Trump and Puerto Rico

[HONDO74]

.

My 1st experience was Trinidad, in the mid 80's, which is a pretty peaceful little country, but lots of poverty. You either had a job and lived in some kind of house or had no job and lived on a huge hillside, 500-600 foot tall, overlooking the town of Port-Au-Prince. Your home was a makeshift metal and cardboard shack and there were thousands of them. The cab driver pointed it out to me, but being night and no electricity in "shacktown" as they called it, there was nothing to see, just the overpowering stink. The next day in sunlight it was overwhelming.






BH

Kind of sounds like Mexico City



Port-au-Prince, Haiti

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Hondo, Those two photos are almost beyond beyond. If one were to model even a fraction of either one of those cities on a train layout, everybody would say it was unrealistic in its crowded, cheek-to-jowl, overly cramped, overbuilt condition.

Also, is anybody besides me outraged that Puerto Rico is still without electricity?! They are American citizens!

[robert.]

ROME wasn't built in a day But it burnt in 6.

[HONDO74]

Hondo, Those two photos are almost beyond beyond. If one were to model even a fraction of either one of those cities on a train layout, everybody would say it was unrealistic in its crowded, cheek-to-jowl, overly cramped, overbuilt condition.

Also, is anybody besides me outraged that Puerto Rico is still without electricity?! They are American citizens!

I am not outraged by what is going on in PR. They had a contract with a company that was doing the job. There was such a stink made about the contract that PR cancelled it and total control reverted back to PR.

As far as the pictures go, they are why I have been calling these places SHT HOLE countries for several years, Way before Trump used the term. We have helped these countries with money (aid) and assistance for years and they are still SHT HOLE countries. You can't fix stupid and corruption in these places.

[rex desilets]

Sadly true.
But, the haters will still say it's Trump's fault.

[Tom Dempsey]

Sadly true.
But, the haters will still say it's Trump's fault.

Why would his base blame him?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I find it interesting, and somewhat informative, to note who lets themselves speak out publicly about such topics as what Pres. Trump has said most recently, immigration, race relations in the USA, let alone the plight of so-called "Third World" countries, a term I am not sure I understand fully in its intention and meaning when used, and the 9-figure checks we give to other countries (for?) .

[webenda]

Hondo, Those two photos are almost beyond beyond. If one were to model even a fraction of either one of those cities on a train layout, everybody would say it was unrealistic in its crowded, cheek-to-jowl, overly cramped, overbuilt condition.

Also, is anybody besides me outraged that Puerto Rico is still without electricity?! They are American citizens!

First, the aerial photo.
Here is a view from the ground (before the 2010 earthquake.)

The population density in this area was estimated to be 26,200 people per square mile (estimated because of no census data.) The houses are built however and wherever the owner pleases. What you see is a result of the total absence of government land use regulations and urban planning.

In way of contrast New York City has the highest population density of any major city in the United States, with over 27,000 people per square mile.


The 2010 earthquake changed the face of those colorful neighborhoods. Many people moved into town and built tents in public parks and on other empty land areas. Others, such as the lady washing clothes in the photo below, stayed with their houses.


Second, electricity.
Haiti has never had enough electricity. The Haiti Electric Utility was only available to 12.5% of the population in 2006. Efforts to increase capacity have met with disaster after disaster (fires, hurricanes and earthquakes.) Those who have access to electricity received on average 10 hours of electricity a day. The couple in this video < https://youtu.be/s64l05NZ2Ws > explain how they plan their lives around their sector getting their 10 hours at night. This electricity shortage has created a situation in which an additional 12.5 % hook up to the electrical grid illegally. Worse, third party electical suppliers install transformers to steal electricity from the Haiti Electric Utility high voltage lines and charge consumers for the stolen electricity. The combined losses require an annual subsidy from the Government of Haiti of $120 million to maintain operations.

[HONDO74]

following the deadly Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti approximately 90,000 Haitians were allowed into the country on temporary status. They are still here.

Haitians are the second-largest group of foreigners with temporary status. The protection is extended to people already in the United States who have come from countries crippled by natural disasters or armed conflict that prevents their citizens from returning or prevents their country from adequately receiving them.

I don't blame them for not wanting to go home to a SHT HOLE country. The place has been run by one SHT HOLE dictator after another.

[Roy]

There's a red house over yonder,
that's where my baby stays.
Lord, there's a red house over yonder,
Lord, that's where my baby stays.
I ain't been home to see my baby
in ninety nine and one half days.

Wait a minute, something's wrong here...
The key won't unlock this door.
Wait a minute, something's wrong -
Lord have mercy, this key won't unlock this door.
Somethings goin' on here.
I have a bad, bad feeling
that my baby don't live here no more.
(That's alright I still got my guitar, look out now!)

Well I might as well go on over yonder,
way back up on the hill.
(I got something to do)
Lord, I might as well go back over yonder,
way back yonder 'cross the hill.
Cause if my baby doesn't love me no more,
I know her sister will!

[robert.]

Is true or media BS. that the company with a contract to re electrify PR. only had 3 employees? I think their name was whitefish. In 2013 Bill Gates earned $2 billion less the the whole country of Haiti. Anyway You want a see a sht hole? What till an earthquake hits NYC. The unions will fight so hard over who gets to do what it will take decades to rebuild.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

One part of the equation about which I am almost totally uninformed is the subject of foreign-aid. I am occasionally informed via the News Media that the USA gives money and sanctuary to other countries.

However, what I do not know is whether, and to what extent, other countries grant aid and sanctuary to stressed and less economically well-endowed countries? Such countries as the following give example of what I have in mind when asking about commitment and action in aiding other countries: China; Japan; Canada; Brazil; Venezuela; Australia; France; Iceland; England; United Arab Emirates; Egypt; Sweden; Norway; Denmark; Switzerland; Italy; Greece; Saudi Arabia; Israel. Do they help others? Or are the taxpayers of the USA the sole ones who reach out?

Also, are those countries equally, or even minutely, involved in sending military aid to other countries, anywhere near the extent that the USA does? Why are we (in the USA) the police of the world when trouble brews - or is that a grossly simplistic statement?

I'm not trying to make trouble, here, but I feel I have a right (perhaps not necessarily on this forum; if so, tell me) to stimulate a conversation of this subject of the involvement of other countries in international aid to others, especially since I will soon be doing my Income Taxes and usually have a big fat check to write. So I'm just wondering if there is any country I might just as well send my money directly to , as well as offer the backyard to or the extra bedroom?

[robert.]

"So I'm just wondering if there is any country I might just as well send my money directly to" I'll bet you saw this coming. You may send it to the country of Robert. I will send our most honorable representative to receive this gift. In return he will shower you with gifts of bear gallbladder and deer penis. These gifts will give you the Power of the beast (to scare away that nasty bear) And the smell of buck in rut. ( A scent of strong male dear able to scare away young bucks and make the does leave your yard) After our gift exchange You will have a yard free of natures critters. All for a small pittance of you NJ property tax payment and your Irs payment.

[Mitch]

Although I don't really feel like talking this morning, I'll take a shot at it, Murph.

Trump campaigned on cutting money to the U.N., which has it's own unique form of corruption, but I don't really know if they've done it yet. If there are 180 countries involved in the U.N., why do we have to pay 1/4 of its budget? All we're doin' is either installing dictators, or makin' dictators rich with our contributions, plus it gives us the worlds biggest spy organization (with diplomatic immunity), right there in N.Y. at Turtle Bay. Billions have been given to other countries outside of our U.N. responsibilities, along with thousands and thousands of tons of food and other humanitarian relief, and the people of those countries, (many in Africa) never see the money or the food, and end up buying the food at highly inflated prices because the crime cartels have confiscated it or paid off the corrupt government officials in charge of it, and then the public has to buy from them. The only way to ward off the corruption would be to go in with our own people and physically distribute the relief to the locals, and you know that ain't gonna happen, 'cause then we'd be sure to have some of our own corruption involved in that.

Because of "good intentions" and "feel good" politicians, America takes it up the wazoo every time. Those countries are shitholes because of the corruption, and it ain't about to change.

[rex desilets]

<snip> The only way to ward off the corruption would be to go in with our own people and physically distribute the relief to the locals, and you know that ain't gonna happen, 'cause then we'd be sure to have some of our own corruption involved in that.
<snip>

A simple approach is to never let the Clintons become involved.