More than 3 weeks after Maria more than 80 percent of Puerto Ricans are still without power and 40 percent do not have potable water
By Howie Katz
Big Jolly Politics
October 14, 2017
Puerto Rico is not one of our states, but the island is a territory of the United States and its people are considered citizens of this country. On September 20, Puerto Rico was devastated when it took a direct hit from Maria, a category 4 hurricane.
Today, more than three weeks later, over 80 percent of Puerto Ricans are still without power, 40 percent do not have potable water, and three million Puerto Ricans are in dire need. While FEMA and the U.S. Army are doing their best to aid the stricken island, vital aid is still not reaching many people because towns are isolated by landslides that have destroyed roadways. The ineptness of local governments is also impeding the distribution of supplies to the local populace. Thousands of Puerto Ricans are fleeing the island to take up permanent residence in the U.S.
Our government is already spending billions of dollars aiding Hurricane Irma victims in Florida and Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas and Louisiana. And the government will be expected to aid the wildfire victims in California where over 5,00 homes have been burned to the ground so far.
All of this aid is being provided with money the government does not have. The national debt is now more than 20 trillion dollars. This begs the question: Should we taxpayers bail out Puerto Rico? Should we add billions of dollars to the national debt by aiding the Puerto Ricans?
My answer is yes. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and therefore no less deserving than our people in Florida, Texas, Louisiana and California.
If we do not want to aid Puerto Rico, then we should up and grant the island its independence, just like we did with the Philippines in 1946.
That’s my take. What’s yours?
3 comments:
Puerto Rico is a beautiful place. The problem is the people have been militant against the US for years. So much so that we eventually abandoned a military base due to personnel being continuously attacked. The US had a much needed bombing range off the coast.
When the economy collapsed under a Democrat Governor over a decade ago, the citizens started pouring into the US. Before the storm, the place was a disaster. Most of the professionals had left long ago. All infrastructure has or is failing. Crime is rampant due to the poor economy.
Friends of mine traveled there last year because it was a cheap place to vacation. They rented a house on a beautiful beach with a maid/cook. They were burglarized and all of their electronics were stolen. Feeling concerned for their safety they moved into a large hotel where the front desk clerk advised them not to leave the hotel after dark.
They are U. S. citizens whose "state" went to shit under constant democrat "leadership", not unlike Flint or Chicago or Detroit. Yes, they have our assistance coming. As far as a bail-out is concerned, that is a different question. They placed themselves in the crapper, but we collectively allowed them to do it.
By bailing out I mean taking care of the humanitarian crises and repairing the island’s infrastructure. I do not believe we should bail them out of the financial mess the PR government created.
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