21 minute read
Puerto rico’s future shouldn’t be tax exeMPted
Puerto Rico’s Future Is not Built on Tax Exemptions
Argues business strategist David Allio
By Zoe Landi Fontana, The Weekly Journal
Asustainable future starts with a doing away with leadership’s rhetoric of over-promising and delivering mistakes that are paid in dollars and lead to being $132 billion in debt. That is according to business strategist David Allio, who adds that fortunately, the new Plan of Adjustment submitted by the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) brought the price for debt services down to 25 cents to 8 cents on the dollar.
With the framework in place, it is now up to Puerto Rico to stick to the path provided by Jaresko and the new Plan of Adjustment to build towards a future without promises it can’t afford. Puerto Rico “needs to seriously balance its priorities in terms of the allocation of the finite resources that exist,” Allio said in an interview with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL.
The Danger of Quick Fixes
The teachers’ protests from the last week show how the government jumps to quick fixes in a pinch. After not receiving a raise in about 6-7 years, there is no doubt that teachers deserve one, but the resources aren’t there. What began as a pension discussion became a promise for a permanent annual raise of $1000.
“It is frightening and downright depressing to think that Puerto Rico could lose its best and last chance to finally reach sustainability and selfdetermination,” Allio said of the protest’s results. “As well as ceasing unbudgeted raises and pensions, the island needs to address its current offerings for investment and growth.” to create significant growth.
A Future Crypto Heaven?
Various organizations have touted the possibility for Puerto Rico to become a Silicon Valley-esque technology hub, especially for those involved in the blockchain and crypto industries. Blockchain has real-world applications for tracking assets, shipments, and even legal documents and certifications. The technologies that run on the blockchain –cryptocurrencies and NFTs– are less dependable, their values not backed by any country or finite resource.
At the end of January, Bitcoin dropped by 50% from its all-time high. So, the repercussions of the unpredictability of cryptocurrencies, along with the fact that NFTs’ values are fairly arbitrary, might make this sector of technology and finance a less than desirable target to bring to the island
Law 60
According to Allio, Law 60, for attracting revenue to the island, is akin to building a house on sand. “Using the tax system to attract is not necessarily sustainable because you’re giving away what you need to further develop not only those industries, but your society,” he explained. Law 60 and the social rhetoric surrounding it also creates new problems for the government, and Using the tax system to attract a dual society of those who benefit, and those is not necessarily sustainable because you’re giving away what who don’t. Another issue is what these businesses will do you need to further develop not if the global minimum tax rate is set at 15%, only those industries, but your which could take effect society. by 2023. “Puerto Rico has granted so – David Allio, Business Strategist many exemptions in so many industries, some grandfathered, some new, and it will be a difficult conversation to reevaluate and restructure them to enable Puerto Rico to come into compliance with what the US and other nations agree on as a minimum tax threshold,” Allio argued. Over time, the tax exemptions granted have had a regressive effect. Excise and sales taxes, of which Puerto Rico has some of the highest in the country, affect lower income groups the most.
2021: A Record Year for Tourism
Airbnb supports community growth
Zoe Landi Fontana, The Weekly Journal
2021 was a record year for tourism on the island.
According to Discover Puerto Rico, revenue from lodging surpassed $1 billion in 2021, a 37% increase from 2019’s record. As a result, $98 million was collected in revenue from taxes on short-term rentals. The past decade averaged $66 million annually from the same tax.
Visitors arrivals to the island also increased. Aerostar Airport Holdings found that 4.84 million passengers arrived at San Juan’s airport in 2021, 2.6% higher than in 2019. These visitors are also staying longer. Representing a 5% increase from 2019, visitors stayed in Puerto Rico for an average of 4.6 days, according to the firm Arrivalist.
Airbnb’s Surge
As jobs became remote, or hybrid, people took advantage of the opportunity to truly work from anywhere. Airbnb’s rentals offer unique and individual options for an experience outside traditional hotels. The firm announced that 26% of hosts in Puerto Rico rent out spaces in their own homes. The autonomy that Airbnb provides each of its hosts results in benefits for their communities. 99% of hosts surveyed responded that they recommend local restaurants, cafes, stores, cultural sites, and attractions to their guests, who spend an average of $300 per day in total at these destinations, according to Airbnb data. “These records in visitor arrivals, accommodation
In fact, revenues, and collections were achieved even though the start of 2021 was slow due to the COVID Aerostar pandemic. Today, a year later, Airport Holdings the Omicron variant similarly found that 4.84 impacts us. However, we are in million passengers a better position than last year. arrived at San Juan’s Data suggest that the industry airport in 2021, 2.6% already experienced the worst higher than in 2019. part of the Omicron effect on the occupancy rate. On the week of January 16, the industry started showing signs of a bounce back,” said Alisha Valentine, director of Research and Analysis at Discover Puerto Rico.
Trends for 2022
Destination Analysts, an independent research firm that surveys American travelers weekly, These records in visitor arrivals, accommodation revenues, and collections were achieved even though the start of 2021 was slow due to the COVID pandemic. Alisha Valentine
reported that 93.3% of Americans plan to take a leisure trip in the next 12 months as a result of heightened optimism regarding the pandemic’s course and their ability to travel safely. Meanwhile, 37.3% of people planning a vacation for Spring Break chose beach destinations.
With a “live anywhere” trend ignited by the pandemic, travel is changing. Airbnb identified the following three trends as people find new places to work from and explore: People will spread out and stay for weeks or months; more people will go live abroad or travel for an entire summer; more people will become digital nomads, and cities will compete to attract these mobile remote workers by changing visa and tax rules.
Eduardo Hilera, M.P.S. Eduardo Hilera, M.P.S.
Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expert Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expert
The opioid crisis: An epidemic on the coattails of a pandemic The Storms of September
Epidemic and pandemic: the terms are differentiated by their scope— essentially by the numbers of people and areas impacted.
In addition, medical and scientific debate goes into these definitions.
What does drug use have to do with a contagious disease like COVID-19? Everything. Mayo Clinic, the American Medical Association, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other prestigious medical bodies have recognized addiction as a disease. The high demand for illegal drugs is a symptom of the disease, so it follows that demand will remain at significant levels while the root cause of the problem is not addressed.
According to the World Health Organization, an epidemic occurs at the level of a region or even a community when a disease is spread, while a pandemic exists when a disease spreads throughout many areas, an entire country, or the world. COVID-19 is a pandemic, and the opioid crisis—the spread of opioid addiction throughout the United States—is considered an epidemic.
While some detractors argue that addiction is not a disease, and there is space for debate regarding medical causes and approaches, for the purpose of emergency and disaster management, both the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid crisis are similarly problematic and require many of the same resources. Drug addiction, drug trafficking, drug use and the necessary anti-drug enforcement all have one thing in common—they place an incredible burden on our society. Drug use in general fuels drug trafficking and requires the government’s involvement in enforcement, and addiction affects our homes and communities.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as lost jobs and livelihoods and more restricted access to mental health resources, have unfortunately driven many to addiction. The pandemic has also changed drug trafficking, as transnational criminal organizations have adapted faster than law enforcement, making it more cumbersome for our agencies to track and understand the movement of illegal substances throughout the country and into our communities. These changes have stretched all our emergency management resources thin.
The impact comes down to numbers—lives lost, lives impacted, social and economic factors.
When cited for the wrong reasons, some of these metrics, especially economic ones, can seem to disconnect human suffering from the equation. However, they can help us frame the impact of this crisis and change policy.
The opioid epidemic killed 70,630 in 2019, and that number continues to increase year after year, reaching over 100,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scale of the opioid crisis places a burden on the American economy. In fact, in 2018, the President’s Council of Economic Advisors estimated that the cost of the crisis was $696 billion, when yearly deaths due to opioid overdoses were only a fraction of what they are now. That could represent as much as $5,500 a year per U.S. household, according to recent Census numbers.
These numbers simply paint one part of the picture of the impact that the opioid crisis has on the United States. These numbers vary, in large part because policymakers have not done enough. It does not mean that the funds are sitting somewhere unspent, but they do point to faulty policy decisions and a lack of legitimate tracking of the efforts against the crisis.
The opioid crisis is an epidemic
The Atlantic hurricane season— the one that impacts Puerto Rico—runs from June 1 to November 30. The peak, however, occurs from midSeptember to mid-October, which has already started, folks.
The hurricanes permanently recorded in our memories all made landfall in September. Hugo on September 19, 1988; Hortensia on September 10, 1996; Georges on September 21, 1998; and Maria on September 20, 2017. There is a clear trend here.
Abraham Lincoln said: “If I only had one hour to chop down a tree, I would spend 45 minutes sharpening my axe.”
Applying Honest Abe’s wise logic to hurricane season, we should do everything possible to get ready before a disaster.
All it takes to get ready is a little creativity, logic and a few bucks. Being prepared makes our communities more resilient.
The most basic emergency management concept is planning. Emergency managers agree that the first 72 hours after a disaster are crucial— it takes that long for help from first responders to reach those in need. In the spirit of planning, below is a checklist of the steps we can all take to be prepared for those first 72 hours. It doesn’t involve sophisticated equipment, just a few things we can do by ourselves. Inspect Your Home—Look around your home at doors, windows, potentially hazardous objects, and anything easily repairable. Address whatever you find and can fix immediately. Look for loose doors, exposed windows, and non-tempered glass windows or panels. Fix or secure everything you can. Prepare Your Car—If you own a car, keep the tank full. Set a reminder on your phone. In an emergency, a full tank of gas will get you wherever you need to and COVID-19 is a pandemic. They go. In addition, identify a safe feed each other and overwhelm a spot where you can park your healthcare system that has already car. fallen short in trying to reach all Medication—If you or your family take medications, make sure you have a full week’s supply. those it should. In the meantime, all we have are numbers to make our point and hold our leaders accountable.
First Aid Kit—Most of us have first aid products but may not keep them all in the same place. Look through your home and store them all together. The Red Cross and others provide recommendations of specific items to have, such as bandages, topical antibiotics and ice packs. Emergency Phone Numbers— Modern times have made us drift away from it, but use pen and paper and write down your most important contacts. If your phone dies, this could come in very handy. This list will also serve as a reminder of the folks you should keep in touch with during the emergency. Cash at Hand—Electronic payment platforms, ATMS and banks can go out of service. Keep enough money on hand to pay for basics following the disaster.
Damage from Hurricane Maria in Sept. 2017 >Carlos Rivera Giusti, Archive Water—Keep enough drinking water to keep your family hydrated for 72 hours. In addition, keep containers full of tap water for basic household The hurricanes permanently recorded in our memories all made landfall in September. Hugo on September 19, 1988; Hortensia on In fact, needs. Food—Cook what you can and use perishables first. Make sure to keep non-perishable food as well. Electronics Charging Routine—Make a list of all your electronics and keep them charged. Keep back-up and disposable batteries handy as well. However, the single most important electronic device is the flashlight. Keep it handy. Tool Kit—Just like your first aid kit, make sure your The opioid epidemic killed 70,630 in 2019, and that number continues to increase year after year, reaching over 100,000 during the COVID-19 September 10, 1996; Georges on September tools are organized and accessible. An all-in-one tool kit, like many retailers carry, is a good idea to pandemic. 21, 1998; and Maria on keep handy. September 20, 2017. There is a clear trend here. Stay Tuned—Identify and follow your preferred news sources. Make sure they’re reliable and frequently updated. In addition, pick up a basic battery-powered radio. Stay Calm—You have done the important work of getting ready. Now, the most important part is to remain calm, during and after the storm.
Biophilic design improves human wellness
Design elements that bring the outdoors in
Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz, AD&V Architecture & Interior Design
Biophilic design provides ways for humans to meet their need to connect to the natural environment through direct relationships with nature or natural materials. It incorporates nature into the built environment through natural forms, colors, textures, and lighting.
Some of the most popular biophilic design elements include living or green walls, rooftop and vertical gardens, indoor greenhouses, naturally lit glass panels, stone surfaces, green areas, as well as renewable energy sources, greywater systems and air purification systems.
Biophilic design not only connects humans with nature, but it also enhances wellbeing through that connection. Here are five reasons biophilic design improves wellness:
1. Reduces Stress & Anxiety
It has been proven that indoor green biophilic elements facilitate the recovery of physiological stress, while a space with an outdoor view of nature facilitates the recovery of anxiety. Scientific studies show that interacting with biophilic environments improves people’s blood pressure.
Other studies have even found that hospital patients with rooms with a view to nature or even a photograph of natural elements, spend less time in the hospital because they recover more quickly. Interacting with natural environments can reduce stress and anxiety, since humans have an innate preference for those environments.
2. Promotes Physical Health & Activity
Biophilic design provides simple and accessible solutions that promote physical health and physical activity. For example, biophilic design integrations such as indoor walking paths and
open-air walkways encourage physical activity. Other integrations, like air purification systems and active green walls that filter air, give people the ability to breathe clean air and improve their respiratory health.
3. Encourages Social Interaction
Believe it or not, biophilic design actually encourages social interaction. According to a study, biophilic spaces can “generate even more healthy social interactions by encouraging their spontaneous occurrence.”
When biophilic design is present, people can’t help but feel good in that space and share their positivity with others. This happens because positive interactions release serotonin in the brain, which, in turn, improves mood.
4. Enhances Productivity
Biophilic design promotes productivity and alertness. Design elements like natural lighting and active green walls constructed from plants or moss, bring the outdoors in, and improve performance on cognitive tasks.
According to a report titled “The Economics of Biophilia”, providing access to natural daylight, outdoor views, and natural ventilation can reduce eyestrain, relieve mental fatigue, and retain people’s attention. This is because the more comfortable employees are in the office, the more productive they are.
5. Boost Energy
Countless studies have found that spending time in nature improves wellness. For example, the presence of plants gives people an increased feeling of vitality, boosting their energy levels and mood.
Similarly, lighting systems that simulate natural sunlight or actual natural sunlight, can help maintain one’s circadian rhythm and improve energy. The natural environments that biophilic design provides, help make people feel more alive and active.
More Than Design
As you can see, biophilic design improves our wellness in many ways. Biophilic design elements such as nature views, natural lighting, and open and green spaces can help us stay active, reduce stress, socialize, be productive, and simply feel good all around. So, if you’re looking for ways to improve your or someone else’s wellbeing, applying biophilic design strategies to a space is a great way to do so. This is the power of biophilic design.
Independent Senator José Vargas Vidot. >Courtesy
In fact,
Prior to his incursion in politics, Vargas Vidot was the founder of “Iniciativa Comunitaria” a service and advocacy group that helps homeless people and drug addiction and HIV victims.
“Arte-sanar” or the healing power of art through therapeutic dissidence
The art exhibit also aspires to end the division between artisans and artists
By Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal
Independent Senator José Vargas Vidot sought art as a means for personal expression that has evolved into a form of physical and emotional healing.
“I was raised in Old San Juan. And whenever my mother went to the market, she used to leave me with [Rafael] Tufiño. I was really young then, and I couldn’t possibly realize he was a great artist… but the particular smell of oil on canvas and the realization of the harmonious organization of the colors always caught my attention,” Vargas Vidot said while recalling that growing up in poverty acted as a self-imposed limitation.
“Since the beginning, I thought that I couldn’t [make art], so I didn’t even dare to touch a brush,” he added.
But the grassroot activist turned senator did away with that after he met renowned Puerto Rican painter Antonio Martorell, while he was a professor at the Cayey Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. The relationship with the master artist put Vargas Vidot in contact with various artists that showed him how to “unlearn” all the misconceptions and prejudices he had about art.
One of those artists was Mildred Utroska, a Puerto Rican mother with a Polish last name, and self-taught artist.
Vargas Vidot recalls Mildred telling him she never studied painting, and that her teacher was cancer. “I am a person with cancer that has been able to get over the idea of loss, searching for a way to deal with my own vulnerability because I am my daughters’ only
support,” he recalled her saying in their first meeting. After his meeting with Mildred, a cancer survivor that uses art as medicine and a means to live a healthy and productive life, Vargas Vidot decided to try his hand at art.
The Healing Power
‘Arte-sanar’ is not only about the healing powers of art, but also Of Art The senator, who before his incursion because I want to put an end in politics was the founder of “Iniciativa to the idea that artisan work is Comunitaria” a service lesser than art. and advocacy group that helps homeless – José Vargas Vidot people and drug Senator addiction and HIV victims, admits to the evident pun in the title of his art exhibit. “‘Arte-sanar’ is not only about the healing powers of art, but also because I want to put an end to the idea that artisan work is lesser than art,” he pointed out. Vargas Vidot describes his work as “intuitive sentimental expressionism” with inclinations toward the abstract, and admits he has had to fight against the “trivialization of abstract art.” “There are some people who have discredited abstract art by making tutorials, and they look at it as if it is a matter of throwing three blotches of paint and moving them around with a squeegee. That has no substance,” he sentenced. Vargas Vidot characterizes his artwork as based on real stories, impossible to reproduce. According to the artist, anyone looking at his painting shouldn’t try to decipher their meaning, but rather develop his or her own interpretation. “Arte-sanar” exhibit will be displayed until March 10, at the Antonio Fas Alzamora Art Gallery in the Senate wing of the Capitol Building.
Lotus’ “Menea el Sabor” campaign aims at shaking-up the market
Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal
Lotus, Puerto Rico’s leading juice brand, relaunched its juice lineup with a new and attractive packaging to make their products stand out on the supermarket’s shelf.
The graphics in the new labeling sports a modern twist and includes a QR code through which consumers can access the brand’s new campaign in digital media. A jingle was also developed, “Menea el Sabor” (shake up the taste) to associate the juices with the catchiness of the tune, while emphasizing in the recommendation to “shake the product up” to best enjoy the fruits’ flavors in what should be “the perfect serve.”
The jingle was created by urban music artist Jahzel and will be complemented with performer Didi Romero’s “Menéalo Challenge” throughout social networks.
The campaign also includes juice-based recipes created by renowned Puerto Rican chef and entrepreneur Raúl Correa. The recipes (a drink, a main dish and a dessert) require Lotus juices and are easy to make and enjoy at home.
Guanabacoa
Ingredients: 4 oz. soursop (“guanábana”) juice 1 oz. coconut cream 0.5 oz. beet syrup with basil Procedure:
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain over a glass with ice. Decorate with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.
Roasted leg of pork
Ingredients: 1 tbsp. dried cumin powder 1 tbsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. dried chilies 1 ¼ Kosher salt 1 tsp. black pepper 15 garlic cloves 3 cups Lotus Orange Juice 2 cups Lotus Pineapple Juice 1 lime (juice and zest) ½ cup vegetable oil + 3 tbsp. 1 pork leg (7-9 pounds) ½ fresh cilantro
Procedure:
Score the skin of the pork leg with a knife
Cook the garlic in the oil at low heat for 10 min. Increase temperature to medium-high and add the juices. Cook for an additional three minutes and set aside.
In a food processor or blender, incorporate the juice mix with the rest of the spices, except the cilantro, and mix well.
Marinate the pork leg with the mix and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
One hour before cooking, preheat the oven to 275 degrees and take the pork leg out of the refrigerator. Cook for two hours, or until the skin starts to crackle. Take the pork out and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees. With a brush, baste the pork with the three tablespoons of vegetable oil. Put the pork back into the oven and let it roast for another hour, or until the skin is crackling. Take out of the oven and let it rest for 15 to 25 minutes before carving.
Mix the pork’s drippings and juices in a food processor with the cilantro and use the mix to garnish the pork slices.
Passion fruit panna cotta
Ingredients: 1 can of coconut milk 15 oz. Lotus Passion Fruit Juice 2 cups heavy cream ¼ cup refined white sugar 1 ¼ tbsp. gelatin powder ¼ cup fresh passion fruit pulp ¼ fresh mint
Procedure:
Dissolve the gelatin in three tablespoons of water and let it hydrate completely.
Heat up the passion fruit juice, the coconut milk and the sugar in a saucepan. Turn off the heat after the mix starts to bubble and the sugar is dissolved. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
Mix in the hydrated gelatin. Add the heavy cream and strain the liquid. Pour into 6 to 8 ounce ramekins and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Unmold the ramekins and garnish with passion fruit pulp and mint leaves.
Roasted leg of pork
Panna cotta
