No Apology For Puerto Ricans, Achtung!
BROOKSVILLE - (UPI) Puerto Ricans waiting for an apology from U.S. Ginny Brown-Waite shouldn't get their hopes up.

Charlie Keller, Brown-Waite's spokesman, acknowledged that a press release sent last week used the wrong word when it called Puerto Ricans "foreign citizens" but said Monday that Brown-Waite does not intend to apologize.

"The clarification I issued about the word choice was appropriate and plenty enough," Keller said.

Keller said "territorial citizens" would have been a better phrase to describe Puerto Ricans' status in the press release issued last week explaining why Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, reluctantly voted for President Bush's economic stimulus package that provides tax rebate checks to residents of Puerto Rico and Guam.

Both are U.S. territories, and residents born in each place are American citizens.

Despite the smarmy comments by bloggers suggesting that Brown-Waite brush up on her civics knowledge, it's a basic fact that both Brown-Waite and Keller knew, said Keller, who wrote the comments and got them OKd by the Congresswoman.

Brown-Waite had a beef with the bill, according to the release: "(It) sends hundreds of millions of dollars to people who do not pay federal income taxes, including residents of Puerto Rico and territories like Guam. I do not believe American taxpayer funds should be sent to foreign citizens who do not pay taxes.

"Americans want an economic stimulus for Dunnellon, Brooksville and Clermont, not for San Juan or Hagatna," the release continued. "As the legislation moves forward, it must be changed to ensure that only federal taxpaying American citizens receive rebate checks."

The word "foreign" riled Puerto Ricans "throughout the country," Luis De Rosa, vice president of the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of South Florida and vice president of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce of the United States, said in interview Monday.

"We're waiting for an apology," De Rosa said. "The reason why we are upset is (the comment) is sending a very negative message about Puerto Ricans throughout the rest of the country, as though we're illegal. We're not. We have the same dreams."

De Rosa acknowledged that Puerto Ricans do not pay federal income taxes but do pay into Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as a host of other federal taxes.

De Rosa sent a letter last week to Gov. Charlie Crist condemning the remarks.

"Congresswoman Brown-Waite's misinformed statement about the citizenship status of Puerto Ricans - referring to us as 'foreign citizens' - underscores the lack of knowledge and interest in this vital and growing segment of our state's population by our elected representatives and officials," De Rosa wrote.

Also in the letter, De Rosa asked for a meeting with Crist, a Republican, "to begin to dispel the perception within our community that our elected officials - especially those of your party - consider us foreigners."

De Rosa said he hasn't heard from Crist. Crist's press office couldn't confirm Tuesday whether Crist planned to meet with the group and did not respond before deadline to a query on whether Crist had any comment on the controversy.

Brown-Waite's 5th district includes all of Hernando, Citrus and Sumter counties and parts of Polk, Pasco, Marion, Levy and Lake counties. Just more than 8 percent of Hernando County's population is of Hispanic descent, according to 2006 census figures.

The comment, Keller said, "has not been an issue for the Congresswoman's constituents."

Brown-Waite's office has received about a dozen calls on the issue, and most were in favor of the Congresswoman's stance on nixing rebate checks for territorial citizens, Keller said.

It's that logical notion that is getting lost in the dustup over word choice, Keller said.

But the notion that Brown-Waite should apologize even for unintentionally offending Puerto Ricans is "unanimous" among the Puerto Ricans that Santos Reyes knows, Reyes said Monday.

Reyes is a Puerto Rican native who came to the United States at the age of 14. He worked as a New York City firefighter and now lives in the Pasco County portion of Spring Hill.

Reyes is co-founder of Hispanic Scholarship Civic & Cultural Foundation, which provides scholarships to Hispanic students in Hernando County. He's also a Republican.

Brown-Waite's comment "leaves a little bit of a bad taste," he said, adding that he also is surprised by her decision not to say she is sorry.

Reyes pointed out that there is still a strong movement on the island pushing for statehood for Puerto Rico, which might one day make the issue of federal rebates for Puerto Ricans moot. "A great number of people feel that it's time," he said.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com

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