Government agencies are stretch to the breaking point

By Guest Column -- Alice Vann —— Bio and Archives September 28, 2017

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Houston, Florida, and now Puerto Rico all needing FEMA, emergency electrical linemen, food, water, and shelter- just to begin the recovery. Government agencies are stretch to the breaking point. The military has been called in to fly humanitarian supplies to Puerto Rico. It is 1036 miles OVER WATER from Miami to San Juan. All aid is dependent on aircraft which in turn are dependent on communications being restored to airfields. Linemen from anywhere in the continental United States can reach the Houston and Florida via highways in their equipment trucks. Aid that must be flown in is quite another matter. We can see and hear the devastation, despair and anger. There is no doubt that those people need help. The fact that the island was on the verge of bankruptcy, that it is 1000 miles away and it has repeatedly rejected the opportunity for statehood must be acknowledged as not the fault of the United States. Now may not be the time to address these issues but they need to be addressed. I'm listening to Geraldo Rivera telling about the dire situation. He does not seem to grasp the challenge for those providing the aid. Nobody in power wants another Katrina crisis. They are doing the best they can. It should be noted that the Puerto Rican leaders are all praising the President. Some things simply can't have instant fixes.