Still The Forgotten Americans

They are 3.3 million strong, as American as any Pennsylvanian or Iowan or Californian. Yet six months after the devastation of Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, the people of Puerto Rico are still struggling with daily life. Areas of the island remain without power, or with intermittent power, affecting nearly 500,000 Puerto Ricans. That's impacted not only the light you expect when you flip a switch, or electricity for cooking. It's had a devastating impact on the health situation, with diseases on the increase and medical services impaired. The devastation and slow recovery has resulted in a doubling of suicide hotline calls in the past six months.

The stories of hardship and desperation on the island are heart wrenching, as they are infuriating. The callous ineptitude shown by unfit sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump -- who threw rolls of paper towels to people in San Juan during a photo op -- and his emergency management team in the months following the hurricane are stuff of bureaucratic legend: the botched $156 million contract that was supposed to deliver 30 million meals that only delivered 50,000,  and the $300 million contract with tiny Whitefish Energy which was billing $319 per hour for power restoration work by linemen who were getting paid $63 per hour.

You can still help ease the burden for our fellow Americans: Save The Children provides relief to the most vulnerable and hardest hit. The Puerto Rico Community Recovery Fund is another organization actively working to support recovery efforts. Rump has long forgotten our Borinqueño family in their time of need. We must not.