another letter to editor

[Valigator]

Why dont I just put a gun to my head?????

With Puerto Rico's economy in tatters, many islanders consider moving stateside




By Doreen Hemlock
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

May 11, 2006



Business owners Lilia Molina and husband Norbert Delgado had been thinking for months about leaving the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. But as island politicians feuded over a budget crunch that has kept schools and government offices closed since May 1, the couple made a decision.

They're moving to South Florida.

"I never thought I'd leave the island. My parents are here," Molina, 54, said from Puerto Rico this week. "But we're in an economic crisis on the island. And it doesn't look like things will stabilize in the short run."

Molina began exploring her options months back, seeking advice from the Puerto Rican chambers of commerce in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Those chambers now report a barrage of phone calls, as other anxious islanders explore options in South Florida, already home to about 200,000 Puerto Ricans.