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The politicians want you to believe they are taking care of you. The police, that they are protecting you. The stores, that they will have everything you need. The banks, that your cash is waiting for you. But it's all a thin veneer, hollowed out by the oligarch class. Much like our environment.
Prepare for your family's needs. Teach your neighbors how to build and grow. Support your farmer's markets, so they will be there for you when the ships stop coming!
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Has lifting the Jones Act magically helped PR somehow? Are people aware that PR was a backwater ****** before these storms? It's not like everything was running smoothly there last year!
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A timely study as to the effects of the Jones Act on Hawaii, Alaska, PR, Guam
http://www.grassrootinstitute.org/2017/0...rspective/
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Kapoho Joe,
What is your purpose in speaking so ill of Puerto Rico? Puna is a backwater too.
Explain.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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Has lifting the Jones Act magically helped PR somehow?
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No - and it wouldn't. Long-term, yes, getting rid of the Jones Act would help PR and Hawaii, but a short-term suspension won't really do anything.
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Originally posted by Frank
Everyone I know would have a chance to be better off financially if we did not have to pay for the Jones Act. No other State in the US pays this duty, based on a percentage of cost of goods, to the tune that we do. We pay on everything shipped in - 65-85% maybe? on everything we buy. The people we send to Washington support it, NO discussion about working to exempt Hawaii at all. and we wonder why its expensive to live here...the States numbers do not reflect the cost associated with the Jones Act...anyone have any clue as to the costs?
"Not to mention they are cash poor." Of course they are and so would we if our entire power grid went down. How many folks do you know who deal in cash? Everyone I know do debit, credit, or ebt cards. Useless with no power
You speak as if Trump has only 1 item to deal with, PR...need I list all the items that's on his plate? Please...and what makes you think the President isn't working to mobilize more help and funds for PR, Texas, Florida??
Frank there is a lot of information on how the Jones Act impacts Hawaii. All you have to do is go read it.
When I say Puerto Rico is cash poor, I'm talking about their debt and fiscal crisis. They have a huge amount of debt and to rebuild almost the entire country they will be hard pressed to get more loans. I'm not talking about Joe Blow using a credit card.
And that's complete bull**** about what I said in regards to Trump. I said this is a serious disaster for PR that is going to be a huge challenge. No response will be perfect and it's unlikely to have less issues than the response to Katrina and I explained why. What has Trump done? Very little that's productive without outside pressure.
Most of the responders were all part of automatic FEMA plans, however this crisis is much worse and needs more than just the basics that were triggered.
Texas & Florida: emergency funds voted/released quickly, Jones Act suspended
PR: No funds. Argumentative about suspending Jones Act takes a week, only a 10 day reprieve, which is a joke. 2-3 days into it finally authorizes the standard 75% cleanup cost funds for US Territories in crisis. Still no special funds proposed, but the WH mentioned yesterday that there will be something for Puerto Rico next week.
Texas & Florida: visits immediately, more than once
PR: After public pressure, schedules a trip next week.
Texas & Florida: large military mobilization and citizen effort
PR: 2,500 troops. Delays. Under pressure from congress members, increased by another 7,500. Under further pressure, changes generals in charge, now a mix of 10 more boats are being deployed to assist the 16.
He prattled on about the NFL, then when he finally addressed Puerto Rico it was just to bash them about their debt. Now from the golf course he is in a twitter war bashing the governor. He seems to think their desperation is an attack on him or something.
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glinda, I make a distinction between union welfare and the corporate kind... The Democrat party believes that the former is their path to success and the Republican party less so. I don't find either particularly appealing when it burdens the rest of the population with economic/welfare/educational disadvantages.
If, in fact, strong shipbuilding and maritime capacity is important to the welfare of the United States, then the burden for that should fall on the entire population equally, not be dumped on a few coastal states and territories (as it is now). If there was competition among shippers to Hawaii/Alaska/Puerto Rico, then, yes, the costs of shipping - and the cost to consumers - would be significantly reduced.
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quote: Originally posted by Eric1600
Texas & Florida: emergency funds voted/released quickly, Jones Act suspended
PR: No funds. Argumentative about suspending Jones Act takes a week, only a 10 day reprieve, which is a joke. 2-3 days into it finally authorizes the standard 75% cleanup cost funds for US Territories in crisis. Still no special funds proposed, but the WH mentioned yesterday that there will be something for Puerto Rico next week.
Texas & Florida: visits immediately, more than once
PR: After public pressure, schedules a trip next week.
Texas & Florida: large military mobilization and citizen effort
PR: 2,500 troops. Delays. Under pressure from congress members, increased by another 7,500. Under further pressure, changes generals in charge, now a mix of 10 more boats are being deployed to assist the 16.
He prattled on about the NFL, then when he finally addressed Puerto Rico it was just to bash them about their debt. Now from the golf course he is in a twitter war bashing the governor. He seems to think their desperation is an attack on him or something.
This is what white nationalism (read fascism) looks like as policy.
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Somebody once told me that the Jones Act didn't impact Alaska the same as Hawaii because the vessels stop in Canada along the way. Does anybody know if this is true? I tried to google it but too many people confuse the Jones Act with the Passenger Services Act which governs cruise ships, which does define foreign ports as being either "distant", or not, on how the Act is applied.
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Point being that PR was in trouble before these storms and that if anything, the leadership of the island is responsible for their current plight. It does remind me a lot of Hawaii, in that we would be similarly screwed should a major disaster occur here. After all, Tropical Storm Iselle showed us that.
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