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Look at this from September 22, 2017. New York's Governor Cuomo already went and came back from Puerto Rico. Yes, you read that correctly!
It's a disgrace that the President of the United States is going to wait until Tuesday to do what governors did LAST WEEK. I said it before and I will say it again, Trump's handling of this situation is simply unacceptable.
They even videotaped the tour. Apparently, being an island in the middle of the ocean, as Trump claimed is the reason for the delay of everything (including his visit), didn't stop Cuomo from reaching the island LAST WEEK with much needed supplies. Two days after the hurricane Cuomo was there, TWO DAYS!!!
Ironic isn't it? If Republicans had actually given Puerto Rico some consideration - allowing for bankruptcy, moving forward on statehood, or putting some emphasis on aid now - things could be different. But as it stands hundreds of thousands - maybe even over a million - Ricans are going to come into the U.S. - many of whom will settle in swing states like Florida and Pennsylvania, immediately becoming Democratic voters, and quite possibly swinging the 2018 and 2020 elections away from the Republican Party.
What's going to happen long term is the current bond holders of PR's debt are going to negotiate some type of ownership of public industry's / public sector's in PR for whole or partial forgiveness of that debt.
Most of Puerto Rico's infrastructure will be privately held within 20 years. And all the abeulas and abeulos left behind who couldn't move will be paying rent/utilities/tolls to some office in New York or Miami until they die.
What's going to happen long term is the current bond holders of PR's debt are going to negotiate some type of ownership of public industry's / public sector's in PR for whole or partial forgiveness of that debt.
Most of Puerto Rico's infrastructure will be privately held within 20 years. And all the abeulas and abeulos left behind who couldn't move will be paying rent/utilities/tolls to some office in New York or Miami until they die.
The bondholders have come out against privatization preferring to sap the life out of abuela and abuelo via a government entity. Privatization is probably a good thing for for the power utility.
This is what happened with Hurricane Katrina. The government didn't act quickly enough and many people needlessly died. What's happening in Puerto Rico is sickening and sad. Trump's an ahole.
This is what happened with Hurricane Katrina. The government didn't act quickly enough and many people needlessly died. What's happening in Puerto Rico is sickening and sad. Trump's an ahole.
Trump could've sent 20 billion to that island and had them all airlifted to Hawaii and you would say the same thing. He can't win.
Personally I'm not exactly sure how much PR contributes to the mainland US to deserve unlimited amounts of help. And number 2, I wish people would stop thinking the US govt is an unlimited source of money.
In the OP's post, they mentioned Puerto RIcan's selling birth certificates so other groups can be legal here....any truth to that?
Puerto Rico's location causes a lot of issues. For one thing, because of its location, it got hit harder than most mainland states have/will be hit by hurricanes. On the mainland, wind is certainly a concern, but the wind speeds are generally much lower, so flooding is the primary concern. With Puerto Rico, wind AND flooding were huge issues.
Evacuations are much more difficult from Puerto Rico than from, say, Florida. Someone can't just hop in their car and head to a loved one's house a state or two away.
Getting supplies to Puerto Rico takes longer, period.
Island or mainland, when the water is high everywhere, there is only so much that can be done. Some aid can be offered, but a lot can't be done until the water starts receding.
Puerto Rico has been receiving a ton of supplies and aid from the federal government. Way more hospitals and gas stations are up and running than before. Food and water have been being sent regularly, etc. There is only so much that can be done right now to a devastated island where there is still tons of flooding.
Resources are strained because of Harvey and then Irma. The federal government is adding another $6.7B in funding to FEMA. Trump has issued a 10-day waiver so that shipments can make it to Puerto Rico more quickly.
Of course I think the American citizens in Puerto Rico should be helped as much as possible. But at the end of the day, there is only so much that can be done at one time. People seem to think that Trump can just wave a magic wand and rebuild Puerto Rico and ensure that all of its residents have everything that they need. Unfortunately, he can't do this.
By the way, I'm no stranger to hurricanes. During Hurricane Matthew last year, my mother was stranded at her home for almost 2 weeks. The roads were flooded and washed out in every direction. FEMA didn't swoop in to "rescue" her. She was fortunate that she was prepared for the storm and that she lives across the street from her sister, who was even more prepared. And this is in the US mainland. Sometimes, there is only so much that can be done right away. It takes time.
Look at this from September 22, 2017. New York's Governor Cuomo already went and came back from Puerto Rico. Yes, you read that correctly!
It's a disgrace that the President of the United States is going to wait until Tuesday to do what governors did LAST WEEK. I said it before and I will say it again, Trump's handling of this situation is simply unacceptable.
They even videotaped the tour. Apparently, being an island in the middle of the ocean, as Trump claimed is the reason for the delay of everything (including his visit), didn't stop Cuomo from reaching the island LAST WEEK with much needed supplies. Two days after the hurricane Cuomo was there, TWO DAYS!!!
And once again we still can't get out of the political agenda...
Hey guys if you want this moved to the sewers of the P&C forum I will send a note to the moderator. Meanwhile none of this helps the people of Puerto Rico.
I am sure Coumo made a difference with one single commercial jet full of supplies to an island of 3.5 million people. But once again (I feel like a broken record) there is no delay in supplies, the docks are awash, the problem is in distribution.
By the way, I'm no stranger to hurricanes. During Hurricane Matthew last year, my mother was stranded at her home for almost 2 weeks. The roads were flooded and washed out in every direction. FEMA didn't swoop in to "rescue" her. She was fortunate that she was prepared for the storm and that she lives across the street from her sister, who was even more prepared. And this is in the US mainland. Sometimes, there is only so much that can be done right away. It takes time.
Family members in Central Florida got power functional after over a week without it. This is the second time in 2 decades. They don't blame the government, they blame the hurricane.
I like the Texan's use of the "Cajun Navy" - a rag-tag collection of private boat owners that provided search and rescue assistance in Houston. They didn't wait for the government, they helped themselves knowing that the government simply does not and will never have the resources to handle such a large catastrophe. These supplies backed up at the docks at the PR ports - I wonder if private citizens in PR can organize some sort of convoy out of private trucks or something - panel trucks, pickups, vans, service delivery vehicles - to get these goods into the interior.
I just had a heated discussion with a co-worker who feels that Puerto Rico should not receive any federal hurricane relief because because it is a territory that does nothing but "collect welfare and sell their birth certificates to illegals from Spanish-speaking countries", who use the certificates to commit immigration fraud.
In short, his feeling is "**** Puerto Rico, let them save themselves or die".
As an citizen and a human being, I am incensed and appalled at such an attitude to fellow Americans and feel that we are not doing enough or moving fast enough, as a country, to assist.
Is my view wrong or misguided, as my co-worker believes?
They don't want us talking politics at my job, it is highly discouraged. Things can get heated and escalate before you know it. I believe the situation in Puerto Rico could have been handled better and sooner than what we are seeing now, seem like the urgency was not there until the fake media started reporting how bad it really is down there. All that time and energy the president put into talking about NFL players, should have been spent focusing on what is going on down there, and what needs to be done.
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