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Para ver este documento en español, oprima aquí. Navy To Privatize Jobs At Roosevelt RoadsTri-Partisan Resolution Filed In House On ViequesThird Millennium Monument Construction CanceledPDP Gets Another House Seat After RecountRossello Calls Extraordinary SessionVizcarrondo Parcels Out CommitteesMisla Cautious NPP MayorsOpponents Claim Ads Play PoliticsFarrow: Clinton Directives Still StandRepresentatives Back MislaAcevedo Vila Elected Caucus VP***** Navy To Privatize Jobs At Roosevelt Roads November 22, 2000 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - The U.S. Navy said Wednesday it will use civilians to replace more than two-thirds of the soldiers who handle day-to-day operations at its largest base in Puerto Rico . The Navy wants to eliminate 437 of the 599 military personnel employed by Roosevelt Roads Naval Station by October 2002, spokesman Frank Worley said. The reduction would affect the base's infrastructure, including its airport, port, supply department, public affairs office and other administrative posts. It would not affect individual commands stationed at the base - its hospital, weapons training ground and fighting units - which employ another 2,000 civilians and an equal number of military personnel. The change is part of military-wide cost-cutting and is unrelated to Puerto Rico 's effort to force the Navy from its training ground on the nearby island of Vieques , Worley said. U.S. lawmakers have warned that Roosevelt Roads might be shut down if the Navy were to leave Vieques . "This is not related to Vieques ... and it is not the first step toward closing Roosevelt Roads," Worley said. ***** Tri-Partisan Resolution Filed In House On Vieques November 22, 2000 SAN JUAN (AP) - Lawmakers from the three political parties represented in the House on Wednesday filed a resolution asking President Bill Clinton to order the immediate cease of military operations in Vieques. The measure states that since Clinton has said the U.S. Navy's training should cease because Vieques residents don't want it and because the U.S. Congress violated his directives by refusing to transfer Vieques land to the Puerto Rico government, the House must demand the immediate cease of military maneuvers in Vieques. The resolution was filed by Reps. Victor Garcia San Inocencio, of the Puerto Rican Independence Party; Carlos Vizcarrondo, of the Popular Democratic Party, and Angel Cintron, of the New Progressive Party. Upon announcing the resolution, Garcia San Inocencio said they expect it will be approved in the next extraordinary session. ***** Third Millennium Monument Construction Canceled November 22, 2000 SAN JUAN (AP) - The construction of the million-dollar monument titled Triumphal Circle was suspended by Gov. Pedro Rossello, according to Government Development Bank (GDB) President Lourdes Rovira. Rovira said the governor decided that the determination on whether to continue with the project should be made by the incoming administration. ***** PDP Gets Another House Seat After Recount November 22, 2000 SAN JUAN (AP) - Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Electoral Commissioner Carlos Lopez Feliciano announced Wednesday that his party obtained another House seat after a recount, giving the PDP a 28-legislator majority to the New Progressive Party's (NPP) 22. In the 12th representative district, which includes precincts 16 in Vega Alta, 17 in Vega Baja and 18 in Manati, the recount showed that contrary to preliminary results, PDP challenger Jose Luis Colon Gonzalez had obtained more votes. Colon unseated incumbent NPP Rep. Jesus Valle. In the final tally, Colon obtained 23,697 to Valle's 23,620. ***** Rossello Calls Extraordinary Legislative Session For Nov. 27 November 21, 2000 SAN JUAN (AP) - Gov. Pedro Rossello on Tuesday called for the 6th extraordinary session of the 13th Legislature on Nov. 27 to discuss pending matters. The agenda for the session includes legislation to regulate the breastfeeding period in the workforce and create the Small Business Administrative and Regulatory Flexibility Law. The Legislature also will consider awarding the Legislative Medal to writer Enrique Laguerre "in recognition of a life dedicated to universal literature and for having been nominated to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature." ***** Vizcarrondo Parcels Out Majority Of House Committees November 21, 2000 SAN JUAN (AP) - Incoming House Speaker Carlos Vizcarrondo on Tuesday said he has distributed most of the 27 committees among majority members. Rep. Jose Varela will head the Government Committee and Rep. Francisco Zayas Seijo the Finance Committee. Colberg Toro also will preside over the Veterans and Labor Committee. Rep. Joel Rosario will preside the Eastern Zone Development Committee and the western zone one will be headed by Rep. Antonio Mendez. Rep. Felito Marrero will have the central zone committee and Rep. Ramon Desta will head the Youth and Sports Committee. The Tourism Committee will be chaired by Rep. Sylvia Corujo and the Health panel by Dr. Rafael Garcia. Rep. Luis Raul Torres will chair the San Juan Municipal Development Committee. ***** Misla Cautious About Demand By NPP Mayors November 20, 2000 SAN JUAN (AP) - Outgoing House Speaker Edison Misla Aldarondo on Monday was cautious but firm in reacting to statements by New Progressive Party (NPP) mayors that he should allow President Carlos Pesquera to effect necessary changes in leadership throughout the party. Misla said the announcement made earlier Monday by NPP Mayors Federation President Hector O'Neill, that Misla should clear the way for Pesquera to make the changes he deems necessary, "does not appear to be very democratic." Misla reminded the mayors that "the decision of who shall lead the mayors is made by the mayors, and the decision of who shall lead the representatives is made by representatives." Misla has refused to step aside, as requested by Pesquera, in his bid to become the minority leader of the NPP delegation in the House next year. Pesquera is said to favor Rep. Angel Cintron, who reportedly does not have the support of the majority of elected NPP lawmakers. ***** Opponents Claim Ads Play Politics By Iván Román November 19, 2000 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The transition to a new government hit a snag with PDP talk of taking outgoing Gov. Pedro Rossello to court for an ad campaign that reportedly would highlight his achievements. Rossello`s staff said the press, which got a preview of part of the campaign from the ad agencies, was misrepresenting the campaign. Communications director Frances Rodriguez said TV ads, including one showing government infrastructure projects and Rossello repeating his 1992 campaign slogan "the people spoke and I obeyed," could be used in other "motivational" ways. Rossello said the campaign was to publicize agencies` status reports and update Calderon`s transition team. "It`s not about my achievements," Rossello said. "This is part of an exchange of information." ***** Farrow: Clinton Directives Still Stand November 17, 2000 President Bill Clinton reiterated his stance that the directives he issued in January reflect his decision on the U.S. Navy's presence in Vieques. In a letter, Clinton aide Jeffrey Farrow said the president "has accorded and continues to accord great weight to the views of the people of the island on the issues related to the [Navy's] range. As you know, training has been limited and made subject to the decision of the residents of Vieques in a referendum agreed to by the federal and commonwealth governments." The Nov. 16 missive was in response to a letter sent to Clinton on Nov. 13 by Gov.-elect Sila Calderon, New Progressive Party President Carlos Pesquera, Puerto Rican Independence Party President Ruben Berrios, San Juan Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves, and other religious leaders. Island leaders asked Clinton to "order the immediate and permanent cessation of all military maneuvers and training operations in the island of Vieques." Earlier this week, Clinton had answered another similar letter from Calderon, telling her that his directives were still the "fairest solution possible" to the Vieques problem. "[I]n a letter to Gov.-elect Calderon...[the president] reiterated his decision on the request for an immediate end to all training," Farrow said. ***** Representatives Back Misla For Leader By Proviana Colon Diaz November 17, 2000 SAN JUAN - 11/17/00 - he controversy over who will be the House Minority Leader escalated Friday when a group of re-elected representatives declined to follow the orders of New Progressive Party (NPP) President Carlos Pesquera and endorsed outgoing House Speaker Edison Misla Aldarondo. To validate their position, 16 out of the 23 elected NPP representatives signed a letter addressed to Pesquera in which they stated that they wanted Misla as their minority leader. Three others failed to sign because they were not present at the meeting, but reportedly said they also backed Misla. With the addition of his own vote, Misla appears to have 20 of the 23 votes in his favor. The letter was sent hours after Pesquera issued a press release calling for a "renovation" within the party that included changes in leadership positions. Although in the two-page release Pesquera said he "was not promoting anyone in particular against [Misla]," sources said House Majority Leader Angel Cintron was his choice. That was confirmed Friday when Cintron confirmed his intention of bidding for the post of minority leader. ***** Acevedo Vila Elected Vice President Of Newcomers' Caucus November 16, 2000 SAN JUAN (AP) - Resident Commissioner-elect Anibal Acevedo Vila was elected Wednesday as vice president of the Democratic caucus of newcomers in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to published reports. Acevedo Vila will act as spokesman for new representatives during the first six months of the 107th Congress. William Lacey Clary, a Democrat from Missouri, was elected caucus president.
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