Puerto Rican schools, government offices close

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The government of Puerto Rico ran out of money Monday, forcing the U.S. commonwealth to close public schools and shut down government offices, putting almost 100,000 people out of work.

The legislature and governor failed to reach a last-minute accord that would have averted the first-ever partial shutdown of the government in island history.

All 1,600 public schools on the island were closed two weeks before the end of the academic year, and 43 government agencies were shut down after negotiations between lawmakers and Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila failed.

Acevedo blamed "legislative inaction" for the shutdown.

"As of 8 a.m. this morning, I don't have in hand a single legislative proposal that resolves this crisis," he told reporters.

The closure gave an unplanned holiday to 500,000 students and threw almost 100,000 government employees -- including 40,000 teachers -- temporarily out of work. The governor has said essential services, such as police and hospitals, would continue during the shutdown.

Probably meant no final exams, which I would have loved in middle/high school.

I guess this means no more Pimp my Estado Libre Asociado, as well.

Bummer.

1600 schools??? Damn, that seems like a lot.

Boycott lol

Serves them right for not wanting to be a state.

If I recall correctly, the last statehood ballot initiative broke down as 45% for statehood, 45% for continuation of commonwealth status, and 10% for independence (well, 5% for full independence, and 5% for something between "commonwealth" and "independent republic")). So, it's not that they don't want to join, in full, the union, but that not enough of them do.

There's like 3.5 Milllion mexes there

Oh, and the statehood thing would be bad for them: they get everything that a citizen would get except Federal Income Taxes as it stands, anyway.

Mexican is a nationality; frijolero is merely a colour (and a state of mind ).

i assure you that they are mexes.

oh man, for a second i thought you were going to say it sank or defected to russia or something.

could we sell them to Cuba, ya think?

hows about send them to Iraq. Since they dont pay taxes, I figure they owe us something.

Tomorrow's headline: "J-Lo singlehandedly floats Puerto Rican Gov't Back Into Solvency."

Maybe Bono should go forgive their debt or whatever.

Oh. That's right. You're from the South... Outside of White, you don't see any colour but "the help".




[img][374:500]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/iln307.JPG[/img]

Yail Bloor's servant, Rastus, helps FEMBLOOR to her carriage.

Has nothing to do with the South. You speak Spanish, you're a Mex.

That Rastus shit is pretty funny though.

Yeah, BECAUSE ITS TRUE!!

I fucking wish.

Although, I'd hire the wrong servants and then, you guessed it, tears.

Now that's funny!

it's amazing what my mother doesn't tell me. i'll hear about all sorts of things that don't really matter, like someone i don't know going into the hospital or a good restaurant, but i haven't heard a word about this. i guess she figures i'll find out on my own somehow. and, just to clarify, my mother lives in puerto rico.