One year later: Puerto Rico battles with bureaucracy after Maria

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A year after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, federal aid is starting to trickle into the island’s economy, spurring hope that reconstruction will leave the U.S. territory better off than it was before the disaster.

Private enterprise and nongovernmental organizations are leading the way in rebuilding the battered economy, which has been contracting since 2006 — long before Maria and its predecessor, Hurricane Irma, caused destruction on the island.

But even the most optimistic entrepreneurs say federal money needs to make its way to projects on the island if a resilient economy is to be built.

Congress appropriated $20 billion in Community Development Block Grants for disaster relief (CDBG-DR), which are managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, but only $1.5 billion has been allocated to projects in Puerto Rico.

The bureaucratic process reflects the experience of many Puerto Ricans over the past year, who in dealing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) found red tape that slowed emergency recovery efforts.

“If it’s true that the government of Puerto Rico has to learn from the lessons that Maria left us, the government of the United States must also [learn those lessons],” said Sen. Thomas Rivera Schatz (R), the president of the Puerto Rico Senate.

https://thehill.com/latino/407521-one-year-later-puerto-rico-battles-with-bureaucracy-after-maria?userid=229233

Department of Housing and Urban Development? Hey Ben Carson what's the fucking problem?

[lark]

1. ProblemS are as follows:

They aren't white
they aren't rich
they don't vote

So therefore they can all die according to Russian Repugs.