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You are here: Home / Politics / Poverty / Fuck The Poor / Did Something Happen in Puerto Rico?

Did Something Happen in Puerto Rico?

by | 40 Comments

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I went to the Post this morning to catch up on Puerto Rico, and there was exactly one story on their front page, and it was this (good) analysis piece:

We’ve heard ceaseless advice about the need to have an emergency backpack, or survival kit, and a family emergency plan. […] Gov. Wanda Vázquez used an official news conference not to address the details of the government’s emergency plan, but to implore citizens to focus on securing their backpacks.

It’s certainly true that we should all take time to reflect on our individual preparation, particularly those of us who require prescription medicine or have special needs. But how much of the emergency response are we expected to bear on our shoulders?

Besides carrying gallons of water, solar lamps, canned food, radios and blankets — already too heavy a burden for the elderly and those with disabilities — what else is expected from us? Do we need to procure cots to sleep on when there’s a shortage of emergency shelters? We stocked up on chain saws to clear the roads after Hurricane Maria; are we now expected to procure heavy machinery to clear our fallen homes? Where does individual responsibility begin, and when does it end?

The Guardian (US Edition) front paged a good story by a reporter on the ground if you want some facts.

If Alabama had suffered 500 earthquakes since Christmas, and had the biggest one in a century a few days ago, I think we might be hearing just a bit more about it.

Reader Interactions

40Comments

  2. 2.

    mrmoshpotato

    What if Roy Moore tried to date 500 underage girls since Christmas?  Would we hear about that?  Sorry, you mention Alabama, I think of pedo Roy Moore.  Alabama – We Almost Elected A Pedophile

  4. 4.

    joel hanes

    Earthquakes below magnitude 4 are often not even perceptible.

    458 of those 500 earthquakes were below magnitude 4

    Still, the 32 earthquakes greater than magnitude 4 in just over two weeks makes it roughly two per day.   Yah, that would be a bit disturbing.

  5. 5.

    Shalimar

    @Baud: It will be fascinating to see who Trump endorses: a pedophile or his former top law enforcement official.  I’m guessing he hates Sessions enough to endorse the pedophile.

  6. 6.

    Jay

    There is a lot of “news” and events happening, that get drowned out by Dolt 45 “coverage”, and it’s not just an MSM “problem”.

  7. 7.

    OzarkHillbilly

    If Alabama had suffered 500 earthquakes since Christmas, and had the biggest one in a century a few days ago, I think we might be hearing just a bit more about it.

    Yeah but Alabamans are real Amurikans.

  8. 8.

    TomatoQueen

    World Central Kitchen is still in Puerto Rico, still helping to feed the masses. A pet rescue that I follow is based here in Northern Virginia and conducts regular services in PR (Guanica) reports that there is so much damage to residential properties that many of their volunteers have had to let their animals go because of unsafe conditions (buildings collapsed and in danger of collapsing)The rescue is looking for flight parents to get the pups safely to Virginia. Will post details later, this is about 99 percent doggies.

  9. 9.

    Yutsano

    @Shalimar: President Toadface is nothing if not bitter in his resentments. He’ll gladly endorse the kiddie diddler over his former attorney general.

  12. 12.

    Jay

    @joel hanes:

    millions of dollars damage, hundreds of homes destroyed, thousands with out shelter, one dead, dozens injured,

    in a US Colony that has never recovered from the hurricaine, or been provided proper disaster relief.

    but Doltus’s twitter said “first snowfall in DC” when it wasn’t snowing, so you know,……..

  13. 13.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    If we had a Democrat in the White House, they would be using the bully pulpit to drum up support to help Puerto Rico. We’d have heard about it more, and (even better) real shit would be getting done to help.

  16. 16.

    Another Scott

    Donnie doesn’t care about Puerto Rico, or anywhere that voted for the Democrats.  Film at 11.

    But it is a tragedy that we’re not doing anything much for fellow Americans who are suffering.

    In other news, RollCall:

    […]

    Once the Senate receives the impeachment articles and list of House managers, the chamber will notify the president that he is invited to come and respond, Sen. Roy Blunt said, when asked how long it will take for the trial to ramp up in the Senate.

    “I think that’s at least two days of notice, and he could probably demand more, but I doubt he would,” the Missouri Republican said.

    Weekend hours

    A trial will trigger an unusual Senate schedule, with the chamber in session six days a week starting at 1 p.m., excluding Sundays, unless senators vote to institute a different schedule.

    The Senate will have to approve a resolution detailing a framework for the impeachment trial before it gets under way. Pelosi originally withheld the articles on the condition that senators be able to call in new witnesses during the trial. McConnell has not agreed.

    […]

    If the House doesn’t vote until later in the week on the impeachment managers, that could give Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine enough time to force a Senate floor vote on his version of a war powers resolution before the chamber’s calendar becomes consumed with the Trump impeachment trial.

    Kaine’s war powers resolution will ripen early in the week, setting up action on the measure that would “remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military,” an attempt, he said, to prevent further escalation in the region. The resolution needs 51 votes to pass, and a vote could come as early as Tuesday.

    Last week, GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky said they would vote for Kaine’s measure, and Kaine has been in conversations with a number of other Republicans to see if he can drum up more supporters. Kaine has agreed to remove specific references to Trump and make other changes to bring more GOP colleagues on board.

    The House adopted its own war powers resolution last week but could take more action in the coming days. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said Friday that while not yet on the schedule, it is possible that the chamber could take up a repeal of the 2002 authorization for the use of military force against Iraq from Rep. Barbara Lee and legislation from another Californian, Rep. Ro Khanna, that would bar funding for military action against Iran not authorized by legislators.

    […]

    Things are going to get very interesting very soon…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  17. 17.

    ruemara

    America elected a government that doesn’t consider anyone non-white or non-english speaking real Americans. Which has meant PR & the USVI have been left to die since Hurricane Maria. Genuinely, this admin deserves the Hague.

  19. 19.

    catclub

    @Shalimar: I’m guessing he hates Sessions enough to endorse the pedophile.

     

    Adn the funny thing is he doesn’t have to endorse either one. But that would require good judgment.

  20. 20.

    mrmoshpotato

    @ruemara: Anyone who thinks the Dump adminstration is a pile of shit is also not considered a “real murrican” by this fascist trash either.

  21. 21.

    Shalimar

    @mrmoshpotato:  Yes.  Sessions was overwhelmingly popular in Alabama before Trump appointed him.  It will be interesting to see if that carries over after Trump’s 3 years of character assassination.  I don’t know what else Sessions would do with his life, so it isn’t really surprising he is running again.

  22. 22.

    J R in WV

    But of course the giant loathsome orange globule infesting the White House would be sad to see stories about an important part of the USA having earthquakes !!

    And then someone stupid might expect the loathsome globule to actually do something to help the Americans, all of them, suffering in Puerto Rico, which would make the globule sad again !!!

    So it is all better for editors to avoid those stories, lest they make the giant loathsome orange globule angry, which would make their jobs harder.

    //s

    Apparently the sarcasm code tag no longer works for us… sad!

  23. 23.

    J R in WV

    Testing the SARCASM TAG AGAIN in the text window. and now the test is over.

    So it will work, but you have to use the Text window to post the comment, probably.

  24. 24.

    gvg

    @Shalimar: I wonder if Sessions would vote to impeach. I wonder if anyone will ask him before the election and if that would impact Alabamans votes. I prefer a democrat but there might be some interesting results to Sessions.

  25. 25.

    EmbraceYourInnerCrone

    @TomatoQueen: Thank you for doing this, I can not offer much more than $$ and not a ton of that but my Buddy was a rescue from Puerto Rico and is the best dog ever so I would like to help in some way.

  26. 26.

    MisterForkbeard

    @gvg: Of course Sessions wouldn’t vote to impeach. He’s a loyal republican soldier, always has been. He just thinks Trump is a probable traitor and an idiot, but that’s okay with Republicans in general.

  27. 27.

    EmbraceYourInnerCrone

    What is happening in Australia is awful but I am a little sick of the dozens of stories and outpouring of assistance for  what is happening in Australia,  while Puerto Rico  and the USVI are still suffering from the effects of Hurricane Maria almost 2 years on (while Trump and his minions withhold 18Billion in aid…).  And now this.  The U.S. Virgin Islands might as well not exist considering the amount of rebuilding that has still not happened.

  28. 28.

    TomatoQueen

    @EmbraceYourInnerCrone: This will be right after I sign off the work computer around 5:30 pm est tonight.

    @Betty Cracker: Chef Andres is amazing, and 25 pounds overweight at least, and he runs around like a crazy monkey. There are a lot of people who say thank you, Chef because their lives depend on him.

  30. 30.

    Evil_Paul

    If Puerto Rico had two Senators, seven Congresspeople, and nine electoral college votes (like Alabama does) you’d be damned sure they’d care. Turning your back on votes at a time like this (or any time really) is not something anyone can afford to do. But because they don’t, Republicans can blow them off, and (at the moment) Democrats can only do so much.

    Statehood for Puerto Rico NOW!

    (and all the other US territories – No taxation without representation)

  31. 31.

    JoeyJoeJoe

    @Shalimar: there are other republican candidates in the race too; there’s congressman Bradley Byrne and Tommy Tuberville.  It’s not just either Sessions or Moore

  32. 32.

    trnc

    @mrmoshpotato: Alabama – We Almost Elected A Pedophile

    Actually, you did – in 2016, if you catch my drift. Fortunately, your fellow ‘Bamans came to their senses somewhat after that.

  34. 34.

    sdhays

    @Shalimar: He hates the pedophile too because he endorsed him before and he turned out to be a loser, one of the worst possible crimes for Dump.

  36. 36.

    bg

    David Begnaud from CBS is on the ground in Puerto Rico.  His twitter feed is very informative. and compassionate

    @DavidBegnaud

  37. 37.

    Evil_Paul

    @sdhays: Don’t know how popular the idea (or full on independence) might be, but the way I see it, it’s a matter of survival now. If you don’t have elected reps to advocate for yourself on a Federal level,  then you’re screwed. Good will and a sense of responsibility for all Americans can no longer be counted upon.

  38. 38.

    I'll be Frank

    It makes me mad when the FEMA guy says “you should stockpile your medicines” without mentioning how one could do that.  How many doses should I skip to create enough of a stockpile to outlast your incompetence?

  39. 39.

    Procopius

    Drum up support? I accuse the Democrats of misfeasance for not including Trump’s withholding Congressionally appropriated funds from Puerto Rico as an impeachable offense. Ukraine and Russia are actively engaged in a political discussion to resolve the Donbass problem. Russia’s armed forces are not sufficient to occupy Ukraine and both sides know it, so the prospect of an invasion is a lie from the former Ukrainian government to increase the resources available for looting. Zelenskiy, despite his lack of previous experience seems to be doing OK, and he seems to be honest, which should attract other honest people to work with him. Meanwhile, Trump has withheld tens of millions of dollars from Puerto Rico! Congress has allocated $42.5 billion to disaster relief for Puerto Rico, according to federal data, but the island had received less than $14 billion through May. Those people are Americans!

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