Rep. Brown-Waite: Puerto Ricans should ''cool off''

By: Mario Diaz

Tampa, Florida —- Red, white, and blue was on parade in downtown Brooksville on Thursday morning. Only this was the Puerto Rican flag making a statement.

A small but vocal group of Democratic voters from central Florida, most of them Puerto Rican, protested against Republican Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite for recently labeling Puerto Ricans as “foreign citizens,” and saying they should not be eligible for tax rebates, even though they are Americans by law.

That was just the beginning, her controversial remarks continued when she issued a press release this morning suggesting that Puerto Ricans “cool off” by visiting the Weeki Wachi water park.

“For Representative Brown-Waite to issue a statement suggesting that Puerto Ricans, after this effort, go cool off in Weeki Wachi is ludicrous, disrespectful, and as a result of that she probably won't be re-elected” said one of the protestors through a bullhorn.

Luis Lopez, of Tampa's 1300 AM Spanish talk show, “Buenos Dias” agrees. He is one of more than 300,000 Puerto Ricans who call Central Florida home and plan to vote in the November elections.

“This lady has just hurt the pride of Puerto Ricans who love this country and have fought for it and given their lives.”

This afternoon, Brown-Waite's office issued another statement calling on the Orange County Democratic Party to reimburse Hernando County for wasting their time and limited resources.

When 10 News spoke with Charlie Keller, the spokesperson for Congresswoman Brown-Waite and inquired about the possibility of any future apologies, the official response, “There is no need to apologize and there are no plans to do so.”

Lopez was not surprised. “That is expected, out of ignorance more than anything else.”

Voters on both sides believe the most cost-effective response would have been an apology. Orange County Republican Chairman Lew Oliver told 10 News late Thursday night that Brown-Waite's comments are “Unacceptable, outrageous, and ignorant. An unconditional apology is in order.”