CNE – Centro Para Una Nueva Economía – Center for a New Economy
Non-profit, economic research and policy development organization
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This week we analyze the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of the FOMB for Puerto Rico v. Aurelius Investment, LLC. We also present a hurricane preparedness guide and take a look at PREPA and its claims that the island’s electric system is ready for the upcoming hurricane season.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the appointment of the members of the Fiscal Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) did not violate the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The Appointments Clause states that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States . . .” (Art. II, §2, cl. 2). The members of the FOMB were appointed pursuant to a complicated process that did not require the advice and consent of the Senate.
There is much that you would imagine keeps me up at night, as I’m sure it does you. But I will confess to you that what has my mind racing and worried is thinking about how Puerto Rico will cope with the hurricane season which begins tomorrow.
In this first edition of CNE’s Weekly Review we provide a roadmap to our publication. This week we highlight three pieces focusing on assistance to tenants who have been affected by the pandemic, Congressional efforts to provide assistance to tenants, and the results of an analysis to determine the risk of re-opening by major industrial sector in Puerto Rico.
The new executive orders enacted by the Government of Puerto Rico, which have allowed more businesses to begin operating after a long lockdown period, have once again raised concerns about the risks of exposure to the coronavirus. As a follow up to previous analyses we conducted on risk by occupations, we produced a new dashboard focused on Puerto Rico’s industrial sectors.
Las familias en Puerto Rico ya llevan dos meses en confinamiento y toque de queda con el fin de mitigar los efectos de la pandemia del COVID-19, evidenciando que la vivienda se ha convertido en una infraestructura crítica de salud pública. Es de suma importancia, entonces, asegurar vivienda y refugio para todos mientras superamos la crisis actual. Conoce más sobre nuestra propuesta.
Además de atender la emergencia de salud pública producto de la pandemia del COVID-19, el gobierno de Puerto Rico tiene una cargada agenda de asuntos pendientes. Entre estos podemos mencionar la reestructuración de la deuda del gobierno central; poner en marcha la reconstrucción de la infraestructura afectada por los huracanes de 2017 y los terremotos de este año; y la modernización de la Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica (“AEE”), entre otros asuntos.
Realizamos un cálculo aproximado y conservador sobre cuánto haría falta para expandir el programa de vales de Sección 8 para cubrir las necesidades de los inquilinos de bajos ingresos durante la pandemia. Continúe leyendo para conocer nuestros hallazgos.
