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Lights Slowly Come On for Puerto Ricans in Rural Areas (csmonitor.com)
Almost a year after two hurricanes ravaged the US territory, repair crews are working to energize the more than 950 homes and businesses that remain without power in hard-to-reach areas. Puerto Ricans remain fearful that their newly returned normality could be short lived. An anonymous reader shares a report: Lights are slowly coming on for the more than 950 homes and businesses across Puerto Rico that remain without power in hard-to-reach areas. Repair crews sometimes have to dig holes by hand and scale down steep mountainsides to reach damaged light posts. Electrical poles have to be ferried in one-by-one via helicopter. It is slow work, and it has stretched nearly two months past the date when officials had promised that everyone in Puerto Rico would be energized. And even as TVs glow into the night and people like delivery man Steven Vilella once again savor favorite foods like shrimp and Rocky Road ice cream, many fear their newly returned normality could be short-lived. Turmoil at the island's power company and recent winds and rains that knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of people at the start of the new hurricane season have them worried.
Why not deliver a portable solar system to each in the interim until the grid can be repaired? It might not provide full capacity, but it will at least allow for basic lighting, refrigeration, etc.
Puerto Rico was failed by the USA -- no reason for them to seek closer ties to Washington as a state. Frankly, independence and membership in CARICOM might be a better solution, with a visa reciprocity agreement with the USA (they owe PR one, actually more than one).
Visited there many times.
It's essentially a third world country, though a territory of the US. An interesting third world country, and I liked many of the people.
Their odd state of limbo is not really our fault, unless you want to fault us for not being more authoritarian with them, which I doubt.
There isn't even a Navy base there anymore, which was pretty much the only reason they are a US territory. It had to go, because we are such evil imperialists, ya know.
Puerto Rico should become a state. Write in a Texas-style escape clause if you want to placate your folks who dream fantasies of an island-nation empire.
Puerto Rico is an enormously productive place - with wonderful people who are technologically capable, and an amazing history of overcoming strife.
But right now, it is also once again a place of unprecedented cruelty imposed on it, mostly due to political demands.
Statehood would mean senators, congressmen, shared defense (you already have many, many of your people in our armies), and yes, disaster relief with less wiggle room than our Republicans tend to always take in large disasters.
Also, breaking that '50' magic number would also help places like Washington DC escape from a similar turmoil.
You're more populous than most states, for goodness sake:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Oh, and you'll help us vote against Trump more effectively this way.
Ryan Fenton
This has been a monumental task, not something that can be fixed by just throwing money at it. For example, there are only so many transformers, insulators, poles, etc. in stock, and many many of these had to be replaced. There are still parts that they are taking a long time to source. So much of the infrastructure had been ignored by the power company and Puerto Rico’s governement that most of it has to be replaced. Even if it was a state, it’s the state’s responsibility to manage local utilities.
Add in the rugged territory (as mentioned in TFA), and it’s just plain slow going.
Puerto Rico was failed by the USA -- no reason for them to seek closer ties to Washington as a state. Frankly, independence and membership in CARICOM might be a better solution, with a visa reciprocity agreement with the USA (they owe PR one, actually more than one).
If Puerto Rico were whiter then the White House might have bothered lifting more than one finger in trying to help them.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Puerto Rico was failed by the USA -- no reason for them to seek closer ties to Washington as a state.
You mean except for actually being able to have a voice and a vote in Congress? (5 or 6 congressional seats and two senate seats) Plus they would get to vote for President. They were failed by the current administration and congress because they lack a voice and a vote.
Frankly, independence and membership in CARICOM might be a better solution, with a visa reciprocity agreement with the USA
Won't happen. Frankly Puerto Rico should have petitioned to become a state a long time ago. I understand why they haven't but remaining an unincorporated territory of the US seems like a bad plan given recent events.
what amazes me, is that ppl down there have not pushed solar/batteries. Instead, they continue to push generators which are stolen after hurricanes.
My dad lived in Stewart (now Jupiter), and I pushed for him to install solar. But, it turns out that the entire state of Florida makes it difficult to do that.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
There is the flaw in your logic my friend. It's only $5 million to those of us that can do math, but this US government math we are talking about. So in actually to get your plan in place would cost $50 billion and take 20 years.
Other wise it a great ideal.
I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
If you use the "PPP" purchasing power parity ranking T&T is the richest independent country in the Caribbean. Once territories are included, it changes. Puerto Rico would be at the top of that list with 2015 data of $35,291.80 vs. T&T's $32,194.28.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
They are the richest island in the Caribbean.“
Only the richest Port.
Puerto Rico was failed by the USA -- no reason for them to seek closer ties to Washington as a state.
They were 'failed' because many, many Americans don't know that Puerto Ricans are also Americans.
If PR was a state at least a few more Americans would realize PRs are citizens, too.
Sadly, Slashdot has been infested with Trump-supporting racists, authoritarians, and Russian trolls recently. Yes, it's a shame how far ./ has fallen. I remember it in the late 90s and early 00s as a bastion of tolerance and also as being skeptical of authority.
Every (red) state is 'pay for themselves' when it's someone else. Second it's them that's hit by disaster, it instantly shifts to 'we need disaster relief!'
I agree with your sentiment that the culture of the US has some serious problems with racism.
However, the language and intent of the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Amendments actually provide some real weapons in fighting racism.
As a reference and example, as poor as it is, it is still quite relevant: The American Civil War
While the US has problems, at least it has the ability and track record for ongoing self repair and improvement.
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." - H. G. Wells
Don't worry, I'm sure the local Democratic politicians have thought ahead to the inevitable storms in the area and ensured the government controlled utilities and roads and such are all prepared properly for anything likely to hit Puerto Rico.
If not, it's not like they're going to blame other people who aren't in charge of their local emergency preparedness for their problems, instead, they'll be properly humble and grateful if they ever need to ask others for additional help.
Heck, the local population even has a guaranteed minimum wage much closer to where the local median wage is at then the rest of the country. Their economy is of course super-charged with tons of extra jobs as a result.
The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.