Wednesday, October 26, 2016

I Am ...





I Adjure Your Inner Core
To Replicate & Donate To Others
In An Effort To Embrace A Human Cure
Among Our Sisters & Brothers.

Luis Ángel Pérez

Monday, October 17, 2016

Corporate Governing Puerto Rico Into Puerto Pobre Via Predatory Lending



Corporate Governing Puerto Rico Into Puerto Pobre Via Predatory Lending

By Luis Ángel Pérez


Outline & Highlights of Democracy Now!’s News Coverage & Rush Transcript
Respectively, Titled & Dated …



Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans:
The Shocking Story Behind Wall Street’s Role in Debt Crisis, July 15, 2016


“On June 30, …” (2016) “… President Obama signed into law the PROMESA bill, …”

The PROMESA Bill -

    * “… will establish a federally appointed control board with sweeping powers
         to run Puerto Rico’s economy.”

    * “While the legislation’s supporters say -

            - the bill will help the island cope with its debt crisis by
              allowing an orderly restructuring of its $72 billion in bond debt,

    * critics say -

           - it is a reversion to old-style colonialism that
             removes democratic control from the people of Puerto Rico.”


“… it is a reversion to old-style colonialism that
removes democratic control from the people of Puerto Rico.”


Meanwhile, -

    * Even before President Obama has named members of the new control board,

           - we’re beginning to learn just how bond holders are being protected
           - and the people of Puerto Rico made to suffer.”


“… bond holders are being protected
and the people of Puerto Rico made to suffer.”


“But does Puerto Rico really owe $72 billion in bond debt & to whom?”


“A stunning new report by ReFund America Project reveals –

    * nearly half the debt owed by Puerto Rico –

           - is not actually money that the island borrowed,
                                   - but instead -
           - interest owed to investors on bonds underwritten by Wall-Street firms …”

                                  
“… nearly half the debt owed by Puerto Rico is not actually money … borrowed, but instead interest owed to investors on bonds underwritten by Wall Street firms …”


While the Puerto Rican people are facing massive austerity cuts,

    * bondholders are set to make mind-boggling profits

           - in what has been compared to a payday lending scheme.


“While the … people are facing massive austerity cuts,
bondholders … make mind-boggling profits
in … a … lending scheme.”



Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!



“The ReFund America Project suggests that –

    * Puerto Rico should not be required to pay back much of its debt,

           - since it’s illegitimate.”


“… much of its debt, … it’s illegitimate.”


“The crux of the crisis centers on what are known as … –

    * Capital Appreciation Bonds.”


“… the crisis centers on … Capital Appreciation Bonds.”


    * “In some cases, the interest rate will top 1,000 %.

It’s a scandal that –

    * received almost no attention during the recent congressional debate
       over the so-called PROMESA bill …”


“… a scandal that received almost no attention
during the recent congressional debate…”



Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!



“On June 29, 2016, -

    * the government-owned Puerto Rico electric company …”



Where Democracy Now!’s guest Carlos Gallisa
Is said to serves as Elected Consumer Representative
to The Board of Directors,
&
who is also an Attorney, Politician,
Independence Movement Leader, &
Former Member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives.



    * “… announced its plan to raise by 28% the island’s electricity rates,

           -  which are already higher than any state but Hawaii.


The extra money will be –

    * earmarked to pay debt service on up to $9.3 billion in new bonds
       the company, known as PREPA, plans to issue to replace its old debt.

As part of the restructuring,

    * the utility’s new directors will come largely from the U.S.,
   
    * & the new bonds will pay an astounding interest of 10%.”



Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!



“… a very large portion of Puerto Rico’s debt is actually no debt at all,

    * it’s actually interest on a payday loan, on a series of payday loans,

           - in fact, where the island will be paying four-point –
             the island borrowed $4.3 billion and will pay back $33.5 billion in interest.

                 * That’s an effective interest rate of 785%.”


“… the island borrowed $4.3 billion and
will pay back $33.5 billion in interest.
That’s an effective interest rate of 785%.”



Saqib Blatti, Democracy Now’s Guest &
Director of the ReFund America Project, Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, &
Co-Author of the new report - Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans



“And what we’re finding is that this is actually just the tip of the iceberg.

    * There’s actually a lot of the debt that Puerto Rico has entered into
        that is either –

           - legally or morally illegitimate.”


“… legally or morally illegitimate.”


“And so, my organization, the ReFund America Project,
we’re actually going to be releasing a series of reports
over the next couple of months that will –

    * look at the different ways in which Wall Street banks
       really targeted Puerto Rico with predatory deals,

    * and really calling on the PROMESA control board
       to be putting the interests of the people of Puerto Rico first,
       to cancel the illegitimate debt so that we can properly fund services.”


“… Wall Street banks really targeted Puerto Rico with predatory deals …”



Saqib Blatti, Democracy Now’s Guest &
Director of the ReFund America Project, Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, &
Co-Author of the new report - Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans


                         
“They were the lead underwriters on these deals that really targeted
  Puerto Rico for these immense interest rates.

    * … these payday loans are called capital appreciation bonds.

    * And the way these bonds work -

           - is very much like a payday loan,
           - where, because you’re not allowed to pay back the principal or the interest
             for many years, and over time the interest keeps compounding,

                 * you end up with these astronomical interest rates.”


“… these Payday Loans are called
Capital Appreciation Bonds.”

“… because you’re not allowed to pay back
the principal or the interest for many years,
and over time the interest keeps compounding,
you end up with these astronomical interest rates.”



Saqib Blatti, Democracy Now’s Guest &
Director of the ReFund America Project, Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, &
Co-Author of the new report - Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans


 
“ And so, what happened over there was, -

    * because you had the situation where, you know, Puerto Rico is a colonial economy
       and is not in charge of its own finances at the end of the day,

           - there’s so much pressure that’s coming from outside,
             because those issues couldn’t be resolved.


“… Puerto Rico is a colonial economy …
not in charge of its own finances …”


In the same way that a cash-strapped family trying to put food on the table
might go to a payday lender because they have to, to make ends meet,

    * you had, you know, Puerto Rico trying to put food on the table,
    * run- provide basic services, needing to find ways to make ends meet.

And banks swooped in –

    * banks like Citigroup, Goldman Sachs -,
    * and said, ‘Hey, here’s a deal,’

           - even though they knew that these deals would be really bad
             and Puerto Rico would never be able to pay them in the long run.” 


“In the same way that
a cash-strapped family trying to put food on the table
might go to a payday lender
because they have to, to make ends meet,

you had, … Puerto Rico trying to put food on the table,
… provide basic services,
needing to find ways to make ends meet.”


“And banks swooped in – … and said,
‘Hey, here’s a deal,’

even though they knew that these deals
would be really bad and Puerto Rico would never be able to
pay them in the long run.”



Saqib Blatti, Democracy Now’s Guest &
Director of the ReFund America Project, Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, &
Co-Author of the new report - Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans



For example, according to this news coverage, a 2007 sales tax bond for $97 million …

    *“… was supposed to be paid back in 2054.

          * That means for 47 years,

              - the banks agreed, you don’t pay us any principal,
                 and you don’t pay us any interest

                     * for 47 years.

    * And at the end of the 47 years,

           * that $97 million becomes $1 billion
              that Puerto Rico has to pay back.

                  - That’s a thousand times what the original loan was.

                         * So, the banks had to know that there was no way that
                            Puerto Rico could pay this back,

                                - but yet they continued to issue these bonds.”


“… at the end of the 47 years, …
$97 million becomes $1 billion …
That’s a thousand times what the original loan was.”

“… banks had to know that there was no way
that Puerto Rico could pay this back,
but yet they continued to issue these bonds.”



Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!



“It’s a complete outrage. And what you said is exactly right, -

    * that banks knew … there’s no way that Puerto Rico can pay all this back.

Puerto Rico’s debt per capita burden is -  

    * 10 times higher than the average of U.S. states.

It’s a tiny island of -

    * three-and-a-half million people.

Banks knew that they couldn’t do this. -

    * Banks … still targeted Puerto Rico for these deals,
       because they got to make money on the front end.

For just these capital appreciation bonds, these payday loans, just for a slice of them, -

    * banks got to make $221 million in fees.

    * And they get to offload the risk.


“It’s a complete outrage.

Puerto Rico’s debt per capita burden is 10 times higher than the average of U.S. states.

It’s a tiny island of three-and-a-half million people.

… Banks knew that they couldn’t do this.
Banks … still targeted Puerto Rico for these deals,
because they got to make money on the front end.”


“… there’s a secondary market for bonds,

    * just like there’s a secondary market for mortgages,

             - where the lender that sells you your mortgage,
                they package it up into a security,

                    * they sell it off,

                           - and it gets traded.”


“… there’s a secondary market for bonds …”


“Same thing with bonds,

    * they get sold off and traded.

A lot of these bonds now,

    * because the investors originally … didn’t believe they would be paid back,

           - they actually absorbed the losses and sold the bonds
             for 15 cents on the dollar, as low as 5 cents on the dollar.”


“… they actually absorbed the losses and
sold the bonds for 15 cents on the dollar,
as low as 5 cents on the dollar.”


“And so, a lot of the investors that are now buying it,

    * which are these vulture hedge funds that are buying at dirt-low prices
       and trying to make a huge profit,

           - profits up to … 2,000 %, 

           - if you’re buying at 5 % and planning on trying to collect all 100.”


… vulture hedge funds … are buying at dirt-low prices
and trying to make a huge profit,

profits up to … 2,000 %,
if you’re buying at 5 % and
planning on trying to collect all 100.


“… just to put that into perspective, -

         * … there’s something that theoretically on its face is worth one dollar ($1),
            and I’m going to pay you five cents ($ .05) to buy it up.

         * And so, even if I get back a small portion of –

                - even if I get back ten cents ($ .10),

                       * I’ve doubled my profit.

         * And what they’re trying to do is collect not just the full dollar,

                * but then 800 % interest on the dollar.”


For Example:

“… something … theoretically ... is worth one dollar ($1),
and I’m going to pay you five cents ($ .05) to buy it up.

… even if I, (sell it off and) , get back ten cents ($ .10),
I’ve doubled my profit.

And what they are trying to do is collect
not just the full dollar,
but then 800 % interest on the dollar.”


“… there’s a devastating humanitarian crisis.

     * I believe about 40% of the children live in poverty.

     * We’ve seen mass closings of schools.

     * … there is severe cuts to healthcare at the same time there’s a Zika outbreak.


We need to make sure, if there’s a PROMESA control board, that –

    * they are not cutting services further.

    * They need to challenge the illegitimate debt.”


“… a devastating humanitarian crisis.”

“… about 40% of the children live in poverty.”

“We’ve seen mass closings of schools.”

“… severe cuts to healthcare at the same time

there’s a Zika outbreak.”



Saqib Blatti, Democracy Now’s Guest &
Director of the ReFund America Project, Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, &
Co-Author of the new report - Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans



“We are in a very difficult position now,

    * and there will be more [inaudible] to migration to the United States.

    * There will be a reduction in the government employees.

And [inaudible] that happened in New York before and
in Detroit will happen [inaudible] once the control board comes into effect.”
 

“The power company of Puerto Rico, which is the most important public corporation
   in the [inaudible], is going through a restructuring of its debt.

    * The debt of the power company is close to $9 billion,
       out of the $70 billion that the government of Puerto Rico owes.

    * The debt service is $700 million a year.
       And in order for the power company to meet its obligations,
       the Energy Commission of Puerto Rico …”


will repeatedly increase the electricity bill,


    * “… then the people of Puerto Rico will have to pay
       all these increases in its electricity bill.”


“The Legislature of Puerto Rico approved a bill …
that the government of Puerto Rico has to appoint a new board of directors, …

    * And that’s another imposition of the bondholders, …

           - … they want to have a seat in the board of directors.”


“We are in a very difficult position now …”

“… there will be more [inaudible] to
migration to the United States.”

“There will be a reduction in the government employees.”

“And [inaudible] that happened in New York before and
in Detroit will happen [inaudible]
once the control board comes into effect.”


“The debt of the power company is close to $9 billion,
out of the $70 billion
that the government of Puerto Rico owes.”

“The debt service is $700 million a year.
And in order for the power company to meet its obligations,
the Energy Commission of Puerto Rico …”



will repeatedly increase the electricity bill,



“… then the people of Puerto Rico will have to pay
all these increases in its electricity bill.”


“And that’s another imposition of the bondholders …
… they want to have a seat in the board of directors.”



Carlos Gallisa (accent on last “a”) Democracy Now’s Guest &
Attorney, Politician, Independence Movement Leader,
Former Member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives,
Now Serves on the Board of Directors of The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority,
As the Elected Consumer Representative on the Board
(a board which is said to be government owned)



“… they’re going to accept 85 cents for every dollar that they‘re owed,

    * but then they’re – in new bonds.

    * But the new bonds have a much higher interest rate. Right?

           - Isn’t it 10% now these bonds will require?

                   * Which is astounding when you consider
                       most municipal bonds in this country are like 3%, 4%.

                   * Puerto Rico is going to have to pay 10% for the electric company bonds?”


“… the new bonds have a much higher interest rate.

Which is astounding when you consider

most municipal bonds in this country are like 3%, 4%.

Puerto Rico is going to have to

pay 10% for the electric company bonds?”



Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!



“That’s it.

    * … we are paying 10, 11 % interest now on the new bonds
       that are going to be issued.”


“… we are paying 10, 11 % interest now
on the new bonds
that are going to be issued.”



Carlos Gallisa (accent on last “a”) Democracy Now’s Guest &
Attorney, Politician, Independence Movement Leader,
Former Member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives,
Now Serves on the Board of Directors of The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority,
As the Elected Consumer Representative on the Board
(a board which is said to be government owned)



“… it’s amazing to me that this continues to occur,

     * for the protection of the bondholders, …

    * Whether it’s in … these payday loans that …
        somehow or other – someone is going to make
        a whole lot of money off the restructuring of these payday loans,
       
    * and now, with the electric company,

            - these much higher interest rates that will be required of Puerto Rico.”


“… it’s amazing to me that this continues to occur,
for the protection of the bondholders, …

… someone is going to make a whole lot of money off
the restructuring of these payday loans,

and now, with the electric company …”


“… Carlos Gallisa,

    * your sense of how the people of Puerto Rico are reacting to these latest events,
       in terms of the increases in the rates and the new information that’s coming out
       in the last few weeks since PROMESA was passed?”



Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!



“… demanding to end this situation, because, basically,

    * the problem of Puerto Rico is colonialism.

    * The people of Puerto Rico do not have the freedom
       to do the things [inaudible] have to do to look for a solution to this crisis.

    * So, this is a political problem, besides being an economic problem.”



“… the problem of Puerto Rico is colonialism.

The people of Puerto Rico do not have the freedom
to do the things [inaudible] have to do to
look for a solution to this crisis.

So, this is a political problem,
besides being an economic problem.”



Carlos Gallisa (accent on last “a”) Democracy Now’s Guest &
Attorney, Politician, Independence Movement Leader,
Former Member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives,
Now Serves on the Board of Directors of The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority,
As the Elected Consumer Representative on the Board
(a board which is said to be government owned)



Wall Street Firms Allegedly Complicit in This Predatory Scam
As Per This News Coverage:


Goldman Sachs

Citigroup

Merrill Lynch

Morgan Stanley

Bank of America

UBS Investment

Banco Santander

Santander Securities

AG Edwards

Bear Stearns

Lehman Brothers

Popular Securities



Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans:
The Shocking Story Behind Wall Street’s Role in Debt Crisis

Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman & Juan Gonzalez, July 15, 2016


- with quests -


Saqib Blatti, Democracy Now’s Guest &
Director of the ReFund America Project, Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, &
Co-Author of the new report - Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans

&

Carlos Gallisa (accent on last “a”) Democracy Now’s Guest &
Attorney, Politician, Independence Movement Leader,
Former Member of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives,
Now Serves on the Board of Directors of The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority,
As the Elected Consumer Representative on the Board
(a board which is said to be government owned)





Awareness Is Power So Please Continue To Follow


Luis Ángel Pérez
Degrees in Psychology & Education
Mental Health & Social Services Counselor, Public School Science & Mathematics
Middle School- Seventh & Eighth Grades, Elementary School- First & Fourth Grades
Educator & Advocate

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Sunday, October 16, 2016

Financial Debt: Oppressive for Some & Lucrative for Others



Financial Debt: Oppressive for Some & Lucrative for Others

The Back Story to Financial Debt

  By Luis Ángel Pérez
Sunday, October 16, 2016


        Despite the fact that we are all naturally equipped with a brain that inevitably yearns to learn - setting stringent barriers around the access to education has historically been a tactical solution toward facilitating the oppression and exploitation of targeted groups of humans while satiating the greed for power and wealth of some already affluent humans.  

        As time passed, this once publicly overt yet unnatural imposition to the human condition, and its negative consequences, began to clash with people’s moral sensibility in an infectious manner - to the extent where complicit business and government leaders were forced to learn of the critical value which a humanitarian-like public image has on allowing them to get closer to their prey.

        The negative stigmas forced greedy wealthy folks, (and purchased government officials), to close the curtains on public displays of malicious business practices and instead open the curtains to a new act where said practices will still be conducted only in more of a stealth manner.

        When you are trying to hide something, you look to hide it in a place where others are least likely to look for it. Who would ever guess to look behind ridiculously high corporate and political financial incentives for the answer to – Why so many people in the United States are always in financial debt and cannot seem to ‘shake-it-off’? Who would have ever guessed that your financial debt is actually a goldmine for wealthy Wall- Street financial institutions and corrupt government officials and not so much the societal burden which they so desperately try to have you believe?

        Even today, many humans, including scholars, do not expect and thus cannot even begin to wrap their minds around how exactly is it that other humans greatly benefit financially from another’s financial debt.

        You also have humans that own a small inkling to the back story of financial debt in this country but opt to mostly remain in the dark about specifics in order to inoculate “a guilty conscience” which also happens to be easily nursed by their own personal financial gains from financial lending schemes that intentionally produce debt.

        And then you have the sadists that are completely aware but who secretly generate much pleasure and pride in the financial, social, and psychological demise of other humans.



Government Bail-Outs for the Rich


A Business Person & Our Government

        One particularly lucrative lending scheme that depends on oppressing others with financial debt is known as Predatory Lending. Predatory lending is defined by the Farlex Financial Dictionary as, “The practice in which a loan is made to a borrower in the hope or expectation that the borrower will default.”

        A wealthy businessperson and current United States Presidential Candidate was allegedly legally allowed to file for bankruptcy in our United States Government Bankruptcy Courts on four (4) or more separate occasions in order to “clean the slate” of his immense financial debts while repeatedly coldheartedly leaving many dedicated workers/taxpayers unemployed and in financial and personal hardship as he repeatedly walked away from such damages much wealthier than before.

        He was also allegedly repeatedly granted complete immunity against ethical and moral responsibility for damages imposed upon workers as a result of his repeated reckless business ventures. Additionally, Wall-Street Financial Institutions (Banks) continued to approve more loans for him to default and repeat such vicious cycle.


So, why did our Department of Justice ignore
this wealthy businessperson’s repeated reckless business ventures and all the devastation which such behavior
repeatedly imposed upon
working poor and middle income families?
&
Why did Wall-Street Banks repeatedly approve more loans
for him - given his business-failure track record?


Essentially Because …

Creating Financial Debt is Lucrative Business for the Wealthy
While Oppressive to Working Poor & Middle Income Families.



The Banks & Our Government

        The recent infamous financial crisis created by predatory-mortgage lending-practices is another example of businesses getting rewarded and protected by government and Wall-Street Banks for merely facilitating debt upon working poor and middle income families. This financial crisis allegedly cost the United States taxpayers $700 BILLION to bail-out the banks that were found to intentionally create such crisis, (an amount which was openly scrutinized by Government Officials and the Media), and approximately $13 TRILLION, (an amount that was not openly scrutinized or discussed by neither).

        Government officials used massive amounts of taxpayer funds to bail-out the repeatedly “failed” business ventures of the wealthy businessperson mentioned above and used massive amounts of our taxpayer funds to bail-out Wall-Street Banks despite the known reckless and predatory nature of their business practices - which has a devastating impact on working poor and middle income families while further enhancing the wealth of the wrongdoers.

        Working poor and middle income College Students, however, including those clearly dedicated to ethical and moral business practices with immense benefit to our natural environment and the human condition, and who are slated to be critical stimulators of the economy - are vigorously oppressed and sadly robbed of their spending and intellectual potential to help make this world a better place for all because of predatory lending.



Government Bails-Out-On
The United States’ Working Poor & Middle Income Students


        In contrast to the government bail-outs mention above, College Students are not allowed to file for Bankruptcy in our Government Bankruptcy Courts in order to “clean the slate” of their huge, exponentially growing, student-loan-debt.

        As a result, students and families cannot seem to escape damages imposed by student-loan-debt, such as (a) the permanent destruction to credit scores, (b) the disqualification from fair mortgage loans, automobile loans, and future student loans, (c) the suppression of access to student transcripts and college-registration-blocks imposed by the Department of Education, and (d) the disruption of attaining employment and promotions since most employers today conduct financial background checks in order to justify implicit bias in hiring and employment promoting practices, just to mention a few.  


Why so many roadblocks to ameliorating student-debt?

Why so much interference in ensuring that students and families secure a viable income in order to pay back their student loans?


Essentially Because …

Student-Loan-Predatory-Lending Benefit Officials of  
The Department of Education, Wealthy Corporations, & the Federal Government
While Effectively Oppressing Working Poor & Middle Income Families.



“In a leaked memo,
Sallie Mae officials have listed
preserving the inability to discharge education debt in bankruptcy
as their second most important goal.”

“The Department of Education
actually encourages schools to withhold transcripts
of those who are behind on payments.”


Which creates an unfair imposition on employment opportunities and
on returning back to school to further enhance one’s education and possibly earning potential.


“The Congressional Budget Office
projects that the Federal Government made
about $50 BILLION on student loans in 2013.

This is $5 billion more than ExxonMobile,
the most profitable company in the country.”


- The Huffington Post, March 24, 2014




Government Bails-Out-On
Puerto Rico’s Working Poor & Middle Income Families


        If you follow the money you will see that many wealthy people are getting richer off the backs of working poor and middle income families. If you follow history you will see that this is merely a familiar exploitative slave-master footprint which has hovered over the human condition for far too long.

        One of the most salient demonstrations of the devastation that results from predatory lending is the humanitarian crisis currently happening in the island of Puerto Rico after government officials in Puerto Rico were allegedly repeatedly loaned large amounts of money, by Wall-Street Banks, with the condition that they cannot pay back the interest or the principal of the loans until many years later, (close to 50 years later).

        What they failed to mention to the working poor and middle income families of Puerto Rico is that many years later the unpaid interest and principal of the loans will accrue to such high amount that it would make it impossible for Puerto Rico to pay back the loans and thus guaranteeing the island’s financial debt.  

        Similar to the working poor and middle income students in the United States, Puerto Rico is “mysteriously” not allowed to file for bankruptcy in order to “clean the slate” of their immense financial debt while the wealthy that facilitated the debt walk away from such humanitarian crisis much wealthier than they started.

        These predatory loans are known as Capital Appreciation Bonds and are said to work the same way as the payday loans familiar to many poor communities.  



How Does It Work?

“… there’s a secondary market for bonds, just like there’s a secondary market for mortgages, where the lender that sold you the … (loan) … package it up into a security, they sell it off, and it gets traded. And so, a lot of the investors that are now buying it, which are these vulture hedge funds that are buying at dirt-low prices and trying to make a huge profit, profits … up to 2,000 % ...”



For Example:

If, “… something … theoretically ... is worth one dollar ($1.00),
and I’m going to pay you five cents ($0.05) to buy it up ...

… even if I, (sell it off and) , get back ten cents ($0.10),
I’ve doubled my profit.

And what they are trying to do is collect
not just the full dollar,

but then 800 % interest on the dollar.”


Saqib Blatti, Democracy Now’s Guest &
Director of the ReFund America Project, Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, &
Co-Author of the new report - Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans

Puerto Rico’s Payday Loans:
The Shocking Story Behind Wall Street’s Role in Debt Crisis

Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman & Juan Gonzalez, July 15, 2016




What Are We Teaching Our Children -
That Financial Greed, Oppression, & the Exploitation
of Our Fellow Humans
Are The Favored Principles of Our Leaders?



Everything Starts With Our Thoughts


Vision for Changes

        I have a vision where humans behind the walls of the Department of Education, humans behind the walls of Wall-Street’s Wealthy Businesses, and humans behind the walls of our Three Branches of Government all begin to conventionally utilize a -“What If It Were My Family & I?” - litmus-test in order to gauge the morality and ethics of their decisions and actions prior to implementation. 

        I have a vision where humans maintain unbiased Independent Special Prosecutors, for each of these entities mentioned, who will take public complaints serious and collaborate with one another to enforce the “What If It Were My Family & I” test and rigorously enforce Transparency, Accountability, meaningful Training, & quality Oversight (TATO).

        I have a vision where we all come to realize that this obsessive “cut-throat” race toward financial superiority, off the backs of the already disenfranchised, has historically proven to be dangerously divisive to the human condition and has historically proven to negatively affect all humans, one way or another.

        I have a vision where we come together to legally end the facilitation of debt onto others and instead genuinely facilitate access to quality education for all.

        I have a vision where we are constantly reminded that independent of how much money one has and independent of what one looks like on the outside - we are, first and foremost, all human.

        I have a vision where we all sing and dance to the tune that education is a natural human right and responsibility for all humans and that true richness essentially comes from within and is further enhanced by what we, as individuals, project onto all humans in this brief journey we call life.   



United We Can Do Better!

Thank you for all you do to make this world a better place for all.
Much Love to All.

Sincerely,

Luis Ángel Pérez
Degrees in Psychology & Education
Mental Health & Social Services Counselor 
Public School Science & Mathematics
Middle School- Seventh & Eighth Grades
Elementary School- First & Fourth Grades
Educator & Advocate



Awareness Is Power So Please Continue To Follow

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Window of Opportunity

Build The Blocks That Culture Shock,

Build The Wall To Cage & Stall,

Distort Your Efforts To Keep Us At Bay,

But Nature Always Finds A Way,

Nature Always Finds The Way.


By Luis Ángel Pérez
                                               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gPheJSirOk