# Q ^\mj - U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

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'•J' A •••• " Assistan t Secretar y 120 0 Ne wJerse yAvenue , S E Washinglon . D C 2059 0 

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Nydi aPadill aClaudi o Presiden t Boar do f Directo r Sout hPuert o Ric o Towin g & Boat Service , Inc . P.O . Bo x 56057 8 Guayanilla , Puert o Ric o 00656-057 8 Dea r Ms . Padilla : Than k yo u for you r February 2 8 lette r

regardin g assistanc e t o th e Mercedit aAirport unde r th e Essentia l Ai r

Servic e (EAS ) program . A s yo u probabl y know , Ponc e ha s formall y appeale dth e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportation' s decisio nt o rel y o nJetBlue' s subsidy-fre e servic e t o th e mainlan dan dno t

t o rene w Cap e Air' s EA S contract . W e ar e currentl y evaluatin g th e merit s o f th e community' s appeal . A s i s normal practice , w e ar e placin g acop y o f you r lette r an dthis respons e i n th e Docket , whic hi s availabl e for publi c viewin g a

t www.regulations.go v b y enterin g DOT-OST-1999-659 2 i n th e searc hfield . I f I canprovid e further

informatio n o r

assistance , pleas e feel free t o cal l me . Sincerel y yours ,

Jusa nL . Kurlan Assistan t Secretary for Aviatio nan dInternationa l Affair s

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Fcbnufy , 2 8 201 1 Honorabl e Ra y IdHoo d Secretary o f

Transpoitatio o Unite dState s Departmen t o f Transportatio n 120 0 Ne w Jerse y Ave . S E Washington , D C 2059 0 Re : Tenninado nc f EA S Ptogta m in Mercedit aAirpor

t Ponce , Puert o Ric o Dea r Miste r LaHood : I a mwritin g thes e few word s t o le t yo u kno w m y concer nabou t th e terminatio n o f

th e subsid y give n t o th e Mercedit aAirpor t i n th e Ot y o f

Ponc e throug hth e Essentia l Ai r Servic e Progra m (EAS) . A s atrade r

i n th e sout hare ao f

th e islan dthi s wi

U affec t directl y t o th e econom y o f th e endr e zone . Hi e Airpor t

help s u s a s a n a dho c airport , bu t als o help s th e touns mi n th e south , cast , an d centra l are ao f

th e Islatid . Mercedit ai s th e fastes t way t o cotmec t

wit hPuert o Rico' s capital , San Juan . I t i s als o essentia l tha t

schedul e ai r

service , includin g bot hpassenge r an dcargo , betwee n Ponc e an dSa n Jua n continue . Puert o Ric o ha s auniqu e geographi c characteristic s an dcultura l tie s t o th e Caribbea n an dLati n America . Th e continuit y o f intemadona l ai r

service s fro mall th e serviceabl e point s i n th e islan d i s essentia l t o th e cultura l an deconomi c growt ho f th e region . Th e terminatio n o f th e subsid y woul dimpl y th e dismissa l o f th e airpo nemployee s increasin g unemploymen t percentag e i n Puert o Rico . A s a n employe r

an ddtizc no f

th e sout hregio no f

Puert o Rico , I urg e tha t Mercedit aAirpor t continu e i n th e EA S platform .

^^di aPadill aC&udi o Presiden t Boar do f

Directo r Sout hPuert o Ric o Towin g & Boa t Service , Inc . sprtowingfglco qui.ne t 

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SOUT H PUERT O RIC O TOWIN G & BOA T SERVICE , INC . P.O . BOX 560578 . GUAYANILU . PUERT O RIC O 00656-057 8 TELEPHONES ; (787 ) 835-279 5 • 844-6415 / FAX : (787 ) 844-683 8