Dear Ms. Kopacz:

The article published by PuertoRicoReport.com says that you support the idea of concentrating in solving Puerto Rico’s debt crisis before the political status! Do you know that your statement is contrary to Presidential executive orders and proclamations? Do you know that President’s Obama’s InterAgency Task Force concluded that «Puerto Rico’s economic problems are linked to the unsolving of it’s political status?

Is this statement, attributed to you, correct? If the answer is yes…have you read article 402 of the PROMESA Law? Do you know that Puerto Rico is suffering a massive population exodus and that will continue to expand if the status is not addressed? Do you have an idea of what happens to an economy losing massive population, specially the well educated and strong consumers? Did you know that 92% of the people of Puerto Rico have expressed in two Gallup polls that they will move to the U.S. mainland if the United States grants independence or free association? Please visitwww.franklindelanolopez.com and read my English commentaries that I wrote to members of the U.S. Congress and The White House.

I have written to Speaker Ryan; House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy; Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi; Senator Orrin Hatch; Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; Senator Lisa Murkowsky; Senator Maria Cantwell; Senator Ron Wyden, Minority Leader Harry Reid requesting that a person that challenges Article 402 should be immediately disqualified to become a member of the Federal Fiscal Board. I have contacted The White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough expressing the same.

Sincerely,

FRANKLIN LOPEZfranklinlopez46@aol.com

ARTICLE 402 of the PROMESA LAW:

“I think everybody on the island needs to take a time out from the status conversation,” she said. “Right now that discussion needs to stop because it’s not helping stabilize the ship in a way that will allow for economic growth and will cause people to want to stay and come back to Puerto Rico. If I had a magic wand, I would say, let’s just take a time out from the status conversation for a little while and focus on getting Puerto Rico stabilized and headed in the right direction again.”

To begin with, Kopacz’s comment is impractical.  Asking Puerto
Ricans to stop paying attention to status is like telling Californians to ignore the beach.  Or telling any group in the Middle East to put aside their problems with their historic enemy neighbors and just focus on growing their economies. The other issues are always present and unavoidable.

More importantly, Puerto Rico’s status has a significant impact on the laws and policies to be considered and evaluated by the next administration and legislature, as well as the PROMESA board.  If Puerto Rico is to be a state, future policies must reflect greater integration with US laws. If the people of Puerto Rico vote for independence, the upcoming disconnect from the United States must be reflected in Board policies, including in areas involving US citizenship and social spending.