I'm not very informed on how the PR government works in a de facto sense, but I know that in the US, "Liberal Cities" try to get around conservative state and federal regulations (think blue cities in red states) through local ordinances. I read an article not too long ago that proposes that we will soon see a sh!tstorm of preemptive federal regulations like never seen before in this country. The reason is a growing divide between liberal city folks and their conservative states, as evidenced by the fact that Hilary Clinton won almost about 90% of the major cities in the country, but lost the election to Trump. The same thing could happen in PR. As the island rebuilds, you might see a growing crackdown by local LE, lead by local politicians' initiatives to "clean up" their cities, despite the federal government's tolerance... or their inept ability to manage the literal economy of crime and drugs.
As usual you take peoples words and twist them around. Typical. And 22 of those years have been Democrat so there's that. I'm blaming the DEMOCRAT administrations that have run all of our big cities since the 1960s for creating a WELFARE PRISON for poor people in those cities. An uneducated voter block dependent on the State. If you cannot see that then you are dumb and blind dude. You know I don't hold the Right in high regard either. Letting the rich elites run around unregulated I snot good for society either. So why did you take a shot at Florida and junior Fungus (Be At Soon) takes a shot at Texas? Blaming Republicans are we?
The big cities in this country are doing quite well overall compared to rural areas where poverty and lack of education is rampant. Back on point though, it's just sad to see the overall pitiful response to PR, and sentiments from folks like dingus - let's not help them, they're just a bunch of criminals. Well, now thanks to our crap response, these 'criminals' are flooding into FL by the hundreds of thousands. Trump must love that.
Never said don't help them word twister. I was saying maybe they should help themselves which they don't seem to be doing now or have ever done. What I personally saw during sandy was everyone helping each other. I'm not down there now so maybe that has happened. But from what I have seen/heard it seems like they are down there with there hands out waiting for someone else to do the dirty work. If I'm wrong I retract that point of view
I agree with your second paragraph, the response to the tragedy in PR is nothing short of appalling to me. But your first sentence is quite possibly one of the most unintelligent things you've ever posted. Our cities are doing quite well? Compared to sub-Saharan Africa maybe. Do you live anywhere near a big city? They are ALL in complete financial chaos, schools are all being privatized, crime and early death, police brutality, poverty, teen pregnancy, mass incarceration, pollution, despair. A handful of skinny jean wearing, craft beer drinking, hipsters hanging out in posh, lily-white isolated urban communities is not what the big picture is here. I know the extreme rural areas of Appalachia and the deep South have the exact same issues I mentioned above but they are nothing compared to the decay we've witnessed in our cities since the 1960s.
And my perception is based on what I've seen with my own eyes. Within my daily work commute are the cities of Philadelphia, Camden, NJ, Chester, PA, Coatesville, PA, and Trenton. I have spent years of my life working in those cities. It's a shame what they have become in my lifetime.
So we should pay their "ransom" by helping them or else they will come here and hurt us?? Do you fold so easily when confronted with extortion?? Keep in mind, those wanting to come are NOT the successful people; it is the parasitic portion of islanders. Also, immediately after Maria hit the island, the truck drivers, and dock workers went on strike--refused to unload and distribute all the pallets of food, water and meds that sat on the docks for 2-3 weeks before USA could get drivers down there. Also, many of the PR men sat at home waiting for you and I to go there and clear the place up, not all, but a lot of them. It is THEIR island--it is for THEM to clear it up. It is THEIR emergency, not ours. They should grow up and stop depending on others--that is what they have become with their socialist-style government. THEY nationalized their electric company (PREPA)--they ran it into the ground. They are the Greece of the Caribbean--broke, lazy, and socialist. As Thatcher correctly stated, "Sooner or later you will run out of OTHER peoples money". They did.
My thought are based on what Barry has said based on what the media has reported and also from the guys statement that is down there he said basically it sucks haveing to drive all over looking for water which I compeletly agree with and understand. But he also said the thought process of must down there now is eat pizza drink to heinikees and try to sleep and get ready to get through the the next day. Now sure what more they can or should be doing but that seems like a kinda lazy attitude to have. Just my opinion though
Well they are US citizens with the same rights as you and I have, and as such, we are obligated to defend/protect/assist our citizens in times of strife, war, or natural disaster. If Hawaii got completely wiped out by a hurricane, then I would hope that we would assist them in the same manner that we are working to get FL and TX back on their feet.
Help Hawaii?? We would not have to--they would happily and with pride do it themselves!! Therein lies the difference, which you seem to have missed as a principle point of my post. PR is just getting started now to do some themselves--they found out nobody is coming to help as they demanded.
That will never happen; they have had several plebiscites over the last 40 years. Nothing came of it, even when the Statehood party won. Allowing them to become a state is like puncturing the bottom of a ship with a large hole, and then wonder why the boat cannot float correctly. Instead of 49% of islanders on food stamps, instead of 70% (google federal sites for numbers) of inhabitants on some form of Federal government welfare, it would quickly rise to at least 99.99999999%.
From NJOEM... Puerto Rico: · NJ-PRIDE members are operating at assigned posts in Bayamon, San Juan, and Caguas, PR (Operational Period #39). · Water and MREs continue to be delivered to families · NJ-PRIDE members are providing traffic coordination and community outreach. · NJ-PRIDE Members reported no issues at their posts. · NJ State Police continues to coordinate efforts with law enforcement partners. · Two (2) of the twenty-seven (27) vehicles assigned to NJ-PRIDE are out of service. USVI (ESF8-DOH): · Nurses are working at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas · Second wave of DOH (nurses) deployed have arrived in the USVI on 11/15/17 for a two (2) week deployment and the first wave of nurses return on 11/16/17 · Working on 3rd nurse deployment through mid-December. · EMS Task Force deployment had 13 emergency assignments · Security issues have been resolved DOH (nurses) report: 9 Operating Room patients today with significant backlog remaining C. Incidents · No Incidents to report D. Resources Deployed · New Jersey State Police · New Jersey Department of Transportation · New Jersey Forest Fire Service · New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection · New Jersey State Human Services Police Department · State Park Police · Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office · Gloucester County OEM · Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office · Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office · Ocean County Sheriff’s Department · Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office · Brick Township Police Department · Freehold Borough Police Department · Galloway Township Police Department · Howell Police Department · Jersey City Police Department · Lakewood Police Department · Long Branch Police Department · Middletown Police Department · Neptune Police Department · City of Passaic Police Department · Paterson Police Department · Pleasantville Police Department · Red Bank Police Department · Trenton Police Department · Support equipment and vehicles from NJ EMSTF are presently stored in the USVI · Support equipment and vehicles from NJSP, NJDOT, NJDOC are in Puerto Rico E. Activities · The Wave #4 Advance Team is schedule to deploy to Puerto Rico on Thursday 11/16/17. The remainder of the Wave 4 Team will deploy on 11/18/17. · The Wave 3 Team returns to NJ on 11/18/17. · NJOEM: SEOC activated at 10/2/17 0600 hours · One State SitRep will be distributed daily at 1400 hours throughout the SEOC activation.
I really doubt you would say this in person to a Puerto Rican who is living through this. Try it the next time you are on one of your surfcations. I doubt it will go over well. Any Puerto Ricans on this forum that would like to chime in and defend yourselves? I lived there for two years and didn't seen any evidence of lack of "pride" or laziness. Puerto Ricans are just as hard working and proud as any of the rest of you. Racism is definitely in style.
I lived there for 19 years--I grew up there after I was born there. I AM portorican. I have this discussion with them daily, on email, with my hispanic friends from grade school up. I go with the data--look it up on government sites--the evidence is in front of you. There are, a lot of great people there, but many are exactly what I describe. The island was a mess before the hurricane--their "pride" was over-rated and unwarranted, unfortunately. If this had happened in Hawaii or Guam, those islands would be up and running already, for the most part, on their own efforts.
Talking about the facts, NJ is deploying significant resources to PR, and the USVI. I could post these notifications almost daily... if you youse guys want. The BVI... not so much. Let's see who "recovers" sooner... and better.
Not entirely true. Citizens and residents of PR generally pay no US Federal income taxes, with the exception of those who are employed by the US Gov't or have earned income outside of PR. Additionally, Boriquenos have certain limitations to their US citizenship, most notably that they do not vote in US Federal elections. I agree to a certain extent that the US should help the island. But they are, in fact, a sovereign country that has repeatedly voted to retain that sovereignty and has distanced themselves from US policy innumerable times. Throw this last tidbit in with the fact that they don't vote and have a minuscule tax obligation, and you have a logical and prudent argument as to why the US should not foot the entire responsibility to pull PR from their current quagmire.
The couple hundred thousand or so who have come here and are settling will be voting in the next election in FL, and, well, it has a lot of Republicans concerned for good reason.
