Posted on 09/18/2020 8:25:55 AM PDT by cll
SAN JUAN Three years after Hurricane María, the government of Puerto Rico and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agreed to allocate $13 billion to rebuild the electricity grid and repair educational structures destroyed by the historic storm.
At a press conference in FEMA headquarters, Gov. Wanda Vázquez took the opportunity to thank the FEMA leadership in Puerto Rico and President Donald Trump for the funding obligation.
Earlier, Vázquez tweeted that FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor called her to give her the news that they had approved the multimillion-dollar allocation.
I just spoke with @FEMA_Pete notified me that we achieved the largest approval in FEMA history of $13 billion to rebuild our electrical and educational system, the governor tweeted.
The agreement had been expected to be announced last October. It comes after the commonwealth government announced an agreement between LUMA Energy LLC and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Prepa) for the management of federal allocations made to Puerto Rico to repair the grid.
While Vázquez made the announcement this morning, the islands Public Private Partnerships Authority reported that the request for qualifications process from companies to partner with Prepa to manage and operate the utilitys power generation is getting a good response but did not specify which companies expressed interest.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that the funds were long overdue.
Long before the hurricanes, Puerto Rico had a crumbling and dirty energy grid. After the storms utterly destroyed the grid, it created an opportunity to rebuild a cleaner, cheaper and more resilient energy system, but the Trump administration dithered and delayed and refused to deliver timely disaster aid for the people of Puerto Rico, he said.
The move comes as polls for the presidental race show a tight race in Florida between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. This aid package could potentially move Puerto Rican voters in the state towards Trump, Fox News reports.
Some political pundits believe the election could turn in Bidens favor if he were to lose the Florida vote.
FEMA obligations have reached $7.3 billion since Hurricane María struck.
Do you mean kW?
I would think that for $13B you could build a new 1500SF block home for every family in PR........................AND replace the ENTIRE Electric grid!.................
I agree with you there. I just don’t see that happening any time soon.
But if Trump says PR will get its grid, I wouldn’t want to be the pi$$ants trying to get in the way.
Now...
How does PR avoid the politicians siphoning off the money?
Some. No federal income tax on Puerto Rico-source income, but other taxes like Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, etc. are fully applicable in Puerto Rico.
But, local income taxes are pretty steep, unless you are a new resident and can get in on one of those Act 20/22 exemptions, which would give you a local AND federal tax haven for something like 10 years.
How many people can the island hold. A good place for a penal colony. Pay the mall their $15/hr. That’s all. Socialism that works.
I wonder how much of it will be stolen?
Most Americans do not know that 20% of Puerto Rico's residents have moved to the USA mainland since the Great Recession in 2008!
You mean before it tips over?
You notice it says allocates. There is much crying an gnashing of teeth on the island because the Trump administration is making detailed budgets of how and when the monies will be spent and to whom the monies are going to.
This is a first for the the local politicians, they are used to being handed a big bag of cash to spend as they see fit. There are funds that were allocated right after hurricane Maria that have still not been dispersed because the local politicians won’t turn in a budget proposal.
You can always appoint a development Tzar. Someone like Mittens sad to say. Give him/her 10 years executive experience to become POTUS some day. Who do we suggest?
They can get a few billion from the clintons who stole charity money to Haiti and well everywhere else.
Just my opinion, but I think PDJT is doing it right. The politicians on the island say they can handle it but need funding. The President says OK, we’ll give that a try, here are the funds but you have to publish how every penny is to be spent, who it’s going to, and the timeline for things to get done.
This makes it very difficult for local politicians to divert money and more importantly makes them accountable and puts them on a deadline/schedule to get thing done.
Then, if it’s not done on time and on budget, the President can say he gave the local politicians a chance, it didn’t work, time to send in the feds.
“Largest disaster aid package in FEMA history, approved 3 years after Hurricane Maria”
“Largest disaster aid package in FEMA history, approved 47 days before the election.”
Fixed.
You can’t restore something that never existed. The Democrats’ mismanagement is being rewarded by building an electrical grid.
I’m betting most of the money disappears and Puerto Rico still doesn’t have an electrical grid.
A year or two ago I read that Congress had approved at least 40 billion for PR, but PR had only received about 13 billion. How much has PR actually had access to if they submitted the proper paper work?
Puerto Rico’s electric grid has always been garbage- from corruption.
If Trump has demanded, and gotten, guarantees of scientific improvement he deserves high praise.
More than what they have already gotten I would guess.
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