General Discussion

DetlefK

(16,423 posts) Tue Oct 10, 2017, 01:45 PM Oct 2017

FEMA: "It's not our job to distribute aid in Puerto Rico. We just hand out forms."

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/10/10/1705685/-FEMA-Not-our-job-to-deliver-water-and-food-to-Puerto-Ricans-Think-I-am-making-this-up-Wrong

That was the response Rachel got when FEMA was asked why it has been almost 3 weeks since the last hurricane hit Aibonito, a small town high in the mountains about an hour south of San Juan, and FEMA has yet to deliver a single bottle of water.

FEMA claims the roads aren’t passable,

...

As the MSNBC video shows, they got there no problem because the road was clear. No bridges out, no trees in the way, no mudslides, no raging rivers.

...

Presented with the fact of Maddow’s team having video evidence directly contradicting their claims, FEMA then dropped this bombshell: Apparently, FEMA says it is the mayor’s job to distribute food and water. They are just there to help people fill out paperwork.

...

If only FEMA could help. Yeah, I know. That’s hard to swallow. Especially when FOX News reported THIS about FEMA in Lakeland, FL responding to the crisis following a recent hurricane that hit there

LAKELAND (FOX 13) - People who are worn out from Hurricane Irma are getting help in Polk County.

On Friday, FEMA starting handing out free food and water at 11 different sites around the county, including Victory Church.

...

The difference? Unlike Aibonito, Lakeland is over 70% white, and that is the darkest part of Polk County. But I’m sure that has nothing to do with it.

...

While we are at it. Someone needs to remind FEMA about their OWN WEBSITE. Where it states in Black and White their CORE CAPABILITIES, including this:

Critical Transportation

Mission Area: Response
Description: Provide transportation (including infrastructure access and accessible transportation services) for response priority objectives, including the evacuation of people and animals, and the delivery of vital response personnel, equipment, and services into the affected areas.

12 replies

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Highlight:

FEMA: "It's not our job to distribute aid in Puerto Rico. We just hand out forms." (Original Post) DetlefK Oct 2017 OP

This admin/trump/FEMA could not have handled this crisis in PR any worse. brush Oct 2017 #1

I hope Puerto Rico can come back bdamomma Oct 2017 #2

I hope no more die of neglect. This is still and emergency! The Wielding Truth Oct 2017 #9

Where is the military? marlakay Oct 2017 #3

Might want to snap a pic of their website dixiegrrrrl Oct 2017 #4

Taking down data??? bdamomma Oct 2017 #11

I am not sure what law, if any, requires them to post certain types of info. dixiegrrrrl Oct 2017 #12

This is cruelty beyond belief! smirkymonkey Oct 2017 #5

Trump's incompetence is killing people in Puerto Rico Gothmog Oct 2017 #6

Its Not Incompetence Its Racism Ccarmona Oct 2017 #8

It is both. mahannah Oct 2017 #10

As long as the head of FEMA remains a political appointment & not a Civil Service civil engineer... Hekate Oct 2017 #7

brush

(53,784 posts)

1. This admin/trump/FEMA could not have handled this crisis in PR any worse.

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 01:54 PM

Oct 2017

DIS-FUCKING-GRACEFUL!

bdamomma

(63,868 posts)

2. I hope Puerto Rico can come back

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 02:01 PM

Oct 2017

also the US Virgin Islands there will have to be much restoration and infrastructure to be done. Now some companies are lending a hand, with no freaking help from this government/regime, no money allocation for PR has even been discussed in the House. They (Congress) should be held for negligence and endangerment of American lives. Horrible. If we encounter more devastation such as fires or floods or any climate catastrophe we know for a fact that this filthy regime will not help at all.

Did Governor Jerry Brown get a response from that POS yet, probably not, they will not give the great state of California anything and we know why.

The Wielding Truth

(11,415 posts)

9. I hope no more die of neglect. This is still and emergency!

Reply to bdamomma (Reply #2)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 04:05 PM

Oct 2017

marlakay

(11,470 posts)

3. Where is the military?

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 02:06 PM

Oct 2017

my taxes pay mostly for a ton of military!

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

4. Might want to snap a pic of their website

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 02:06 PM

Oct 2017

FEMA takes down data on Puerto Rico access to water and electricity

FEMA removed information on Puerto Rico's access to clean drinking water and electricity, both of which were severely crippled by the storm. On Wednesday, the site reported that half of the U.S. territory's residents had access to clean drinking water and 5 percent had power, according to the Post.

But on Thursday, that information was missing from the website.

Up-to-date reports on the availability of water and power on the island can now be found on a site run by the Puerto Rico governor's office, which is entirely in Spanish, a FEMA spokesman told the Post. They did not give a reason for the removal of the statistics from the agency's website.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/354147-fema-takes-down-data-on-puerto-rico-access-to-water-and-electricity

bdamomma

(63,868 posts)

11. Taking down data???

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Reply #4)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 06:19 PM

Oct 2017

could that be an illegal act, is he bullying FEMA now?

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

12. I am not sure what law, if any, requires them to post certain types of info.

Reply to bdamomma (Reply #11)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 06:22 PM

Oct 2017

But truth and honesty does seem to be a rare thing in the Trump monarchy.

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)

5. This is cruelty beyond belief!

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 02:06 PM

Oct 2017

They are handling this situation abominably! This would have never happened under the Obama administration.

Gothmog

(145,291 posts)

6. Trump's incompetence is killing people in Puerto Rico

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 02:08 PM

Oct 2017

Ccarmona

(1,180 posts)

8. Its Not Incompetence Its Racism

Reply to Gothmog (Reply #6)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 02:31 PM

Oct 2017

Pure & Simple.

mahannah

(893 posts)

10. It is both.

Reply to Ccarmona (Reply #8)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 04:16 PM

Oct 2017

Hekate

(90,708 posts)

7. As long as the head of FEMA remains a political appointment & not a Civil Service civil engineer...

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Tue Oct 10, 2017, 02:30 PM

Oct 2017

...or similar professional, we are going to have this problem. Bill Clinton built it up, Dubya gave it to a guy with no relevant experience, Obama built it up, and Trump is deliberately eviscerating it.

FEMA needs to be removed from the hands of politicians.

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