Puerto Rico: The fiscal experiment

Dozens of university students are arrested for demonstrating
against a tuition hike. But Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno
remains steadfast in charging students more to help close a
$3.2 billion budget gap. The students' fight is representative
of a larger debate in Puerto Rico, and in the US, about how
to solve a severe budget crisis -- and at what cost. Gov.
Fortuno, a hawkish fiscal conservative, laid off 20,000
government workers in 2009, and suspended all labor
negotiations, just like governors on the US mainland are
doing today.

But two years later Puerto Rico's labor unions are still scrambling to reorganize a largely unemployed population -- nearly 17 percent. Puerto Rico is in its fifth year of recession, and expected to be the world's slowest growing economy if its situation doesn't improve. At question is the degree of economic and social responsibility the US has to its commonwealth state.

Fault Lines travels to Puerto Rico to investigate America's legacy as the Island's ruler, and the harsh economic policies that are being imposed on the people who live there.

This episode of Fault Lines, "Puerto Rico: The Fiscal Experiment" first aired June 27, 2011 on Al Jazeera English.

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/faultlines/

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[rockaddict139]

This video made me cry, most middle and high class Puerto Ricans are unaware or refuse to see the real crisis Puerto Rico is suffering. Another serious problem in Puerto Rico that this video didn't cover was corruption, especially in the government.

[sesshomarupr]

@piesenelagua ese es precisamente el problema...todo el mundo quiere vivir de ayudas gubernamentales si este chorro de vagos se dedicara a trabajar y no a robar quizá hubieran fondos para seguir dándole a los ancianos, pero mientras sigamos pagando la luz que la gente de la perla se roba y sigamos pagando le agua, luz, teléfono, plan medico a los dueños de los puntos de drogas que viven mil veces que la clase trabajadora...ese sera el resultado los mas necesitados seguirán pagando

[ctr772001]

NO VOTES... AL VOTAR MANTOENES AL SISTEMA, AL VOTAR SIGNIFICA QUE LE ESTAS ENTREGANDO TU SER AL SISTEMA, SI EL VOTO REALMENTE CAMBIATA EL SISTEMA SERIA ILEGAL. NO SEAN "SHEPLE"

[ctr772001]

@sesshomarupr YOU ARE A SHEEPLE IF U KNOW WHAT IT'S MEAN... LOL

[RizalMartinez67]

Fortuno for President!!!

[ctr772001]

@rockaddict139 agreed

[10vegajj]

Puerto Rico is NOT American Soil -___- Es Tierra Boricuaaaaaa ! PR Libre.

[lindylooove]

We should ALL seek independence from US. I live in America & I really wanna move but what I have been taught is to never leave a problem and the least you could do is to help however you can. I'm going to be a politician someday and I'll do my best to make things right. Anything is possible.

[Kairi1416]

This is the best and most accurate documentary of Puerto Rico that I've ever seen. Puerto Rico is not the paradise cruise ships and travel agencies make it look like. Just like every other country, there's more to Puerto Rico than meets the eye. Thank you for demonstrating our fight in the University (although we lost) and the truth in Vieques.

[cabronicals]

@cabronicals, But Puertorican government it's trying to create a only one educated high class only to impose by a "Democratic Dictation" we can say because thats a (blunder for a term like that and actually it's kind of ironic or sarcastic). BTW in that way they can have control of people, because when you have an uneducated and ignorant society, you can manipulate them by trying to silences them with a little of help with their needs and keep with the corruption on the country! ;)

[cabronicals]

@juanmincia, Most of Puertoricans, (including me) try to put some excuses for the errors of their own culpability. Because of the election of some mediocre government that forgot the reason why they are there. I recognize that the USA has helped us but at a certain point through the history of our island it has taken shities decision too. My in satisfaction of these situation, its not getting along with american people because I'm very friendly and I'm not a xenophobic person, neither a racist.

[cabronicals]

@cabronicals, No se quiere educar y solo comete una y otra vez el mismo error de votar por esta ristras de raqueteros y mal educados que nos faltan el respeto una y otra vez y después que están en el poder se olvidan quienes los eligieron y porqué fueron electos. Estamos sufriendo la condena de nuestras propias decisiones. Así que si este años piensas votar! Vota de manera concienzuda y no con los pies para que después no se estén quejando de que basura escogimos para que nos representen! ;)