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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| CEO: ‘Inept’ Puerto Rican government ‘riddled with corruption’ |
| 2017-10-02 |
| [NYPost] For the last 30 years, the Puerto Rican government has been completely inept at handling regular societal needs, so I just don’t see it functioning in a crisis like this one. Even before the hurricane hit, water and power systems were already broken. And our $118 billion debt crisis is a result of government corruption and mismanagement. The governor Ricardo Rossello has little experience. He’s 36 and never really held a job and never dealt with a budget. His entire administration is totally inexperienced and they have no clue how to handle a crisis of this magnitude. For instance, shortly after the hurricane hit, the government imposed a curfew from 6 pm to 6 am and then changed it. Now, it’s 7 pm to 5 am, and makes no sense. The curfew has prevented fuel trucks from transporting their loads. These trucks should have been allowed to run for 24 hours to address our needs, but they have been stalled, and so we have massive lines at gas stations and severe shortages of diesel at our hospitals and supermarkets. I’m really tired of Puerto Rican government officials blaming the federal government for their woes and for not acting fast enough to help people on the island. Last week I had three federal agents in my office and I was so embarrassed; I went out of my way to apologize to them for the attitude of my government and what they have been saying about the US response. When the hurricane hit we had experts from FEMA from all over the US on the ground and I was really proud of their quick response. The first responders and FEMA have all been outstanding in this crisis, and should be supported. I have 50 engineers that I have sent out pro bono to help local companies get back on their feet. This includes getting people gasoline and cash, and helping them connect to others that can assist with repairs without delays. I won’t allow my people to work with the local government. I have a message for the U.S. Congress: Watch out what relief funds you approve and let our local government handle. Don’t let the Puerto Rican government play the victim and fool you. They have no clue what they are doing, and I worry that they will mishandle anything that comes their way. They don’t need another aircraft carrier. They need experienced people to run a proper disaster command center. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #7 I remember photos of Florida after a hurricane back in the 80s or 90s. Houses built by Habitat for Humanity were still standing (I assume they use KISS techniques since so many amateurs are involved, and they avoid the corruption endemic of Florida as well). |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2017-10-02 14:39 |
| #6 I enjoyed this construction. I could see myself doing this. Raw materials seem to be least expensive construction. Labor help I would think would be plentiful. Efforts could be learned and duplicated with others. Integrated logistical assistance would be very important. |
| Posted by: Dale 2017-10-02 12:38 |
| #5 "His entire administration is totally inexperienced and they have no clue how to handle a crisis of this magnitude." Uh, how do you get experience handling post-hurricane crises? |
| Posted by: Clem 2017-10-02 11:43 |
| #4 Excellent video at #3. Thanks Dale. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2017-10-02 09:41 |
| #3 Many construction techniques have been developed. The KISS technique is best. Something the average person can be taught. The problem here and in many countries is the layers of corruption. When Iran got their billions I guarantee you many political and politically connected people siphoned off most of the money. href="">money. |
| Posted by: Dale 2017-10-02 09:38 |
| #2 I heard an interesting discussion regarding Puerto Rico and the VI. A building disaster engineer said Guam regularly gets much worse storms. Said the problem with those islands that Guam doesn't have are totally centered on building codes, and code enforcement. Said one building not built to good codes (which the Caribbean doesn't have) is like a hand grenade to every building down wind. He calls them House Grenades. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2017-10-02 07:22 |
| #1 Sounds like an opportunity to practice 'nation building'. Had some uniformed personnel with recent experience. Could come in handy after our own civil war. Treat it as a large scale field exercise. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2017-10-02 06:48 |