The Weekly Journal - Wednesday, October 5, 2022

The cosT of The Jones acT also exTends To The u.s.

Shipping costs discourage trade between Puerto Rico and the U.S.

Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal

Despite general belief that the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, otherwise known as the Jones Act, only has an adverse impact on Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories, the fact is that it also has a negative impact on the economy of the U.S. mainland.

Even though there are 31 states in the U.S. that have coasts, whether oceanic or riverine, the greatest impact of the Jones Act is upon the states of Alaska and Hawaii, and

the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, that impact is not the same for all three jurisdictions.

The Jones Act orders that all goods shipped between two ports within the United States must be transported on ships that comply with specific federal regulations. More specifically, no ship can transport any cargo between two United States ports unless it demonstrates that: 1) the company owning it is comprised of at least 75% of U.S. citizens; 2) the transporting vessel was not built or re-built in a foreign country; 3) at least 75% of the

a week in

CoCa-Cola MusiC Hall opens tHe Vista terraCe

As part of its plan to elevate the experience of its visitors, the Coca-Cola Music Hall announced the opening of the Vista Terrace. This new open-air space has a capacity for 125 people. To access the Vista Terrace, people must have tickets for the show scheduled for that day, as well as pay a small fee to enter the venue one hour before the general public. One year after its opening, the Coca-Cola Music Hall is an avant-garde venue that competes with the best international venues and offers locals and visitors a unique experience. The diversity and capabilities of its facilities and public support for its events have been key to the success of the venue. “We will continue to create different concepts so that our visitors can have a pleasant and unforgettable experience every time they visit us. We are sure that enjoying Vista Terrace will become a favorite for many,” said Jorge L. Pérez, regional general manager of ASM Global in Puerto Rico.

puerto riCo’s largest e-sports exHibition

First Attack PR will be held this weekend at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, this coming Friday, October 7 to Sunday, October 9, the event is the largest international exhibition of eSports on the island and most important gaming event in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. It will feature video game competitions, retro areas and dance machines, among other surprises. Puerto Rico’s Team Red Rooster will participate in the event after a year full of triumphs at the international level. In addition, the national team captain, MonoPR, was CEO 2021 champion. The event at the Puerto Rico Convention Center opens Friday, October 7 from 4:00pm to 10:00pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am to 10:00pm.

pets also get Help after HurriCane fiona

Volunteers from the College of Veterinary Doctors of Puerto Rico (CMVPR, for its Spanish acronym) have been visiting some of the communities affected by Hurricane Fiona to offer their services free of charge. The Veterinary Services Brigade visited the community of Toaville and the José Robles Otero School (shelter of the Department of Housing) in Toa Baja, where they took care of the pets that were sheltered with their owners or guardians. Among the services are: clinical evaluations, vaccination and deworming. “As veterinarians we care for public health. In times of emergency, like the ones we are experiencing, it is important to prevent zoonotic diseases (transmitted from animals to humans), such as rabies and Leptospirosis,” said Dr. Blanca I. Colón, president of the CMVPR.

crew are U.S. citizens.

These restrictions have the effect of increasing the cost of all the goods transported by the American merchant marine, notably the most expensive merchant marine in the world.

In the case of Puerto Rico these requirements substantially increase the cost of basic goods (food, fuel, equipment, etc.) when compared to the cost of transporting them using foreign flagged ships. A working paper presented to the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) by economists Jeffry Valentín and José I. Lozada estimated the Jones Act had cost the people of Puerto Rico $537 million in additional shipping costs in 2010 alone.

According to a 2018 report from the American Bar Association (ABA), at such costs, the Jones Act may have “discouraged trade between the mainland United States and Puerto Rico.”

The report cites the GAO acknowledging, “[f] oreign-flag carriers serving Puerto Rico from foreign ports… generally have lower costs to operate than Jones Act carriers have.” Thus, leading companies to “source products from foreign countries rather than the United States” and, as a result, “Puerto Rico imports more by volume from foreign countries than from the United States.”

GAO’s report, “Puerto Rico: Characteristics of the Island’s Maritime Trade and Potential Effects of Modifying the Jones Act,” uses animal feed, corn and potatoes, jet fuel and petroleum as examples

American flagged ships are better because they operate following more reliable procedures and schedules.

Kenneth McClintock, former Puerto Rico Secretary of State

of how the shipping cost of American flagged ships are “leading companies to source products from foreign countries rather than the U.S.”

In the case of animal feed “the rate difference between Jones Act carriers and foreign carriers has led farmers and ranchers on the island to more often source animal feed and crop fertilizers from foreign sources than from U.S. domestic sources even though commodity prices were stated to be similar.” The GAO further states that, in an example provided by the Puerto Rico Farm Bureau, “shipping feed from New Jersey by Jones Act carriers costs more per ton than shipping from Saint John, Canada, by a foreign carrier –even though Saint John is 500 miles further away.”

In fact,

Something similar happens with petroleum. An oil and gas importer in Puerto Rico bases its purchasing decisions on the total price of oil or gas (including any applicable duties or other charges) plus transportation costs. “The company looks at total prices from numerous suppliers around the world –including U.S. suppliers– but generally does not purchase from U.S. suppliers because the total cost is higher as a result of the differential in transportation costs,” the report states.

Jones Act requirements substantially increase the cost of basic goods (food, fuel, equipment, etc.) when compared to the cost of transporting them using foreign flagged ships.

But for former Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock, the reliability of the service the American merchant marine provides is worth the additional shipping cost.

“American flagged ships are better because they operate following more reliable procedures and schedules,” he said.

As an example of their reliability, McClintock cited the “just in time” (JIT) warehouse and production strategy, whose objective is to have just the necessary materials at a specific time and place to meet production schedules.

“To a manufacturing plant in Yabucoa is very important to have their materials arriving to port in the morning, having them delivered to its facility by noon, and sending the finish product to the port by midnight in order to be shipped early in the morning the next day,” McClintock explained while pointing out that several manufacturing operations in Puerto Rico follow the JIT method.

In terms of the higher shipping cost charged by Jones Act vessels, McClintock argued costs should be compared to other transportation means before determining which is the most expensive. According to him, land transportation (trucks and

>Josian E. Bruno Gómez / The Weekly

If it is true that we need the U.S. merchant marine, and that we need to subsidize it; who has to pay for that cost? Definitely, it shouldn’t be the smallest territory.

trains) in the U.S. is more expensive than maritime. Nevertheless, McClintock did admit the Jones Act “could have some impact” on the final price of goods imported from the U.S.

“The fact is that, despite of the effects, you do have the certainty that you will always find the product in the supermarket shelf. That kind of convenience also has an economic value,” McClintock argued.

On the other hand, Antonio J. Colorado, also a former Secretary of State, considers the shipping cost the people of Puerto Rico are forced to pay acts as a subsidy to the American merchant marine.

“If it is true that we need the U.S. merchant marine, and that we need to subsidize it; who has to pay for that cost? Definitely, it shouldn’t be the smallest territory,” Colorado said. “If we [Puerto Ricans] are to be included as part of the U.S., we represent about one percent from the nation’s population. Why then, the one percent has to pay for more than 30% of that cost?”

Colorado argues the jurisdictions most impacted by the Jones Act –Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico–are “subsidizing” American shipping companies, with the island picking-up a third of the cost, “or even more,” because the rest of the 48 contiguous

In fact,

The GAO acknowledged, “[f]or eign-flag carriers serving Puerto Rico from foreign ports… gener ally have lower costs to operate than Jones Act carriers have.”

states mostly, if not exclusively, use land transportation to get their goods.

To solve what he characterized as “an unequal situation,” Colorado argued Puerto Rico should receive a reimbursement of the additional shipping cost it has to pay or be exempted from the Jones Act.

The Exemption

It is also a fact that not all territories within the U.S. are require to abide by the Jones Act. The U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands are exempted from the Jones Act. Also Guam and the coastal town of Hyder, in Alaska, have partial exemptions. Puerto Rico seems to be the only non-contiguous U.S. territory not wholly or partly exempted from compliance with that law.

McClintock argues that legislating changes to the Jones Act is not even remotely possible because 31 states with coasts and their corresponding congressional representation –which conforms the congressional majority– will defend the permanence of the law as it is now.

For Colorado is also an impossibility because, Republicans on one side, would support shipping companies’ interests, while Democrats will side with the labor unions operating in American docks.

And, of course, there is the argument of guaranteeing maritime transportation in case of war.

But, in the report accompanying ABA’s 2018 Resolution “urging Congress to enact legislation to provide a permanent exemption for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from the requirements of the Jones Act” it is stated such exemption will not have a significant impact on the purpose of the law.

According to ABA, “exempting Puerto Rico from Jones Act restrictions would have little to no effect on the overall scope and purpose of the law and the ability of the U.S. to maintain an effective marine reserve force.”

ABA’s conclusion expressly states that exempting Puerto Rico from the Jones Act “would be a way for Congress to help Puerto Rico’s economy at no additional cost to American citizens.”

Antonio J. Colorado, former Puerto Rico Secretary of State

In fact,

Texans scramble to send aid to Puerto Rico

Many are Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria in 2017

Madison Choudhry, Special to The Weekly Journal

After Hurricane Fiona unleashed devastating floods on to Puerto Rico, some Dallas residents have found themselves in an unfortunate routine: trying to get news of their families still in Puerto Rico and organizing aid to send back to the island.

Ivette Román, a Texas resident who moved from Puerto Rico in 2005, said her mother and siblings in San Juan were able to avoid the worst of the damage from the floods.

However, there are those who have not been so lucky. Román described the impact of the hurricane by saying there are residents of the island who, “have no water or electricity, and did not know when those utilities would be back. They’re drinking rain water.”

Román explained she and other Texans have united and have begun to organize a supply collection drive to help gather everyday things Puerto Ricans need after the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Fiona.

Currently there are tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans living in the Dallas metroplex. Many of those moved to Texas after Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017.

“We understand the devastation a hurricane can bring. This is not just something we have read about on the news. We have lived it,” said Pablo Hernández, another Puerto Rican who was displaced by Hurricane Maria.

This understanding has spurred a strong

community in the Dallas area, both local residents and those of Puerto Rican descent, who immediately began to mobilize to provide help after yet another hurricane.

“We know how slow Federal support can move. This is not just a desire to help our families back home, we see this as absolutely necessity,” Hernández explained.

Hurricane Fiona knocked out power and water to most of Puerto Rico during the storm. The National Guard reported rescuing hundreds of people who were stranded unable to escape devastating floods.

As of the most recent official update, Puerto Rican officials have said, “it is too early to know the full scope of damage.” This claim is said to be because after the initial hit of Fiona an additional 15 inches of rain fell in some places of Puerto Rico as the hurricane spun away from the island.

In an update to the residents of Puerto Rico governor Pedro Pierluisi reported it could take days to get lights back to the totality of the island. Fifteen days after the hurricane hit the island there are still several thousands of households still lack power.

The power grid in Puerto Rico has been a source of controversy since it was destroyed by Hurricane Maria in 2017. In 2021, management of the transmission and distribution of power was taken over by LUMA Energy, a private consortium that is co-owned by Canadian company ATCO and Houstonbased Quanta Services. Since the company took over the grid, it has been the subject of protests because of continued and prolonged blackouts and energy cost hikes.

“It is an embarrassment knowing it is Texan company the one responsible for the lack of power on the island. We as a Texans know this. We must pressure the company here because there is simply not enough being done,” said Miguel Ricci, a Texas resident with family back in Puerto Rico.

Ricci along with other Texan residents are planning a demonstration outside of Quanta’s Houston office, supporting the cancellation of the island’s contract with LUMA.

“The island needs reliable energy,” Roman said. “The people on the island are very concerned about this, because the service is simply not reliable enough.”

This is not the first time Texans have showed support to Puerto Rico. Just weeks after Hurricane Harvey struck Houston, the city sent 55 pallets of supplies to the island.

The city’s efforts were supported by The Houston Astros and United Airlines among other companies.

During this recent storm, local grassroots organizations are trying to help people affected by Fiona. The Southern Smoke Foundation, a non-profit group founded by Houston chef Chris Shepherd, sent out a tweet urging food and beverage workers in Puerto Rico to apply for emergency relief funding if they were affected by the hurricane.

“Our mission is to provide financial relief to anyone in the food and beverage industry in crisis nationwide,” said Lindsey Brown, a spokesperson for the foundation. “We want to make sure that anyone working in the industry in Puerto Rico, and affected by the hurricane, knows we have funds available to them.”

Home in Maunabo affected by the floods caused by Hurricane Fiona. >Nahira Montcourt / The Weekly Journal

Texan residents are planning a demonstration outside of Quanta’s Houston office, supporting the cancellation of the island’s contract with LUMA.

We know how slow Federal support can move. This is not just a desire to help our families back home, we see this as absolutely necessity.

Pablo Hernández, displaced after Hurricane Maria

PRBTA volunteers join relief efforts after Hurricane Fiona

Volunteers personally finance support to victims

Zoe Landi Fontana, The Weekly Journal

Within days of Hurricane Fiona hitting the island on September 18, Keiko Yoshino of the Puerto Rico Blockchain Trade Association (PRBTA) and her team were on the ground helping with relief efforts in communities outside the metro area.

Once power was restored at home, Keiko Yoshino connected with Roberto Pérez, the Hype House, and local efforts to support the island’s recovery. With very little discussion, she formed the PRBTA Relief Fund, whose goal is to get what people need as quickly as possible.

To achieve this quick response time, much of the financial lift has been provided by the volunteers themselves, with the hope that they will be able to raise enough later to compensate for the costs. For every dollar raised, the team spends two from their own pockets. For those that donate, all of the spending is published in a public folder. “We have every receipt and what it was spent on,” Keiko stated. The PRBTA Relief Fund is a 501(c)6.

In the few weeks since the PRBTA Relief Fund was founded, they have reached 3,500 families and raised over $100,000. Over 170 people have showed up to help over the last 10 days in six cities and 30 neighborhoods.

amazing to see the amount of people who think a ‘thumbs-up’ is enough, while the backs of volunteers hurt,” said Blomquist.

Supplies and resources, including physical labor, have been provided by Keiko and the team members themselves.

of the road, who have been cut off.

“Looking back on it is tough, but in the moment you feel good. There was one couple in the mountains of Cayey, they were both deaf, and it’s amazing…they couldn’t speak to us and we couldn’t speak to them, but it made a difference,” said Blomquist of the moment when their team reached the couple who had been trapped in their home.

Dorado Cares

Dorado Cares is another relief effort born in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.

Not to be confused with Dorado Beach Cares, a different organization, Dorado Cares is an emergency response effort led by Richard Higgs.

In fact,

The Friday following Fiona’s landfall in Puerto Rico, Higgs filled his truck with supplies. By the next day, he had a truck of volunteers ready to help in neighboring Toa Baja. Since then, $200K in aid have been delivered, and another $300K is scheduled to arrive in containers in the next few days. Resources and supplies include: furniture, mattresses, generators and other equipment.

As recovery continues, the needs of the community shift… as floodwaters recede, they need cleaning supplies, appliances, mattresses, and other supplies to live in sanitary conditions.

“Looking through social media, seeing how everyone had moved on, but we were still in dire need – a lot of people died in the aftermath,” expressed Shirley McPhaul, a local member of the PRBTA Relief Fund and Director of CryptoCurious. “People in these barrios lost everything, some of them for the second time since Maria. I have never felt a loneliness so deep from seeing that everyone had moved on and we were forgotten.”

Shirley McPhaul, Director of CryptoCurious

The PRBTA Relief Effort has five teams that cover different roads and areas, clearing them of debris with chainsaws, shovels, and wheelbarrows. When they reach a home, covered and made inaccessible by debris, it doesn’t matter who is doing the rescuing.

“We found people who have not seen anyone in days,” recounted Tim Blomquist, a member of the PRBTA Relief Fund and resident of San Juan. “It’s

As recovery continues, the needs of the community shift. In the beginning, the priority was to get food and clean water to people as quickly as possible. Now, as floodwaters recede, they need cleaning supplies, appliances, mattresses, and other supplies to live in sanitary conditions.

One of the biggest challenges is reaching offthe-grid areas. “I’m shocked to see how little media attention is on this. They think that everything is okay because in San Juan things are back to normal,” said Blomquist.

The PRBTA Relief Effort has a skeleton crew that can go out and clear paths and visit these homes. The challenge has been getting to those at the end

Higgs wants to create an emergency response organization that doesn’t require waiting for federal funds, but is well-equipped financially to respond to crises. “What can we do here in Puerto Rico to help the communities around us in a more long-term, sustained way?” Higgs asked.

His answer is Dorado Cares. While they are currently focused on emergency community relief, there are other efforts that the organization will take up. Dorado Cares’ second goal is a long-term, sustained support program in the form of a warehouse stocked with all the resources that could be needed in case of other disastrous events. It wouldn’t require waiting for support –which often gets tied up in bureaucratic processes–at the municipal, federal level, or even grassroots level. Dorado Cares wants to become a resource to help in times of need while waiting for FEMA aid and community-level support and donations.

Dorado Cares wants to create an inclusive Dorado community that extends far beyond the bubble of Act 20 and 22 recipients. They want to help with infrastructure in neighboring communities like Toa Baja, and participate in public works programs. “This is how you build goodwill and trust. You are there when they need you. We are an action based charity. Through action, perception will be altered,” Higgs stated.

People in these barrios lost everything, some of them for the second time since Maria.

Resilient U.S. consumers spend slightly more in August

Yet much of that increase reflected higher prices

WASHINGTON (AP) —

Consumers spent a bit more in August than the previous month, a sign the economy is holding up even as inflation lifts prices for food, rent, and other essentials.

Americans boosted their spending at stores and for services such as haircuts by 0.4% in August, after it fell 0.2% in July, the Commerce Department said Friday. Yet much of that increase reflected higher prices, with an inflation gauge closely monitored by the Federal Reserve rising 0.3% in August, the government’s report showed.

The figures suggest that the economy is showing some resilience despite sharply rising interest rates, violent swings in the stock market, and high inflation.

Still, there were signs that rising prices are weighing on shoppers. Consumer spending, adjusted for inflation, is growing at a weaker pace. It increased at an annual rate of 2% in the AprilJune quarter. Yet July and August data indicate that spending growth is on track to slow to an annual rate of just 0.5% in the July-September quarter, economists said.

The economy is expected to grow in the third quarter, after shrinking in the first six months of this year. But many economists lowered their forecasts after the spending report and now expect growth will be just 1% or so at an annual rate.

Shoppers shop at a grocery store in Glenview, Ill., Monday, July 4, 2022. Consumers spent a bit more in August than the previous month, a sign the economy is holding up even as inflation lifts prices for food, rent, and other essentials. Americans boosted their spending at stores and for services such as haircuts by 0.4% in August, after it fell 0.2% in July, the Commerce Department said Friday Sept. 30. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

amid high inflation and rising interest rates.

Compared with a year ago, prices jumped 6.2%, down from a 6.4% annual gain in July but not far from June’s four-decade high of 7%. The figure is lower than the more widely-known consumer price index, released earlier this month, which reported an 8.3% price gain in August from a year earlier.

In fact,

The figures suggest that the economy is showing some resilience despite sharply rising interest rates, violent swings in the stock market, and high inflation.

Americans are also saving less in order to keep up with higher prices. The U.S. saving rate was just 3.5% in August, far below pre-pandemic levels of about 8%, Friday’s report said.

There have been other signs of consumer weakness recently, with used car seller Carmax reporting sharply lower sales in the three months ending in August. The company attributed the decline to “affordability challenges” for consumers

The two indexes differ for several reasons. For example, the consumer price index puts much greater weight on rents and housing costs, which have been rising steadily, than the measure released Friday, known as the price index for personal consumption expenditures.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 0.6%, much faster than July’s flat reading. They increased 4.9% from a year earlier, up from July’s figure of 4.6%.

Those figures were higher than expected, and may make the Federal Reserve more likely to lift its benchmark interest rate by another hefty 0.75 percentage point at its next meeting in November. If so, that would be the fourth such hike in a row.

The inflation figures in Friday’s report echoed those released earlier this month, with core

Yet July and August data indicate that spending growth is on track to slow to an annual rate of just 0.5% in the July-September quarter.

prices rising more quickly than headline inflation. Falling gas prices have reduced overall inflation, while stubbornly high costs for housing, cars, and services such as health care and hair cuts have pushed core prices higher.

Adjusted for inflation, consumer spending ticked up 0.1% last month, after falling slightly in July.

Friday’s report also showed that personal income rose 0.3% in August for the second month in a row. Adjusted for price increases, disposable income -- what is leftover after taxes -- ticked up 0.1%, after a hefty 0.5% gain in July.

But over a longer time frame, incomes are trailing inflation. In the April-June quarter, inflationadjusted disposable income fell 1.5% at an annual rate.

The Federal Reserve is seeking to wrestle inflation under control with its most rapid series of interest rate hikes in four decades. It has pushed its benchmark short-term rate to a range of 3% to 3.25%, the highest since early 2008, up from nearly zero in March.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other officials have repeatedly underscored the Fed’s determination to bring prices down, even if their rate hikes result in layoffs and a higher unemployment rate.

The Fed intends its interest rate increases to slow borrowing and spending, which should in turn reduce inflation pressures in the economy.

Inflation has spiked globally, contributing to economic and financial turmoil in the United Kingdom, Europe, and a slew of developing countries, from Turkey to Argentina.

Also Friday, the 19 countries that use the euro currency reported that inflation spiked 10% from a year earlier, as prices for natural gas and electricity soared. European countries are struggling with an energy crunch in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Russia has reduced its supplies of natural gas to the European Union.

EU adopts levy on excess energy profits, no gas price cap

The deal could help raise $140 billion in relief for people and businesses hit by the energy crisis

Samuel Petrequin and Lorne Cook – The Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union energy ministers adopted last Friday a package of measures to ease an energy crisis, including a levy on windfall profits of fossil fuel companies, but an agreement on capping natural gas prices that is supported by a majority of countries remained off the table.

With energy prices skyrocketing across Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine, the 27 EU countries reached a deal on proposals from the European Commission, which the bloc’s executive arm said could help raise $140 billion in relief for people and businesses hit by the crunch.

They backed a levy of at least 33% on the surplus profits of companies producing or refining oil, natural gas and coal. The two other main measures are a temporary cap on the revenue of low-cost electricity generators such as wind, solar and nuclear companies, as well as an obligation for EU countries to reduce electricity consumption by at least 5% during peak price hours.

Countries will be able to distribute the surplus money from the temporary revenue cap to

households and small and medium businesses that have been hit hard. Rising energy prices are fueling inflation, which hit a record 10% this month in the 19 countries that use the euro, pushing Europe closer to recession and eroding people’s spending power.

The three measures approved Friday should be adopted next week and take effect soon afterward.

Estonian Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Minister Riina Sikkut said that “the most promising measure to actually bring down the average price is still the reduction of peak consumption.”

Sikkut underlined that any hardship this winter will be nothing compared with the price being paid by Ukrainians.

“We can’t forget that we are in a situation of war. Ukrainians are paying with their lives, so we temporarily may pay higher bills or prices in the food store,” she said.

The measures, however, will not have an immediate effect on the natural gas prices that have been running wild as Russia reduced its supplies to Europe in what European officials call blackmail for their support of Ukraine and sanctions against Moscow. Natural gas is used to heat homes, generate electricity and run factories.

“This is an immediate patch,” said Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela, who chaired the meeting in Brussels. “We need to continue our work. We are in an energy war with Russia, which also strongly affects our industry. Further urgent and coordinated EU action is needed.”

According to the European Commission, Russian gas supplies to the EU declined by 37% between January and August this year.

Sikela said most of the energy ministers insisted on the urgent need for stabilizing the electricity

market, notably by limiting the price of wholesale gas and its impact on electricity prices in the bloc. He also insisted on the need to accelerate common gas purchases.

A group of 15 member countries urged the European Commission to propose a cap on gas prices as soon as possible to help households and businesses struggling to make ends meet. The proposal was discussed during Friday’s meeting but has yet to gather unanimous support, with Germany notably blocking.

“The price cap that has been requested since the beginning by an ever-increasing number of member states is the one measure that will help every member state to mitigate the inflationary pressure, manage expectations and provide a framework in case of potential supply disruptions, and limit the extra profits in the sector,” they said.

The commission has warned in an analysis that such a cap could weaken the bloc’s ability to secure gas supplies on the global market. But it is open to the idea of introducing a price cap on Russian gas to mitigate the impact of the crisis while negotiating a lower price with other suppliers.

“A wholesale gas price cap is a legitimate option,” said Kadri Simson, EU commissioner for energy. “We agreed with the member states that they will provide further input, and I think that it is also worth mentioning that on the commission side, we also expressed our readiness to develop an EU-level price cap for gas that is used for electricity production.”

Simson added that the commission would likely make new proposals to deal with high gas prices before next week’s informal meeting of EU leaders in Prague.

Czech Republic’s Minister for Industry and Trade Jozef Sikela, speaks with Malta’s Energy Minis ter Miriam Dalli, center left, during a meeting of EU energy ministers in Brussels. >AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

I’

Eduardo Hilera, M.P.S.

Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expert

The Storms of September

Can we crack the codes?

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.

ll start by saying that this is not a criticism of construction, design, or engineering professionals, all of whom must have strong academic backgrounds and comply with numerous board certifications, and licenses to practice their professions. Many must comply with those requirements in numerous jurisdictions. My second caveat here, is that I am by no means an expert in any of the requirements that I am discussing. Quite to the contrary—I am as confused as we all are.

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.

There is only one thing that I am comfortable with stating—these issues can only be fixed by policy makers, and I am inclined to go further and say that they can only be fixed by federal laws and policies. These laws and policies however, must be abundantly clear and require agencies to establish specific policies that work for the people who are most hurt by disasters.

All it takes to get ready is a little creativity, logic and a few bucks. Being prepared makes our communities more resilient.

The requirements imposed on building professionals are a patchwork of protocols, safety and standards but can also become quite complex in the process. The interaction of codes between each jurisdiction can only be understood by experts. And experts can only hope to pass that knowledge on to policy makers who could in turn develop policies that address the needs of residents throughout the states.

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.

Policy makers work with their constituents in mind and looking to secure their best interests. Sometimes however, those interests get tangled with other policies and ultimately recovery comes with federal compliancy requirements. The caveat however, is that the federal government and its standards are ever changing, complicated, and interpreted and reinterpreted every single day. To make matters worse, every jurisdiction within the United States has unique state and local policies as well as unique needs and characteristics that require specific considerations.

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.

The International Building Code is a standard code used by jurisdictions throughout the United States as a base for their own policies to address building safety. However, policies used as models have proven to be influenced by the interests of corporations and groups who overlook the needs of many.

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 go. In addition, identify a safe spot where you can park your car.

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.

First Aid Kit 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.

exist. Codes and standards are changed constantly throughout the country and that also creates disparities in standards and challenges in permitting. If one jurisdiction is looking at the next for guidance, and we’re all changing all the time, then we’re changing everything and not doing anything.

family hydrated for 72 hours. In addition, keep containers full of tap water for basic household needs.

Food—Cook what you can and use perishables first. Make sure to keep non-perishable food as well.

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.

When did all this get challenging? When the situations stopped fitting the policies. Unfortunately, in an effort not to overstep state boundaries, the federal government oversteps the interests of those who are the most impacted by a disaster.

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 tools are organized and accessible. An all-in-one tool kit, like many retailers carry, is a good idea to keep handy.

Further complicating matters, policies throughout the country change drastically from the east and west coast, to the south and to the Midwest. Essentially, while there are federal agencies that provide aid based on the impact of disasters and require compliance with certain standards, very few, if any national requirements

Medication—If you or your family take medications, make sure you have a full week’s supply.

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.

Those situations are the ones we find in Puerto Rico, Florida, South Carolina, and other jurisdictions throughout the United States; just to mention the ones most recently impacted by hurricanes. In Puerto Rico for instance, there may be homes on land that are not registered with the government, so the owners are not really owners, and the home doesn’t exist—except those persons grew up in those homes and inherited them from their grandparents.

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.

The homes are real enough to be on the power grid, but not real enough for federal agencies to extend regulated flood insurance programs. So how do we crack the codes? How do we protect folks from disasters, if the first disaster we have are the policies that are supposed to be protecting them?

Eduardo Hilera, M.P.S. Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expert

Damage from Hurricane Maria in Sept. 2017

In fact,

Homes covered with blue tarps in San Juan after losing their roofs during Hurricane Maria in 2017. >The Weekly Journal

Unfortunately, in an effort not to overstep state boundaries, the federal government oversteps the interests of those who are the most impacted by a disaster.

verdad tratandolos mal. es que no podemosensenarles a ser buenos, La

Do the ‘Time Warp’ again — ‘Rocky Horror’ show will travel

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is hitting the road to celebrate the cult film’s birthday

Mark Kennedy – The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Grab your toilet paper. Bring a flashlight. Don’t forget a newspaper — or your fishnets.

A touring, interactive version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is hitting the road to celebrate the cult film’s birthday with screenings, live shadow casts, the invitation to be inappropriate and one of its original stars — Barry Bostwick.

“It’s an excuse to go crazy, be rude, throw stuff, yell and be silly — who doesn’t want that?” asks Bostwick. “Everyone there is having fun, a communal experience. Especially now after the pandemic, we need to gather and blow off some steam.”

Released in 1975, the sci-fi, cross-dressing rock musical film became a cult favorite and entered the pop culture lexicon for its many iconic and memorable scenes, including the song “The Time Warp” which has been covered by handfuls of artists and the often quoted phrase, “Dammit, Janet!” Other things yelled are less PG-13.

It has morphed into an interactive event in which people throw rice during a wedding scene, place newspapers on their heads and squirt water during a rain storm scene, and toss dried toast during a dinner toast scene. People often come dressed in corsets, fishnets, maid costumes, butler costumes and heavy stains of eye shadow.

“It has endured because it was always organic,” said Bostwick. “The call-backs and throwing stuff was never introduced by the filmmakers or the studio. It was by fans, who added layer after layer and then that all got standardized.”

Susan Sarandon as Janet and Tim Curry, the castle’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter.

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The tour will play in stage theaters across the country, which will throw up a massive screen and show the movie while local actors dressed as the characters perform the show in front of the screen and the audience gets seriously weird. Before the show, there are costume contests and fans can see a traveling mini-museum of memorabilia from the film, including a feather boa worn by Curry and a sequined top worn by the character Columbia.

“I think part of it is getting to be whatever they want to be. You could be red or blue and it doesn’t matter. You will get along — one of the few things you can get an audience in together and nobody talks about anything but having a great time,” he said.

“Where can you go dress in fishnet or be square and act like Brad and hear shout-outs from the audience and have toast flying or toilet paper and just be involved? It’s just so different. There’s nothing like it.”

The story centers on the goody two-shoes Janet and Brad, a young couple with car trouble who stumble on an old castle filled with eccentric characters: cross-dressers, scientists and a maid, included. This leads to some interesting pairings and experimentations. The film made household names of Bostwick, who played Brad,

The tour kicks off Saturday in Florida’s Pompano Beach before hitting California, Idaho, Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia, Vermont and North Carolina. Some of the traditional practices — like shooting squirt guns and tossing rice — have been lost along the way, but if you forget to bring other items, prop bags are available for sale.

Scott Stander, who produces the show as part of his portfolio of concerts, variety shows and celebrity evenings, said part of the appeal of “Rocky Horror” has been its invitation to audiences to cut loose.

Bostwick will be at each stop, meeting guests and introducing the film. He has had a very varied career since “Rocky Horror,” including roles on “Scrubs,” “Cougar Town” and “Spin City,” plus winning a Tony Award — but few projects have triggered as much sustained enthusiasm as playing Brad.

“I was at a convention last month and I looked out and saw 2,000 people and most of them were under 25. It gets passed down from one generation and I think becomes a rite of passage to adulthood,” he said.

The pandemic forced the annual tour to be held at drive-ins, but the new version is back to in-person gatherings, something Stander feels we’ve missed.

“I think right now we’re looking for anything fun and different to get out and have a good time and forget your troubles, don’t you think?”

A touring, interactive version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is hitting the road to celebrate the cult film’s birthday with screenings, live shadow casts. >Dennis Parrington via AP

The sci-fi, cross-dressing rock musical film became a cult favorite and entered the pop culture lexicon for its many iconic and memorable scenes.

Nicole Tagart, a launch official with the 50th annual Al buquerque Interna tional Balloon Fiesta, signals a balloonist to take off in Al buquerque, N.M. >Roberto E. Rosales/The Albuquerque Journal via AP

Annual hot air balloon festival draws global audience to U.S.

The event has become an economic driver for the state’s largest city

Susan Montoya Bryan – The Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) —

Hundreds of hot air balloons lifted off Saturday morning, marking the start of an annual fiesta that has drawn pilots and spectators from across the globe to New Mexico’s high desert for 50 years now.

As one of the most photographed events in the world, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has become an economic driver for the state’s largest city and a rare — and colorful — opportunity for enthusiasts to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated.

Three of the original pilots who participated in the first fiesta in 1972 and the family members of others are among this year’s attendees. That year, 13 balloons launched from an open lot near a shopping center on what was then the edge of Albuquerque. It has since grown into a multimilliondollar production.

“Captain Phairweather.” He was quoted at the time as saying he had brought good weather with him.

He was on the hook again, as pilots hope predictions for the rest of opening weekend are fair.

“Ballooning is infectious,” Dennis said, describing being aloft like drifting in a dream, quietly observing the countryside below.

This year will mark Roman Müller’s first time flying in the fiesta. He’s piloting a special-shaped balloon that was modeled after a chalet at the top of a famous Swiss bobsled run. One of his goals will be flying over the Rio Grande and getting low enough to dip the gondola into the river.

“This is my plan,” he said, with a wide smile while acknowledging that it’s not always easy to fly a balloon.

I remember the first time being down in the balloons with them all standing up and inflating and not being able to see the sky because it was all colored fabric.

Denise Wiederkehr McDonald, balloonist

The balloon fiesta has grown to include a cadre of international ballooning professionals from more than 20 countries.

One thing that helps, he said, is the phenomenon known as the Albuquerque box — when the wind blows in opposite directions at different elevations, allowing skillful pilots to bring a balloon back to near the point of takeoff.

Dennis said it took a few years of holding the fiesta to realize the predictability of the wind patterns allowed for balloons to remain close to the launch field, giving spectators quite a show.

Tens of thousands of people packed the field Saturday, wideeyed with necks craned as they tried to soak in the spectacle.

balloons.

Wiederkehr McDonald, who went on to set her own ballooning records before becoming a commercial airline pilot, was wearing one of her father’s faded ballooning jackets and held a cardboard cutout of him as the balloon she was riding in lifted off.

She recalled a childhood full of experiences centered on ballooning.

“I remember the first time being down in the balloons with them all standing up and inflating and not being able to see the sky because it was all colored fabric. And then the other thing was the first balloon glow at night. Oh, my gosh,” she said. “There were a lot of firsts that I took for granted back then but really look back and appreciate so much now.”

Pilot Gene Dennis, 78, remembers the snow storm that almost caused him to miss that first fiesta. He had to rearrange his flight plans from Michigan so he could make it to Albuquerque in time.

The weather was perfect when he got to New Mexico, said Dennis, who flew under the alias

Denise Wiederkehr McDonald was a passenger in her father’s balloon during the first fiesta. She made the trip from Colorado to participate in a reenactment of that 1972 flight on Friday. Her father, Matt Wiederkehr, was one of the first 10 hot air balloon pilots in the U.S. and held numerous world records for distance and duration and built a successful advertising business with his fleet of

The fiesta has grown to include a cadre of European ballooning professionals. More than 20 countries are represented this year, including Switzerland, Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Taiwan and Ukraine.

It also serves as the launching venue for the America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race, one of the world’s premier distance races for gas balloons.

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“Governor Don Miguel Antonio de Ustariz,” by José Campeche.

Puerto Rico’s art legacy within one exhibit

Two centuries of art history intersecting in one gallery

Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal

Where could the work of two masters of painting, separated by two centuries of history, intersect? Where could any person contemplate the coincidences in technique and movements between Campeche’s “Governor Don Miguel Antonio de Ustariz” and Rafael Trelles’ “El Artificiero”?

Only in the Legacy Art Exhibit at the La Sede Gallery of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP, for its Spanish acronym).

“There is a direct dialogue between the founding master of Puerto Rican painting José Campeche and new masters like Rafael Trelles and Daniel Lind Ramos, who reinterprets Afro-Puerto Rican traditions through his installation, paintings and

sculptures,” said Plastic Arts and Collections program director María del Mar Caragol. “Puerto Rico has such a robust collection of heritage assets that, in order to efficiently manage it, we need different programs.

This is a multidisciplinary exhibit that works with different themes, such as the political portrait, the environment (landscapes), feminism, the preservation of traditions, painting and sculpture, video art, and installations.

“It is an exhibit that invites contemplation and stimulates us to leave behind the sensory void people are usually submerged in. There is a strong cognitive content in each of the gallery’s wings that makes the visitor want to stop and have a conversation with the artwork, and stir his amazement,” the program director said.

Standing in front of José Campeche’s painting of Governor Don Miguel Antonio de Ustariz, the visitor could strike such a conversation not only sensing the character of Puerto Rico’s former Spanish governor –from his Brigadier General uniform to the lavish furniture of his studio– but also by seeing a city with a strong economic activity. Through the open window in the Governor’s studio, the men paving the streets

“Esta noche he pasado (Luis Palés Matos),” by Raquel Quijano Feliciano.

“El Artificero,” by Rafael Trelles.

For us, it was very important to study the National Collection and understand which links, of which artists were missing… María del Mar Caragol, director Plastic Arts and Collections program

of San Juan signal the rapid economic pace of the city. At the same time, there is also a glimpse at the social life of the city, with some ladies watching the men work form their balconies.

The Beginning Of The Legacy

According to Caragol, the Legacy Art Exhibit was conceived to be an anthropological exploration of the National Art Collection the ICP has been creating over its 60 years of existence.

“We initiated this project in 2020 by visiting the workshops of the different Puerto Rican artists and talking to them, learning how their collections were doing… we wanted to know about their trajectories over the years,” Caragol explained.

“For us, it was very important to study the National Collection and understand which links, of which artists were missing –whether because the ICP had no funds to buy their artwork to

update the Collection, or because there was an information gap in terms of their artistic development once they became successful artists. After that, we had to figure out how the National Collection could be updated,” she added.

Caragol recalled that, since 2017 the people of Puerto Rico has suffered several vicissitudes that had a direct impact on the creative work of the arts community in the island.

“Then, the challenge was how could we update the National Collection and make sure this money reach the hands of the artists in times of great need, while identifying at the same the themes necessary to incite a dialogue that would conform the Legacy Exhibit,” Caragol mused.

done following a detailed analysis of the artwork and their authors so the voids in the National Collection could be filled. The analysis also considered the art and artists already represented in the sub-collections of the National Collection: furniture and objects, paintings and sculptures, art on paper, textiles, (saints) woodcarving, popular arts, and military artifacts.

The selection process for the new pieces was done following a detailed analysis of the artwork and their authors so the voids in the National Collection could be filled.

For the creation and development of the La Sede Gallery and the Legacy Art Exhibit, the ICP invested close to $500,000, of which $150,000 were used for buying 50 new artworks to update the National Art Collection.

The selection process for the new pieces was

“Thru this gallery and exhibit, visitors will be able to rediscover and appreciate the heritage of our most important art masters who, despite being from different generations, have great similarities in terms of their concerns and the issues the addressed in their work,” said the executive director of the ICP, Carlos Ruiz.

The Legacy Art Exhibit is open to the public Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00am to 5:00pm at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, right behind the Ballajá Barracks, in Old San Juan. The exhibit also has a virtual format that can be accessed through the Google Arts & Culture platform.

Daniel Lind Ramos

“Hombre Desintegrándose,” by Domingo García.

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