Romney Campaign Press Release - Mitt Romney Pens Open Letter to the People of Puerto Rico

Mitt Romney today wrote an open letter to the people of Puerto Rico. The full letter will appear in El Vocero.

An Open Letter to the People of Puerto Rico

This Sunday, the Republican race for the presidency comes to Puerto Rico. Voters will have a chance to choose an alternative to Barack Obama. Residents of the island have special reasons for wanting to bid him farewell.

For one thing, in Luis Fortuño, Puerto Rico finally has a Governor who understands how to repair what is ailing the island's economy. His low tax and good government policies would have a strong chance to have a greater impact than they are having were not Barack Obama's policies blocking the way.  From the out-of-control and wasteful spending of the ill named "economic stimulus" bill to "green" investments using taxpayer dollars in companies like the now-bankrupt Solyndra, Barack Obama's policies have given us the most anemic economic recovery since the Great Depression. Things don't have to be this way.

Governor Fortuño understands what I understand from my long experience working in the private sector: The most critical thing to get the economy rolling again is for government to get out of the way. We need lower taxes and to eliminate unnecessary regulations. We need to make our government simpler, smaller, and smarter. Every job created on the island is another American job added to our nation's economic comeback.

As president, I would begin by reversing the policies set by Washington that are having a negative impact on the economy of Puerto Rico and strangling the economy of the country at large. The only way to begin this recovery is to remove Barack Obama from office and replace him with someone who understands how jobs are created and how they are lost.

I've spent most of my life turning around failing companies and helping to start new ones which created new jobs. It's time to think seriously about eliminating the obstacles to economic growth in Puerto Rico and in the United States as a whole. If I am elected President, that will be my goal.

I also will work to settle the Island's 113-year political status question. Around the world, the United States has helped plant the seeds of democracy.  Meanwhile, close to four million American citizens in Puerto Rico do not enjoy the same rights and privileges of democracy as their other fellow citizens. It is time to close the book on one of the great unresolved questions of American democracy. As president, I will provide the leadership and resources necessary to ensure that this century-old question gets resolved.  That is my solemn pledge.

Sincerely,