Trump waives Jones Act for Puerto Rico...

...providing humanitarian aid to those hit by Hurricane Maria. Isn't that wonderful?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/us/jones-act-waived.html?mcubz=0

Seems like a good thing.

Hmm, a good thing Purto Rico was hit hard so getting what they need to rebuild can´t be anything but good.

Except... Puerto Ricans are calling out Trump for giving the worst support possible. Come the next Puerto Rican statehood votes, you can bet the pro-independence parties have been given strength because of him.

It's everything I feared: Trump just doesn't care about Puerto Rico.

And?

Puerto Rico deserve to go on their own if they want to. Democracy rules , so if the majority of the population feel they want to create their own fortune, then by all means let them.

Not in the way Trump has been handling the situation. All I'm saying is that if people still want PR to be a part of the US, freaking show it. It's bad enough the US has this sour reputation right now and PR independence will only solidify it at this point.

I get what you are saying, but in a democracy we can´t force anyone to be apart of something they don´t want to, So It's not up to anyone but the Puerto Ricans to decide if they want to be a part of the usa or not.

But of course we should do everything we can while they are here.

I'm not forcing anything. I'm just predicting a probable surge in PR independence favors. I'm actually very conflicted on whether or not they should be a state or independent because of this presidency, hell, if anything, I'm shocked that they still want statehood at all from the last vote.

Yup, if i was them i would go independent.

But i am sure being considered americans gives them a lot more than they could ever gain on their own. So would anyone really cut of the hand that feeds you.

You don't know much about Puerto Rico do you?

Didn't take long for someone to blame Trump for this mess. PR has been in a dire state for decades. Its just compounded by the fact that privately owned utility companies owned by debt holders. Wanted to squeeze every last cent, out of an aging fragile electric grid.

Just a repeat of Katrina. Except on a larger more dire scale. The blame rest soley on emergency planners and the local government. For not gathering essential personnel before the storm hit. Such as the Huge logistical over sight of not securing trucks and CDL drivers to transport essential goods. Which has kept tons of supplies stranded at the ports and airport for days. And not resupplying the very airport receiving supplies that people in need, had to stay at for days. So they can get out of PR.

When relief efforts are slow who do you blame?

Trump is a easy target that is why people are quick to jump on him and considering you can't make everyone happy

But not everyone is unhappy.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/24/donald-trumps-job-approval-ratings-rise-with-hurri/

@LJS9502_basic: Mentioned it in my 2nd paragraph. Emergency managment positions are unfortunately, frequently occupied by people looking for an easy pay check. Who may have obtained their jobs due to politics, and not actual useful logistical experience.

These are the people who are paid specifically to plan ahead and lessen the impact, of natural and man made disasters. One local PR emergency agency is AEMEAD. So they should be on that list of people to question, after the relief effort is not as severe. Some questions I have, is what was their contingency plan for when the aging electric grid finally collapsed. And why did they not secure CDL drivers and trucks for post storm relief efforts, ahead of time. Knowing the poor state of roadways.

@Jacanuk: Well yea the President is naturally an easy target. I get that and was totally expecting it. Just saying it didn't take long on this thread for someone to start blaming him.

Like how Bush got blamed for Katrina's aftermath. More than the NO Mayor and Louisiana governor. Who were in better positions to prepare for the storm. And upgrade that aging NO Leeve system long before Katrina.

Ya, that is the crazy thing. No one looks at how the running of PR have been before the hurricane, and it´s not like they did not have a fair amount of warning. Same with Bush.

@Jacanuk: At least not the media outlets, who are out to use this disaster for political gain.

Puerto Ricans and visitors to the island already knew PR was in a dire economic and infrastructure state for over a decade. The island has steadily lost thousands of Puerto Rican residents to the mainland USA for good reason. Not just because they are already American citizens by birth.

You absolutely can blame Trump for the response.

While Puerto Rico was being battered by the storm it took the US government FIVE DAYS to respond while Donnie was out golfing and picking fights with the NFL. It's a disgrace and anyone who can't see it is either delusional or couldn't give a shit about Puerto Rico in general.

Let's take a look at this mornings tweets:

So, now he's resorted to attacking the Mayor of San Juan. These people don't even have clean drinking water and the President is attacking them because they dared to criticize him? AND you want to defend this kind of garbage and conduct from what is supposedly your nation's highest and most sacred office? It's just beyond the pale, really. You are absolutely right that Puerto Rico has had issues for decades and the US has done nothing to help what are in reality AMERICAN citizens.

@perfect_blue: PR has its own state emergency management AEMEAD. They are paid to prepare for things like this. Its hurricane season. They knew it was going to be a serious storm, and just watched Harvey destroy Houston. But you got Puerto Ricans who are about that island life in Emergency management and don't want to work. My family are Puerto Ricans, many grew up there. So we know what its like over there.

Supplies are not the issue. Its the lack of trucks and CDL drivers to transport supplies. This is a big logistical oversight by the local PR government. Their CDL drivers are stuck in towns scattered across PR. Many of whom are still not able to be contacted due to down cell towers. So CDL drivers don't know where to report to. Can't even be all that mad at FEMA, since they deployed resources to Texas and Florida in recent weeks. And perhaps Mexico too. So they are possibly stretched thin to fully prepare support for 3.5 million people across a large island.

@jak42: All that may be true but it doesn’t change the fact that the President took FIVE days to respond.

@perfect_blue: A good employee doesn't wait for their supervisor, to tell them what to do. Said employee who is well pass training, should know their duties, abilities, and power in a job. And execute without needing management to constantly over sight them.

PR is oddly enough, rarely hit by hurricanes. Particularly major ones like Maria on a direct path. So the officials there certainly got complacent. And when shit hit the fan, they were totally unprepared. Now they have to look for someone to blame to cover their behind. A total shame.

@perfect_blue: That's how you create a PR disaster, wow.

Talk about inviting comparisons to the disasters of your party's last administration.

Ya , that is also the problem

Puerto Rico has been a place of trouble for a long time, So people are now complaining over Trump´s response, with is probably because they want to cause enough political pressure , so the fat cats over there can push through benefits for them. I heard that they were complaining over the Jones act and that they want it waived for good because it cost them millions.

Luckily tho Trump have done well and mainland americans are for the most part more happy with Trump now than before.

@jak42: if Donald trump himself had said everything that you have, he'd be fine.... but he didn't. He spent the last 10 days bitching about the NFL and golfing, and now he's whining because people accused him of having a delayed reaction time. He has now completely lost the credibility to shift blame back onto Peurto Rico.

In truth the majority of the blame should rest on the local government, but that does not excuse the limp-dicked federal response and Trump's messaging around it has made the optics surrounding the issue several times worse.

You know that because the president took 5 days to respond, it does not mean that it took 5 days before agencies began to jump on help wagon to Puerto Rico

But i know Trump is a cheap target, so i get why you would complain even tho that help was well on it´s way long before the president responded.

@Jacanuk: The Jones Act truly is hurting PR. Along with Hawaii and Alaska. It prevents PR, Hawaii, and Alaska, from getting the same cheap imported goods the lower 48 states have access to. And raises food costs for PR. Although the food cost issue, is partly to blame on the lack of Puerto Ricans who want to do farm work. Increasing dependence on imported food. An issue mainland Americans may also face one day, as the lower 48 state farmers is having a youth shortage.

Some US territories have gotten Jones Act exemptions, like Americam Somoa. But the American shipbuilding industry have lobbied any attempt to change the Jones act.

lol, the President is a "cheap target" because he's a massive **** up who destroys everything he touches. It's not hard to see.

I pity you that you can't see reality.

And now Trump pulls the "fake news" card on Puerto Rico, even though the complaints are COMING from Puerto Ricans themselves.

I'm of the opinion Trump and his alt-right base want to secretly push PR out of the US.

You know who can push emergency relief quickly? The president. Instead he was tweeting about the NFL while Puerto Rico was a disgrace. When you're president the buck stops with you. If you can't hack it..........don't take the job.

Why are you making excuses for an incompetent idiot that doesn't have priorities.

Yes, i have heard the talks about the Jones Act and the lost revenue for PR. But what i have not heard is the cost a complete repeal would cost the American shipping. I know from other countries that most of their ship building industry have moved to cheaper eastern european countries where some have been known to use North Korean slave labour and also fly flags from less restrictive countries. So i do see why it´s not just because a strong lobby org. have been fighting for the jones act that it´s still in place.

And ya the shortage of farmers is a problem and we may have to someday invite immigrants to come and help us with that.

Trump didn’t have as much power as local government to help this situation as local government did, but he completely mishandled the power he did have.

Credit not mine:

Things Trump Could Have Done to Help Puerto Rico:

-Eliminated the Jones Act a week earlier

-Sent the USNS Comfort a week earlier

-Encouraged Americans to donate

-Sent his private plane filled with supplies

-Sent more Troops

Things He Did Do:

-Attack Mayor of San Juan

-Golf

-Whine about the NFL

Ghostbusters!

Oh look, I found an internet connection!

Please, someone tell Trump I need electricity on Tuesday to watch the playoffs.

I mean yeah I agree with that sentiment, but really all the politicians on both sides dgaf about the citizens in the US controlled territories.. John Oliver did a whole special on this on just how they treat the military vets from those nations..

According to an anon phone call to a radio station, the feds have been doing their part. It's the local governments that have been withholding supplies. I'm inclined to believe it given how criminally incompetent the Puerto Rican government has been in the past.

@vl4d_l3nin: LOL an anonymous phone call...............