Trump: FEMA can't stay in Puerto Rico forever

[Paranoid Android]

Look, he gave them magically soft paper towels that can be felt through the plastic.

What the fuck more does Puerto Rico want?

Yeah, on those paper towel commercials I saw they can clean up anything. Get to work you Puerto Ricans!

I would seriously make a plan to move Puerto Ricans to states like Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania to flip these states. First find them a place to live and then register them to vote.

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https://twitter.com/jesselehrich/sta...60294565236736


69 votes against Puerto Rico from Republicans.
3 against Texas from Republicans.

Of Course!!

[Hammerfest]

It's the way Trump says things that causes all this controversy, and the actions he takes. Quite frankly he is awful at PR.

I like the way he bypasses the media to get his messages across. Very Reaganesque.

[NYC17]

I like the way he bypasses the media to get his messages across. Very Reaganesque.

His message being, "fuck Puerto Rico. They're just Sea Mexicans anyway".

Why am I not surprised you are fan of that sentiment?

[Edge-]

How much of the problem is because Puerto Rico is a shit hole and made bad decisions repeatedly, living the socialist manifesto? How much federal money does PR contribute to FEMA? Why should the US spend billions to rebuild infrastructure that was broken before the hurricane? You live on an island in the Caribbean ffs. It's like walking into a pit of rattlesnakes and then bitching when you get bit.

Imagine if someone said these things about a US state.

Spoilers - they're still US citizens in Puerto Rico.

[Hammerfest]

His message being, "fuck Puerto Rico. They're just Sea Mexicans anyway".

That wasn't his message. Use your brain.

[unfilteredJW]

Spoilers. The US is under no obligation to rebuild shit infrastructure in WV either. Their status as citizens doesn’t mean the feds rebuild their shitty nation while they refuse to shit or get off the pot. I for one think we should give PR its soverignty. They contribute nothing and are a parasite from a time long forgotten.

Man, it's almost like you don't have a clue about what going on, and are just vomiting up whatever your feely feels tell you.

[Shkar]

How much of the problem is because Puerto Rico is a shit hole and made bad decisions repeatedly, living the socialist manifesto? How much federal money does PR contribute to FEMA? Why should the US spend billions to rebuild infrastructure that was broken before the hurricane? You live on an island in the Caribbean ffs. It's like walking into a pit of rattlesnakes and then bitching when you get bit.

Alternatively, why is it awful that the infrastructure that was destroyed was in bad condition? Would it have been better if everything destroyed had been brand new and state of the art? Do states need to start complete overhauls of their infrastructure every year in case of a natural disaster?

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

Poor analogy. The "fire" that hit PR is long gone. They're rebuilding and restoring now... which firefighters don't do. Nice try though (not really though).

It's a good analogy....just went over your head is all.

Let me simplify it for you. Firefighters don't talk about leaving the job until the job is finished. The Job in Puerto Rico is no where close to being finished so it's far too soon to talk about leaving.

[Moshots]

The towel throwing was such a good picture of how completely disconnected he is with common people.

Totally not your average politician, not even your average decent human being. Sorry Puerto Rico you are simply not rich enough for Trump to care about you.

I mean it has to be a point though... PR isn't a state.... we shouldn't be fully responsible for bailing out their bad decisions they can't rebuild because their government is inept and ran them into the ground..... Now they expect the US to rebuild everything and fix all their problems and make the US pay for it all.... the government is refusing to take on loans to rebuild themselves they just want hand outs from the US government above and beyond what their status as a territory qualifies them for.

Not to mention that non federal employee's in PR pay 0 Federal income tax (they do pay and recieve Social Security and Medicaid taxes and receive benefits)... So in general the Goverment of PR should hold some responsibility in rebuilding themselves and not the actual tax payers of the US.

[Arvei]

I mean it has to be a point though... PR isn't a state.... we shouldn't be fully responsible for bailing out their bad decisions they can't rebuild because their government is inept and ran them into the ground..... Now they expect the US to rebuild everything and fix all their problems and make the US pay for it all.... the government is refusing to take on loans to rebuild themselves they just want hand outs from the US government above and beyond what their status as a territory qualifies them for.

They're a US territory with US citizens. Also the fact that they aren't a state doesn't fly at all. Mexico wanted to help out Texas after it was smashed by Harvey. A country that bears no responsibility for a state showed more compassion than our own country does with one of its own territories. PR's only crime is that their skin color isn't white enough.

[Moshots]

They're a US territory with US citizens. Also the fact that they aren't a state doesn't fly at all. Mexico wanted to help out Texas after it was smashed by Harvey. A country that bears no responsibility for a state showed more compassion than our own country does with one of its own territories. PR's only crime is that their skin color isn't white enough.

They pay 0 Income tax (unless your a federal PR employee) So in general its not their tax dollars they are asking to help them... They do however pay taxes to PR..... which the PR government has squandered and ran into the ground.

They pay Social Security and Medicaid taxes and receive benefits but pay 0 Income tax to the US government.

[Arvei]

They pay 0 Income tax (unless your a federal PR employee) So in general its not their tax dollars they are asking to help them... They do however pay taxes to PR..... which the PR government has squandered and ran into the ground.

They pay Social Security and Medicaid taxes and receive benefits but pay 0 Income tax to the US government. (which is part of the reason they have voted against attempting to become a state)

I'm not sure what paying zero taxes would have to do with human decency and wanting to help out fellow citizens putting their lives back together.

[Moshots]

I'm not sure what paying zero taxes would have to do with human decency and wanting to help out fellow citizens putting their lives back together.

I mean you can only help so many starving people before your starving yourself..... we have a national Budget which we fail to hit because we rather go help every stray country across the world and play good cop... That is part of what has added up to Trillions of dollars in debt for the US rather than worrying about our country. Where Is Canada??? why have they not pledged 2 billion dollars to help where is the EU???? If its all about human deciency they should be happy to split the bill.

[Z-Man]

You’re ignoring the part of your argument of why and how the US is obligated to rebuild Puerto Rico. That’s the only part I’m interested in.

How much federal income tax do Puerto Rican’s contribute. Tell me again who’s operating off their “feels”.

Puerto Ricans don't get to vote. It's that "no taxation without representation" thing again.

Congress always could make them a state tomorrow and start collecting taxes if the money thing bothers you.

[Arvei]

I mean you can only help so many starving people before your starving yourself..... we have a national Budget which we fail to hit because we rather go help every stray country across the world and play good cop... That is part of what has added up to Trillions of dollars in debt for the US rather than worrying about our country. Where Is Canada??? why have they not pledged 2 billion dollars to help where is the EU???? If its all about human deciency they should be happy to split the bill.

No one was complaining about Texas's debt during Harvey. You also think the most powerful country in the world is going to make mainland citizens starve to death from helping PR? You realize the amount required to rebuild them is a tiny fraction of what the USA spends yearly on many other projects?

[Edge-]

They pay 0 Income tax (unless your a federal PR employee) So in general its not their tax dollars they are asking to help them... They do however pay taxes to PR..... which the PR government has squandered and ran into the ground.

They pay Social Security and Medicaid taxes and receive benefits but pay 0 Income tax to the US government.

So we're back to, "They don't pay their way!"?

Are we going to start using that against states that receive more in federal funds than they contribute via taxes, now?

Also, they've repeatedly voted to become a state. It's up to the US Congress to take action on that, so technically they could have been paying in for years if they'd become a state when they first voted for it back in 2012.

[Breccia]

Spoilers. The US is under no obligation to rebuild shit infrastructure in WV either.

And yet, Trump ran on a $1 trillion in free infrastructure plan. Infrastructure and building was a big thing in his campaign. Which you know.

[Moshots]

No one was complaining about Texas's debt during Harvey. You also think the most powerful country in the world is going to make mainland citizens starve to death from helping PR? You realize the amount required to rebuild them is a tiny fraction of what the USA spends yearly on many other projects?

Texas pay's income taxes.... PR doesn't. Texan's paid something like 279 BILLION dollars in tax last year. 2nd only to California. PR residents paid 3.5 billion dollars in total tax's (due to 0% income tax for non federal employee's so most of that 3.5 bil is Social security and medicaid which they take back in)

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So we're back to, "They don't pay their way!"?

Are we going to start using that against states that receive more in federal funds than they contribute via taxes, now?

Also, they've repeatedly voted to become a state. It's up to the US Congress to take action on that, so technically they could have been paying in for years if they'd become a state when they first voted for it back in 2012.

TBH its not worth it for the US to take them as a state... They are in the middle of the ocean They get destroyed by hurricanes every few years... The landmass in honestly not worth the cost of rebuilding it every year. There is a 0 net gain for the US to take on the responsibility that comes with making them a state. except for now being fully responsible for rebuilding every year when a hurricane comes and knocks everything down... It would be cheaper for the US to take every resident of PR and move them to the mainland and abandon PR than it would be to make them a state and have to fully pay to rebuild PR every year after hurricanes destroy 80% of the country which is why PR will never become a state. And unless the PR goverment learns to manage their country better its gonna get worse the next time a hurricane comes.

[Grimbold21]

Use your brain.

I don't think that advice is worth much coming from you.

[Shkar]

You’re ignoring the part of your argument of why and how the US is obligated to rebuild Puerto Rico. That’s the only part I’m interested in.

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How much federal income tax do Puerto Rican’s contribute. Tell me again who’s operating off their “feels”.

They are US citizens, so it is our responsibility to make sure they have a decent quality of life, which is way easier with infrastructure. If they don't have clean water, we have to keep sending bottled water. If they don't have roads, food and supplies cannot be moved around. If they don't have power, hospitals cannot treat people and businesses can't operate.

There are 3 options. Do things cost effectively, do things inefficiently, or do nothing. The last one isn't an option, and It's insane to try to make the middle option over the first one.