my kids. will they have the options to stay here and work and have a family? anthony: okay so where are we? liza: we are at casa vieja in ciales. this is typical 1960s 50s grandmother house. anthony: and the food is, grandma food? liza: it is grandma food actually. those are corn fritters with ham. typical sunday, after a saturday party. anthony: hangover food, delicious. liza: so this is like a plantain soup. anthony: oh that s good. anthony: the specialty here is pastele al cadero, pork marinated in bitter orange, taro root, green plantains, squash and garbanzo beans slow cooked. and morcilla, blood sausage. one of my favorite things. liza: it s good? anthony: it s fantastic. teachers here are being asked to pay into a pension system that has been described as a ponzi scheme. you pay 10 percent of your income, into your pension plan
liza: i was born in chicago, il. anthony: in chicago? liza: my family came back mostly because our family was here. puerto ricans want the family to stick together. if you can live close to each other, the better. i decided to stay because i wanted my kids to grow up here. anthony: better times? liza: better times of course. anthony: what changed? liza: the government took too much in loans. and couldn t pay them back. so they kept putting taxes on the people, the working class people like me and we cannot pay. anthony: like many professionals here, liza marie cordova would likely have an easier time of it in the states but she chooses to stay. liza: when the crisis came to puerto rico mostly i think about
out of every paycheck. the money you re paying in now is being used to pay the ones who are retiring right now. in a pyramid scheme by the time it gets down to you who has been paying in for your entire life liza: there s no money left. i worry about my future. i don t know what i m going to live off. i have two jobs in order to pay my bills, have my car, have my house, and pay for my kids education. there s no way with one job as a teacher i can do that. anthony: so how do you continue? liza: i know i can get paid triple in the states, but i don t want to give up on my country. my kids see how their parents struggle. things can change if only one stands up and decides i m going
typical sunday, after a saturday party. anthony: hangover food, delicious. liza: so this is like a plantain soup. anthony: oh that s good. anthony: the specialty here is pastele al cadero, pork marinated in bitter orange, taro root, green plantains, squash and garbanzo beans slow cooked and morcilla, blood sausage. one of my favorite things. liza: it s good? anthony: it s fantastic. teachers here are being asked to pay into a pension system that has been described as a ponzi scheme. you pay 10 percent of your income, into your pension plan out of every paycheck. the money you re paying in now is being used to pay the ones who are retiring right now. in a pyramid scheme by the time it gets down to you who has been paying in for your entire life liza: there s no money left. i worry about my future.
on the dollar. this was a fire sale too sweet to pass up. and the resulting insurmountable debt? it means drastic austerity measures determined by an unelected board who have near absolute power to raise taxes, empty teachers pension plans, and close down schools, hospitals basically squeeze every dollar out of puerto rico to pay back the funds. every puerto rican is being made to feel the pain. anthony: i mean i know schools are closing, yes? liza: last year 240 schools closed. in the last two years. this year there is a list of 300 schools that are in risk of shutting down. anthony: born in puerto rico? liza: i was born in chicago, il. anthony: in chicago? liza:y family came back mostly because our family was here. puerto ricans want the family to stick together. if you can live close to each other, the better.