The administration of Gov. Pedro Rossello, Calderon's predecessor, was by plagued allegations of corruption. As for Vieques, Rossello had opposed the bombing, but reversed his stance after the Clinton Administration agreed to let Vieques residents hold a referendum on the matter later this year. A spokeswoman for Calderon said the governor has communicated her stance on Vieques to Bush administration officials. While Calderon and Bush are not expected to hold direct talks during her visit to Washington, Calderon is one of 50 governors to meet with Bush on Monday. In her speech Thursday, Calderon said economic development and job creation will be her top priority as Puerto Rico's new chief executive.
Unemployment has a face, has a name, has a heart.
She added that about 60 percent of Puerto Rico's citizens live below the poverty line. According to Calderon, the island has lost thousands of jobs in recent years, partly due to changes in U.S. tax law that once provided economic incentives for manufacturers to locate in Puerto Rico. Many of those jobs, she said, are now being lost to overseas facilities in countries like Singapore. Calderon strongly criticized Members of the U.S. Congress who justified eliminating the investment incentives as a means to balance the federal budget. The people of Puerto Rico want to work.