Friday, September 29, 2017

Is Puerto Rico Trump's 'Katrina'? & "Tom (Price), you're fired!"

I was watching the news this afternoon when I saw the following chyron in reference to the ongoing disaster in Puerto Rico:







That is the question, isn't it? How does the devastation in Puerto Rico compare to what happened after Katrina? 
& also -- Is the slow and inadequate response after the cat 5 monster of a hurricane hit Puerto Rico (see image below when it was about to make landfall), a direct result of negligence from the Trump administration since they knew the devastation it would cause

The response is ongoing. But so far, all we've heard from Trump are excuses & talk about Puerto Rico's "debt". 
Today, I even heard Trump say his administration has been slow to act because Puerto Rico "is an island surrounded by water, big water, ocean water" (It's about 1000 miles away from the mainland U.S.).

If we don't have an administration capable of the effort it will take to rebuild Puerto Rico the consequences could be far-reaching. Because rebuilding the island will be a mammoth effort, similar to a smaller-scale Marshall Plan, since the devastation "set Puerto Rico back nearly 20 to 30 years": 

"Devastation From Hurricane Maria Set Puerto Rico Back “Nearly 20 to 30 Years”

'"So far, the death toll from the strongest storm to hit the U.S. territory in almost 90 years stands at 10 although it seems certain to rise over the coming days. Some Puerto Ricans are describing the conditions in their communities as “apocalyptic,” according to CNN. Maria killed at least 31 lives across the Caribbean.
Authorities are now working to figure out the full extent of the damage, but they’re warning it could take a long while for the island to recover. “The devastation in Puerto Rico has set us back nearly 20 to 30 years,” said Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez. “I can’t deny that the Puerto Rico of now is different from that of a week ago. The destruction of properties, of flattened structures, of families without homes, of debris everywhere. The island’s greenery is gone.”'

As a direct result of the incredible damage, there are now reports of thousands of Puerto Ricans leaving the island (which is a United States territory) & moving to mainland U.S. to escape the devastation: 
"Puerto Rico's Exodus Begins with a Trickle into Orlando"
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/09/29/puerto-ricos-exodus-maria-orlando-215659

Also happening today, Tom Price was fir... I mean he resigned. Because similarly to Trump Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin:"Mnuchin won't commit to commercial only flights for Treasury travel" http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/28/politics/steven-mnuchin-military-jet-use/index.html 

& Trump EPA administrator Scott Pruitt: "EPA's Scott Pruitt also used private plane for government business"
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/27/politics/scott-pruitt-plane/index.html

As well as Trump Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke: "A row over Trump administration officials' use of charter flights for business trips has deepened amid reports of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's use of the costly option."
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41446590

Trump HHS secretary Tom Price also used private planes. 
But unlike Mnuchin, Pruitt or Zinke, Price was indeed fir... I mean he resigned:
"Health Secretary Tom Price Resigns After Drawing Ire for Chartered Flights"

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/us/politics/tom-price-trump-hhs.html

"WASHINGTON — Tom Price, the health and human services secretary, resigned under pressure on Friday after racking up at least $400,000 in travel bills for chartered flights and undermining President Trump’s promise to drain the swamp of a corrupt and entitled capital.
Already in trouble with Mr. Trump for months of unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s health care program, Mr. Price failed to defuse the president’s anger by offering regret and a partial reimbursement. His departure was the latest from an administration buffeted by turbulence at the top, and capped a week of setbacks for the president."

No comments:

Post a Comment