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Donnie Matthews
Dr. Witherspoon
English 101- 6
6 October 2014
Puerto Rico has been a victim of bad government since the late of the 19th Century.
Puerto Rico's government leaders have allowed the country (now common wealth of the United
States), to fall to economic crisis, low employment rate, and organized crime. Puerto Rico's
Government is like a malnourished flower.
Puerto Rico's per capita income is around $15,200, half that of Mississippi, which is the
poorest state in the United States of America. Thirty-seven percent of all households receive
food stamps; in Mississippi, the total is 22 percent (NY Times). Puerto Rico's government is
responsible for now, creating enough well paying jobs so that the citizens of Puerto Rico can
provide and make a living for themselves. Puerto Rico is now 70 billion dollars in debt as of
2014 and cannot claim bankruptcy because they are a territory, not a state (NY Times). The bad
decisions made by Puerto Rico's government has snowballed and become a serious problem.
There are approximately 568,168 unemployed people in the territory of Puerto Rico (NY
Times). The citizens of Puerto Rico voice are not being herd. Many native Puerto Ricans live off
of subsistence farming, others live in homeless shelters or on the streets. Journalist Danica Coto
said, "Puerto Rico's homeless population has risen sharply in the past two years amid an ongoing
economic crisis that includes a nearly 14 percent unemployment rate, higher than any U.S. state.
Officials say they expect the problem will only grow worse (Huffington Post). There are more

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unemployed people in Puerto Rico than in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska combined.
This is an example of a government not working for its people.
Along with major economic problems, Puerto Rico also suffers from an astronomic
violent crime rate; the U.S. territory registered 13 murders in the first five days of 2014; four of
them occurring during a single night (Fox News). Puerto Rico's crime rate is a direct reflection of
their government. Not only the people are involved in crime. Puerto Rico has seen 396 public
corruption cases, second only to New Jersey, with 429 (Fox News). Puerto Rico's government is
even more corrupt than its people.
If the government in Puerto Rico needs a complete turnaround. The people of Puerto
Rico need officials and representatives that legitimately care about the well being and growth of
Puerto Rico. The people of Puerto Rico are voicing their opinions, but the government is not
listening, everybody only cares about themselves.

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Works Cited
Alvarez, Lizette. "Economy and Crime Spur New Puerto Rican Exodus." The New York Times.
The New York Times, 08 Feb. 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
Goldberg, Eleanor. "Homelessness In Puerto Rico On The Rise." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 09 July 2013. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.
"Puerto Rico Leads U.S. in Public Corruption Cases." Fox News Latino. Fox News, Sept.-Oct.
2012. Web. 06 Oct. 2014.