No more free tickets for Puerto Rico's elderly
No more free tickets for Puerto Rico's elderly
By DANICA COTO, Associated Press | July 4, 2014 | Updated: July 4, 2014 1:10pm
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A night at the theater — or an afternoon of baseball — will now take a bigger chunk of cash from the pockets of Puerto Rico's elderly.
Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla on Thursday signed a law that eliminates mandatory free passes to people 75 or older during events at public installations. It also raises the age at which people get a 50 percent discount — to 65 from 60.
Puerto Rico's entertainment industry had been pushing for changes to the 1985 law, arguing that so many elderly citizens were snatching up cut-rate tickets that it was stifling productions and hurting the economy, while forcing ticket prices higher.
"With the approval of this measure, we boost economic activity and create jobs," said Garcia, who is trying to revive a struggling economy.
The law has an unusually broad effect in Puerto Rico because many major theaters and sports venues are publicly owned, including San Juan's main baseball stadium and several prestigious theaters.
More:
http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/No-more-free-tickets-for-Puerto-Rico-s-elderly-5600010.php