puerto Rico. Our party platform pledges to collaborate with the U.S. Postal Service in the standardization of postal addresses, among other issues.

Not only has the U.S. Postal Service been a part of the history of Puerto Rico, it has also documented the history of our Islands through postage stamps and pictorial cancellations. In 1937 a stamp was dedicated to La Fortaleza, the oldest executive office mansion in the United States… in 1949, to the first gubernatorial election of Puerto Rico… to the 450th anniversary of the founding of San Juan in 1971… and the 500th Anniversary of Columbus' Landing in Puerto Rico in 1993.

Important figures in Puerto Rico’s history such as Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, Governor Luis Munoz Marín, musician Tito Puente, and poet Julia De Burgos have graced the postage stamps of the United States.  In a few weeks, you’ll be honoring our most prolific composer, Rafael Hernández.

And just last month I had the honor of witnessing, together with Congressman Pedro Pierluisi, the first day of issue of the flag of Puerto Rico stamp that is a part of our Flags of Our Nation collection.

No jurisdiction of the United States understands better than Puerto Rico the vital role that the U.S. Postal Service plays as an engine of the national economy and as a facilitator of America’s unity.

I wish you success in your meetings as you continue discussing how to meet the tough issues ahead.

Thank you for being here, in the Islands of Enchantment. 

Vice President Biden's 9-11 remarks at Shanksville, PA

REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN AT DEDICATION OF FLIGHT 93 MEMORIAL Shanksville, Pennsylvania 2:25 P.M. EDT THE VICE PRESIDENT: Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow Americans, I’m honored to be standing here today, standing with two former Presidents. President Clinton, as he said, the passengers on Flight 93 knew that our common humanity is what united us most. Well, Mr. President, the same can be said of you. You spent your time as President, and the years since, deeply committed to embracing and strengthening our common humanity. (Applause.) And, Mr. President, we all thank you for what you’ve done and what you continue to do. Let me also recognize a man responsible for bringing our country together at a time when it could have been torn apart, for making it clear that America could not be brought to her knees, and helping us stand tall and strike back -- President George W. Bush. (Applause.) In the darkest hour of our generation, your voice and leadership, Mr. President, helped us find our way. And for that, you deserve our gratitude for a long, long time. (Applause.) And I say now to the families that are gathered here today, I know what it’s like to receive that call out of the blue, like a bolt out of the blue. And I know this is a bittersweet moment for you. And I want to tell you, you have a lot more courage than I had. You have a lot more courage just by being here today, because I know, and many others know, how hard it is to relive these moments, because it brings everything back in stark, stark relief and stark detail. But I also know, like your loved ones, what you probably don’t know, that you are literally an inspiration to the thousands of people across this country who right now are feeling the loss of an intense tragedy that they’re suffering. They know, looking at you, watching you on television today, that there’s hope to be found after tragedy, that there’s rebirth in the face of death. You, in a sense, are as courageous as your family members were. And we owe you all for being here today, just the act of being here. (Applause.) We’re here today to remember and honor 40 men and women who gave their lives so others could live theirs -- decent, honorable women and men who never imagined 10 years ago tomorrow that when they said goodbye to their children, when they kissed their loved ones goodbye and walked through that door, that they were doing it for the very last time. They didn’t know the horror that awaited them, but they confronted unimaginable fear and terror with a courage that has been summoned only by the truest and the rarest of American heroes -- 40 names etched on each of those panels on the wall, the Wall of Names. But, more than that, their names are going to be, as President Bush said, etched forever into American history. They join an incredibly elite list of women and men, and a long history filled with ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things -- men and women of undaunted courage, uncommon resolve, and a stubborn perseverance in the face of unfathomable challenge. We teach our children that these are qualities ingrained into our national character as Americans. And I believe they are. They animate our national identity. And I believe they will continue to define America, because of the example of the men and women who we pay tribute today, the passengers and the crew of Flight 93. None of them asked for what happened. They didn’t go on that plane -- they didn’t board that plane to fight a war. But when they heard the news, when they found out what happened in New York, they knew that they were going through, it was something more than a hijacking. They knew it was the opening shot in a new war. And so, they acted. They acted as citizen patriots have acted since the beginning of our country. They stood up and they stood their ground. They thought, like Captain Parker said at Lexington, and I quote him, “If they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” As many times as I recall, and all of you who are not family members like me, have recalled this incident time and again over the last 10 years, I never fail to be astonished, literally astonished by the courage they demonstrated. And so, we stand where it began. We think of them. We think of our nation. We think of our history and we think of the future. And we think of it, because of them, with a confidence knowing that ordinary citizens will continue to stare down fear, overwhelm evil, and bring forth hope from what seems to be none. And although it will continue to amaze us and inspire us when it happens, it should not surprise us. For that heroism is who we are. And that courage lies deepest and beats loudest in the heart of this nation. We know that these 40 men and women were more than ordinary Americans to all of you sitting in front of me. They were more than passengers and crews. They were already heroes. They were already heroes to you. They were the father that tucked you in bed at night. They were the wife who knew your fears before you even expressed them. They were the brother who lifted you up. They were the daughter who made you laugh. They were the son who made you proud. They are irreplaceable. I know that. We know that. And we know, and I know, that no memorial -- no words, no acts -- can fill the void that they left in your hearts. My prayer for you is that 10 years later, their memory is able to bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. And I hope you take comfort in knowing that a grateful nation understands that your loved ones gave their lives in pursuit of the noblest of earthly goals: defending their country, defending their families, sacrificing their lives so we could live ours. Those of us who were in Washington that day, without knowing it for sure at the time, now know we owe them an overwhelming special, personal debt of gratitude. The collective spirit of your mother, your father, your brother, your husband, your wife, your sister, your best friend -- that spirit lives on not only in you, but in your country. It lives on in the Cross of Steel made from the World Trade Center beams, placed on a Pentagon-shaped platform that rests proudly outside the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department. (Applause.) That Cross of Steel is an enduring symbol of the steel and the spine of this region, and the spine of this country. And it definitely lives on in a new generation of warriors -- the 9/11 Generation, inspired by what happened here, 2.8 million young Americans since 9/11, that 9/11 generation, have joined the United States Armed Forces -- thousands giving their lives and tens of thousands being wounded to finish the war that began right here. Maya Angelou wrote, and I quote, “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived. However, if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” Ladies and gentlemen -- we are not here to unlive history. We are here to honor those whose courage made history and is going to inspire generations of Americans to come. So, I say to you, even as we struggle with this tragedy, even as we grapple with the profound loss and devastating grief, we can look up at the heavens and think of these heroes and know, know with certitude that there is not a single, solitary tragedy that America cannot overcome. There is not a single moment of hardship that cannot be transformed into one of national strength. The seeds of doubt, planted by those who wish to harm us, will instead grow into flowering meadows like this one where we stand in today, for they cannot defeat the American spirit. We know this with certainty. We know it with certainty, because it’s the history of the journey of this country at every stage of our history. (Applause.) As President Clinton knows, my mother used to say, “Courage lies in every heart.” And she would go on to say, “And the expectation is that, Joey, one day it will be summoned.” “Courage lies in every heart, and one day it will be summoned.” On September 11, 2001, at 9:57 a.m., it was summoned and 40 incredible men and women answered the call. They gave their lives and, in doing so, gave this country a new life. We owe them. We owe you a debt we can never repay. Thank you all. Thank you, family members. And may God bless you. And may God protect our troops. (Applause.) END 2:40 P.M. EDT

Transcript: NPR "All Things Considered" Interview on DoJ report on PR Police

ROBERT SIEGEL, host: The Puerto Rico Police Department has 17,000 officers. That makes it the second biggest force in the US behind New York City, but it's also one of the most troubled. After a three year investigation, the Justice Department has found that Puerto Rico police routinely violate people's civil rights by beating suspects and planting evidence. NPR's Carrie Johnson has that story. CARRIE JOHNSON: Justice Department investigators who have been digging into problems with the police force in Puerto Rico say they hardly know where to begin. Tom Perez leads the Civil Rights Division. THOMAS PEREZ: The breadth and depth of challenges confronting this department is very, very wide. The department has just about every problem in the book. JOHNSON: Investigators made three major findings. First, police in Puerto Rico use unreasonable force to arrest people, many of whom put up no resistance. Second, Perez says... PEREZ: Officers all too frequently plant evidence during searches, rely on excessive force and intimidation as search aids and proceed with searches, even when knowing that the address or identity of the individual or some other pertinent information is simply incorrect. JOHNSON: Finally, police on the island often violate the First Amendment rights of protestors, beating demonstrators with batons and spraying chemicals on crowds. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the problem. Violent crime rates are soaring. Seven hundred eighty-six murders so far this year, most authorities say because of drug trafficking. Jennifer Turner of the American Civil Liberties Union has visited the island several times to look into police brutality. All too often, she says, that's a law enforcement strategy. JENNIFER TURNER: The Department of Justice investigation said they interviewed one police officer who distressingly said that the way that they can combat the murder rate is by showing force and going into public housing projects and low income communities and beating people up. JOHNSON: Federal authorities say the police force doesn't have enough training, no guidelines for when police can use their weapons, none of supervision and little or no response to complaints. Again, Jennifer Turner. TURNER: The police department is not interested in reform. JOHNSON: Kenneth McClintock is the Secretary of State in Puerto Rico. He begs to differ. McClintock says the government's working with limited resources, but he says it's already made some important changes. KENNETH MCCLINTOCK: Hiring people with more education, improving the police academy education that they receive, improving the supervision that they receive, have better reporting of incidents within the police department. JOHNSON: Attorney General Eric Holder speaking to NPR's TELL ME MORE says the department may have to rebuild from the ground up. ERIC HOLDER: So it's going to involve, I think, a lot of work that we are prepared to do and we hope we'll have the cooperation of the local authorities in Puerto Rico. JOHNSON: Holder says the Justice Department is prepared to sue and get a judge involved if they can't reach an agreement any other way. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

La crisis fiscal de Estados Unidos

Por: Pedro R. Pierluisi (D-PR)
Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico en Washinton DC

Recientemente los medios de comunicación han reseñado los retos que enfrenta el gobierno de Estados Unidos en el manejo de sus finanzas. A principios de agosto el gobierno federal estuvo a punto de quedarse sin el flujo de caja necesario para cumplir con todas sus obligaciones. Después de meses de negociaciones entre los líderes congresionales y el Presidente Obama se aprobó la Ley de Control Presupuestario de 2011 con el objetivo de mejorar la situación fiscal de la nación americana.

Al presente, la deuda pública de Estados Unidos prácticamente iguala su producto bruto doméstico. Más aún, la Oficina Congresional de Presupuesto (CBO) estima que si se mantiene el ritmo actual de gastos públicos y de recaudos del gobierno federal los déficits en la próxima década sumarían las friolera de $10 billones (el equivalente en inglés a "$10 trillion"). Para colmo de males, la economía estadounidense no está creciendo significativamente y el desempleo sigue estando en un nivel inaceptable.

Así las cosas, los mercados de valores han estado sumamente volátiles. Existe preocupación en la comunidad inversora en cuanto a la habilidad de las autoridades gubernamentales, tanto en Estados Unidos como en Europa, para resolver los problemas fiscales y propiciar un desarrollo económico robusto en el mundo. También hay inquietud en torno al impacto que pudiera tener un recorte significativo en el gasto gubernamental cuando la economía se mantiene rezagada.

El consenso entre los economistas es que Estados Unidos tiene que reducir el desfase entre los gastos y los recaudos de su gobierno durante los próximos diez años por una suma no menor de $4 billones ("$4 trillion") para restablecer su salud fiscal. Ahora bien, en momentos en que la economía no está en óptimas condiciones, los economistas entienden que la solución no estriba meramente en recortar el gasto público, sino también en lograr que aumenten los recaudos, ya sea a base de la imposición de contribuciones adicionales o como resultado de nuevas medidas de desarrollo económico.

La Ley de Control Presupuestario sienta las bases para rehabilitar las finanzas del gobierno federal. Mientras provee para una reducción en el déficit presupuestario proyectado por una suma no menor de $2.1 billones ("$2.1 trillion"), establece un proceso para aumentar el límite de la deuda pública de Estados Unidos por la misma cantidad.

Esta nueva legislación presupuestaria autoriza una primera ronda de recortes de aproximadamente $900 mil millones y aplica el grueso de los mismos a partir del año fiscal 2013. Afortunadamente estos recortes no impactan programas federales de gran importancia para Puerto Rico como el Seguro Social, Medicare, Medicaid, PAN, TANF (fondos de asistencia temporera para familias necesitadas) y CHIP (programa de seguro médico para niños de escasos recursos). Sin embargo, se anticipa que los recortes acordados van a conllevar una reducción promedio de 5% en los presupuestos de la mayoría de las agencias federales en el próximo año fiscal y una congelación en los gastos de las agencias durante el resto de los diez años cubiertos por la ley.

Por otro lado, la legislación crea una Comisión Especial compuesta por doce miembros del Congreso de ambos partidos nacionales que tiene la encomienda de recomendar, en o antes de la semana de Acción de Gracias, una segunda ronda de recortes que totalicen no menos de $1.2 billones ("$1.2 trillion") para ese mismo período de diez años. Y cabe resaltar que esta Comisión tiene mano libre a la hora de seleccionar las áreas en las que aplicarán los recortes.

También es importante mencionar que si la Comisión no logra su cometido entrarían en vigor unos recortes automáticos que sumarían $1.2 billones ("$1.2 trillion") y estarían divididos en partes iguales entre el área de seguridad nacional e interna y el resto de los programas discrecionales del gobierno federal. No obstante, estos recortes no recaerían sobre los programas de gasto mandatorio, incluyendo el Seguro Social, el PAN, las asignaciones de Medicaid y los beneficios de Medicare.

Es de esperar que el Presidente Obama exhorte a los miembros de la Comisión a recomendar medidas que reduzcan el déficit más allá del mínimo requerido. Al mismo tiempo, se da por sentado que el Presidente presentará una serie de propuestas para estimular la economía estadounidense y crear empleos, pues no hay duda de que la mejor manera de resolver los problemas financieros de Estados Unidos es teniendo una economía saludable que a su vez genere mayores recaudos.

En estos próximos meses estaré vigilante y en comunicación con los miembros de la Comisión Especial del Congreso para defender los intereses de Puerto Rico. Del mismo modo, haré las gestiones necesarias para insertarnos en toda medida de desarrollo económico que sea aprobada por el Congreso. A fin de cuentas, a Puerto Rico le conviene que se supere la crisis fiscal de Estados Unidos y que se reactive su economía.