Puerto Rico serves as a strategic economic region to recapture the Pharmaceutical industry. Historically Puerto Rico was a hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing; however, due to poor and undependable infrastructure, an outcome of terrible management in government, combined with competitive incentives provided by alternative nations, most PR pharma operations moved to India and China.
With the Trump administration confronting Big Pharma on multiple fronts, including the need for a secure supply chain, a cost-effective approach is massive investment to repair and replace the island infrastructure. Today the White House announces the largest FEMA grant in history as an underpinning to this strategic objective.
WHITE HOUSE – Statement from the Press Secretary on the Largest FEMA Infrastructure Grants Being Awarded to Puerto Rico.
The Trump Administration announced that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) plans to award two of its largest grants ever for infrastructure projects in Puerto Rico.
Under the leadership of President Trump, FEMA will award almost $13 billion to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s electrical grid system and spur recovery of the territory’s education system—the largest obligations of funding ever awarded. This funding amount includes a Federal share of $11.6 billion for the projects.
Together, these grants exceed the total Public Assistance funding in any single federally-declared disaster other than Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Federal funding of $9.6 billion will allow the Puerto Rico Electrical Power Authority to repair and replace thousands of miles of transmission and distribution lines, electrical substations, power generation systems, office buildings, and make other grid improvements. The $2 billion grant for the Puerto Rico Department of Education will focus on restoring school buildings and educational facilities across the island.
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 included funding for FEMA to support Hurricane Maria response and recovery, as well as language helping FEMA to ensure that Puerto Rico rebuilds its critical lifelines, services, and facilities in accordance with current industry standards.
All critical infrastructure projects are funded under FEMA’s Public Assistance Alternative Procedures, pursuant to Section 428 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. This innovative funding method allows Puerto Rican officials to work with FEMA to determine how to best meet their unique recovery needs. As part of the 428 procedures, the funding being announced today was reviewed and validated by an independent expert review panel and agreed to by both FEMA and Puerto Rico.
With the grant awards announced today, the Federal Government will have obligated approximately $26 billion for Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Maria. Today’s grant announcements represent some of the largest awards in FEMA’s history for any single disaster recovery event and demonstrate the Federal Government’s continuing commitment to help rebuild the territory and support the citizens of Puerto Rico and their recovery goals. (link)
And how do we know it won’t be misspent / wasted / defrauded again?
Actual oversight
PR has had people prosecuted several times for FEMA grant fraud. A friend got called all the way from Washington state to be a witness in a fraud trial over FEMA money against several people in PR. The major problem with PR is that it has been a graft economy for many years and the corruption holds it back, keeping it backward and impoverished.
Close supervision is the only way fraud will be kept in check in PR.
This time it is President Trump and not Hillary Clinton. Which one would you ask to hold your wallet?
Actually Biden had oversight for Obama’s recovery pork. He didn’t track a dime. Biden has a proven track record of waste and mismanagement.
Actually, that money was sent to wash.
We roll with it. After the election will be the time to dispute issues/politicians. BUT ONLY if we hold on to power. We have thought diversity in the conservative wing unlike the left. And if the left wins this one freedom of ideas is toast.
It definitely will be all of those things. I hope we have a top notch oversite team, auditors and teams of accountants to track everything.
Have Peter Schweitzer assemble the controller and over site team.
Exactly!?!
Without directly stating so, I believe the feds will hire the power company to rebuild the grid. Maybe they will hire the Montana company that did a 3 month evaluation of the PR grid. They were fired weeks after the hurricane hit.
my first thoughts as well
It should be an Army Corps of Engineers project. It would keep them from doing other mischief like damming up rivers and putting levees or beach reinforcement to fight losing fights against the forces of nature.
Actually the CoE had an excellent track record on river flood mitigation projects until the 90’s when they were ordered to stop doing such projects and return rivers to their natural state.
Not to worry…if DJT is president, it will be done right. If Biden wins, the Clintons will run the project so Puerto Rico will get all of 10% of the $13B, with their foundation receiving the rest.
I don’t get this. We already sent them the money for this.
That was to restore power post-Maria. This is practically an entire replacement of their ancient grid. I know, I’ve seen it crap out without a hurricane.
Note also the planned repatriation of PR’s once lucrative pharmaceutical business. That industry will need reliable electric power.
Now…where did Puerto Ricans flee to after Maria – where many remain today? Florida. Why announce these things today? Florida, and Nov 3rd.
This was a brilliant move. Timing is everything.
correct…it’s in his blood; he’s a businessman and a leader. He will not invest unless he has great assurance that there will be a return on that investment. Pharmaceuticals baby!!
Trump just picked up a lot more Hispanic votes.
In 2015 I had a 15 year old Lab with liver failure. Treatment included sub Q infusions of saline daily. Bags of it were made by Baxter in Puerto Rico and were in very short supply. No other source.
scrach that…it was kidney failure.
I thought so, too. Wasnt it something like 91 billion? So because it was stolen we throw more money at them again? Not happy I have no say where my taxes go.
Read the Boss’ and other comments above yours. There is a method to this move.
Just how many more times will the taxpayers be on the hook to bail our Puerto Rico? The money that’s being thrown around is staggering and we are sitting here accepting it because our guy is going it. I’m sorry folks. I love our President, but some day someone is going to pay the piper.
I have a feeling plane loads of money is available to spend on projects like this. Now that trillions of dollars isn’t being laundered back to the establishment we can use that money to invest in America, instead of filling their off shore bank accounts with money we’ll never see.
I agree, cplogics. And I think it is a huge mistake trusting our medicine production to Puerto Rico.
I agree. All pharmaceutical operations will need to be in hurricane proof facilities- possibly underground in the inland areas with elevations higher than the coastal areas.
Or we move it back to the Continental United States. Part of the reason it is down there is for the tax breaks.
A long time ago, much of the production was in New Jersey and before that Louisiana.
Perhaps a common ground could be struck so as not to completely give up the reason it was moved, but still have some taxing power over a monopoly. Please note: I am not holding my breath.
$hit On $elf
That hat is such an admi$$ion
The great exposure: MAGA!!!!!!
Maybe it’s a chance to demonstrate Trump competence, contrasted with Obama-Biden incompetence-graft.
All dem billions and the corrupt Dems down there are rubbing their hands togather. I hope President Trump has made a provision to curtail that but realistically nothing happens in DemCong run areas without graft,payoffs, and skimming. It’s just the way things work I suppose.
Remember the warehouse full of stuff we all sent…? UNUSED
A Ponce, Puerto Rico warehouse full of unused emergency supplies, including food, water, and cots leftover from Hurricane Maria in 2017 was discovered Saturday during an inspection following recent earthquakes in the region. Following the discovery of the unused emergency supplies, Puerto Ricans lined up outside the facility hoping to get some of the emergency supplies, including the food, water, and emergency radios according to a CNN repo
This will be completely fed control. Just watch.
It had better be Fed control, and by people that can be relied upon for their integrity. lack of integrity has also been a problem on the Federal level as well.
When exactly will the globalist learn to stop being globalist?
Prosperity is a path that takes many hard learned lessons. Handouts do nothing put promote corruption and as we have seen time and time again this country is as corrupt as corrupt can get.
Mods, any way to allow users to delete posts? WordPress is the WORST about hung posts / dual posts. I seriously regret creating the account because it’s actually easier to post without one.
I’m warming the bench with you.
Aargh!
They may not be able to… WordPress is really clunky.
When exactly will the globalist learn to stop being globalist?
Prosperity is a path that takes many hard learned lessons. Handouts do nothing put promote corruption and as we have seen time and time again this country is as corrupt as corrupt can get.
Why not manufacture pharmaceuticals on the U.S. mainland so federal taxpayers can have those jobs?
Exactly! And what ever happened to the “Kodak deal”?
uhhhhh…Puerto Ricans are Americans and pay federal taxes…..
Puerto Ricans are Americans and pay federal taxes – really??? You could have fooled me.
If we live in the Mainland, we pay taxes.
Not entirely true, according to H&R Block.
“So you shouldn’t file a tax return for the U.S. if you meet either of the following requirements:
1. You’re a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico during the entire tax year, and
2. Your only income is from sources within Puerto Rico.”
This means that Puerto Rican employees of American-based corporations WILL have to pay SOME federal taxes, but as usual there are other considerations as well.
See here: https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/irs/tax-law-and-policy/do-puerto-ricans-pay-us-taxes/
FREE Puerto Rico Now !! Give them the electric distribution system, new generation plants running on (US) LNG, a new seaport, and ten new pharmaceutical factories. Build them new highways and new cell towers and promise to buy PR agricultural products. Contract for a permanent military base and weather station, is that OK?
Then for the love of God make Puerto Rico be its own independent sovereign nation, with a pledge of friendship from the USA. But separate sovereign nation status must come now. Free Puerto Rico !! Colonies no, Monroe Doctrine, si`.
But for
Yes, you are quite right.
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (as well as the Marshall Islands and Guam) are treated very differently for tax purposes and have actual tax treaties for being territories.
While a United States citizen is responsible for filing U.S. taxes for any income earned in the world (one of only to nations that require this), there are exceptions for these specific places.
These locations are permitted to set their own tax policies and do so to attract U.S. businesses. When Maria occurred, one of the fist things Puerto Rico did (on their own) was drop their tax rates and put a moratorium on taxes of certain enterprises.
So residing in these places may adjust one’s taxes downward a bit if they are still working for a U.S. company and may completely change one’s tax picture if they are an owner of a company in these locations or are self employed.
Although Microsoft used to be famous for shifting their European tax burdens to Ireland for a better tax treatment in Europe, what they were less known for was shifting US profits to the Virgin Islands (which they did at one point – do not know about the present day).
The trade off is that none of these locations get a vote in our nation’s major elections.
Best…
Besides from cheaper labor, what is the advantage of concentrating pharma in PR instead of continental US? $13 billion in states with already dependable power grids and not prone to hurricanes makes more sense. But I’m not sure what the real game plan here is.
Under the old tax laws drugs made in PR could be sold to overseas markets (non-US) without being subjected to US taxes. Not sure if that is still the case or not. This gives companies the option to base operations “close” to the US vs. places like China or Ireland and benefit from the tax saving for products not sold in the US. Since companies would have to pay US tax on exports if they manufactured in the US it is too expensive to do so.
Also an incentive NOT to become a state? ?
“Also an incentive Not to become a state” You actually meant to say “also blackmail not to become a state”.
cplogics,
Well it is complicated business, very complicated. ??
You have a choice, choose wisely ??
An incentive to become their own country. Never be a state.
Clinton killed that provision and took down the industry.
Hmmm…dont know what to say . PR is the bastion of corruption. We need oversight.
I agree that we should just put those factories inside the midwest. We already HAVE a grid here in the US so why are we spending all this $ in a place that is rife with corruption? I don’t understand these decisions. Having that stuff made there won’t help Americans here in the states. Someone help me understand this. They are prone to hurricanes and supply interruptions. Would be like buidling it in Lake Charles
realeyecandy-1000000000000000000000 upvotes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s Trump’s counter move to the $100 million Bloomberg is going to spend in Florida.
This is so great. PTrump says ok mini mike, I’ll match your $100,000,000 and raise you another $12,900,000,000… beautiful!
It seems benifranlkin that this gets your adrenaline flowing, but it might stop “dead” in its tracks when you have to foot the bill.
People in Florida are alway complaining about all the political commercials.
Maybe it’s also to help build the new MAGA prison system. Our own little Puerto GITMO, soon to house many naughty naughty people that Barr and Durham are chatting with these days! One can hope, right? 😉
and send every single illegal caught cross the border to PR to live while the damn system waits 5 years to have a court appearance. At least they can’t get off the island without passport or visa to mainland. If they do show up, they are a 2nd time violator and don’t get to play the asylum/ family member bs game.
Do you want a PR participating primarily in graft, corruption and drug cartels – or – a PR that is rebuilt with strings attached and PDT admin’s oversight that restores a work ethic and value to America? Strategic location for all of the above, both good and bad. Would rather it be for good.
That lady pictured on the left in SD’s post has lost her PR bid a few weeks ago (if i recall correctly). Plus, a few other corrupt PR representatives have been outed or removed. Good move to wait for them to be gone, Mr President
I hope they don’t hire Puerto Ricans to build it! It’s the most dysfunctional place in the United States not to mention everything will be stolen.
Puerto Rico is not in the United States
It IS under US jurisdiction.
The US flag waves to the right of the PR flag there.
The US $ is the only currency there.
Teaching of English is mandatory there.
The USCG guards the waters.
The FBI has offices there.
The only tropical rain forest under the US Forest Service is located right there – El Yunque, to which I have been many, many times.
It also has a National Historic Site under the US National Park Service – El Morro, San Cristobal and the City Wall of old San Juan.
There used to be three US DoD bases there – Rosevelt Roads, Reimy and Fort Buchanan.
USDA has offices there.
There is a Federal Courthouse in San Juan.
There is also one non-voting Delegate from PR to Congress.
The only radio-telescope run by a consortium of a local PR college and an Ivy League U is located there. (Arecibo)
Americans live there.
I’m one of them.
Free Puerto Rico !!
Duchess, if you’re a Puerto Rican and you love America, you’ll be the first I’ve met. Glad to meetcha! Appreciate the comments from your branch of the treehouse.
Hope its underground.
It’ll be HUGE and BEAUTIFUL – like nothing you’ve seen before!
Tomorrow’s Headline In Orlando Sun Sentinel: Don Seals Deal on FL Vote
I just read the USAF announced they have designed and manufactured a prototype of the 6 gen fighter in 1 year. This hasn’t been done since the 1950’s. This together with the unheard of speed of vaccine design, testing and manufacture in 1 year tells me to not doubt PJDT’s ability to do the impossible. I bet he has the lines placed underground to make the grid hurricane proof. It’s time to buy some land in PR.
Making Puerto Rico’s infrastructure better is a laudable goal (I guess) but Puerto Rico did not rise and fall as a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub on the basis of its electrical grid. Puerto Rico was a hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing due to some targeted tax breaks that made it advantageous to make drugs there.
You’re right. And Microsoft used to print their software cd-roms there as part of a profit-shifting scheme to lower their taxes. I wonder if this is a ploy by Trump to get more puerto ricans to move back home.
You’re right. And Microsoft used to print their software cd-roms there as part of a profit-shifting scheme to lower their taxes. I wonder if this is a ploy by Trump to get more puerto ricans to move back home.
And they’ll still hate him for it. Time to “free” Puerto Rico.
I hope this isn’t an indicator PR will become a state. It would be the biggest welfare state in the country if it becomes a state. They have voted it down twice now so it seems they want the benefits but not the responsibility of federal taxes
Not to mention 2 massively corrupt left wing senators.
Mayor SOS, since you say you are dying, you have 2 choices:
Take the pill Zero offers for the pain
or
Right to try pharmaceutical factories PDJT offers.
This is a good move on many fronts. Primarily from a national security and economic perspective.
Don’t let partisan politics cloud people. The reason that places like Puerto Rico have significantly corrupt political classes is because that is how the Globalists want it. Creating infrastructure, education and economic strength within the populace will make them financially stronger at lower income levels. That will build the culture back up. Don’t forget that the same way the Globalists have exploited the Democrat party and inner cities, they have exploited places like PR and Haiti.
Just like “Foundations”, aid to countries like PR have gone to corrupt individuals who line their pockets and then funnel the rest back to their benefactor (cough, Bain Capital, cough).
This kind of investment will benefit everyone and create a backbone for their infrastructure that will generate economic strength for decades, they will drive local economic development. A strong PR makes the U.S. a better and safer place.
Furthermore, if pharmaceuticals can be manufactured there, or even pharmaceutical components, that will also help the U.S.
Welcome to the proud new sovereign independent nation of Puerto Rico, where our citizens build prosperity and beautiful families.
In my estimation, I’m all for it if this results in the Puerto Ricans who descended on Central Florida going back home.
Nothing against Puerto Ricans per se. They just fall into the same category as liberal New Yorkers who move down here and bring their misguided support of the same corrupt liberal politicians that caused them to leave in the first place.
After that last hurricane that demolished PR, lots of Florida Power and Light trucks went on a barge from Port of Fort Pierce, FL to PR to assist. Easy, peasy trip. Send them again!
Remember this story?
FTA: Florida Power and Light won the prestigious International Edward Demming award for excellence in multi-platform engineering and efficiency superiority. They didn’t blow every PhD intellectual out of the water with slide rules, CAD programs and engineering acumen. They did it with hard hats and dirty fingernails.
Because they lost the award, the Japanese spent 6 months studying FPL and later published a 1,000 page dissertation essentially saying FPL “wasn’t really good, they were just lucky”….. FPL field leadership laughed, took out markers and wrote on the back of their hard hats: “WE’RE NOT GOOD, WE’RE RUCKY”
https://www.tigernet.com/forums/message.jspa;jsessionid=1FAE30B9CDB3050DD876319CC5D95BC7?messageID=27110174
I simply cannot comprehend Trump’s abject failure to nominate/appoint/install/hire people loyal to him as THE President and under the Constitution. He is undermined constantly and yet he suffers these fools any way. SMH.
Big Jake, that certainly is a mystery. Trump seems to have a blind eye when it comes to hiring incompetent, disloyal jerks. However, Trump does have some super great ones.
I guess it is like having to buy the whole package. Then throwing away the package to finally get to what you need.
P.R.E.P.A. (Puerto Rico Public Power Authority) has been institutionally corrupt forever.
Get rid of that entire agency and let some Independent Power Producers in there.
This was a smart move on the part of the President, but it will require serious oversight (not FEMA’s beat quality).
PR was set to be a DEM “pet project” once again, if they secured Congress and the Presidency; this is why they went their to party a few years ago (it was a statement of solidarity and another empty offer of statehood).
Very prudent take this idea away from them, but it does need someone watching the till.