Robert Mujica wants to secure help for Puerto Rico at Somos

About two years ago, former state budget czar Robert Mujica packed up his calculator and abacus to bring his fiscal expertise to Puerto Rico as the executive director of the island’s Financial Oversight and Management Board. He has had a lot on his plate, even as Puerto Rico’s debt crisis has improved in recent years, after devastating natural disasters and the pandemic continue to impact the daily lives of residents.

As a longtime New York politico, Mujica is no stranger to the annual Somos conference, where Empire State movers and shakers spend their immediate post-election days. This will be the second time that Mujica will be working for the government in Puerto Rico while attending Somos instead of representing Albany. He spoke with City & State about what he’s looking forward to and the major issues still facing Puerto Rico that he wants to highlight during the conference. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are you looking forward to this time around at Somos, as New York politicos descend on the island for the annual conference?

I would go to Somos when I was budget director. Actually, even before I was budget director, when I worked in the Legislature. So I can’t count how many I’ve been to, but it’s always good to see some of my former colleagues. When I came to Puerto Rico, I came here with 25 years of budget experience. What I don’t have here, right, is those relationships with people. I have to build these relationships and build trust quickly. My experience in New York helps with that, because New York and Puerto Rico have always had a very special connection. And the people that are coming from New York for Somos, a long history here, is because they care about what happens on the island. So I have an opportunity to meet with them, talk with them about what’s going on here. I do that outside of Somos, so I have to wait for that to happen. But I think we have a common desire, which is for the prosperity of Puerto Rico and the prosperity of future generations of Puerto Rico. I arrived here coming off of – the bankruptcy happened – but then after the bankruptcy, you had Maria, you had the earthquakes and then you had COVID. Energy is still a problem. The emergency with regard to the energy grid is not over here, and that grid needs to be rebuilt. I think it’s important for people stateside to understand the level of urgency and emergency that’s still going on with regard to the grid. Congress authorized over $17 billion to rebuild the grid. Only about a billion of that has been spent so far. (There’s a) sense of urgency that people feel. I feel it now personally because I live here, and I know what it’s like to go home now sometimes and the power’s off, the refrigerator’s been off in the middle of the night, not to have power (and) it’s 95 degrees. So being able to communicate that to our partners and friends, so that they can influence Washington, they can influence anyone right that has the ability.

So it sounds like efforts to rebuild the electrical grid will be a big focus for you when you’re talking to your former colleagues.

Yes, because Congress spoke to the tune of – it’s over $20 billion for the grid. There was emergency work. And there was this other work. It is a priority, because that money needs to flow, and people want to see the island improve, right? And a condition precedent to the economy improving, building confidence in the island, is having an energy infrastructure that works and that’s reliable. It is a priority so that they understand, one, the level of urgency, understand the reasons why this is taking longer than probably they would expect, and so they understand because if people in New York were experiencing the same energy grid and the same unreliability, they would be very concerned and take immediate action. That will be important for me to make sure that they understand the reality of what things are going on. Outside the politics of it, here’s the reality.

Is there anything else that you’re hoping to make sure you bring up to New York officials during Somos?

All of the ingredients for growth and improvement in Puerto Rico, for prosperity, are here. We have a very unique opportunity and window to make change here because of the federal resources, because the economy has improved, because we haven’t had a storm recently. We’re in a unique place to see the education system improve. I think we’re in a unique place to make the investments in the health care system that we need to make, the investments in infrastructure. But you have to have focused attention on this because we’re 2,700 miles away, we’re an island, sometimes people just don’t see it and they don’t know how they could help. When they come to the island, they should see both sides. See, these are the good things that are happening here. It’s a beautiful place, and they should enjoy themselves while they’re here. Also, at the same time, (I) want them to see, these are the challenges that we’re facing. Because Puerto Rico has a limited voice, they need to be the voice for us. That is the big message. It shouldn’t just be once a year, it’s something we should be focused on all the time.

Puerto Rico has been in the news recently for a very different reason because of a racist joke from a comedian calling it a “floating island of garbage.” What are your thoughts on these recent comments, and about the upcoming election and how it could impact the island?

Specifically to the comments that were made. As a New Yorker and a proud Puerto Rican, I found the remarks – they were reprehensible – gut-wrenching for me. And they expose the underbelly of ignorance and hate that still exists. These words should be offensive to everyone, but including the 6 million American citizens who are Puerto Rican. I think what’s important is how we respond, how we stand up and commit to advancing the needs of all Americans, no matter where they reside.

And about the election? I believe you recently raised concerns about the potential negative impacts of a second Trump presidency.

Sometimes words get misconstrued. The question that I was asked was if I was concerned about the future of the federal funding and if they could be at risk. And my answer, which is still my answer, is yes. But I’m concerned because Congress has spoken with regard to those funds, and those funds have been there for a while. And the longer it takes for those funds to be deployed and spent, the further you are from the crisis (and) people start to think that you don’t need that money. If the urgency is not there, and if you haven’t spent it in this amount of time, do you still need that? So it had nothing to do with who the next administration was going to be.

You haven’t left New York completely behind and New York Focus recently published a story about work you’ve done for the Greater New York Hospital Association that may violate ethics laws. Do you have any comment about their reporting?

I have 26 years of experience doing budgets. People periodically reach out to me because of that 25, 26 years of expertise. And I talked to them about that. I proactively reached out and got a legal opinion as the way I can and cannot do. And so I’m staying clearly within that, I proactively reached out to them. I’m comfortable that, you know, my activities are consistent with the ethics laws.

Do you ever miss Planet Albany?

I do. There are some things that I miss, and sometimes I read stuff and I don’t miss. But this has been an extraordinary, really extraordinary opportunity on a personal level. This is a place that, actually, I feel like we can really make a difference here. There’s a need here. I miss the people (in Albany) because I was there for so long.