More than 3 weeks after Maria more than 80 percent of Puerto Ricans are still without power and 40 percent do not have potable water
Puerto Rico is not one of our states, but the island is a territory of the United States and its people are considered citizens of this country. On September 20, Puerto Rico was devastated when it took a direct hit from Maria, a category 4 hurricane.
Today, more than three weeks later, over 80 percent of Puerto Ricans are still without power, 40 percent do not have potable water, and three million Puerto Ricans are in dire need. While FEMA and the U.S. Army are doing their best to aid the stricken island, vital aid is still not reaching many people because towns are isolated by landslides that have destroyed roadways. The ineptness of local governments is also impeding the distribution of supplies to the local populace. Thousands of Puerto Ricans are fleeing the island to take up permanent residence in the U.S.
Our government is already spending billions of dollars aiding Hurricane Irma victims in Florida and Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas and Louisiana. And the government will be expected to aid the wildfire victims in California where over 5,00 homes have been burned to the ground so far.
All of this aid is being provided with money the government does not have. The national debt is now more than 20 trillion dollars. This begs the question: Should we taxpayers bail out Puerto Rico? Should we add billions of dollars to the national debt by aiding the Puerto Ricans?
My answer is yes. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and therefore no less deserving than our people in Florida, Texas, Louisiana and California.
If we do not want to aid Puerto Rico, then we should up and grant the island its independence, just like we did with the Philippines in 1946..
That’s my take. What’s yours?
1. We should not bail out a territory just as we should not bail out a state. 2. Puerto Rico should have been granted its independence years ago. There is no reason for the United States to have territories.
PR will not be fixed in a year. The deterioration has occurred over decades and by the election of corrupt people. Political positions should be appointed until things can be resolved. PR is a part of the US and we need to fix it. We need to setup the infrastructure and monitor it indefinitely.
Yes, I also agree we need to appoint positions and take control of the mess we allowed to spiral out of control.
Yes, they are a territory of the US. I agree with David.
Their finances have been crazy for a while now but we should have managed it better too since they are a territory of the US. Their pre-storm financial mismanagement has nothing to do with the humanitarian crisis there.
Do we NEED PR as a territory? No. But, how many states could we say the same for? Maine? Oregon? Alabama? The fact is those decisions are final at this point. As is PR as a territory.
Plus, we can engineer PR to withstand these storms and apply the lessons to the mainland US. Let’s just get this solved.
They are US citizens. Same as us. Bottom line.
Using the Philippines as a comparison isn’t exactly on point. Filipinos were not granted US Citizenship. That fundamental difference is why we have a weak obligation to assist PR more so than a humanitarian mission
It’s the fact that PR is our fellow citizens that we should provide some assistance. The question becomes what you mean by bail out? They are already under a version of bankruptcy, albeit with a different name.
If you are talking about treating them like DC under the Marion Berry fiasco then I agree. But simply sinking more funds on the territory without addressing the underlying issues seems unwise.
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By bailing out I mean taking care of the humanitarian crises and repairing the island’s infrastructure. I do not believe we should bail them out of the financial mess the PR government created.
As for the Philippines, yes, the Filipinos were not U.S. citizens, but since those islands were our territory, we were still responsible for the welfare of the people there.
A couple of notes might be instructive here:
1. Neither Puerto Rico citizens or Corporations pay income tax to the US. In fact, I’m not sure that the US receives any revenue from Puerto Rico at all.
2. In the last 2 plebiscites that have been held, the vast majority of the citizens of Puerto Rico have favored asking for Statehood. There are very few people in PR that actually want independence.
Puerto Rico has a huge amount of debt, most due to an inept and corrupt government. There’s $70 billion in current debt, plus another $50 billion in unfunded pension obligations. That’s for a total population of 3.5 million people. If we were to grant them statehood there’s a good chance that the Federal Government would have to assume the debt. If not, we’d probably find out soon how to deal with a bankrupt state. Their debt to GDP ration is 68{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} which is simply not sustainable.
I believe that we owe them something, they are citizens. But I’m not sure how far it should go, given that they do not (and have not ever) pay taxes.
Puerto Rico, as a territory, has advantages in the tax code over every State in the United States of America. Puerto Rico is part of the best country in the world. We cannot start bringing the territory into compliance until it is part of the United States. It is past time for statehood for Puerto Rico.
Let us heal Puerto Rico as a territory of the United States of America but let’s also put Puerto Rico on a path to statehood with a deadline.
No.
Puerto Rico is a beautiful place. The problem is the people have been militant against the US for years. So much so that we eventually abandoned a military base due to personnel being continuously attacked. The US had a much needed bombing range off the coast.
When the economy collapsed over a decade ago, the citizens started pouring into the US. Before the storm, the place was a disaster. Most of the professionals had left long ago. All infrastructure has or is failing. Crime is rampant due to the poor economy.
Friends of mine traveled there last year because it was a cheap place to vacation. They rented a house on a beautiful beach with a maid/cook. They were burglarized and all of their electronics were stolen.
A co-worker stayed at a large hotel where the front desk clerk advised them not to leave the hotel after dark. The missions that people travel to see are failing apart due to neglect.
However, a storm has wreaked havoc on people who are already suffering. Some relief is called for with FEMA staying on site to supervise repairs. The US should not just hand Puerto Rico a wad of money and leave. They don’t have a good track record of handling money.
Just to add my anecdote to your own – I have visited PR and rented a house. Never had a problem anywhere I went, and the locals were very kind and helpful to all of the tourists in my group. I have not heard a negative thing about PR from anyone I know who has visited.
That’s a nice handle you’ve got there, Partner!
Puerto Rico is a failed socialist state. Poverty, crime, and corruption is the way of life. Puerto Rico surrendered to the American Navy after Fortaleza sustained one canon shot during the Spanish American war. It has often been argued that it was the costliest shot ever fired by our Navy.
Former resident of San Juan Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico has voted and voted again and again. It does NOT WANT TO BE A State of the United States. They want the benefits but not to be associated under our flag….what is it you guys don’t get. Latinos like our monies but not necessarily do they like you. They will take and take and walk away from being tied to us under our flag. I vote no…help them and cut them loose. They will corrupt all the monies we could give them. Just read about how the food distribution is going. Just like it has up and down Central American and South America…its our style!!! in or sangre… No frieges tanto con ellos.