What do we do about Puerto Rico?
We just passed the three week anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s strike on Puerto Rico. President Trump is reminding the nation that FEMA services are not unlimited and that local and state governments should be prepared to do their part in relief and recovery efforts.
That has created an uproar. The appearance is that the continental US is abandoning Puerto Rico. The reality is that the elected politicians and civil service of Puerto Rico have largely abandoned the island themselves.
On Oct 10, the New York Times reported that “Less than half of Puerto Rico’s medical employees have reported to work in the weeks since the storm…” On Sept. 29, the Washington Post reported “Less than half of the 8,000 members of the Puerto Rico National Guard are on duty.” On Oct. 6, the Wall Street Journal reported that the government agency responsible for electric power on the island had only 1,100 or so workers restoring power. On Oct. 7, the New York Times noted “Camilla Feibelman, a founder of the Puerto Rico chapter of the Sierra Club who currently runs the Rio Grande chapter, said that Facebook was full of complaints about the generator noise on the island these days.”
The mayor of San Juan cannot organize trash pickup in her own city yet she criticizes the Federal relief effort and Donald Trump. CBS via WDTV: “In San Juan, there is water that has been sitting here for 4 weeks, according to people who live in this neighborhood and it’s backed up by trash that’s been here just as long since Hurricane Irma which was before Maria.” Washington Post via Duluth News Tribune: “… a smattering of restaurants and stores open their doors along sidewalks still thick with debris and tangled power lines.”
Washington Post via Duluth News Tribune: “Hallman and other hospital executives were unstinting in their criticism of Puerto Rico’s health secretary, Rafael Rodriguez-Mercado, accusing him of wasting time “assigning blame” to others and sowing “divisiveness.” Health Department officials have not responded to requests for comment.”
Let’s not forget petty corruption. On Oct. 12, the Daily Caller reported “… there are claims that despite delivery of hurricane relief by FEMA, assisted by other federal officials like the FBI to town centers, for example, local officials will first distribute the relief to their political allies once federal officials leave the area.” NPR Oct. 11: “Unaccountable mayors are an old issue in Puerto Rico. They’re said to be accustomed to doing their business without interference from above.” And:
Pushing the aid straight to remote areas is an island-wide policy at a time of concern over whether local authorities are moving the aid properly. The chief federal prosecutor here, Rosa Emilia Rodriguez, tells NPR some municipal employees have been hoarding the aid they’ve received. In response, she’s sending auditors to each municipality to check on aid distribution.
As I noted on September 26, “Puerto Rico planned to fail before Maria hit.” Both the island-wide electrical provider and the water / sewer provider are agencies of the Puerto Rican government. Both have intentionally let their systems deteriorate. Puerto Ricans pay more for electric than any state but Hawaii. In return, on average, a customer on the island can expect 11.5 power outage per year. A year ago, a fire in just one electrical substation resulted in an island-wide blackout that lasted three days.
NBC, on May 10, 2017, well before Hurricane Maria, reported that “70 percent of the island is served by water that violates federal health standards.” Cited was “… a faulty water treatment process that left behind too much bacteria and carcinogenic chemicals that are also linked to birth defects, as well as aging pipes that contaminated the water with lead and copper.”
Federal law makes the local and state authorities responsible for disaster planning and response. It does not allow for the level of incompetence and corruption that we are currently seeing in Puerto Rico. What is happening right now should embarrass and alarm every Puerto Rican. Your leaders are failing you, cheating you, and killing you.