Just when I thought it was impossible for me to be even more disgusted with the hubris and incompetence of this administration, FEMA Director “Brock” Long decides to visit Puerto Rico and throw a heaping pile of salt on still open wounds.
He participated in a round table with journalists on Friday at FEMA headquarters in Guaynabo and proceeded to pat himself and the agency on the back for their response to Hurricane Maria. Yes, Puerto Rico, it’s “fake news” and a “myth” that FEMA has been anything but stellar in their response, so don’t believe your lying eyes. Well, that is if we even had a chance for our eyes to lie about this meeting… according to El Nuevo Dia, no photojournalists were allowed in the room so we have no pics or video...
In a “no shit, Sherlock” moment kicking off this FEMA love-fest, “Brockie” shares this brilliant gem with us concerning the close-approaching hurricane season...
“¿Estamos listos en Puerto Rico? No. Tenemos un largo camino por recorrer. Soy honesto con esto, pero miren, estar preparados no es solo responsabilidad de FEMA, es responsabilidad de todos”, dijo Long en una mesaredonda con periodistas desde la sede de la agencia en Guaynabo.
"Are we ready in Puerto Rico? No. We have a long way to go. I'm honest with this, but look, being prepared is not the sole responsibility of FEMA, it's everyone's responsibility", Long said at a round table with reporters from the agency's headquarters in Guaynabo.
Seriously, pendejo? You really think you needed to let any of us here on the island know that we’re not ready for another hurricane? Seriously? Our stress levels are already off the charts, our suicide hotlines are overwhelmed, we take our lives into our own hands each time we get in a car because the majority of our traffic lights, even in San Juan, are still not functioning, we have friends and family all over the island still without power and drinkable water, and this is what you came here to tell us?
We’re not ready for the floods from a tropical downpour, much less a hurricane, so please tell me the taxpayers footed your bill for more than this glaringly obvious crap.
I wish at that point he had simply said thank you and goodbye, but, the hits just kept on coming. After reading the news reports in Primera Hora and El Nuevo Dia, 2 of our island’s newspapers, I was left in shock and wanting to break something.
Unfortunately, in my rage-fueled opinion, Brock decided to expand upon his “it’s everyone’s responsibility” statement by digging an even deeper hole according to reporter Daniel Rivera Vargas of Primera Hora…
Como parte de esa necesaria preparación para la próxima temporada de huracanes, que comienza el primero de junio, o para afrontar otros eventos atmosféricos, los ciudadanos deben estar más preparados en su carácter individual, por ejemplo, tomando pasos como adquirir seguros que protejan sus propiedades, adquirir generadores eléctricos y aprender destrezas de emergencias, como realizar resucitación cardiopulmonar.
As part of that necessary preparation for the next hurricane season, which begins on June 1, or to face other atmospheric events, citizens should be more prepared in their individual character, for example, taking steps such as purchasing insurance to protect their properties, acquire electrical generators and learn emergency skills, such as performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
What. The. Actual. F@ck? Are you kidding me? Insurance, a generator and CPR? He might as well be telling me to put my head between my legs and kiss my a$$ goodbye. I guess I must be lacking in “personal character” since I’m now a renter and no longer a home owner, so there’s no claim to be made if my roof falls on my head or my doors and windows are blown out. I live in an apartment, just like hundreds of thousands of others on the island, so a generator is out of the question unless I fire it up in my living room, and I couldn't afford one even if I could use it. And CPR? C f@cking PR?
Two things immediately flashed in my mind — 1) the futility of hiding under a desk in case of a nuclear attack, and, 2) a Dr. Martin Luther King quote: “It’s all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps, but it is cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.” I just can't with these people. Seriously, I just can’t. “Cruel jest” is exactly what this is.
After nearly 7 months into this disaster, it was obviously too much for “heck of a job, Brockie” to explain to the citizens trying to survive in the estimated 150,000 homes and businesses still without power exactly WHY this recovery has been so pathetic and WHY we’re not ready for the next hurricane season. But, no.
He did have plenty of excuses, though...
“Hay una noción en los medios de que no hemos hecho lo suficiente en Puerto Rico, lo que es completamente erróneo", sostuvo.
"There is a notion in the media that we have not done enough in Puerto Rico, which is completely wrong," he said.
Well, there ya go, folks! It’s “completely wrong” that FEMA has fallen short in Puerto Rico! Don’t trust anything we’ve personally experienced over the past 7 months and really, really, really don’t trust what we read or hear from the media because… oh, I don’t know… because it’s “fake news”?
Ya know something, Brock? This administration’s tired-a$$ “fake news” mantra may work with your overbearingly ignorant, fanatical fox news zombie base of deplorables, but, you can f@ck all the way off with trying to peddle that sh!t here on the island. Believe it or not, we actually have an island full of educated, politically aware citizens and none of us are falling for your steaming pile of “fake news” bullsh!t.
Just in case anyone’s still wondering, this wasted visit was simply Long’s pathetic attempt at damage control. FEMA’s despicable recovery efforts here on the island are finally getting national coverage. Finally.
I’m no fan of Politico, but, I appreciate their investigation that went viral last week which laid bare the incompetence and discrimination of this racist administration...
Just to recap:
Days it took FEMA to approve permanent disaster work?
Maria — 43
Harvey — 10
9 days after the hurricanes:
individual assistance approved?
Maria — $6.2M
Harvey — $141.8M
Meals delivered?
Maria — 1.6M
Harvey — 5.1M
Liters of water delivered?
Maria — 2.8M
Harvey — 4.5M
Federal personnel sent to site?
Maria — 10,000
Harvey — 30,000
… on and on and on and on...
That’s one “heck of a job, Brockie”, amirite? One thing’s for sure, neither Brock nor this administration plan on taking responsibility for anything, but, he was really good at giving us some Tony Robbins’ level encouragement...
“Hay un mito de que FEMA puede ayudarte a recuperarte por completo y eso no es así”, añadió Long.
"There's a myth that FEMA can help you recover completely and that's not the case," Long added.
Well, f@ck you very much, Brock Long. We really didn’t need to be reminded that we’re really on our own — your indifference to our ongoing suffering and defense of the indefensible leave no room for doubt.
There’s so much more to unpack here and so much more I want to say, but, I need to stop before I blow a f@cking gasket and need to perform CPR on myself… this is just too much.
Happy Monday?