Wyoming + Vermont + North Dakota + Alaska + South Dakota
3.5 million Americans
Wyoming + Vermont + North Dakota + Alaska + South Dakota = 10 Senators
Wyoming + Vermont + North Dakota + Alaska + South Dakota = 5 Representatives
Wyoming + Vermont + North Dakota + Alaska + South Dakota = 15 Electoral College Votes
Wyoming + Vermont + North Dakota + Alaska + South Dakota = working electricity, sewage, water, school systems, ...
Puerto Rico + US Virgin Islands
3.5 million Americans
Puerto Rico + US Virgin Islands = 0 Senators
Puerto Rico + US Virgin Islands = 0 Representatives
Puerto Rico + US Virgin Islands = 0 Electoral College Votes
Puerto Rico + US Virgin Islands = no working electricity, sewage, water, school systems, …
And, of course, neo-colonialist attitudes of many Americans who think of Peurto Ricans as ‘others’ rather than ‘fellow Americans’.
Imagine:
Wyoming +
Vermont +
Alaska +
North Dakota +
South Dakota
w/out power for 3-6 months
Assistance is going to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico: military forces, FEMA, charities are working night-and-day to help our endangered fellow citizens. We should recognize and value these efforts -- this is a great example of how a great nation works to secure the 'common good' as the government, acting on behalf of citizens, should help those in time of need. These efforts, while so many involved merit praise for their efforts, simply are not as central in US government leadership and media discussion nor effort as would be the case if these 3.5 million Americans had representation in Congress.
NOTE: When it comes to Energy, we need to get disaster's 3Rs (Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction) right. As an example from ‘my zone’ of expertise/interest, rather than small generators being airlifted in (that will pollute and require fuel to be delivered for operations), the U.S. government should have solar installers and equipment from around the nation flowing into the islands with a massive effort to put in distributed micro-grids with power storage and energy efficient devices on public buildings (SCHOOLS!), commercial structures, and homes in good shape. The effort would get solar on their roofs and lights in the rooms ASAP with power systems that can be integrated into a reestablished grid. Limited electric services, in a distributed way across the islands, aggressively implemented in the relief phase would contribute to recovery, and enhance reconstruction of the economies and communities. And, by acting in an integrated Energy Smart fashion across disaster's 3Rs we foster a fourth R: resiliency against future catastrophes. (For discussion, see Energy Smart & Secure Communities: Key to smart Harvey/Irma/Maria relief/recovery/reconstruction).
Monday, Sep 25, 2017 · 12:43:27 PM +00:00 · A Siegel
Out of sight … out of mind …
Had planned to include in a comment but Denise is right, deserves more eyeballs …
From my twitter/email/newspapers/other ‘feeds’, seems that I had 10x being fed to me about ‘Cajun Navy’ and Houston during/after Hurricane Harvey than what is flowing in about the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.