Red states Florida and Texas got all the resources they needed after hurricanes hit them, but Trump is suggesting that decisions have to be made when it comes to the cost of rebuilding Puerto Rico.
Trump tweeted:
…The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017
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There was no such talk to decisions having to made after hurricanes hit Florida and Texas. The difference between the two states and Puerto Rico is that 99% of the population is Hispanic on the island.
Republicans have made this argument before. After Hurricane Katrina, some Republicans in Congress argued that it was too expensive to rebuild New Orleans. In reality, the real issue is never money. It is a question of who lives in an area and how they vote. If Puerto Rico were 99% white and adored Donald Trump, the President wouldn’t have raised the question of the cost of the rebuild.
Puerto Rico has endured a fiscal crisis and two hurricanes. They don’t need to add the racism of Trump to their suffering.
The question on rebuilding Puerto Rico should not be whether or not to rebuild, but how fast we can get the job done.
Puerto Ricans are US citizens, and there is no acceptable excuse for not rebuilding.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
