Purto Rico a case study

[Searchboss]

Interesting. 50 people were requested, 450 people volunteered, and only 22 were deployed? Wow! I have been an emergency response volunteer for over 35 years, and managed volunteers on a local and state level for at least 20. I thought I had seen it all, but this shows me I haven't, although it comes close. It seems to me that the underlying problem was a failure of the requesting agency to identify the specific tasks they wanted done as well as a lack of coordination and leadership by both the ARRL and ARC. I used to volunteer for the Red Cross years ago and finally quit when they did one of their big reorganizations and got rid of the paid people whose job it was to recruit, train, and manage the volunteers that make up the bulk of the Red Cross. That brilliant idea cost them half their volunteers nationwide within a year. But I digress... Sorry.

Since this is the first time that the ARRL actually deployed people to a disaster, and to give them credit, the people who deployed were in fact Red Cross volunteers, I would have to put the blame for any management problems, or lack thereof, in the Red Cross camp. The same is true for the screening and acceptance of said volunteers. However, the very fact that I, and probably most of the others that volunteered and were not selected have not yet heard from the ARRL, which is the organization that was requesting the volunteers, shows that they do not understand how to manage this type of deployment request.

From what I read in the referenced posts there were so many problems, or perceived problems across the board it will probably take a year or more to sort them out, unless they get swept under the rug. I am glad that I am not in a position of responsibility in any of these organizations. If I was, I would be quite embarrassed, disappointed, and very angry. Most emergency response organizations in this country, paid or volunteer, have been training to a greater or lesser degree, for over 10 years on how to qualify for, respond to, and manage a deployment like this. Not the minutia, but the general chain of command, area of responsibility, concept of operations, and specifically how to take care of the people responding. So far it appears that this response was a dismal failure from that perspective. Rather than expressing my own obviously under informed opinion farther, I will keep reading as more information becomes available. It will be interesting to see how this boondoggle turns out. Thanks for the links.

[RWS]

You can see the local Unions do not like Whitefish getting the contract to rebuild the electrical grid.  So cause trouble and try to get contract annulled??

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/10/angry-puerto-ricans-attack-whitefish-energy-workers-canceling-contract-will-delay-power-2-3-months/

[RWS]

The Corps of Engineers this week blamed political squabbling in Puerto Rico for the delay. Maj. Gen. Donald E. Jackson told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that the corps' efforts have been blocked by local officials.

"We've run into some really interesting politics within the 78 municipalities that make up Puerto Rico in terms of how they are allowing us to gain access," he said.

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/puerto-rico-governor-blames-corps/2017/11/02/id/823734/

How do you spell corruption ?

[RWS]

I have plenty of money now, so I am going to live in the US main land.

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/puerto-rico-hurricane-abner-gomez-steps-down/2017/11/10/id/825472/

[Nemo]

How do you spell corruption ?

government

Nemo

[RWS]

Now you can see further aspects of corruption in Puerto Rico.
http://truthfeednews.com/after-demanding-billions-in-aid-puerto-rico-govt-dishes-100-mil-in-christmas-bonuses/

[engineer3d]

Puerto Rico thinks they're an entitlement island don't they? They think Uncle Sugar has plenty of money to waste on them just like he does on the sanctuary cities. If Uncle Sugar runs low on money , the taxpayers will just have to work longer and harder to take care of them.
I've got a better idea, use the Christmas bonuses to create jobs. There's a lot of construction that needs to be done: carpentry, painting, plumbing, etc. If they want our money, then they need to go to work and rebuild their democratic paradise.
If they are too lazy to work, sell the whole island to Russia or China and let them experience a worker's paradise up close and personal.

[RWS]

When the next storm hits, how much of the stored supplies will have been pilfered ?

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/fema-puerto-rico-storm-season-hurricane-maria/2018/04/06/id/853114/

[RWS]

And it keeps right on going.  Like an ever ready battery.

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/puerto-rico-blackout-power-hurricanes/2018/04/18/id/855238/

[ChristianJ]

And it keeps right on going.  Like an ever ready battery.

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/puerto-rico-blackout-power-hurricanes/2018/04/18/id/855238/

So sad.

[Itsallgood]

Went to Puerto Rico 2 years ago, it sucked! food was lousy, many unemployed, people were not nice......Yes it sucked, I would never go back. Like Chicago on an island but with shitty food. Makes no hoot to me if they have no power. Life is what you make of it.

[Lilburner]

Interesting perspective. It's one of my favorite places I've ever been.

I'm particularly partial to Rincon on the west coast where it comes to a point and the Atlantic and Caribbean meet. Everything stops when the sun sets - everything but the rum drinks. I picked up a touch of alcoholism while I was there, but it cleared up when I got home. Loved Luquillo, El Yunque, Cabo Rojo, Arecibo... I found God on "Pork Highway", one of at least two places named after pig meat. the other being Bayomon, Ciudad Del Chicharrón - Literally, "City of pork rinds". Can you sense a theme?. I never had any bad food I can recall - the best was always shared with locals and usually outdoors. Loved the whole interior - loved the people.

The only things keeping me from moving out to Rincon, getting a house on the west coast, with a party deck the size of a small night club are twofold - the sucky gun laws and the whole place is pretty much the welcome mat for God's Wrath. Moving there would literally be the OPPOSITE of prepping.

About the only place I can take or leave, but I'm glad I went once, is San Juan. Other than the historic parts, it's mainly a tourist town. Although I did go to the home of the Pina Colada and had one. Or three? Maybe more.

[ChristianJ]

Went to Puerto Rico 2 years ago, it sucked! food was lousy, many unemployed, people were not nice......Yes it sucked, I would never go back. Like Chicago on an island but with shitty food. Makes no hoot to me if they have no power. Life is what you make of it.

Wow, really?

So you have a bad experience and didn't find the people particularly friendly to a foreigner... so they get to live months without power who cares?

Awful perspective.

[bountyhunter]

I went to Puerto Rico when I was in the service. It was a shithole then and that was in the 80s and 90s and it is still a shithole. Food was not worth eating you are right about that. That place has more corruption than you can shake a stick at.

[ChristianJ]

I went to Puerto Rico when I was in the service. It was a shithole then and that was in the 80s and 90s and it is still a shithole. Food was not worth eating you are right about that. That place has more corruption than you can shake a stick at.

It may be a s-hole country as you say, but even in s-hole countries there are innocent women and helpless children that suffer that have nothing to do with how terrible the country is run. We should have compassion... or at least fake it. Some things are best kept to yourself.