Florida is a pretty poor state, outside of the Amusement Parks and the rich retirees from up north (who don't have to struggle and look for decent jobs in the sluggish Florida economy).
Florida offers some of the least, most chintzy welfare benefits of all the states.
Housing has gotten REALLY REALLY expensive there in just the past 3 years -- I mean like 2-3 times as costly -- and the Puerto Ricans coming over will be very poor and having lost everything.
My guess is they won't stay very long. There are Puerto Rican communities in NYC and far more jobs there, and vastly more generous welfare.
My guess is this won't be much of an exodus -- and most Puerto Ricans are only coming for a short time, and will want to return to their homeland once things get fixed up there.
2
Eventually much of coastal Florida will be under water. San Juan will probably a city long after Miami has been flooded and totally uninhabitable for years.
1
As precedent, I am reminded of the collapse of Minoan civilization (approximately 1600 before the Common Era).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_eruption#Minoan_civilization
This occurred to me as well. But then I remembered that FL is an extreme case of perverse gerrymandering (Dems are 50% of voters and 20% of House representation) and voter suppression (state legislature targeted blacks and browns on the assumption they are not GOP).
5
Hoping for the future of Blue Florida....Red Florida deserves their political day of reckoning!
Blue Florida will be a yuuuuge improvement for the entire country.
8
The irony of Florida or other states turning blue due to an influx of Puerto Ricans is rich. Please hurry and come.
8
As Hurricane Maria obliterated both the homes and the place of employment for many on the island, it is inevitable that many will migrate to find a place to support their families.
5
As a progressive living in Florida, I would happy to welcome mass numbers of Puerto Ricans to our state. And as a Realtor, I would be thrilled!
5
Bring them in to Florida. As a former "Bronx Guy" the Puerto Rican people are American citizens. Years ago in the 50's they were reviled in NYC as gangsters. That was in the 50's. The Puerto Rican people I knew and still know are law abiding hard working Americans that got a bad deal in the garment industries. Take as many Puerto Rican's in to Florida as you can, they are sensational. Welcome to Florida!
8
If religion was to be my reference in how to care for people, I would choose Jesus's political platform to follow...
Feed the poor
Heal the sick
Fight the money changers
Treat man, woman and child equally
Didn't preach any particular religion but instead a connection to God
How’s Trump and the GOP doing in comparison to Jesus’s political platform?
6
My sincere best advice to the newcomers is to avoid the pitfalls of preceding Puerto Rican migrations. That is, do not resist integrating, learn as much as possible, not least English, since, after all, it is a globalized world and English is the world's lingua franca. Do not ghettoize. That said, there are already 5 million (vs 3+ million on the island) Puerto Ricans living on the mainland, most living, working and contributing silently among the majority across the 50 states and doing well for themselves (and, let it be noted, paying their fair share of Federal income taxes). They are a silent minority and cannot be said to represent a homogeneous voting bloc. Many voted Democrat while many others vote Republican. I think all of the above is the ideal model to follow for the newcomers. I wish them well in their new lives.
2
An article of hope that the extremists' hold on Florida and the rest of our country might be eventually broken.
5
What do I hear, fix Puerto Rico or we will make gop life miserable. Fix our debts, fix our economy, fix our country otherwise we will move to mainland and get more freebies and vote democracy. Oh yeah, we don’t pay federal taxes but we are US citizens.
Guess what, it won’t be as easy to get benefits on mainland when the local office is not Hispanic friendly to hand out free goodies.
1
The are thousands in Puerto Rico who despise America and want their own island nation.. what about them?
1
Thousands out of millions. The vast, overwhelming majority want either a continuation of the present status or statehood. Plebiscite after plebiscite has rejected independence, with the independence vote getting ever smaller over the years.
4
look at the map. the us will never give up PR
1
I'd love to see some Puerto Ricans move to California, but you're needed much more in the red states than here. Bienvenidos a todos regardless of where you settle.
11
nyt would certainly love it if FL swung Democrat because of this. I enjoyed the bit about democrats know they need to provide basic necessities first. NYT would never write something similar about Republicans.
3
Republicans don't care about people without money, as demonstrated by their disgraceful attempt to deprive millions of us of health insurance.
7
Puerto Rican’s are citizens that vote
I love it!
8
Central Pennsylvania has a lot of space for new people....and we do love island cooking! In this area we already have a couple of good mercados, with all the wonderful foods to which you are accustomed....so, yes, please move here! We would love to have you, AND we have lots of jobs going unfilled and plenty of vacant housing.
I will find your resettlement people and help all I can....how about the rest of you, NYT readers? Let's do more than comment, let's get potential voters where we need them!
9
Move to Wisconsin, too! And Ohio. And Michigan.
7
And Pennsylvania
3
May paper towel toss and the delayed hurricane response be remembered by those who come to live in America.
13
Unintended consequences--love it!!
9
It will be interesting to watch how the Republicans redraw political boundaries in the face of this threat to their current gerrymandered advantage.
9
It is time to take our country back and this is one way to do it.
7
It is a shame that many residents of Puerto Rico are being forced to leave their homeland in order to live in safety and also to have a chance to make a living. These are things that most of us take for granted.
It is however very positive to think that they might end up living and voting in Florida, which needs more residents who are not afraid of the future and think for themselves. Power to the people.
8
American citizens have always moved for economic opportunity. It's how, and why, the West was settled (i.e. stolen). Members of my own family have moved across the country, across borders and to and from Asia for opportunity, with every generation. Labor mobility is a key reason the US economy has been successful, an one the EU is emulating. No reason to stay in a place with a stagnant economy: move to where the jobs are!
3
Florida is already a blue state, if only voters would show up.
I'm sure the Republican apparatus will make it as difficult as possible for these American citizens from Puerto Rico to cast their ballots.
7
OK, how would they do that exactly? Demand to see ID? You could not have gotten on the plane off the island without photo ID, how else do you think Republicans can keep people from voting? I honestly want to know.
1
Navigator:
Florida police officers have a history of provoking young adults into crime. Once convicted, they have permanently lost their right to vote. regardless of whether in or out of prison.
I hope that all of these new-to-the-mainland fellow Americans show up at rallies for Democratic candidates waving rolls of paper towels and brandishing signs that read: "Donald Trump: We're the Quicker Picker Uppers, and We're About to Pick Up the Mess You Left in the Voting Booth."
10
In response to Erik:
You ought to know that voter rregistration forms are multi-lingual, at least in New York City, and I assume that's the case in Florida with its large Spanish-speaking population.
2
It is hard to believe that one person can affect how an entire population votes but I can see it happening. My parents emigrated from Cuba and because they were the first coming over and part of a wealthy elite in Cuba, as a child, all I ever heard growing up was how horrible President Kennedy was for betraying them at the Bay of Pigs. On TV, I would see something else -how wonderful Kennedy was. This same mentality may or may not occur with Trump but he certainly did not help his party.
On another note, the irony is: Puerto Ricans moving to Florida -especially south or coastal Florida- will be settling future generations in a place where, according to scientists, will wind up underwater.
3
Puerto Ricans on the island,
Please move to Florida by the hundreds of thousands and turn this
state blue! A blue Florida is good for the nation, good for Florida, and good for Puerto Rico. The Democrats of Florida welcome you!
32
On the bright side, a huge wave of migrants from Puerto Rico might just provide Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club resort the means of hiring U.S. citizens rather always having to seek foreign workers under the H-2B visa program.
14
This is perfect irony for the republicans who allowed Russian to hijack their party and install a budding authoritarian into office who didn't help this little island and now they lose Florida. I'm unable to stop laughing at this beautiful irony.
28
Excellent.After Bozo's horrifying treatment of Puerto Rico,guess who they're going to vote for???
21
I can barely read these comments. Too small..awkwardly placed…exercise in frustration.
1
Try Ctrl-+ in your browser.
People from PR are family based people!
Children are the best judge of character. They haven’t been polluted by society YET! Children have no problem showing how they feel.
Trump’s own child:
Trump on “The View” “I don’t think Ivanka would do that [pose for nude photographs] inside the magazine,” Trump says, speaking for his daughter. “Although she does have a very nice figure. I’ve said that if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps, I would be dating her.”
And then, as the words he had just spoken formed meaning in his mind, Trump asked: “Is that terrible?”
Joy Behar asks “Who are you, Woody Allen?” Everyone laughs, including Donald Trump, who remarks “That’s very good.”
“He told Rolling Stone that if he weren’t happily married and his daughter’s father, he’d — well, he didn’t finish the thought, but you can guess what he meant."
Then there was the 2013 episode of “The Wendy Williams Show,” when father and daughter were asked what they had in common.
Ivanka: “Either real estate or golf.”
Trump: “Well, I was going to say sex.”
According to the experts, there are mainly two types of incest: Overt and Covert
Overt incest is presently defined as obviously sexual in nature. There’s no doubt that something sexual is going on, at least for the abuser anyway. It may or may not, include full blown intercourse.
Covert incest is subtle, touching the child in a way as to make appear “accidental”.
9
A surge of Puerto Rican refugees to Iowa - a good way to mobilize Trump supporters to advocate more aid for Puerto Rico!
7
I sincerely hope so, the right wingers have had too much say in our State for way too long!
13
The ultimate solution to the hurricane crisis in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Texas and Florida is for President Trump to throw in the towel (no pun intended) as he did to the hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. Trump needs to resign and allow a real leader to take charge not only of these natural disasters but the country as well.
President Trump is now and will always be remembered as the most incompetent, moronic and divisive President in the oval office.
To the people of Puerto Rico…..bring it on. Unlike in the commonwealth, your vote counts in the U.S. which is the only thing politicians fear.
11
Puerto Ricans voted against statehood, meaning that they could continue to earn wages and salaries without having federal taxes withheld from their pay checks. So much for their allegiance to the United States. Now they are flocking to Florida and other states to escape the devastation of two hurricanes, and they will be afforded all the social and welfare benefits that the federal and state governments provide. Hypocritical and self-serving at the expense of U.S. taxpayers? You decide.
4
I have decided that your comment is hypocritical. You question other people’s “allegiance” to the US, while suggesting some US citizens should have fewer rights than others.
The reason residents of Puerto Rico do not pay federal income taxes is because they are not allowed to vote in US elections while living in Puerto Rico, and as a nation we do not believe in “taxation without representation.” If they choose to live on the mainland, then they do pay federal income taxes. That said, since they do receive Social Security and Medicare benefits, they pay these payroll taxes, just like anyone else. They also pay income taxes to Puerto Rico.
They are US citizens who have the same right as any other US citizen to live in any state they wish to live in.
2
They will get jobs (minimally making beds and cleaning toilets) at Trump
properties and elsewhere in the US. They WILL be paying federal and state
taxes!
And further Paul they pay Federal taxes like all US territories.
Though the Commonwealth government has its own tax laws, Puerto Ricans are also required to pay most US federal taxes, with the major exception being that most residents do not have to pay the federal personal income tax. In 2009, Puerto Rico paid $3.742 billion into the US Treasury.
Wiki
3
Puerto Ricans have a much different political environment than on the mainland, much different. The relationship has been, at times, violent, loud, yet mostly respectful from my limited years living and attending school on the island. The people are cosmopolitan in many ways, and humble, family folk. Even the least school educated are wise beyond the knowledge that books and great educators provide.
The Governor has a tough tightrope to balance with an unbalanced president; swallowing distasteful actions and words from a president to get what the island and population must have to recover and rebuild. The mayor, Dona Carmen, offers gracefully candid opposition, the voice of the people. All this to state that in my 2 decades on the island, Rick Scott and other Republicans who believe they can descend and conquer are perfect fools. Puerto Ricans, from my perspective, see through the smooth talk into the soul, where honesty and sincerity are alive and well.
And please come to Atlanta because we need more of everything all ya'll can teach us by your love of life, music, family, art, food, and wisdom. Thanks for reading my comments.
13
Puerto Rico will long remember President Trump disrespected them, and Republican party leaders said nothing. Victim shaming is never presidential.
We didn't hear it from President Obama-- ever.
Saying "they want everything done for them" is the height of shaming.
Awash in minimization, Mr. Trump implied Puerto Rico's people weren't working as hard for themselves. While personally attacking the mayor.
Then he only visited a gentrified area, instead of the true damage an hour away. Bad enough to throw paper towels as if a carnival circus, his own words and deeds will come back to haunt him.
"He is destroying the GOP one day at a time, one reckless statement and action at a time,” said Sally Bradshaw, who co-authored the infamous 2012 "GOP autopsy report"---and left the GOP because of Donald J. Trump.
13
Same for visiting just NAPLES, FL for Hurricane Irma.
5
You can be sure the GOP will do all they can to interfere with immigration, documentation, voter registration, voting access-they are working on it right now, everywhere, gearing up for 2018. When I voted last year I took my birth certificate, my passport, and my SS card with me, along with my driver's license because I put nothing past the GOP; we cannot be complacent or trust anything anymore.
13
Let's not get too excited here. The GOP will devise new ways to gerrymander districts so that these US citizens' voting power is diminished. Why do democratic politicians stand for it?
2
Quick reminder. Marco Rubio flipped his vote at the last minute that would've allowed Puerto Rico to claim bankruptcy. Why? Two hedge fund managers threw Rubio a very, very lavish fund raising party.
14
The hurricane damage in Puerto Rico is Donald Trump's Katrina. Unfortunately, a lot of Americans in the 50 states don't care very much about PR. They treat it as a foreign country, even though PR people are U. S. citizens. This article, however, reveals a possible silver lining in the dark clouds. If Florida turns blue because of Trump's botched recovery program in PR, that would be wonderful. And exactly what Trump and the Republicans deserve.
11
I think the video of Trump tossing paper towels at the crowd along with his statement that they need to do more to help themselves will be make a powerful political ad.
20
And this is precisely why Trump is not a genius, at anything.
When the storm hit Puerto Rico, any rational, intelligent American could see that it was different from Houston and Florida for one simple reason: it’s an island. There would be no Cajun Navy, no roads clogged with trucks full of relief goods, no neighboring cities and towns relatively unscathed providing food and services. The local, county and state support normally expected to kick in was, well, nonexistent since the entire island was ravaged. The first reaction of any competent person would have been: this is different, those folks can’t get out and we can’t get there easily, what can I do to help?
Instead, we get controversy about whether or not the NFL players are bad people for taking a knee. The president should have been on the phone with FEMA demanding to know what he could do to speed things along. Precious days were wasted. Then he disses the mayor of San Juan, and finally goes down there to toss paper towels at people.
He blew it on a humanitarian basis, and he really blew it politically, because, guess what, a driver’s license or other ID is all those folks need to come to the mainland. They’re Americans. And, they’re not going home because there’s no home to go to.
He first ignored, then insulted Puerto Ricans. They won’t forget, and they shouldn’t.
19
If émigrés from Puerto Rico all concentrate near existing Puerto Rican enclaves, that may be beneficial for statewide and presidential elections but it will not move the needle in legislative and congressional elections. Those concentrated pockets of voters will make the Florida GOP’s gerrymandering even easier and mean that the party will retain power for yet another decade.
10
I'll remind you that SCOTUS is taking a hard look at partisan gerrymandering. We'll see.
1
Moving to Alabama and Mississippi would be 2 great states to start
the process.
3
The Republicans have anticipated this, and stonewalled a nominee last year so they could nominate a safe vote in Gorsuch.
1
Thank you Mother Nature!
5
I expect Governor Rick Scott will meet the challenge with a typical republican response, block entry or make it as difficult for the new arrivals as possible. I am sure the impish AG Sessions will be as helpful as possible...
20
Block entry? Puerto Rican's are American citizens; how could governor of Florida "block entry" to the country or his state?
3
Unlike mainland American citizens, the majority of Puerto Ricans tend to vote. Governor Scott is going to have a very hard time trying to block their vote.
3
The U.C.L.A. would be all over this one. All Puerto Ricans need is ID at the airport, just like every other American.
Let us not forget, in all the electoral gloating, that many of these Americans are not migrants by choice, but because two unprecedented catastrophes - economic and natural - have destroyed everything they knew. The experience of losing your home, leaving behind family and community, starting over from scratch in an unfamiliar place - it is extraordinarily painful. Many people have lost generational homes and beloved elder relatives (I have family in PR, and I believe the final death count will be far higher than anyone imagines, among the elderly especially).
Let's be kind in our welcome, generous and compassionate. Not just better than our president - a low bar indeed - but our best selves. And let's be equally as kind to those who have stayed in Puerto Rico, giving them the same relief and aid we would send to any other part of America so devastated.
36
We have a PR family that just moved in, before the hurricane, they are friendly, their kids ride by on their bikes, acknowledge me by smiling or waving, and sometimes saying, "Good morning." One time, one of them stopped his bike, retrieved my newspaper from the driveway, and handed it to me. Nice kid. I wished I could hug him.
Later on, I talked with the husband personally. He speaks perfect English (I speak no Spanish) and I found out he has been in the states for the last couple of years. Eventually, we got to politics, and he says he has no illusions about Trump. He said the last time he saw Trump on TV, he was "chucking" rolls of paper towels to "distraught people" (his words) that needed far more than that. ("Chucking" is a southern colloquialism.)
Give people a chance and this is what they become.
19
So why did Puerto Ricans vote against statehood? I'm not talking about the devestation of the storm when I say they would most likely be in less of a financial position if they were paying state taxes and raising the return of federal monies. If you vote for independence you are basically on your own. Statehood would have provided voting powers, a greater voice in the federal government and another state who would not have voted for trump. I'm terribly sorry for the misery the hurricane has brought. Vote for statehood.
3
They did not vote against independence read the news carefully . The voted for statehood what is so hard to get the facts right. No wonder you got Christie as governor
1
Puerto Rico voted for statehood in June 2017. It is up to Congress now.
4
Your facts are wrong. Puerto Rico voted in favor of statehood.
3
The federal government is nowhere responsible for providing or restoring electricity or potable water. In Puerto Rico both are entirely the responsibility of Puerto Ricsn governing authorities elected by Puerto Rican who have consistently elected pandering venal corrupt demogogues. I have lived through several severe hurricanes and those basic services are secured/restored by the local authorities.
If I am not prepared to provide my family with clean water for 2 weeks and food for 6-12 werks then I am an improvident fool and a shame to my pioneer ancestors. If my county water service is not prepared to keep the pumps going for several weeks of power disruption and restore potable supplies within a few days if a flood, then I have voted like a fool.
5
Please name the severe hurricanes you went through. There have been very, very few of Maria's force. The last time Puerto Rico was hit by a storm as destructive as Maria was some time in the 1920's.
According to everything I have read, federal officials recommend that people who are in the path of a hurricane and who do not evacuate should keep food and water on hand to last three days-- not six to twelve weeks. Without refrigeration, it would be impossible to keep anything like a balanced diet for that long. We were on the island before Tropical Storm Erica hit, and the stores were busy as people stocked up on bottled water and food that didn't require refrigeration. So it's not like Puerto Ricans don't prepare-- just not for weeks involuntarily "off the grid."
In fact, as far as I can tell, many, if not most, Puerto Ricans do routinely have water and some light source (lanterns or candles if they don't own a generator) on hand, even in normal times.
To be honest, your entire message strikes me as somewhat divorced from reality. It's easy to imagine how well we would have done in a crisis which we weren't actually in. It's much harder to do everything right when we are actually in a crisis that is far worse than anything we would have expected.
4
The backlash against the Obama Administration and changing demographics--the increasing plurality of America, took hold this election cycle when Trump and his minions won the election. Florida almost went blue in 2016 and more than likely will go blue in 2020 thereby making it impossible for Republicans to win nationally again for a long time. Expect the white nationalists in the White House and Congress to pass whatever legislation they can before 2020. After Florida, Texas will be next to change. It will all happen if the Democrats are smart enough to put up candidates without the baggage of a Hilary Clinton.
10
It's a pity that the Left has learned so very little from the last election, and it would particularly be nice if we'd got it through our collective head that Hillary Clinton was an infinitely better choice than what we helped stick the country with.
10
How disappointed the Koch's, Mercers, Adelsons and all the other billionaire owners of the Republican Party must be. They have devoted time and hundreds of millions of dollars to instill a Republican controlled government in Washington and what they get is an Administration and Congress that is incapable of even the most basic functions such as providing aid to parts of the nation ravaged by hurricanes.
Because of this incompetence and indifference, the people of Puerto Rico are having to move to a place where their votes matter in Congressional and Presidential elections.
What we can anticipate by the 2020 election is that Florida will go Blue (Democratic). Within 10 years, Florida is likely to be as Blue as California where Democrats dominate the politics.
Texas is next, if demography is destiny
Everything has a price and Trump and the Alt-Right are going to impose a massive one on the Republican Party, that is, if it even survives.
19
The "unintended consequences" of a "photo op" throwing paper towels and instead turning a deaf ear to those in need. Count Florida in the Democratic column.
10
Will these wishful thinkings follow the last one when no one thinks DT had a chance in winning the presidency? Dreaming and talk are cheap.
5
Look for Republicans to ramp up voter suppression activities in Florida.
18
OK, I will!
How long ago was ir that I read constantly that demographic changes in the U.S precluded the election of a Republican President? Less than a year ago.
3
Yeah, well, at least these demographic changes can vote, and you can't kick them out.
Set in motion by a higher power. If Florida goes to the Democrats in the next election, because of a forced migration from a constituency that has been largely ignored and disrespected, this would be so SWEET. I am crossing my fingers. Puerto Ricans, please move in masses to Florida, maybe even make your way to Ohio.
18
Xenophobic should relax. Many Puerto Ricans fleeing the damage of the hurricane are staying with family until things return to normal. Many elderly especially want to get out of harms way for the time being. Most are not going to leave their real home forever.
2
Just wait. It's only a matter of days before Sessions challenges the citizenship and the right to vote in local elections for all those Puerto Rican migrants who have gotten to the mainland.
6
The demographics of the people who have moved from Puerto Rico to Florida versus New York are quite different. Far more likely to earn more (and earning more in Florida means a middle class lifestyle, on average), married. The Puerto Rican residents moving to NY have lower income, less likely to be married. Hispanics are not monotholic.
5
Crew, we are in bad shape if we are looking to our fellow citizens, fleeing devastation, to save us. What a sad, sad state of affairs.
6
Liberals speak for the weak and oppressed; want change and justice, even at risk of chaos.
Conservatives speak for institutions and traditions; want order even at the cost to those at the bottom.
[Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right, or center]
3
Trump's response to Maria just increased the Democrats majority by hundreds of thousands in several states. With the gerrymandered districts in most states this may not make much difference in 2018. But it may start the downward spiral of Republican hegemony in future elections. All actions have consequences.
5
An interesting dilemma for Republicans. The most cost-effective way to keep Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico, hence non-voting, is to forgive Puerto Rico's debt. Which would mean a major haircut for Wall Street bond holders.
Repubs will have to decide which they hate more.
38
"An Exodus From Puerto Rico Could Remake Florida Politics"
And you can bet that even now, the GOP's consultants working on how to suppress the Puerto Ricans' votes.
15
Massive exodus from Puerto Rico...
Soon no access to contraceptive pills, thanks to Trump...
Way to go! Latinos will make America Great for ever... Just wait and see.
35
Relax. It is entirely appropriate use of the term. Okies were migrants. Carpetbaggers are migrants. Florida Yankees are migrants. The people who went north from the delta in The Great Migration were, well, migrants.
It's gonna happen..........just you wait. Puerto Rico will be nothing but an empty shell in the not too distant future after everyone leaves, who can afford to leave...... it will not take lomg......
16
And vote Trump out when you get here!!!!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!
55
OK, hermanos puertorriqueños, let’s show the Republican Party what happens when people have the power to fight back. They think they can be openly racist against Hispanics without consequences. I hope you all vote en masse to turn Florida blue.
100
We all can certainly pray, that you are correct!
3
It is a sad, sad day when The NYT characterizes US Citizens & Residents as “Migrants” when forced to move from one part of their own country to another. Shame on you NYT!
34
Migrants are not the same as foreign-born immigrants. The Okies who left the dry dust bowl states for California in the 1930s were also migrants. The Americans who are migrating from Rust Belt cities to places where they may be able to find jobs are also migrants. One needs to learn the meaning of words before criticizing others for using them. Of course Puerto Ricans who are leaving their home island for better opportunities are MIGRANTS. They certainly now are not commuters.
18
What other term applies to a relocation impelled by natural disaster? "Refugee" formally means someone forced to cross borders; "migrant," sans prefixes, does not denote border crossing. The UN formulation, "internally displaced persons," is technically accurate, but usually understood to suggest war and political violence.
5
A “migrant”is defined as someone who moves from one place to another. There Is no Implication of moving from one country to another.
6
Great!!!!!!!!
18
Proof of Mother Nature's revenge against GOP-backed corporate greed. She just threw Dems a solid!
33
The irony of Obama as Deporter-in-chief and Trump as the "architect" of the largest en mass migration of hispanics to the US mainland is...
14
All Puerto Rico people should come and live in Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan and toss paper towel rolls to Republicans to wipe their tears in next election.
80
There can be no better response to the racist bull-horn Donald Trump, Bannon, Miller, and Sessions took up in the GOP than to vote them out of office across the board.
28
"An Exodus From Puerto Rico Could Remake Florida Politics"
No only Florida. Texas, Arizona, Utah, etc....
19
The poorest country in the western Hemisphere is Haiti; Venezuela is a mess; PuertoRico can't get its act together, even though the USA pours in billions of dollars; Mexico and Brazil are corrupt thru and thru... Peru', Bolivia, Colombia... etc... what is the common theme? They are all majority Roman Catholic countries. Their people all want to move to the USA or Canada, at one time majority Protestant countries, but nowadays with a waning majority...
My point: it doesn't matter the political leanings of the people, what really makes a difference in their lifestyle and the successful running of the country, is when the majority of the people are Christian (Protestant)! Think about it: if the majority of the people in Haiti...PuertoRico were Protestant or even Jewish, would the country be so wretched? Look at the Amish/Mennonite communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Mexico, Argentina... self sufficient in everything!
10
It’s not about being Christian
It is directly about a middle class and wealthy that pay taxes and a civil functioning society that cares for its poorest. Civility is on edge here In the Us and lower taxes will put us into banana republic territory
We are very close to being just like them
3
The Latin countries you listed have a history of subjugation and mistreatment by America. Tax laws have been used to favor the wealthy at the expense of the peoples of those countries. In fighting the threat of Communism we have not been a benign force and favored strongmen rather than true democracies. Dig deeper and the racism of you response will become apparent.
1
Trump loves Hispanics. No problema.
6
How fitting that our paper towel thrower in chief will see Florida go blue as Puerto Ricans will hop on a plane and take over the voting bloc. Can't build a wall around Florida, Mr. Quicker-Picker-upper.
44
‘Nobody knows in America, Puerto Rico is in America’......(lyric from ‘West Side Story’).
15
Finally, ex-Cubans who are more anti-Castro than Americans will have to learn to put the interest of this country, first.......Too late for the waste of a few trillions $ in Irak via Bush.....too late for electing the empty brain Little Marco.....and the crooked Scott.....Perhaps, they should go to Puerto Rico and find out about climate change....and think how they have been fooled by the supporters of Batista...if, ever, they know who he is.
17
Dear fellow Puerto Rican Americans,
Come, come, come to Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Come!
49
Vote Democratic? Of course. With Puerto Rico's welfare state mentality, you can take the boy out of the country, but you don't take the country out of the boy.
7
"Puerto Ricans are American citizens by birth, so registering them is far easier than registering Latino immigrants. "
Excuse me but if Latinos or anyone is legitimately eligible to vote they are no longer 'immigrants' but citizens. Is he saying that he's trying to get non citizens to vote?
8
Time for Trump to arbitrarily rule that Puerto Ricans cannot vote.
Or reduce the number of voting places to only one for the entire island?
After his comments in Puerto Rico, I would not be surprised if Trump also decides to withhold life-sustaining FEMA funds until Puerto Rico pays off its debt to Wall Street.
1
PR, Come to Florida!
Based on climate predictions, the island is only going to be hit by hurricanes and weather over and over in the coming decade.
Plenty of room in north Florida.
We want you.
Come to Florida!
15
puerto ricans not liked by s.florida cubans so expect to see them move north to orlando where many already live
13
More thoughtful voters where they will count?
God willing and the creek (ocean) don't rise.
10
If Republicans read this article, will it scare them enough to fix up Puerto Rico?
14
Yes, talk about redistricting; if the deer Democrat party wants to do some engineering they should roll out a welcome mat… No, actively recruit and relocate party members to various strategic states toTip the vote, their way
3
Really, the 1% need another playground. How you can't see its just what is happening. Possibly a Trump Tower, a Mar a Lago in a beautiful location.
Trump is not a republican, not a psycho, he is a 1%er and we are all Puerto Ricans without a democracy.
7
Why a vote counts....because vote after vote adds up.
4
best news I have heard all week
4
Trump is done. stick a fork in him. he's done.
6
Wishful thinking by an obviously liberal writer from a liberal newspaper. Voter turnout in Puerto Rico is lower than the US and voting in Florida requires registration.
3
No, not wishful but hopeful for the majority of people whom the Republican party has systematically marginalized through illegal but unpunished practices. Your time is coming to a close. You have left the state in shambles and will not be mourned when you pass into the "dust bin of history".
5
They're citizens, or haven't you heard? They can register immediately, just like the rest of us.
And Trump can't deport them, even though he thinks they're Mexicans.
3
Voting everywhere in the US requires registration. Proof of citizenship is quite easy with Puerto Ricans because they are, um, citizens.
1
This is excellent news. Maybe they can get Democratic governor and Senator also. All this need is a little organization money. I am going to contact Esteban Garces, state Director of Mi Familia Vota.
6
I hope so and in time to keep Rick Scott out of the senate and Pam Bondi fading away.
9
Yea, you rock Puerto Rico. Move to Florida. With the pretender in the white house's optics, I feel for you with all of my heart. Turn Florida blue. The great pretender is actually turning the US more blue.
11
Come on down! Bless you!
5
It's an ill wind that blows no good.
3
It is a breath of fresh air that is wiping the stale air of corruption and servitude away to be gone forever. That is good.
1
Welcome!!
5
Republican revenge is a dish that is served cold and Puerto Rican US citizens are going to serve them with gusto.
9
The native population is not voting as intended.... hmm what could we do ?
Let's just change the population then !
This is what have done the communist in France, in some cities they're in control. They've put some "legal discriminations" to prevent wealthy people (and even the middle class) to settle into the town, because they are not communist voters. Therefore only "poor" and people living from State aid are allowed to live in, to ensure the communist stay in power in their rotten town hall.
4
Your premise is almost correct but 180 degrees off. The "legal discriminations" such as voter suppression and gerrymandering have been used to prevent the will of the majority from being heard and enacted. The minority Republican party has used its power and devious methods to subjugate the majority. That worked when their numbers were close. Now watch as they become as extinct as the Dodo bird.
5
What's your point ? According to the official results Trump got 4,605,515 votes in Florida, Clinton got 4,485,745.
States like Texas, California or NY are irrelevant to compare because a republican has no interest in voting in a full blue state, as a Democrat in a red one.
So gerrymandering just didn't matter in Florida.
To conclude you are talking about "voters suppression". Can you develop that please ? Because if I remember well a democrat governor granted the right to vote to tens of thousands prisoners just before the vote, and you and I know that most of the prisoners are democrat electors. Moreover, in State like California, where Clinton made a huge score the identification requirements to cast a ballot are quite.. ridiculous.
"Let's change the population then."
What does that even mean? We can't bar people from moving. We don't have "legal discriminations." We do have some illegal discrimination, which we always try to root out, and sometimes people can't afford to live in the towns they'd like to live in because they can't afford them, but there's usually another town nearby that they can afford.
And, it's not like we're going to Puerto Rico to drag these people to Florida at gunpoint so they can vote Democratic. They're coming because their homes have been destroyed.
1
No worries. Trump will instruct ICE to make sure none of them came in illegally.
/sarcasm
3
After the Trump administration's stellar, fabulous, fantastic, beautiful and oh so timely response to their island devastated by hurricane Maria, surely these grateful U.S. citizens will want to reward the administration for their response and will tip the state's politics to...blue, as blue as the waters of the Gulf.
16
Strikes me as wishful thinking. One can only hope.
2
This Floridian is long time ready to be True Blue!
16
Trump disrespected the people of Puerto Rico and people of Latino heritage during his campaign. He was and continues to be enabled by the GOP leadership as well since they rarely disagree with his underlying bigotry towards people of other color and religions. He appears to be out to punish anyone who had wronged him hence whatever the leaders of PR did to him in the past he plans to make them atone for it. Puerto Ricans and all Latinos who reside anywhere in America need to use their vote to voice their opposition to the policies of this President and his GOP enablers.
15
Just what I was thinking. As many people in the US may not realize, these are all US citizens resettling. All they need to do to vote is register, no waiting period ( save locality)
Who do you think they’re likely to vote for?
Florida and the country will be better off.
16
New Floridians, remember all the love trump has shown toward PR. trump , his hencemen, and his seed should never be forgiven.
7
I had been thinking about this immigration from PR and its effect on FL politics. I can't wait for people to realize their power is the VOTE. Especially in a swing state. Hang on folks, it's going to be interesting. The truth about someone is how they treat you when they have nothing to gain from being kind or human. We all saw that. Loud and clear. Tossing paper towels like coins to kids. Dissing the PR mayor. The times, they are a'changing.
17
I am sure there will be a way to redistrict to minimize the Puerto Rican vote.
1
As much as I enjoy Spanish, it seems rather ignorant to run a photo with a sign in a foreign language -- any foreign language -- without a translation.
1
I'm sure the GOP will find a way to disenfranchise these voters -- raising hurdles and making false claims about voter fraud.
3
Just great. 40% of the population of Puerto Rico is collecting food stamps, 27% are on welfare, 57% are unemployed. And people think Greece is a problem. Puerto Rico makes Greece look like Emerald City. Welcome to Florida!
11
You imply that the people of Puerto Rico are inferior stock. What do you suggest, genocide by ignoring their plight? Maybe you should look deeper into their history and will see that they have been treated as a colony without self determination for centuries. We revolted against the British for that but the asymmetry is too much for them to overcome. That leads to despair and apathy. But in a twist they will now help their captors into breaking the shackles of Republican political dominance. The irony is delicious.
6
I hope the displaced Puerto Ricans who decide to make new lives on the mainland consider moving to Nashville. There is space and there are jobs, but my motive is also selfish. I'm sick to death of the closet bigots who have started to emerge like insects from their cocoons now that Trump has made overt racism and discrimination acceptable again. Perhaps having more natural born American citizens who don’t look exactly like them would be a revelation, and open their eyes to the fact that there’s a big world out there.
At the least, it would dilute the pack.
24
Any black or brown American citizen voter, any women with a functioning brain, anyone who is Puerto Rican, Jewish, Mexican, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, trans, or a member of a minority group who neglects to vote in any, every, all elections - local, statewide, national – for which he or she qualifies, deserves the consequences. Don't tweet, or exhaust yourself writing/posting angry but futile letters of reason and fact letters on social media sites: focus on the vote! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! Organize and help the elderly, ill, those wo transportation get to the polls! Elect Democrat governors, state senators and reps. No time to weep and moan; this is a truly historic tipping point in the life and future of our democracy. We must unite to protect and preserve the fundamental constitutional guarantees that have shaped and fueled the most extraordinary experiment in history: America is a symbol of society's attempt to develop and continuously refine the fairest social contract ever attempted. We are being tested and must the challenges of our time not with fear – but with calm focus, clear understanding of the violations that must be identified and destroyed, and steely determination to continue in the battle of reclaiming the best in and of us. This is a time for action.
78
'the fairest social contract'. How is allowing millions of people to be exempt from laws because of political advantage a fair social contract?
If I use a fake ID. It's a felony. File taxes and get a refund on a fake or stolen SSN. Felony. Lie about my employment eligibility. Felony.
Let alone that I am paying for increasing taxes and healthcare costs while those already here illegally, committing many of those above felonies without consequence, get free.
How is allowing blatantly difference legal and social standards according to political influence any kind of social contract outside of corrupt oligarchies?
3
Very well said! Our vote is THE single most effective weapon against the Trump insanity. Register and VOTE!
7
You lost me at "Democrat"...
Tell you what, though: instead of blaming the voters, why don't you offer us a choice that's a level above "anti-Trump."
2
Let the Democratic diaspora begin. After FL, we need to 'colonize' another state or two to end the tyrany of minority and bring back the real democracy. NC, GA, TX and AZ are all within the striking distance. Let's pick one and concentrate on it.
30
All are within striking reach. I say Arizona as the radical far right have already started their infighting in the jeff flake race. NC and ga are within spitting distance esp NC.
This will be fascinating, and keep your eyes on Anthony Kennedy and the Supreme Court.
Cross our fingers, civilized society is within realistic parameters of re-founding .
3
Have Amazon pick Pennsylvania!
1
And maybe WI, PA, and OHI too.
4
To the new Florida transplants: welcome. Please remember how you were ignored, then disrespected by Trump. Have you even seen a Democrat throwing supplies AT a crowd? No. Trump is unable to even ACT Human. He is a gross caricature of a " president ". And I do mean GROSS.
33
This is great news. People from PR are America citizens and PR is part of America. I would love them to overpower the Cuban vote. These people are a very small group that are out to prove a point and punish Cuba for takeing their property in the 50s. I am sick of hearing about Cuba, I would much rather help and hear about PR.
26
A side story headline read "half of Americans don't realize Puerto Ricans are US citizens."
I'm steeling myself for a huge backlash against PR migration to Florida. I can even see the state passing some outrageous voter registration rule, to limit the franchise of the recently arrived--as in, residency must be two years or something.
But yes, these voters have a long memory, that I would share too, if I heard the derogatory statements and "royal" behavior exhibited by Donald Trump visiting the ravaged island as if it were a foreign country, scolding those who "weren't working hard enough" to recover from one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the area.
As Manuel Lin Miranda said last night in a statement I hope gets rebroadcast whenever we need reminding of Donald Trump's unfitness for office: "I've never seen a US president blame the victims of a natural disaster...I've never seen a US president criticize the response of local officials as not doing enough to provide relief to their citizens."
Neither have we, sir. Neither have we.
44
Only if they move to red districts, we still aren't a nation that counts all votes
8
Why do Democrats always assume that Hispanics will automatically vote Democrat? Even after seeing time and time again that it is not so?
5
I am not sure saying a group leans heavily Democratic is saying ALL vote that way just a majority. The article also stated rather clearly the the Florida's Cuban population also Hispanic leans heavily Republican.
2
Will Florida really be the new home for a lot of these folks or will they move on to NYC where relatives and jobs are? Whatever, bienvenidos!
10
The PR population in Orlando is enormous.
2
Interesting development. Trump is so dumb and insensitive that he will blame someone else anyone else for migration. Like, it surely must be Hillary who caused PR debt and the hurricanes, believe me.
13
How ironic it will be if black and Puerto Rican voters end up being the ones who save America from self-destruction. The support Trump got from whites males such as myself makes me embarrassed to be white.
17
Y’all come to stay in nice RED sates were it would be possible to swing elections to Democrats. in the meantime, reconstruction BEGINS in Puerto Rico.
Can't wait! Turn Florida blue and give all the Republicans you can vote for at the local, state, and Federal level their comeuppance! They deserve it.
11
I'm not hopeful for 2018 and 2020. The Republicans will do everything possible to misinform and trick voters, suppress turnout, gerrymander, suppress registration, and most importantly, I think Trump has a war planned.
6
Hold on a minute before you get all excited.
Many of these people might not be fluent in English and might struggle to register to vote. But even if they do, who's to say they'll vote Democrat?
It may well emerge that a lot of recent-arrival Puerto Ricans hold conservative views on things like abortion and gay marriage. Many of them are Catholic, after all.
And identity politics don't work. I thought the Democrats had learned that lesson by now.
This assumption that Florida will easily swing to blue is dangerous. It's the kind of complacency that has given the Republicans more than one victory in the past.
45
That's what the GOP had said in the past about Hispanics. But now they know and admit that demonizing a group has far more effect. Hispanics will be reliably Dem for at least two generations.
BTW, what about social issues such as those the new Pope is addressing? Those align with the Dems pretty well.
3
Identity politics? Don't you realize that identity politics is what the GOP practices? They are identifying blacks, Hispanics, gays, women, liberals, as targets. They plan to grind these targets into the ground for the benefit of right-wing whites.
2
The rich will locate in Florida, the poor will stay behind and work for the 1% in the newly acquired playground for the greed club.
The Trump crowd wants that island.
1
Which is the only reason Rick Scott (a/k/a Voldemort indicted for Medicare fraud) traveled to PR. Scott is eyeing the Senate seat long held by Sen. Bill Nelson and Scott is trying to pretend that he cares to position his Senate run.
I'll be voting for Bill Nelson, a kind, generous and reasonable man who has done a great job in the Senate for all Floridians.
6
I wrote the following on the Washington Post site earlier today; I hope it'll be accepted here, again.
Let's be absolutely clear: Republicans will put every obstacle at their disposal -licit or otherwise- to prevent Puerto Ricans from voting in the United States. Every obstacle.
And they won't care if you know it, because John Roberts & Co. have their backs.
10
Since we're on the topic of the possible future electoral impact of the crisis in Puerto Rico:
Just received a message from Our Revolution, the Bernie Sanders group. National Nurses United, the union at the forefront of Universal Health Care, has sent fifty volunteer nurses to Puerto Rico to assess and correct a looming health crisis. It's nice to know that my donation does double duty: to help, and to organize.
10
Charlie Crist, then a Republican easily won (7 points and 350,000 votes) the Governorship in 2006 in a horrible year for the party. Let's see who the parties nominate. Also, in an off-year election, turnout is higher for Republicans.
1
In off year elections turn is out is higher for the party not in power.
3
Puerto Rico needs to be taken care of. Puerto Rico should have become our 51st state. People must open hearts & minds to empathic responses to helping Puerto Rico. Yes the author of "Hamilton" wrote a song but others must express concern Playwright Dr. Myers of St John's University & The playwrights Sanctuary is helping younger & new dramatists assemble their urban scrawl
into viable stage statements. Myers penned "Puerto Rico Magick." This isn't puff just news.
Actually, things are going well in Puerto Rico per Geraldo Rivera. It’s amazing that there was relatively low loss of life in a Cat 5 storm. Products are finally being distributed despite Puerto Rico’s local inability to move them.
What worries me is that Puerto Rico will be no more with everyone leaving. 20 years ago I went in high school and it seemed like an island paradise. However, a recent visit made me feel as if I’m in the most dangerous parts of the Bronx. New Yorkers who “fled” PR for the mainland tell me it has become more poor over the past 2 decades. Now, it will become more desolate.
If they don’t want statehood, that’s fine with them and that’s fine with most Americans. Native PR call themselves being from their own “country.” Let’s keep it that way and honor their wishes. But they can’t have their cake and eat it too.
2
Puerto Rico could be wonderful if gas, water, sewer, and electricity utilities were efficiently managed.
Hopefully Mr. Trump arrogance, narcissism and one level thinking catches up with him with a 2020 loss of Florida in the next Presidential election [If he is still in office].
Unlike others he assails, Puerto Ricans are American citizens, who can vote in any state they establish residency. Also, much as Trump and supporters may wish, Puerto Ricans cannot be rounded up by ICE and thrown out of this country. The expected Puerto Rican diaspora will have electoral consequences on key states like Florida.
If that happens, Trump will have no one else to blame but himself.
Afterall, Mr. Trump caters only to his supporters and NO ONE ELSE. In this case his cavalier treatment of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria will have consequences for Mr. Trump and the GOP for years to come. No amount of tweeting and yelling "Fake News" will wipe out the memories of Puerto Ricans who face the "True" aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
4
They will have to work and finally start paying federal taxes.
3
They have been working and have been paying taxes. Puerto Rico has a "mirror" income tax code. Look it up.
What about all those white people on farm welfare entitlements?
8
Trump wasn't just tossing those rolls of paper towels to Puerto Ricans. If you watch carefully, he watch actually doing a basketball jump shot with back spin and everything. He was bored and inside he was thinking, still got the old Bob Cousy stroke. All about Trump - you can't go wrong with that analysis.
2
OK, let's watch: by the end of the weekend, the talking point among Republicans will be that we must held the poor people of Peurto Rico so that they can return home as soon as possible.
1
Mueller will take care of Trump, but in case Teflon Don does run in 2020 I can see a life size cut out of Trump on the stage being barraged by Puerto Ricans - now Floridians - throwing paper towels at him. The optics, unlike Trump throwing, would be great.
3
The GOP has significantly rigged our election system, so I'm afraid it would take one heck of a lot of Puerto Ricans to make a difference. We're basically one Party rule now, and given all the money in politics, gerrymandering, voter suppression, right wing media, and outside interference, doesn't look like there's much chance of restoring free and fair elections any time soon. Two presidential elections in less than 20 years have been highly questionable in terms of legitimacy. I'm kind of losing confidence in the system, and questioning whether democracy will even remain viable in this country.
2
I suspect that by the next national election, the GOP controlled state government will make it easier in certain counties to find family-planning clinics than polling places. The usual fake warnings that immigration officers will be out in force is useless, but the gun groups will certainly be concerned about "public safety."
1
If this should occur and FL could swing to be reliably a Blue state, then to quote Mr Trump - but in this case with a bit of logic - Puerto Ricans would truly have something to be proud of.
3
I hope all Puerto Ricans are warmly welcomed. I also hope they remember how Republican President Trump ignored their needs, belittled their leaders trying to cope with an overwhelming tragedy, and insulted the entire nation with that juvenile scene when he threw rolls of paper towels into a crowd. Despicable! Come to U.S.A. mainland and register your displeasure through the ballot box.
3
Does EVERYTHING have to be politicized? Regardless, it's not like the demographics of FL will remain constant while it absorbs these Puerto Ricans. People move in, people move out.
2
Florida is the ultimate swing state (Trump won by 120K votes last year, but Obama won by 74K in 2012 and 236K in 2008), so additional Puerto Rican immigration could have a very big impact. Moreover, the Hispanic vote in South Florida is growing organically, but older Cuban Americans who reliably vote Republican are being replaced by younger Latino voters (from a variety of countries) who trend Democrat. At the same time, as the Republicans have become the anti-immigrant party, these younger Hispanics have a big incentive to vote against them. I would think that any Republican strategist or politician would be paying attention to these trends.
3
The trickle out and brain drain was happening anyway, but Maria is going to open the floodgates. The refusal of Congress to address the island's financial crisis was going to drive out many as is. While I expect many to go to the usual suspect states (FL, NY, MA, CT), I would propose an alternative group of destinations, that ultimately would do far more good for the island.
As a community, move in large numbers to the contracting towns or other cities of the Rust Belt. A pocket of 50K more progressive voters in MI, WI, and OH will do far more to shape the country than in FL or other destinations.
As a final point, there is a deeply ugly truth regarding Maria. In light of climate change, and the likely future of Puerto Rico, we need to ask if those funds are better spent on Puerto Ricans in exile than on the island. There is not a good future for the entire Gulf Coast and Caribbean, and we should ask if the ugly choice is the good choice.
All people, including those from Puerto Rico, want to move where they are free, and unregulated, to fully live the life they choose, and they want the opportunity to work and live a full life. The want to keep more of their hard earned wages, instead of having them confiscated from high taxes and decide for themselves and their family how to spend it. They want the freedom to educate their children in public, parochial or private schools that honor their principles. That is why they will move to Florida and Texas and not to New York or California.
1
Hi Toni:
Ah, Florida and Texas, where people are free from too much regulation and taxation. Didn’t they suffer from a couple of big hurricanes recently? Aren’t federal dollars, including my tax dollars, flowing into these states to help with recovery and rebuilding? I’m okay with my federal taxes going to this rebuilding (this time) because we are one nation, despite our differences. However, I also recognize that those states were reckless in allowing unfettered building on flood plains and in areas prone to storm surge, because of the “free, and unregulated” life you’re touting. Are people in other states expected to pay for this again in the future, because you want a federal tax break, don’t have a state income tax at all, and think being irresponsible is the same as being free?
1
I prefer my clean air and water. I like Medicare and Social Security so that in my retirement I don't have to worry. I like public schools with aggressive curricula that would give the US a chance to get our international PISA test scores out of the category we currently occupy, which is that of a third world country. And, maybe if we did that, we could stop our H1B visa program because our own citizens would be educated enough to take the jobs educated foreigners are taking now. Speaking of third world countries, I'd like a health care system that has better than third world maternal mortality rates.
But hey, if you want to go back to life like it was in the time of Jesus, that's what's the voting booth is for. But your description of what "all people want" is incorrect. We'll see who wins next time.
I have faith in the Republican Party, which has probably begun to develop a legal strategy to require these citizens to cast absentee ballots in Puerto Rico.
2
Ironic, isn't it? Trump and the GOP are reacting slowly, in comparison to their response to the Texas and Florida hurricanes. If they responded with empathy and compassion, folks would stay in PR and not shift the balance in Florida.
The chicken comes home to roost!
4
If Rick Scott runs I want to make the political add that shows him praising all things Trump followed up with the image of Trump throwing paper towels to Puerto Ricans in need of electricity and water.
4
Puerto Rican voters have completely bankrupted the government there and made a shambles of self-government and government services. Florida has one of the best financial positions of all the states. I guess we will find out if they have learned anything from their experience.
2
Congress bankrupted Puerto Rico when it repealed the possessions tax credit of former Internal Revenue Code § 936.
American voters, on the other hand, bankrupt cities with unaffordable police pensions. See Stockton, California and Dallas, Texas.
6
Actually the Carter administration who put 936 on the books is to blame. Why should PR companies get away with not paying federal taxes ? Just led to even more of a welfare state.
1
I have faith in Puerto Rico.
The Island will be rebuild bigger and better then ever.
If I had money I'd be looking for property there right now.
As for Florida and NY getting an influx of Puerto Ricans, its cool. We'll barely notice them., except at the voting booth I hope.
1
Maybe democratic donors should contribute directly to some hurricane assistance fund that goes directly in displaced people's pocket as opposed to blind advertising. Something to remember democrats by ;).
2
The next iteration of the travel ban will include residents of Puerto Rico.
2
Yes, and when Puerto Ricans who have been disrespected, racially scorned and in a high number of cases left to die, orchestrated by fake President Trump - their sheer numeric exodus from their homeland will empower them to vote dynamically against Trump, et al, impacting the delicate balance in strategic territories, karmically dismantling the virus, its fearful conformists, prayerfully reversing the madness. ..unless democrats continue to divide over antiquated alt white rhetoric. In which case, we are doomed.
What? The rolls of Bounty Towels aren't going to keep them on the Island? Who could have imagined?
4
There are 2 ways to look at Puerto Rico (PR). One is exodus to Florida, a movement from frying pan to fire from one hurricane prone island to another hurricane prone state in the USA, Second is an opportunity to rebuild the once shinning star of the Caribbean, PR with concrete and steel that can withstand future hurricanes like Maria. Florida has become expensive and crowded and PR could become a place to invest and own mansions and villas for those planning retirement in affordable luxury. If I was a real estate investor, I would invest in PR and attract a reverse exodus from Florida to PR. With regard to remaking of Florida politics, the assumption that the swing state will turn blue because of the influx of Hispanics from PR to Florida is unpredictable. There is a good reason why there is a Republican in the white house, a Republican as governor and a Republican senator. Hispanics want what rest of America wants, jobs, lower taxes, sunshine, good health and if they feel that the Republicans would ensure that then they are not going to be content on being a permanent vote bank for the democrats, the very same party that ran PR's economy into the ground with poor management and corruption. Democrats could in elections to come have an uphill battle to retake the white house based on their belief that they have a secure vote bank in African Americans and Hispanics. This complacency will only promote more books that will propose biased convoluted theories of "What happened"
1
In the 1980s (and perhaps continuing), Puerto Rico had a tax relief program for investors. The Palmas del Mar resort in Humacao catered to these investors. If investors purchased a condominium in the gated community of Palmas del Mar (or similar resort) and agreed to live their for six months of every year, they were exempt from Puerto Rico Income Tax.
At that time, Caribbean Business newspaper ran a story about a woman who had established a cosmetics factory in Puerto Rico, lived in Palmas, and enjoyed this program. I recognized her once in my local supermarket.
When I grew up in the South Bronx in New York in the late 1940s and 1950s I lived in neighborhoods that had many Puerto Ricans. My two best friends were Puerto Rican brothers who taught me to speak Spanish fluently by age 4. Now I live in Florida and I hope the state is swamped with Puerto Ricans! The Republicans better duck and cover because there is a tidal wave of anger coming their way! Trump sealed the deal when he trashed the mayor who was chest deep in water helping others. I hope this exodus continues! God bless Puerto Rican citizens...citizens of the United States of America who vote!
8
That mayor was a liar. Funny how every presser she held, she was clean, fresh makeup, clean clothes ect. Yet she was claiming there was not even water available. The best was when she showed up on camera with custom printed shirts disparaging the president ......I guess no water, no power and people dying everywhere did not prevent the Tshirt shop from opening for business.
She is a typical politician.
I welcome all Puerto Ricans to come to the US mainland so their vote means something. It’s also a way to escape the island’s debt. Welcome people of PR!
3
Yes, a way for PR to escape the responsibility for their spending. Sounds just like a democrat, force others to pay for your choices.
1
Well, Tom, I'm going to have to pay for Houston's poor land planning and lack of zoning regulations. Maybe if you people had spent some money on that I wouldn't have to bail you out now.
Puerto Ricans are citizens and deserve the right to vote. How sad that they have to move to the mainland to exercise that right because the US refuses to grant them statehood even though they number in the millions and have served in our military for generations.
Our president has treated them horribly during this tragedy. I find it especially galling after Puerto Rico rushed to help the Virgin Islands when they were devastated by hurricanes. Too be abandoned after rushing to the aid of others is the ultimate betrayal by the government.
Thoughts and prayers as the people of Puerto Rico rebuild here and back home.
6
they don want statehood and the tax requirements that accompany it. They have voted it down several times in my lifetime. At the same time the majority is on the US dole.
1
Puerto Ricans, come on over!!! Move anywhere in the state you wish and let's get some of the red out of this purple state. If not, time to either pursue massive GOTV endeavors here in south Florida or seriously consider splitting the state in two. Sick of us 5.7 million people down here in SE Florida alone (3 hugely populated counties!) having almost no say in state government for so long. We are a huge, diverse, and deep, deep blue population governed by the far right for the past two decades.
3
If the Puerto Ricans flip Florida to blue, at least in Presidential elections, the Dems will start with Florida, New York, and California in the bag.
How could a Republican win in that circumstance?
3
Since the current Republican Party doesn't deserve election to any level of government, that would be the best news in a long time.
3
At a White House celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month last Friday, Trump repeatedly mimicked with an exaggerated accent how an Hispanic person would say "Puerto Rico." We have seen this behavior before, as when he mocked a disabled reporter during the campaign.
Although Trump's mocking of Hispanic accents pales in comparison to his lack of energy and leadership in tackling Puerto Rico's continuing lack of power and potable water, it speaks volumes about his lack of respect for Hispanic people and Puerto Rico. I am horrified on a daily basis that this man is in the White House.
12
Trump's brain and he do not think months or years ahead. He's a short term person who mouths off day-to-day on the events on hand, and doesn't think of the consequences. And of course, he likes to speak on his own, usually veering off course from the written script of his own "team".
Continue on Mr. President. By the time your first year anniversary comes along, there will be hardly anyone left to aggravate. Of course, there are those hardened Republicans who see Trump as someone who never can do anything wrong.
12
After Trump's hurricane treatment of Puerto Rico, and by the GOP refinancing of Puerto Rico via DC, both Scott and Rubio also need an attitude change and need to be ousted in in the state of FL. Also, in FL it will be easier for Puerto Ricans to have their civil rights protected than in Puerto Rico.
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The Republican Party better get started early on their Florida voter suppression efforts if they want to continue hijacking the final vote results.
C'mon, GOP, get to work !
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No worries there. With a sharply divided Democratic Party and the re-election fundraising already under way for the Donald, his second term is all but guaranteed
Everyone should leave PR. This will nullify the sovereign debt. Give the island to the UN to serve as "refugee nation".
Done, done, and done!
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As the article states, the exodus of a talented workforce out of PR began long before Maria; the pace of that migration will only hasten once people can get off the island. Meanwhile, many, many thousands of talented and educated Syrians, experienced in everything from medicine to construction, are dying for a new home. I'm sure a Syrian would trade living in a tent city with bombs exploding overhead, for a temporary tent city in PR with hope for a better life in a new place. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation if we could get those Syrians over to PR? Something for the governments around the world (maybe the UN) to think about...? Unfortunately, withe the recent news of hurricanes, shootings, North Korea, etc., the Syrian humanitarian crisis has become yesterday's news.
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Typical use of 'pseudonym' - calling a colony a territory so we dont feel as bad about it. Similar to Algeria and France, where for all effective purposes it was a 'colony'' but they called it a province.
Great idea - everyone IS a US citizen; move to the mainland, get jobs or welfare BUT settle in a RED or red> purple state to swing it blue.
Let the island chain remain as a barrier to storms aimed at east Florida.
How many Puerto Ricans would like to actually have a vote that could impact US politics?
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Florida has 29 electoral votes and its a swing state. It decided the 2000 election so yes, they can make an impact.
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all of them.
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as i read this article i ca sense a shift in the GOP position on climate change ....
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Not really. They are ahead of the curve and planning for those chosen states to sink....
To Puerto Rican CITIZENS, don't forget to kick Scott out!
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I am from the other coast, another state with lots of palm trees (they grow like weeds here). Clue me in on Florida politics and Scott. Was it just his response to the hurricane this year that annoyed you or has he been annoying in other ways?
Rick Scott...
Made his fortune by stealing from Medicare. His company, HCA, paid $1.7 billion in fines for that. And then threw low-level employees under the bus to protect the CEO.
He rejected the AVA Medicaid expansion.
He has gutted public education by lavishly funding charter schools and school vouchers.
He has gutted environmental laws.
He has gutted land-use laws.
He gutted gun-control laws.
He has given the utilities carte blanche in ripping off their customers.
And that's just for starters.
7
As a Floridian, the idea of more and more Puerto Rican Americans coming to live here is a wonderful thing. Florida will and does love you. And quite frankly, we need you ... your kindness, family orientation, your moral fiber... I've been to your island many times and was appalled at how your were treated. We need your help to rectify our embarrassment and politics. You are very welcomed here. Together, we can make America great again.
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Indeed, together we can all make America great again
Your sentiments restore my faith in humankind.
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How they were treated ? They did that to themselves by electing leaders who ran their economy into the ground.
In addition to Florida, Puerto Ricans might want to consider moving to (and voting in) Arizona, Nevada and Texas. Their numbers are sufficient to tip these purple or close-to-purple states. I'd like to see the Democratic state parties work on providing a welcome.
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Yeah, maybe Alaska, the Dakotas or Idaho.
Better yet, maybe the person who wrote that suggestion should move there.
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Texas, lol, Let them move into the metro areas that are already blue. They will have no affect.
The irony is palpable. Bet the GOP suddenly gets the infrastructure back up.
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Given how expert Republicans have become in electorate management, I doubt that they will find an influx of Puerto Rican s to be a problem. Indeed, given many people may have lost documents supporting identity or citizenship, it won't be difficult to keep them off the voter rolls.
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They can request new birth certificates from either local or central offices of vital registration.
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Good luck wid dat, those offices are run by republicons in Florida.
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True however, Puerto Ricans are resourceful and motivated.
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Every year the media and Dems cheer lead this great Latino wave and every year it disappoints, most famously in 2016. What analysts seem to forget is that when there's an influx of people, newcomers, people tend to notice. They notice the crowded roads, schools and hospitals. They notice the foreign tongues and get annoyed. The electorate isn't static, Trump won on the strength of people who voted for Obama or nominally considered themselves Democrat.
Finally there was an article in a Florida paper this week that pointed out the retirees that are swarming into Florida, many of whom support Trump. Nothing is certain.
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Will retirees be swarming to vote for a Republican party that just voted to cut $450 billion from Medicare in order to pay to tax cuts for billionaires?
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My 89 year old mother broke leg and had to live in assisted living until she could walk again. Four months in assisted living. I talked to many of the other very old people living there while visiting mom. I was surprised that the non-senile ones like mom were all anti-Trump because he was attacking their medical care. This is supposedly the GOP cohort. Or maybe I should say was.
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Take a look at AARP recommendations. What does the Republican party really offer retirees--or their children? Health care? Social Security? Economic security? Education? Peace? A planet we can live on? My mother, a 93-year-old Republican, LOVES Medicare. Watch out.
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The visual of trump throwing paper towels to those affected by Maria in PR was a horrendous optic event. I will never forget that and in 2018 and 2020 will make sure my vote goes Democrat. Republicans show not compassion or sympathy to those in need. Puerto Ricans in Florida need to register and vote.
Like the late Benjamin Cole, mayor of Mayaguez once said...
FUEGO POPULAR! Democrats, Boricuas need to not forget how insensitive this president was those affected by Maria.
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I wonder if those paper towels were Sparkle or Brawny (both Koch Industries brands).
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And this exodus is not only confined to Florida. New York City, with its long-standing and sizeable Puerto Rican community is sure to see a surge as Puerto Ricans flee an island left barely habitable after recent hurricane activity.
This is most certainly something Donald Trump might want to keep in mind the next time he wants to insult the Mayor of San Juan, and start throwing paper towels around.
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The island was inhabitable before the storm. Have you been there recently? The crime, poverty and decay make it look like a Carribean Bronx. Heck, the Bronx is better which explains why there are so many Puerto Rican’s living there.
@John
Let's be clear about this.
It may have been inhabitable by YOUR standards, but that's certainly no way to judge an entire people and culture.
2
Writing from Kew Gardens here, where Trump grew up -- Trump hates NYC, and other than Rudy Giuliiani and lot of people in south Staten Island, NYC hates Trump. I've met older people who knew Trump as a teenager. What they have to say about him is unflattering, to put it mildly. And then all of Trump's "sharp" business practices have been the talk of the town for years. Only utter fools do business with Trump on any basis other than cash up front -- and think three times about that.
Brooklyn went for HRC over Trump by more than 4:1. Queens over 3:1. Manhattan 9:1. Staten Island was 74: 101. -- Trump won Staten Island.
I attribute this to more than just Republicanism -- Trump never did business in Staten Island -- many there hadn't seen up-front and personal who he is.
But as one contemplates that -- Dan Donovan beat the Democrat 2:1 in the same election in a congressional district that is SI + a small chunk of Brooklyn, that leans Democratic. Think about that. Donovan had two things going for him -- he was the prosecutor who wouldn't prosecute in the Garner choking case ... and he isn't Trump. He doesn't have the Billy Bush tapes, no history of bad-boy behavior in the city. But he ran as a total Trump toadie.
A LOT of Staten Islanders voted for Donovan who didn't vote for Trump. Even on SI there are a lot of Republicans who wouldn't vote for the groper.
Trump knows NYC loathes him, and it's mutual.
1
Turning Florida from purple to blue would be a silver lining in the Maria disaster.
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And it might also be a great thing for Puerto Rico.
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I have always thought of the Cubans' attempts to bend US foreign policy to their will to be unhelpful at best. And there have been several occasions over the past 6 decades when that's turned into outright treason. A voting block that could serve as a counterweight to that, a group of people with no loyalty to a foreign country? That would definitely help Make America Great Again.
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What foreign country? They're citizens.
1
Hey, Donald Trump -
Words have power. And consequences.
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So, would Trump disparage Florida as he has Puerto Rico?
Just askin'...
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Mar-a-Lago is there. That and NYC have been a gold mine for him. Would he soil his own nest? Er, to answer my own question: yes, he would. He has ego problems that interfere with good judgment.
4
Oh yes, he will turn on a dime to soothe his frayed ego as he fails to see it thru!
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Rick Scott is not up for re-election next year, having already been elected twice as Governor. He might however seek to unseat Sen. Bill Nelson. All the more reason to register new Democrats.
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Sorry to disappoint you, but, Gov. Scott is well aware of his current position and his future plans, so he is doing whatever he can to assist. I am sure the new residents if they choose to participate in an off-year election, will be kind to the Gov. on election day if he does a good job with assisting the residents.
Wow, I really need to read up on Rick Scott. I am not feeling a lot of love for Scott coming from Florida comments here.
1
Rick Scott cannot run for reelection as governor of Florida due to term limits. However, he has his eye on the Senate seat currently held by Bill Nelson which is going to be contested in 2018. Needless to say, with Scott's deep pockets and money from the usual suspects (e.g. the Kochs), it's going to be a close race.
As for the prospective arrival of more residents from Puerto Rico, I say "bienvenidos!" I live in South Florida and welcome our fellow citizens who are also Latinos!
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I think Mr. Trump's attitude and comments will be remembered as they support the Democratic candidates.
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Would be ironic if climate-denying Republicans ended up with the short end of the stick in Florida after ignoring Puerto Rico's plight for the first critical week after Maria hit.
Where are the democrats and progressives to welcome these new voters with open arms I ask. Time to dig into a fresh group of people looking to integrate themselves further into this country - let's give them a roadmap since we know the Right will be looking to give them a closed door.
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Do you know for a fact that the "democrats and progressives" are not already there welcoming the new arrivals and helping them find shelter and resources and get signed up for whatever assistance to which as American citizens they are entitled? If not, then why did you imply that - somehow - effort is lacking. Tsk tsk.
25
Ms. Newton, you may have interpreted Nick correctly, or maybe not. It sounds to me like Nick is exhorting democrats and progressives to seek new voters among the Puerto Ricans who've been drive from their homes by Trump's alleged Chinese hoax. While it's perhaps blunt, I think that's sound advice 8^).
1
It would be the height of irony if Maria and Trump's awful response to it ended up shifting Florida back to the Democrats. And very fitting, as the callous response of Trump's level of offensiveness to Puerto Ricans escapes mere words.
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It was well-known that BEFORE the storm, P.R. was practically bankrupt.
There's no reason to believe that anything will change -- once a bankrupt, always a bankrupt.
It will become known as the "paper towel toss" effect!
1
For the next 20 years during campaigns Democrats should run video of the Fake *president 45 tossing out rolls of paper towels to Maria victims in San Juan and making that nasty face while turning back on the Mayor of San Juan as she was speaking to him.
2
There has been an exodus from Puerto Rico for a couple of decades now. During the past several years nearly a million Puerto Ricans moved to Florida because of their bankrupt economy.
I live in what is basically an enclave. Every sign is in Spanish. The local radio station plays salsa. My next door neighbors speak virtually no English.
I'm not complaining. I love being surrounded by a different culture. It makes life more interesting.
But the idea of a huge demographic shift--that has already been going on for years.
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Unfortunately, all the indicators are that Puerto Ricans are unlikely to vote in any sizeable number.
1
We will not know how many consequences of this severe hurricane season play out, until they do. There are likely to be consequences we cannot see now -- or at least ones that people will deny because they really do not want to see.
Florida has been very near a demographic tip anyway -- Obama won it both elections, HRC lost it narrowly to Trump. While 100,000 people is not insignificant, other impacts on migration into the state may end up being more important.
The state to watch is Texas. If Texas becomes a "purple" state the national power of Republicans is in peril; if Texas turns reliably "blue" then the GOP as it exists now is doomed as a national party.
The demographics were trending that way, and the impacts of Harvey may accelerate that too.
And folks ... this is a rough hurricane year for the south coastal US ... but there isn't anything "special" about this year. In the next decade there are sure to be more hurricanes coming ashore. The demographics of the coastal Gulf and Atlantic states will be affected -- crazy to pretend they won't.
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I expect Texas to turn within 20 years, possibly less. Arizona, too. I also expect a lot more than 100,000 Puerto Ricans to relocate to the U.S. Nothing will be done to ease the debt situation, and the stingy GOP does NOT want to give aid to do the massive rebuilding of territories they appear to believe are inhabited by "foreigners" - not U.S. citizens. We can expect more and larger storms as global warm continues to increase, so it may be the wisest thing, as painful as it is, to just abandon some areas and relocate people en masse to the mainland. But whether the government organizes it or not, they will come. There is nothing to stop them - they are U.S. citizens and have all the constitutional rights that mainlanders do.
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Why should anything be done? They made a mess. I'm not sure why taxpayers should be bailing them out. There is no economy there. In fact I question why a third world country should be part of the United States to begin with.
1
It wasn't up to the Puerto Ricans in the first place. The island was seized by the US Navy during the Spanish-American and kept as part of the treaty ending the war.
6