Puerto Rico Sues Control Board Over Budget Differences
Puerto Rico's government sued a federal control board on Thursday to resolve a disagreement over two competing budgets that aim to pull the U.S. territory out of an 11-year recession. Gov. Ricardo Rossello said he is seeking an injunction to stop the board from imposing an $8.76 billion budget that contains various austerity measures, and he accused it of trying to dictate the island's public policy. "Our north will always be to defend the most vulnerable in all forums," he said in a statement. The lawsuit is expected to define the powers of a board created by U.S. Congress two years ago to oversee Puerto Rico's finances. The suit accuses the board of imposing its policy preferences on Puerto Ricans and micromanaging all budget expenditures, warning it could increase the flow of migration to the U.S. mainland, which would reduce the tax base and worsen the island's economic and humanitarian problems. "The board's efforts exceed i