This is John Batchel, speaking with colleague Mary Anastasia Grady of the America's editor of the

Wall Street Journal editorial page. Puerto Rico, much in the news recently because of the late campaign.

At the same time, what is it about Puerto Rico that is holding it back from the prosperity

that its people enjoy when they move to the mainland of the United States.

Some of it is double governance.

A PROMES Act of 2016 created a board called the O Board, the O Board,

that passes judgment on governance.

At the same time, there's a governor and an administration in Puerto Rico.

There are also tax carve-outs for international corporations.

And Mary explains, while those sometimes are beneficial, especially for pharmaceutical in the past,

what about the businesses in Puerto Rico, the indigenous businesses, the small businesses?

Here's Mary Anastasia Grady to describe the beginning of the trouble with Puerto Rico, the challenges ahead

rather than just be a one-liner in a campaign. What is to be done? More of this tonight.

Well, the federal government ended a special program that they used to have

for pharmaceutical manufacturing, but the island still gives incentives for large multinationals,

and they're mostly pharmaceutical companies and manufacturing companies to come there and do business.

One of the problems that I should note is that the O board, even though it has

this authority, and like you say, it's kind of like the viceroy on the island, it does run up

against resistance from the locals. I mean, they will often, if they tried to, if the O board

tried to rule with a very heavy hand, every time they do something

where they say you have to do this, you have to do that, they end up in court. And Puerto Rico is

continually arguing, you know, that it has sovereignty and certain things they can't be forced to do

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