Donald Trump has a huge problem with people of color. He has no empathy for any of them, stealing legal refugee children from their mothers or fathers and caging them. His administration was surprised that anyone wanted to return them to their parents. That was why they did not set up a tracking system. One of the worst hurricanes in history, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and Trump’s idea of support was tossing paper towels into the crowd. Now, he has done something worse.
It was not bad enough that Hurricane Maria ravaged the beautiful island, Donald Trump has decided to cut Puerto Ricans’ food-stamp aid program. The island has no elected officials, so even though the hurricane caused undue burden upon the people’s finances, POTUS has arbitrarily sliced away their program, leaving people worse than destitute.
The president asked his top advisers to look for ways of cutting federal support to Puerto Rico, saying that the money should say on the mainland instead. He asked them how much the island received and vowed to not approve any more funds. Congress did not reauthorize their additional food-stamp aid program of March 1.
Earlier Trump said that he could take money from Puerto Rico to finance his fantasy wall along America’s southern border. One of his top administrators said:
‘He doesn’t want another single dollar going to the island.’
Hurricane Maria hit the Casa Ismael clinic. Now the building still has missing tiles and other damage, but it continues. Clinic administrator Myma Izquierdo said:
‘We just don’t have the money right now. It’s very hard. It is so unfair. That cut is going to kill us.’
Food supplier for Agranel Felix Aponte Lopez said:
‘It helps not only these poor communities but injects the economy with money to start running. It helps the trucker who moves the food, the janitor who cleans the store, the guy who fixes the refrigerator where the food is stored. It’s had a very positive domino effect.’
Unfortunately, the additional food-stamp dollars are gone. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselio said:
‘The problems of Puerto Rico have a root-cause problem attached to it: We don’t have political power and are not treated as equal citizens. Maria has crystallized and enhanced this sense of powerlessness.’
Rivera Morales sat in the San Juan office of the Families Department where the food-stamp program originates:
‘Everything goes up. Nothing goes down. Yes, I’m very worried.’
Rafael Veles, 82, sat across from her. He had been waiting for two hours to find out how badly the cuts would affect him and his wife of 56 years. She has Alzheimer’s disease and must wear adult diapers. They cost $16 per package, but now he will not be able to afford them.
‘It’s too little for our expenses. I have to change her diapers often, and the money is not enough to pay for the Pampers. Sometimes, I have to change her five times a day. It’s not enough.’
Another woman’s benefits were also cut in half. Cecilia Estrada, 88, worries about buying milk for $5 a gallon:
‘I am buying only a few things, trying to make sure I don’t spend more than I have.’
Amadita Jimenez Gutierrez, 63, said that she could not pay rent to the point she was afraid of eviction. Trump’s cuts meant that her income was halved. Now, she must live on $115 for food per month and her cash income dropped from $40 to $20. She said:
“We will buy less and eat less.’
