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New York gov says Puerto Rico fiscal board shouldn’t get more powers

By on November 30, 2017

SAN JUAN – The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, on Wednesday pleaded for the allocation of more federal resources so the government of Puerto Rico can continue recovery work after the devastation wrought by Hurricane María, instead of granting more powers to the island’s fiscal control board.

“As the Governor of New York, a state with the largest Puerto Rican population on the mainland, I call on Congress to turn down attempts to create a parallel government, and to defend American democracy by rejecting additional governing powers for the financial oversight board,” Cuomo said in a written statement.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pointed out that two months have passed since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico and the island still does not have adequate federal resources to achieve its recovery and reconstruction. (Felipe Torres / CB)

“Expanding the authority of the Board would not only lead to government dysfunction, it would slow the recovery effort and it would take away the voice of the people of Puerto Rico and give it to an unelected body. Puerto Rico has an elected governor. He must lead the recovery as the elected representative of the voters of Puerto Rico.

“If provided with the needed federal resources – at a level consistent with what states typically receive after a hurricane of this magnitude – Governor [Ricardo] Rosselló will be able to build back and build back better,” he added.

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Cuomo said that two months have passed since María made landfall in Puerto Rico and the island still does not have adequate federal resources to recover and rebuild.

“Yet, while Congress considers a supplemental appropriation, they are also debating expanding the powers of the financial oversight board created by the PROMESA Act. Congress should keep its eye on the ball and not get distracted,” he stressed.

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