PR was in a finanical mess back in the late 90s when I lived there. And except for the pet projects that benefit the constituents of a certain area pushed through at the expense of others, the rest of your post is pretty much accurate.
Puerto rico
- Thread starter Tight_N_Juicy
- Start date
PR was in a finanical mess back in the late 90s when I lived there. And except for the pet projects that benefit the constituents of a certain area pushed through at the expense of others, the rest of your post is pretty much accurate.
I'm aware of the circumstances PR was in in the 90's.
I just don't think the people who live there deserve to be forgotten and ignored because of past mistakes.
I don't even think that all life is sacred or valuable, but I do think they deserve more than we've provided. We could EASILY do more.
- b.c.,
I type in bold because I CHOOSE to and I trust you can respect my right to DO so, just as I respect your right to place me on ignore and you are more than welcome to do so.
As for your argument above, you're attempting to change the condition of the argument, ma'am, in an attempt to make some point other than what was being argued.
Look, like I said, I'm not here to begrudge anyone in need of assistance and recovery in times of a disaster. Surely you must realize that there have been numerous times when disaster relief, financial aid, and assistance were provided to those who didn't "pay for services" and rightfully so because it is a responsibility of government to assist in the needs of its CITIZENS at times of crisis.
My ARGUMENT, again, is that there shouldn't be a DISPARATE APPLICATION in that assistance, ESPECIALLY when preference is given to those who are financially better able to provide for SELF.
Funny how some of the same people who haven't a fkn thing to say about corporate welfare, massive tax breaks for the wealthy and corporate America, voucher programs for the elite to squirrel away their little darlings in private and parochial schools at taxpayer expense are quick to show up and say how an island full of U.S. citizens in dire straits should fend for themselves.
So NO, I don't agree with this whole Puerto Ricans must "pay to play" line of reasoning, which is essentially what is being said.
Like I said, I think that's pure BULLSHIT.
Last edited:
Posts like this are why I rarely come into this forum.
Considering I made the original insurance analogy, I'm not attempting change any condition of any argument to make any point other than exactly what I said.
You delved into an unneeded lesson on flood vs homeowners insurance in an area irrelevant to the topic at hand. My point is a question of if it's a reasonable expectation of PR based on their current status as a commonwealth. That's it. Because every dollar that goes to a program that our government is NOT obligated to fund is a dollar taken from a program that our government IS obligated to provide.
Why have I not said anything about corporate tax cuts? They're not relevant to this thread. Why have I not said anything about school vouchers? They're not relevant to this thread. Why have I not mentioned all the services that I think should be better funded (mental health, services to seniors, providing adequate resources to our military, meaningful help to our poor, infrastructure maintenance, etc. etc. etc)? Because they're not relevant to this thread.
Considering I made the original insurance analogy, I'm not attempting change any condition of any argument to make any point other than exactly what I said.
You delved into an unneeded lesson on flood vs homeowners insurance in an area irrelevant to the topic at hand. My point is a question of if it's a reasonable expectation of PR based on their current status as a commonwealth. That's it. Because every dollar that goes to a program that our government is NOT obligated to fund is a dollar taken from a program that our government IS obligated to provide.
Why have I not said anything about corporate tax cuts? They're not relevant to this thread. Why have I not said anything about school vouchers? They're not relevant to this thread. Why have I not mentioned all the services that I think should be better funded (mental health, services to seniors, providing adequate resources to our military, meaningful help to our poor, infrastructure maintenance, etc. etc. etc)? Because they're not relevant to this thread.
- b.c.,
That may be your opinion and I respect your right to it, but in MY opinion, having the decency to see relief efforts through in Puerto Rico instead of pulling resources FROM them (if you followed some of the earlier links herein), regardless of the government's "obligation," IS relevant to this thread.
The cost of the Iraq War is estimated at somewhere near 800 billion, the cost to launch a single shuttle mission estimated at somewhere near 700 million, and Trump's golf games cost a reported 67 million in one year alone.
Yet this country can't afford to continue to support the recovery efforts of an island smaller than the state of Connecticut??
WTF??????
- b.c.,
Trump takes a lying dump on Puerto Rico's dead.
from the above:
"The Prevaricator-in-Chief decided to add insult to injury to Puerto Ricans who are both mourning their dead from Hurricane Maria and struggling to survive a less than stellar response from the U.S. Government...
What makes this travesty even worse is that he has now claimed Puerto Rico had no power before Maria.
[Trump]: "If you look back on your records, you’ll see that plant was dead, it was shut, it was bankrupt, it was out of business. They owed tremendous amounts of money. They had it closed up. And then when the hurricane came, people said, ‘What do are we going to do about electricity?’ That wasn’t really the hurricane. That was gone before the hurricane.”
This is complete and total bullshit. No the power was not “dead” before Maria. Yes — PREPA has had issues — however the post Maria deaths were a direct result of failure to get relief systems in place. Period. "
from the above:
"The Prevaricator-in-Chief decided to add insult to injury to Puerto Ricans who are both mourning their dead from Hurricane Maria and struggling to survive a less than stellar response from the U.S. Government...
What makes this travesty even worse is that he has now claimed Puerto Rico had no power before Maria.
[Trump]: "If you look back on your records, you’ll see that plant was dead, it was shut, it was bankrupt, it was out of business. They owed tremendous amounts of money. They had it closed up. And then when the hurricane came, people said, ‘What do are we going to do about electricity?’ That wasn’t really the hurricane. That was gone before the hurricane.”
This is complete and total bullshit. No the power was not “dead” before Maria. Yes — PREPA has had issues — however the post Maria deaths were a direct result of failure to get relief systems in place. Period. "
That number has been dramatically increased. The current estimate is north of $2 trillion. Cheney's rosey forecast of the war paying for itself was the usual conservative bullshit
Iraq war costs U.S. more than $2 trillion: study
There were all kinds of costs that would have never been incurred had there been no war in Iraq in both the DOD and DOS that never get counted in those trillions
Something as simple as the payroll of all thousands of activated reservists and NG troops for WAY more than a year if you count the 3 or 4 months pre-deployment training at places like Camp Shelby in MS plus a month or 2 "post mobilization" after returning. "tax free" while deployed
At least $50K/cycle X at least 50K troops/cycle, do the math the shit adds up. Add to that they were no longer in their civilian jobs where they were PAYING taxes and it gets even worse.
That is just ONE example
Probably at LEAST another TRILLION when you add it all up
Something as simple as the payroll of all thousands of activated reservists and NG troops for WAY more than a year if you count the 3 or 4 months pre-deployment training at places like Camp Shelby in MS plus a month or 2 "post mobilization" after returning. "tax free" while deployed
At least $50K/cycle X at least 50K troops/cycle, do the math the shit adds up. Add to that they were no longer in their civilian jobs where they were PAYING taxes and it gets even worse.
That is just ONE example
Probably at LEAST another TRILLION when you add it all up
halcyondays
Worshipped Member
Brown skin = potential immigrants Trump and his white base hate. Most Trumpeters think PR is another country even though it's been US territory for the last 120 years.
- b.c.,
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2006
- Posts
- 2,651
- Media
- 7
- Likes
- 2,422
- Points
- 543
- Location
- Naples/ FtMyers Florida
- Verification
- View
- Sexuality
- 99% Straight, 1% Gay
- Gender
- Female
Puerto Rico governor is a demoCrap and is screwed up like most States under DemoCrap States.
I have a college girlfriend that lives in San Juan and says the Mayor and Governor are as worthless as AOS. She has seen the country go down in the last few years way before the Hurricane.
OK, you Trump haters can blow off your BS steam now.
I have a college girlfriend that lives in San Juan and says the Mayor and Governor are as worthless as AOS. She has seen the country go down in the last few years way before the Hurricane.
OK, you Trump haters can blow off your BS steam now.
- b.c.,
I usually ignore your posts for the nonsense most of them are, however this is a fallacious misrepresentation of certain facts.
For one, most sources confirm that the poorest states and counties in the U.S. are run by Republicans. In fact, in an article titled "Are 97 of the nation's 100 poorest counties in red states?" PolitiFact checks into that question and rates it "mostly TRUE." (I'll not link the article because of imagery therein.)
And the following article deals with how Trump wants to cut off assistance from these storm ravished U.S. citizens on the basis of unsubstantiated claims of mishandled funds:
Trump: 'Stop Funding Hurricane Maria Relief Efforts in Puerto Rico'
Without evidence Trump accuses Puerto Rico of using disaster funds for other debt
And THIS Politico investigation (linked below) examined the disparity between Trump's response to Texas compared with Puerto Rico:
How Trump favored Texas over Puerto Rico - POLITICO
And while it is true that Puerto Rico has had it fair share of corrupt politicians and mismanagement (and they are certainly not alone in this regard) WHAT does that have to do with providing Americans with an adequate RESPONSE following this disaster?
And there are PLENTY other sources that have suggested that, for HIS part, Trump's response has been anything BUT.
For one, most sources confirm that the poorest states and counties in the U.S. are run by Republicans. In fact, in an article titled "Are 97 of the nation's 100 poorest counties in red states?" PolitiFact checks into that question and rates it "mostly TRUE." (I'll not link the article because of imagery therein.)
And the following article deals with how Trump wants to cut off assistance from these storm ravished U.S. citizens on the basis of unsubstantiated claims of mishandled funds:
Trump: 'Stop Funding Hurricane Maria Relief Efforts in Puerto Rico'
Without evidence Trump accuses Puerto Rico of using disaster funds for other debt
And THIS Politico investigation (linked below) examined the disparity between Trump's response to Texas compared with Puerto Rico:
How Trump favored Texas over Puerto Rico - POLITICO
And while it is true that Puerto Rico has had it fair share of corrupt politicians and mismanagement (and they are certainly not alone in this regard) WHAT does that have to do with providing Americans with an adequate RESPONSE following this disaster?
And there are PLENTY other sources that have suggested that, for HIS part, Trump's response has been anything BUT.
- b.c.,
Puerto Rico Stands to Lose the Most Funding from Trump’s Border Wall – Mother Jones
https://www.motherjones.com/politic...ose-the-most-funding-from-trumps-border-wall/
"The Pentagon’s plan to steer $3.6 billion from the military construction budget toward President Donald Trump’s border wall could delay up to 146 projects at home and abroad, including major maintenance efforts in Maine, North Carolina, and Virginia. But no region stands to lose more than Puerto Rico.
The island commonwealth, still recovering from the damage from Hurricane Maria and its financial crisis in 2017, has more than $400 million in funding that could be diverted toward wall construction, by far the most of any single US state or territory.
Guam, another US territory, would be the next hardest-hit with nearly $260 million in limbo, until the Pentagon decides which projects to put on hold. The Wall Street Journal analyzed the list of at-risk projects released by the Defense Department last week and found that “slightly more than half” of them are located “either in foreign countries or US territories lacking a congressional vote.”
https://www.motherjones.com/politic...ose-the-most-funding-from-trumps-border-wall/
"The Pentagon’s plan to steer $3.6 billion from the military construction budget toward President Donald Trump’s border wall could delay up to 146 projects at home and abroad, including major maintenance efforts in Maine, North Carolina, and Virginia. But no region stands to lose more than Puerto Rico.
The island commonwealth, still recovering from the damage from Hurricane Maria and its financial crisis in 2017, has more than $400 million in funding that could be diverted toward wall construction, by far the most of any single US state or territory.
Guam, another US territory, would be the next hardest-hit with nearly $260 million in limbo, until the Pentagon decides which projects to put on hold. The Wall Street Journal analyzed the list of at-risk projects released by the Defense Department last week and found that “slightly more than half” of them are located “either in foreign countries or US territories lacking a congressional vote.”
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2006
- Posts
- 22,240
- Media
- 213
- Likes
- 31,766
- Points
- 618
- Location
- Kathmandu (Bagmati Province, Nepal)
- Sexuality
- 100% Gay, 0% Straight
- Gender
- Male
They are so ungrateful that they're having yet another hurricane this year! Greedy! Sad!
![Screen Shot 2019-08-27 at 2.36.48 PM.png]( "Screen Shot 2019-08-27 at 2.36.48 PM.png")
Klingsor
Worshipped Member
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2011
- Posts
- 10,888
- Media
- 4
- Likes
- 11,638
- Points
- 293
- Location
- Champaign (Illinois, United States)
- Sexuality
- 80% Straight, 20% Gay
- Gender
- Male
That's the question, isn't it, Donald? All these storms, floods, fires . . . will it ever end?
If only someone were in a position to do something about it.
If only someone were in a position to do something about it.
- b.c.,
spaj8987
Legendary Member
And the guy is still at it.
Trump Attaches Severe Restrictions to Puerto Rico’s Long-Delayed Disaster Aid
[ The Trump administration imposed severe restrictions on Wednesday on billions of dollars in emergency relief to Puerto Rico, including blocking spending on the island’s electrical grid and suspending its $15-an-hour minimum wage for federally funded relief work. ]
Trump Attaches Severe Restrictions to Puerto Rico’s Long-Delayed Disaster Aid
[ The Trump administration imposed severe restrictions on Wednesday on billions of dollars in emergency relief to Puerto Rico, including blocking spending on the island’s electrical grid and suspending its $15-an-hour minimum wage for federally funded relief work. ]
