On why it’s going to take a long time. The aid is there, it can’t be distributed. The truck drivers who are needed to distribute things, can’t get to work because there is no fuel and because they are looking after their own families. But without truck drivers, everyone else is without essentials.
There’s a limit to how many outside people like linemen, drivers, etc. can be brought in because there is no place for them to stay.
Maybe a cruise ship could be a floating hotel for electrical people, roadbuilders etc.?
And whoever is brought in, needs to be medically checked out that they aren’t bringing in any communicable diseases like hepatitis which would only make the situation immeasurably worse.
I guess my quotes from the article were too extensive… my bad. There are a lot of interesting points in the Post article I posted about what Puerto Rico has and hasn’t requested from the federal government.
Remember in Haiti (mid 2000s?) also, the active duty U.S. military went in and basically took control, which is not an option in Puerto Rico.
“(also see: the Navy ships that crashed recently).”
There’s so much I wish to counter on the past few pages but I’m tired and just catching up, however I want to point out that mentioning the crashes is fairly irrelevant as they were Pacific theater ships.
I do think the lack of logistical decision making here points to some shortcomings in our chain of command. Better get that fixed before fanning flames with other countries.
We knew there was going to be a devastating hurricane hitting smack into Puerto Rico. We knew four days before landfall. Why, then, was there no US government planning before the hurricane hit?
Someone needs to commander the trucks and get them to start operating efficiently. I don’t care who owns them. It is horrible that truck drivers are not showing up to work.
In the BVIs the U.K. Military commandered every rental car and truck that was not destroyed. Trucks need to be put into action for the benefit of the overall population.
Citizens in a hurricane zone should have emergency preparations in their homes and a government should have emergency distribution plans.
They did not fuel up these trucks for readiness before an expected incoming disaster?? Let’s hope they ran out of gas after making several distribution runs.
Exactly what was the Governor’s plan for distribution of aid if they cannot fuel the trucks?
It is very easy to deal with Texas and Florida when you can truck stuff in from a vast undamaged contiguous land mass. Dealing with an island situation is much more difficult.
Weirdly enough, I have seen no comments or articles berating the people in Houston whose homes were flooded or destroyed, who were just trying to find a roof and food and water for themselves and their families, for not just zippily reporting to their jobs.
PR squandered their resources for years. The government couldn’t manage when things were normal. I am sure being an island makes it harder in an emergency but any municipality as badly managhed as PR will have a tough time no matter what. Are we sure aids will get to people in need if we send them? What they need may not be aids. They may need to be taken over to be helped.
I’m sick of people blaming the people of Puerto Rico. The entire island is devastated. The federal government needs to execute. We need to bring in enough people and equipment, and aid the population that STILL has no water or electricity.
Kind of hard to “save yourself” because you’re just “a territory” and you “were a mess” before the hurricane, which seems to be what the government is implying, when you must spend your day waiting in line in an attempt to get food, water, ice to preserve food, gas to power a generator. Meanwhile, you are tasked with taking care of children who aren’t in school and cleaning up your own home and yard because your roof is damaged or ripped off,etc.
I have no first hand accounts from PR, just the photos and footage I see, but I do know folks in the USVI and I do know how devastating it is there so I assume the same in PR which has a population way, way larger. People in all places are trying to help themselves - clearing roads, rigging up water systems, etc. They’re not being lazy. They are stressed, tired, hungry, dirty. Do some of you buying the excuse making and party line have no compassion or concern? These are citizens of YOUR country.
The government of PR is not a victim. Blaming PR gov is not victim blaming. Helping Texas or Florida is much easier since they do have a functioning government. PR gov was dysfunctional before the hurricane. Are they any better after?
But it’s also not fair to place all of the blame on the federal government, especially given that the PR governor himself has said that the federal response has been very good.
The issue now – again – is getting the supplies distributed AROUND the island, not getting supplies TO the island. There are 10,000 federal workers over there cutting down trees and clearing roads. The active duty military is involved and billions of tax dollars are being spent to help efforts. IMO, that’s pretty generous given the fact that PR has been next to worthless when it comes to contributing to the US economy. Let’s not forget, these people chose to live in hurricane alley. They should assume some level of responsibility for not being adequately prepared.
AND restoring power, AND restoring running water, AND restoring basic sanitation. The federal government needs to take the lead on these, because the island, as I mentioned, is devastated.
Oh, so California and New York should get the tip-top disaster recovery services, and maybe midwest states get medium-level aid, but Alabama and Mississippi don’t deserve much help when disaster strikes? No. That is not the rule. Not for Mississippi, not for Puerto Rico… Because we are all Americans.
Short answer: A large, underground economy in which people worked off the books paying no income or sales taxes coupled with an older, poorer population.
In other words, the federal government should take over PR governess? I agree with that. They should take PR autonomy away. They have been a money pit well before the hurricane. I’d say spend money to rebuild the island but don’t give it back to their government.