Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

September 26, 2017 By Fausta

A Marshall Plan for Puerto Rico UPDATED

Readers of this blog know that I have been consistently very tough on Puerto Rico’s mismanagement and debt.

And now things changed.

First Hurricane Irma, and now Hurricane Maria, have left the island and its 3.5 million American citizens, plus others who went there from the Lesser Antilles seeking aid after Irma’s destruction, in a most critical condition.

Very few have running water.
Very few have electricity.
Very few have internet.

I mean hospitals, police, firemen, emt, essential buildings, whole areas, not simply neighborhoods.

Most people have no jobs to go back to, especially if their businesses were destroyed.
This is what most roads are like:

Worse yet conditions in the mountains, with landslides.

And the farther away you are from the metro areas, the lesser the chance of help reaching you soon.

Governor Ricardo Roselló does not exaggerate when he speaks of humanitarian crisis (emphasis added):

Stressing that Puerto Rico, a United States commonwealth, deserved the same treatment as hurricane-ravaged states, the governor urged Republican leaders and the federal government to move swiftly to send more money, supplies and relief workers. It was a plea echoed by Puerto Rico’s allies in Congress, who are pushing for quick movement on a new relief bill and a loosening of financial debt obligations for the island, which is still reeling from a corrosive economic crisis.

You can kiss the debt good-bye.

Here’s the situation, and pay attention because I’m only saying it once:

Puerto Rico has no money.

Most of the island has been destroyed by the elements.

It’s not simply that “there ain’t no ‘there’ there.” What there is left, has to be cleared, removed, rebuilt.

Thankfully, help from FEMA, the US Coastguard and Navy is arriving.

10k+ federal staff are on the ground in PR/USVI assisting with search & rescue, restoring power, & moving commodities. #Maria [📷: @USArmy] pic.twitter.com/8mbThIzD7T

— FEMA (@fema) September 25, 2017

The problems are immense,

Authorities have reopened Puerto Rico’s biggest port but say efforts to speed relief supplies to the island devastated by Hurricane Maria are being hampered by heavy damage to roads, computer systems and other critical infrastructure.

Cargo ships carrying supplies from the mainland U.S. began arriving at San Juan’s port on Monday. But distribution of water, food and temporary shelter is building slowly, federal officials and private companies taking part in the relief efforts said, with thousands of shipping containers waiting for transport at the port.

I estimate that at least a million Puerto Ricans are coming to the 50 States in the next six months. As U.S. citizens, they can, and will, do so legally.

The consequences of this migration will be very severe, both for the States and for the Island.

In order for those who leave to return, they would have to have confidence in the island’s economic future.

America has done it before, and in a much larger scale: The Marshall Plan.

A new Marshall Plan is what’s needed, now.

Leave Puerto Rico on its own, and you’ll have yet another narco-terrorist enclave. On whatever is left.

UPDATE
Whitewall comments,

A Marshall Plan may be needed, but it must be with heavy outside supervision

To which I replied, Absolutely, YES. Only with outside supervision and full transparency.
Otherwise the effort, time and money will be squandered, just as so much has in the past.

A Marshall Plan, not a blank check.

Share

Filed Under: Puerto Rico Tagged With: Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, Marshall Plan, Ricky Roselló

Comments

  1. Whitewall says

    September 26, 2017 at 4:35 pm

    A Marshall Plan may be needed, but it must be with heavy outside supervision. Afterall, they broke their own economy, squandered their own wealth and then wanted the US tax payer to bail them out. Agreed on the narco-terrorist enclave.

  2. Fausta says

    September 26, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    A Marshall Plan may be needed, but it must be with heavy outside supervision
    Absolutely, YES. Only with outside supervision and full transparency.
    Otherwise the effort, time and money will be squandered, just as so much has in the past.

  3. Josue says

    September 26, 2017 at 7:43 pm

    The problem with Puerto Rico is that they want to bake a cake and eat it too. They like their “independence” (ie. lack of accountability) while enjoying all the big-government hand-outs of the federal government.

  4. Old Timer says

    September 27, 2017 at 8:16 am

    Amen about the supervision. There was a guy from Mexico who went to California. He founded a successful chain of taco stands. Every year he would return to his village to visit with family and friends. The village was up in the mountains They wanted a new road. They asked him for help. He knew if he just gave them money the road would never get done. He returned and became the mayor. He oversaw the road project.

  5. Fausta says

    September 27, 2017 at 9:09 am

    It’s time to be held accountable

  6. Whitewall says

    September 27, 2017 at 9:43 am

    I’m not joking with this idea, but since Mitt Romney proved to be the salvation of the Olympics some years ago…maybe he would be a good pick to oversee this rebuild effort?

  7. Rick Lee says

    September 27, 2017 at 10:40 am

    Build it back to hurricane standards also so it can withstand a hit. Don’t rebuild those weak cinder block structures. Put the power cables underground.

  8. Old Timer says

    September 27, 2017 at 11:08 am

    Whitewall, I voted for Romney for that very reason.

    Here is a feel good article from The Texas Monthly

    Helping Hand
    Even as their home state is recovering from the devastation left by Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey, Texans are turning their attention to Puerto Rico, where Hurricane Maria left behind what San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz called “a humanitarian crisis.” As much of the island remains without electricity, water, or reliable phone service, billionaire Mark Cuban lent the Dallas Mavericks team plane to guard J.J. Barea—a Puerto Rican native—to deliver supplies and rescue his family. “Mark gave him our team plane,” Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed. “They loaded up a bunch of stuff, supplies, etc., to take over to Puerto Rico, and they’re going to turn around and come back.” Barea returned to Texas on Tuesday night with his mother and grandmother in tow. After navigating the country’s crippled communications infrastructure, 27 members of Texas Task Force 1—and two dogs—have also arrived in Puerto Rico to help with search-and-rescue efforts, according to the Bryan-College Station Eagle. The new arrivals will join a team of eleven Texas Task Force 1 members who have been on the ground in Puerto Rico for weeks “providing leadership and coordination within FEMA.” Still, as Texans know, you don’t have to a billionaire or a FEMA agency to help out. After donating more than $1 million to relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Rangers gave proceeds from their Texas 2 Split 50/50 Raffle, held on Monday, to Hurricane Maria victims. And in Houston, medical professionals with the Medical Disaster Response Network are working to transport 2,500 pounds of medical supplies that they have been collecting since Harvey hit to Puerto Rico.

  9. Whitewall says

    September 27, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    Old Timer
    A fine article indeed!

  10. Buck Wheaton says

    September 30, 2017 at 10:15 am

    Puerto Rico has no money. This is said as if it was a condition imposed by hostile aliens. If the federal government borrows money and uses it to finance reconstruction, unless and until the people of PR stop electing socialist politicians, they will be right back in the same condition soon enough.

  11. Fausta says

    September 30, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    You’re absolutely right, Buck

Trackbacks

  1. 3,800 Gang Members in US and Latin America Charged - Top says:
    September 30, 2017 at 12:21 pm

    […] A Marshall Plan for Puerto Rico: FaustaU.S. Warns Americans Against Visiting Cuba, Cuts Embassy Staff: Tammy BruceNorth Korea could cause radioactive cloud over the Pacific: DailyMail […]

  2. Pres. Trump goes to #PuertoRico – Da Tech Guy Blog says:
    October 4, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    […] after the hur­ri­cane I posted […]

  3. Will Puerto Rico turn Florida blue? says:
    October 10, 2017 at 10:50 am

    […] September 26 I estimated that at least a million Puerto Ricans are coming to the 50 States in the next six […]

  4. Will Puerto Rico turn Florida blue? - Watcher of Weasels says:
    October 10, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    […] On September 26 I estimated that at least a million Puerto Ricans are coming to the 50 States in the next six months. The rate so far is 3,000/day; for my estimate to be correct, it’d need to double. […]

Tweets by @Fausta
retirees_raise-2015_300x250

Pages

  • About
  • Email

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Previous Posts

  • Mrs. Maisel goes full Alinsky on Mrs. Schlafly
  • Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?
  • You need to unfriend me
  • Go ahead and Kiss the Girl, if you dare
  • Ashamed

Recent Comments

  • John on Mrs. Maisel goes full Alinsky on Mrs. Schlafly
  • Today’s hot topics: Democrats’ collusion shift, tax-return rift, Venezuela drift, and more! – PoliticalWitchDoctor.com on Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?
  • Today’s hot topics: Democrats’ collusion shift, tax-return rift, Venezuela drift, and more! - AmericanTruthToday on Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?
  • Did Venezuela’s Minister of Defense Back Out At The Last Minute? on Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?
  • Roseanne Not Back, Khan not Invited, Operaman’s back, Jobs back, Fausta’s back (but not here yet) Thoughts under the fedora – Da Tech Guy Blog on Venezuela: Did the Minister of Defense back out at the last minute?

Archives

  • 2019
    • December 2019
    • May 2019
    • January 2019
  • 2018
    • December 2018
    • October 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
  • 2017
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
  • 2016
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
  • 2015
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
  • 2014
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
  • 2013
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
  • 2012
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
  • 2011
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
  • 2010
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • October 2010
    • September 2010
    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
  • 2009
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
  • 2008
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • May 2008
    • April 2008
    • March 2008
    • February 2008
    • January 2008
  • 2007
    • December 2007
    • November 2007
    • October 2007
    • September 2007
    • August 2007
    • July 2007
    • June 2007
    • May 2007
    • April 2007
    • March 2007
    • February 2007
    • January 2007
  • 2006
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • October 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • May 2006
    • April 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
  • 2005
    • December 2005
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
    • August 2005
    • July 2005
    • June 2005
    • May 2005
    • April 2005
    • March 2005
    • February 2005
    • January 2005
  • 2004
    • December 2004
    • November 2004
    • October 2004
    • September 2004
    • August 2004
    • July 2004
    • June 2004
    • May 2004
    • April 2004
    • March 2004
Content Copyright Fausta's Blog

Site Developed and Managed by 300m.com