October 2015: Quo Vadis Puerto Rico – Part II
On October 15, 2015, the PR House of Representatives and the Senate presented bills for the fiscal and economic recovery of PR. This call to action responds to a plan for FY2016-2022 submitted by a Working Group (WG), designated by Governor Alejandro García Padilla. The plan includes several measures and calls for a Fiscal Control Board (FCB) to be appointed by Governor Padilla but all this has not yet been approved by the PR Legislature. The task of the FCB is to approve a final detailed fiscal and economic plan by December 2015. This issue focuses on analyzing the WG’s plan and its FCB. Several questions remain unanswered throughout this process. For instance, is the underlying assumption that fixing the fiscal crisis will promote economic growth? What has been the experience of fiscal control boards in the US, such as, NYC, DC, and Detroit? Where do we stand now.