I guess we are losing.

[Full Moon]

Last fuel I bought was $4.23 gal. Gas on the street is $0.89 per liter=$3.39 gal.

Krush, you're right. Everybody got the tax incentive rebate and nobody pays Federal Taxes. Even normal tax years, low income people can file and get something like $1500 per child and any income they might have to report is exempt because it was earned in PR. If we become a state I can't afford to live here because we pay 7% sales tax and about 15% income tax and then I pay federal tax on an annuity that I earned in the states. After statehood I will have to pay Federal and state tax on all of it. And you can bet the state income tax won't go down any. On top of all that we pay the highest for electricity than anybody in the states, I think about $0.32 per KWH. There is very little central air here so you kind of learn to sweat. We sleep under a split unit a/c at night but otherwise just let the wind blow through.

The bad thing is that I wouldn't think of living anywhere else right now. I've got a big house in the mountains with mangoes and bananas growing around the pool and my Hatt just waiting for me to head to the islands. This is what we all work 40 years for. I just hate to see day when I have to give this up to get away from the crime (3rd highest murder rate in the world), high taxes and utilities, and inadequate medical care. When that day comes my spanish will be at a level that I can expect to be able to get along when I move back to Hermleigh, Texas

[67hat34c]

I refuse to learn spanish.

I deal with people from coast to coast in the insurance business. I insure commercial auto, mostly taxi cabs. So you can imagine that i deal with alot of languages. Let see, Russian-BWI taxi drivers, Indian- Seattle WA drivers., Various middle eastern countries from a variety of areas. Hatians,Creol, in NY, Spanish in California and some in other states. On and on. I will tell you that although many are challanged in english, I can communicate with most with the exception of the spanish speaking insureds in California, Nearly without exception i have to hire an interpreator for them. I have not had to hire one for any other language but spanish. I always wondered why. It seems they come here and refuse to learn the common language and expect us to alter our ways for them.

[Pascal]

every official document in So Fl has to be printed in English, Spanish and creole... everything from public school material to ballots.

yes! ballots... even the now defunct electronic voting machines were programed in all three languages...

[Boatsb]

I'm ashamed of the fact that Florida will spend more money on foreigners wellbeing than the citizens that are born here. I guess no one will have the balls to speak out against that in office because the are afraid to lose the non American vote.

[kwerges]

I refuse to learn spanish.

I deal with people from coast to coast in the insurance business. I insure commercial auto, mostly taxi cabs. So you can imagine that i deal with alot of languages. Let see, Russian-BWI taxi drivers, Indian- Seattle WA drivers., Various middle eastern countries from a variety of areas. Hatians,Creol, in NY, Spanish in California and some in other states. On and on. I will tell you that although many are challanged in english, I can communicate with most with the exception of the spanish speaking insureds in California, Nearly without exception i have to hire an interpreator for them. I have not had to hire one for any other language but spanish. I always wondered why. It seems they come here and refuse to learn the common language and expect us to alter our ways for them.

You mean some of the illegal aliens in California actually attempt to purchase insurance? News to me, and my employees that keep getting hit by them...

[Westfield 11]

I wouldn't mind learning Spanish, it would be interesting to get to know some of these folks, to learn about their lives, problems, passions. I know LA is two very different cities: the English one and the Spanish one, I would like to see what the other city is like. The Spanish speakers I have come into contact with seem to be decent hard working folks, if they are illegals the ICE will eventually catch up with them, but lots are here with papers too.

I think it would be fun to experience another culture, cuisine, cinema, literature etc. in it's native tongue. I would really like to be able to read the greats of Spanish language writing unfiltered by a translated edition. Why close my mind and ears to the world around me?

[captddis]

If you choose to learn spanish that is fine, but if you are forced to speak it in the USA that is not right. Our language is english!

[Boatsb]

And my 9 year old agrees. He is such a good kid. And right too.

If I travel to a foreign country I do not expect them to speak English. I do my best with a dictionary and if possible someone to translate. (It was hard to get a good translator in England) When I was in Cancun I tried my best to speak spanish even though the people at the resort spoke Spanglish. I did not get laughed at much and I believe they appreciated my trying.