And Now for Something Nutty on Puerto Rico
I know nothing about the statutes delegating "home rule" authority to the Commonwealth, but do they have any reversionary clauses? For example, if there's crisis, war, etc., can the federal government revest in any power? Leaving aside the political unpalatability, wouldn't that leave the executive branch with a freer hand? Building, can the President (temporarily) draft the island's residents, then issue an order taking (for fair/discounted value) any debts related to providing services for this vital military installation? Or how about declaring it a giant national monument? OK, feel free to go back to common sense if you want now. (Hey, we were supposed to think creatively...)
Here's another one: the Department of Defense pays rent (or even property tax) for Puerto Rico's lands used by military bases. Considering they reached almost 14% of Puerto Rico's territory, and have been in use for over a century, it should help some...
Posted by: Maria de los Angeles Trigo | March 17, 2016 at 07:55 AM