Meanwhile, Down In Puerto Rico

Trump lifts the Jones Act, which normally restricts shipping between US ports to US run ships. More eligible ships means more humanitarian relief? Well, maybe - per Laura Blewitt of Bloomberg, the main harbor has become a choke point:

Mountains of Aid Are Languishing on the Docks in Puerto Rico

Thousands of cargo containers bearing millions of emergency meals and other relief supplies have been piling up on San Juan’s docks since Saturday. The mountains of materiel may not reach storm survivors for days. 

Distributors for big-box companies and smaller retailers are unloading 4,000 20-foot containers full of necessities like food, water and soap this week at a dock in Puerto Rico’s capital operated by Crowley Maritime Corp. In the past few days, Tote Maritime’s terminal has taken the equivalent of almost 3,000. Even with moves to ease shipping to the island, like the Trump administration’s waiver of the Jones Act on Thursday, the facilities have become choke points in the effort to aid survivors of Hurricane Maria.

“There are plenty of ships and plenty of cargo to come into the island,” said Mark Miller, a spokesman for Crowley, based in Jacksonville, Florida. “From there, that’s where the supply chain breaks down -- getting the goods from the port to the people on the island who need them.”

Big skip and...

Trucks are ready to be loaded with the goods and precious diesel for backup generators, but workers aren’t around to drive. Instead, they’re caring for families and cleaning up flood damage -- and contending with the curfew.

The buildings that would receive supplies are destroyed and without electricity, Miller said. The transport companies that have staff available and diesel on hand encounter downed poles and power lines while navigating 80,000-pound tractor-trailers on delicate washed-out roads.

“It’s one thing to move a little car through there,” Miller said. “It’s another to move a semi truck.”

I know what you're thinking - there's one group that routinely supplies remote and devastated areas:

Russel L. Honore, a retired Army lieutenant general who took over the federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said the efforts in Puerto Rico require what he called "expeditionary logistics" -- ships, aircraft and trucks that can move goods onto and around the island.

"The only people with that are the U.S. military," Honore said in a phone interview Wednesday. "We need a military commander to run it."

And some military is there:

Federal aid is beginning to flow, with Marines and Seabee engineers assessing damage and clearing roads. In addition to activation of 1,460 members of the National Guard, the governors of New York and New Jersey are sending emergency teams. 

Doesn't sound like enough.

Comments

[maryrose]

It will be enough, but many will relocate and stay in Ft. Lauterdale if their home has been completely destroyed,

[maryrose]

A big cruise ship is there now to remove residents to safety.

[maryrose]

Tax cuts got a lot of play on major networks including CNBC.
However Meeks and Joe were highlighting Q poll of President Trump.
They try to defeat him every day but end up looking like asshats.
I think they follow Hillary's lead.

[Buford Gooch]

Maryrose, they look like asshats because they are asshats. Trying to defeat Trump every day didn't cause it.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Hillary attracts asshats.

[henry]

OK, so Trump sends in military logistics and Geraldo starts producing the "they're rounding everyone up in camps!!!eleventy!!!" segments.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

henry,

I am absolutely horrified by Gerlaldo's reports. He is absolutely making up lies in order to push that Katrina agenda. When he comes on I mute my live feed. I already have sent Rox a tweet about this, but apparently they want the drama, even if it is made-up.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Speaking of Geraldo and other lying reporters:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-27/feeling-bern-wasington-dc-dominates-new-std-capita-rankings-cdc

[Buford Gooch]

If I were in the position of those in Puerto Rico, I would like the idea of being rounded up and put in a camp. Dry, food to eat, protection. Sounds pretty good.

[narciso./]

Can we stuff Gerald in the crate, and lose it like at the end of raiders.

[common man]

Meanwhile the 2 Q GDP has its final revision, upward, and now shows 3.1% growth. I would say wrecking job killing regulation and jawboning for jobs to stay in USA has already had some positive effect. What say you?

[Buckeye]

I once drove from San Juan to Ponce (across the island). As I recall, not much of anything in the interior of the island, so transmission lines are likely mostly on the coast.

No surprise that there is no juice.

[DebinGA]

Where are the Puerto Ricans on the cruise ship being deposited? If PR is anything like Haiti, showing initiative isn't a cultural norm. Hubs and 4 church members spent several hrs. stopped on a Haitian road last May because a truck ahead had broken down, and none of the many males surrounding it and blocking traffic felt moved to expend the minimal energy required to move it onto the shoulder.

[common man]

Reports I am hearing is its not the transmission lines, although they are down in a lot of places, but the generation facilities are torn up. Much of the system has been beggared for years, and spit, prayer and bailing wire held it together. None of that was any match for an almost Cat 5 hurricane.

[Buckeye]

Only time I have seen Islanders expend much energy is when there is an opportunity to shake down some gringo tourists.

[henry]

Write reference for kiddie porn convict on state letterhead, qualifies you to run against Walker.

The Dems have a thin bench here these days.

[jimmyk]

Deb, it's funny should mention that. Just an anecdote, but we had exactly the opposite experience in PR. We drove into the rain forest, and when I pulled over to park the car there was some deep mud and the car was stuck. A bunch of people stopped to help, and one had a pick-up truck and a rope, and pulled the car out. But for that we probably would have been stuck for hours waiting for a tow service.

[Buckeye]

During Obama admin, numbers revised down.

During Trump admin, need to be revised up.

Pretty much tells you what you need to know about lying Uniparty apparatchik.

[Jim Eagle]

Buckeye,

Interior is mostly agriculture and hilly but some light industry like in Cidra. Roads not up to par with our rural roads. Without major arteries like Rt. 18 and Rt. 52 obstructed it will take some time to get to interior. Most of industry especially pharma and petro chem is coastal. Lot of pharm plants in PR because of special tax treatment. I think a number of them have shut down in last few years. Quality control issues.

We built a big Pharma in Barceloneta on the northwest coast and a big petro-chem for Union Carbide in Ponce. Have no idea how they have fared. But Ponce was self-sufficient if the grid went down. Don't know their raw petro supply storage so most likely not operating.

[DebinGA]

Good to hear that, Jimmy. The Catholic influence in PR likely makes a big difference.

[common man]

Vinehout certainly looks like a winner to me. Dont know where Alma is, but maybe she is a sacrificial lamb who would not have been reelected anyway? Sheesh, the Democrats in Wisconsin have some mean looking women as officeholder. Klopenstein is actually better looking...

[henry]

Alma? out amongst the dairy cows.

[Buckeye]

JiB

I was there early 80s for an automation project at a J&J plant if memory serves me.

[Buckeye]

Speaking of hurricane cleanup, about every third home here on Seabrook Island has a handyman truck parked in the driveway. Lots of flooding cleanup and repairs being made.

Dunes suffered quite a bit of erosion and more than half the boardwalks need repair, but beaches still accessible and pleasant.

Weather has been perfect, high 80s and sunny.

Wish I could say it has helped my golf game, Jr. and Buckeyette have spanked me good:)

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/09/28/maganomics-adjusted-final-2nd-quarter-gdp-reflects-3-1-growth/

Good stuff in the comments, too.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/magazine/donald-trump-jrs-great-escape.html

===============================

This article proves that if reporters want to investigate something, they actually know how.

Donald Trump Jr. on a hunting trip? No problem finding out where and what he was hunting.

Awan brothers stealing state secrets? Too hard. We don't know how to do that.

[Jim Eagle]

One of the comments at MM's 12:32 CTH link:

ElGato says:
September 28, 2017 at 12:17 pm
“ … when somebody says, like the person you just mentioned who I’m not going to advertise for, that he’s going to bring all these jobs back, well how exactly are you going to do that? What are you going to do?”

“There’s — there’s no answer to it,” Obama said.

“He just says, ‘Well, I’m going to negotiate a better deal.’ Well, how — what — how exactly are you going to negotiate that? What magic wand do you have? And usually, the answer is he doesn’t have an answer,” he continued.

What a doofus Zero is. I am surprised he can tie his own shoes. Smarmy, unknowlegeable and completely "unwoke".

[Jane (Stand against the Coup)]

This is what Amy's kids have been doing:

https://hayhband.wixsite.com/hayhband

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

Jack,

Glad you brought that over. He really was a dim bulb, wasn't he?

Also lazy. He could have called some business leaders or economists, but no. Just said there was no answer.

Then went back to working on his March Madness brackets.

[common man]

Jack

The man lied to you, continuously and to your face for eight years, casually and without shame. You expected him to do something different now that he is out of office?

[sbw]

+1 Jane’s 12:59.

[Jim Eagle]

President's Cup is starting and standing behind the tee box is Zero, Budda and W. Zippy in short sleeve shirt, sunglasses and looking like he thinks he is Joe Cool. Probably thinking, I can do that, as Ricky Fowler lets loose a 300+ yard drive.

He's the only guy I have ever heard of who has lost his ball in a ball washer.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

common man,

That was an old quote brought up in the comments section from my last post. The poster on Treehouse posted it to remind us of how Obama treated the subject of jobs fleeing overseas, and his criticism of then-candidate Donald Trump.

[Jim Eagle]

Off to Port Jefferson for Frederick's game.

Go Monarchs!

[Ralph L]

Nice to have something useful in a UU "church."

[rse]

The lawyers here will appreciate this story. Go to cle program this morning thinking it was an interesting topic and I get tired of scrambling for that ethics hour each March. Speaker one was at least interesting but basically insisting that animals must be human because they have emotions. I pointed out that was not the definition of human any anthropologist would use.

Speaker 2 clearly was not familiar with his topic beyond a superficial level and did not know much history, which is a problem if the topic is the prince and civility and whether machiavelli is misconstrued. Then he kept interjecting into other presentations that made it clear bernie sanders is more conservative than him.

So I come home and look up both speakers. The 2nd one has a big red warning that there have been licensing proceedings against him.

Is it too much in this day and age not to have ethics taught by lawyers with ethical issues. Apparently ethics is now the bar's responsibility to push for economic justice.

A cle program last year had speakers misrepresenting the 2nd amendment and participants challenging the speakers. Then the young lawyers were upset because their law profs teach them the 2nd amendment is just about a militia and is timebound. Gag.

[Ralph L]

Is it lunchtime?

[Ralph L]

Or was it something I said?

[henry]

Big public bond scam coming to light. California schemers got a Wisconsin law passed (under Doyle, before Walker) and have been funding Planned Parenthood with tax free Munis.

[Extraneus]

DOJ files suit against company for allegedly not hiring Americans

“In the spirit of President Trump’s Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American, the Department of Justice will not tolerate employers who discriminate against U.S. workers because of a desire to hire temporary foreign visa holders,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “… Where there is a job available, U.S. workers should have a chance at it before we bring in workers from abroad.”

[GUS]

Ralph just an an Angus Cheeseburger....errrrr.....black.....Angus.
In half an hour, I head to Green Bay for the PEACE MARCH......errrr.....Football game. It will be interesting. Not only is this LINK ARMS bullshit agravating, the Packers play the Stinkin' Bears.

[GUS]

that is, I just HAD a black Angus Cheeseburger.
YUM.

[Clarice Feldman]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/27/exclusive-chelsea-clintons-best-friends-defense-company-got-11-mil-in-contracts-but-doesnt-have-federal-security-clearance/?utm_source=site-share

Salil Mehta (a FB friend and Columbia U statistician--reports that PR is finished. Article reprinted in Bloomberg, Says all that was left there before Maria was corruptocrats and dependents. Says it will never be rebuilt.
Trump waived Jones Act to cut off the bitching--as we know, the rescuse relief stuff is sitting on the docks with no way to transport it except helicopters,

[DebinGA]

Chicago Sun-Times: "The Packers say players, coaches and staff will link arms during the national anthem" ... The Chicago paper doesn't mention the Bears plan, so "players/coaches/staff" ostensibly means both teams. S-T says Packers "hope" fans will join them, but will they announce that tonight?

[henry]

DebInGA, if they do, it could be worse than the State Fair Cream Puff Riots. (a real thing... they ran out).

[common man]

Is there any internal consistency, that I must be missing BTW, in having a corporate tax rate of 20%, but a sub chapter S corp rate of 25% and a personal tax rate of 35%?

Why wouldn't a thoughtful taxpayer set up a Sub S and drop his tax rate a full 10%? Or convert the S to a C corp for another 5%. That, if both steps taken, would yield a 42% reduction in your tax burden.

We have a bunch of mental midgits in tax writing positions, methinks.

[sbw]

common man, Mcuchin said they would be watching for setting up tax dodges like that.

In our case, having gone Chapter-S decades ago, it is hard to go back to C-Corp.

[henry]

double taxation of the dividend common man.

[common man]

True for C corp but not S corps. And there are many tricks,such as loans in lieu of dividends that can be employed. A thoughtful taxpayer can certainly employ tax avoidance strategies with this kind of structure. The rumors of the death of tax consultants has definitely been greatly exaggerated...

[Old Lurker]

Once you get the cash flow into the C Corp, pay the 20%, then you are stuck getting it out so you can eat it.

[Old Lurker]

Henry said in one line what took me two...

[common man]

Loans that are evergreen, OL. Might even roll any interest due into the note. Way too easy. We dont need any stinkin" dividends...

[Old Lurker]

"such as loans in lieu of dividends "

Those are hard to hide long term and the IRS will challenge them.

Also, you have to pay the loan back with interest, even to your own company.

[henry]

Then you pay the "consultant" for the privilege of getting your ass audited annually. eff that and the horse they rode in on.

[common man]

Quite skeptical about the IRS doing any such thing. Once upon a time, the largest homebuilder in the country was my client. Lots of loans to the sole shareholder. Never seem to be repaid. Never saw a single challenge from the IRS either.

[common man]

Maybe if you have gotten on Lois Lerner's S list, but last time I checked the number of audits done by the IRS is quite puny. Miniscule. And if your documentation is in order, you probably prevail with the auditor and its dropped. The actual number of tax cases is whatever the proper adjective would be that orders of magnitude less than minscule.

[narciso./]

Yes but there will have to be some attempt to restore infrastructure, or its going to look like the walking dead.

[Dave (in MA)]

Mooch:

“I know you have sat, women who have sat in a classroom, or in a boardroom or around a conference table and watched a man go on and on and on and on and on, maybe saying something, but a lot of times saying not a lot, but taking up a whole lot of space,”

or in front of a TV, for the previous 8 years.

[narciso./]

They no have self awareness.

True has nominated judge willetts to the 55th circuit

[Clarice Feldman]

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/court-probe-clinton-private-email-use-objections-trump-administration/

[sbw]

Having just been audited by the IRS and having had them declare as personal income the preparation costs of S-Corp business taxes that have been deductible for the last 20 years, and having to pay them tax, penalty, interest, and accountant fees on what has been deemed legal, I am not in a good IRS mood.

[common man]

Florida Power and Light says 99.76% of customers have service as of this afternoon.

[Captain Hate]

or in front of a TV, for the previous 8 years.

After working a job for six figures that they didn't bother to replace.

[common man]

This interesting, not close enough to it to know what it means:

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The American Indian leader who spearheaded opposition to the four-state Dakota Access pipeline has been ousted as Standing Rock Sioux chairman.

The unofficial vote count in Wednesday's tribal election shows that Dave Archambault got 37 percent of the vote and Mike Faith got 63 percent.

[Dave (in MA)]

After she got a huge salary increase when her husband got elected to the Senate, CH.

[common man]

Broncos have decided to stand for anthem. 100%. They were one of the worst, if not the worst offenders last weekend, with over 30 players kneeling.

I sense that the resistance is crumbling...

[rse]

The American Constitution Society, the leftist legal group originally set up by soros that is behind constitution in 2020, has a new brief on how progressive cities can fight back on states trying to "clip their policies>'

https://acslaw.org/sites/default/files/ACS_Issue_Brief_-_Preemption_0.pdf

[Clarice Feldman]

http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/28/liberal-oppo-group-behind-false-claim-that-jared-kushner-registered-to-vote-as-a-woman/

[DrJ]

Once you get the cash flow into the C Corp, pay the 20%, then you are stuck getting it out so you can eat it.

My problem is the opposite: I cannot keep $$ in an S Corp. I pay taxes on money I do not receive, due to weird government accounting rules and also terrible CA tax codes.

[Old Lurker]

I hear you DrJ.

There is no easy answer other than to have governments which spend less and thus need less of our money.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://apnews.com/2dee016a4c074192a576f1f31b7cbbe0/Sea-critters-hitchhiked-across-the-Pacific-on-tsunami-debris

A little science news which is real science, not opinion. Fascinating stuff!

[common man]

Good news:

President Trump on Thursday will nominate two conservatives from Texas with compelling personal stories to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to a senior administrative official.

Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett was cited by Trump as a potential U.S. Supreme court pick during his presidential campaign. Dallas appellate lawyer James Ho is a former Texas solicitor general who has argued cases before state and federal courts.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

https://twitter.com/IMPDnews/status/913454528745361409

An IPD motorcycle officer was injured yesterday while in the President's motorcade. This tweet has video of the officer receiving a call from the president. (Still on the gurney!)

[DrJ]

OL,

I am considering going back to a C Corp just to make the division between personal and Corporate expenses and taxation more clear. These pass-through entities are nonsense for my case.

And there is a lot more flexibility with equity structure with a C corp.

[common man]

Scalise returns to the well of the House and praises God.

[RattlerGator]

A cle program last year had speakers misrepresenting the 2nd amendment and participants challenging the speakers. Then the young lawyers were upset because their law profs teach them the 2nd amendment is just about a militia and is timebound. Gag.

Posted by: rse | September 28, 2017 at 01:26 PM

It's incredibly sad what has happened to the legal profession, including leadership in many of the State Bar administrations and the American Bar Association.

* * *

Where there is a job available, U.S. workers should have a chance at it before we bring in workers from abroad.

Posted by: Extraneus | September 28, 2017 at 02:10 PM

Don't look now but Elmer Fudd just told some folks here to kiss him where the sun don't shine ;-)

love y'all, ::smooches:: and all that good shiznit

[Clarice Feldman]

Iowahawk on the tax plan (BTW he says his grandma and Hef's were first cousins.Heh): David Burge‏ @iowahawkblog 7h7 hours ago
More
Replying to @iowahawkblog
If voters in California want 13% state income tax, that's their call. Just don't whine when the rest of us don't want to pay for it.
33 replies 240 retweets 747 likes
Reply 33 Retweet 240 Like 747 Direct message
David Burge‏ @iowahawkblog 7h7 hours ago
More
David Burge Retweeted Steven Rattner
Best part of the plan, tbh. Low tax states shouldn't have to subsidize tax-happy states.

[Old Lurker]

All true, DrJ.

The big cons are getting the cash out later without another layer of Personal Income Taxes and depending on how you do it FICA paperwork. The second issue is keeping up with the corporate paperwork, meetings, minutes etc and taking care to not co-mingle cash & credit cards too much lest a creditor try to pierce the corporation to get at you personally. Some states (MA for example) are pretty greedy on fees for C Corps.

[DrJ]

The big cons are getting the cash out later

If I sell mu company, what does it matter? Am I missing something?

[DrJ]

*my*

[Momto2]

MM -(@4:07)

I hope that the officer is ok - he's wearing the same type collar that I am!

update: Just checked and news reports he has a broken ankle. Glad his neck is OK!!

[Captain Hate]

The Mailman's son won't be happy with the tax plan because Pearly Gates.

[Momto2]

""No disrespect to the flag, no disrespect to any of the veterans or anything. It was just right is right, wrong is wrong, and what the guy said about us as NFL players, I just feel like that's something that's us, as NFL players, we have to stand up for that's not what we are," Spence said. "You know what I'm saying. We're human beings. We give back to the community.
"We do great things, and our owners, you know what I'm saying, they do great things. So that's something we don't represent around the NFL. That's something every team should have come out and showed this Sunday, that it's not what that guy said about us."

This makes me want to get out my red pencil!

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20850736/akeem-spence-detroit-lions-says-father-lost-work-anthem-protest

[Captain Hate]

All the news that doesn't fit:

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/nfl-tv-networks-deliberately-avoided-booing-fans-cbs-nbc-fox-espn-monday-night-football/wp37jk7eoiha1p7ktogwfftzs

[Old Lurker]

No, DrJ, if the end game is to sell, then a C Corp is a clean way to do it and might give you some attractive options to exchange shares with the acquiring company. Buyers find it easier to buy a clean C Corp vs somebody's messy pass through entity. To that end, I would want good help on both the corporate paperwork and minutes, and on the accounting side. Neither of those are "big deals" for lawyers and accountants, and they don't need to cost much but you will sleep better knowing it is right and for sure it will be easier when the times comes to sell.

In the meantime, you just need some guidance on how to get yourself paid, etc. with the most efficient tax hit possible.

[Frau Steingehirn]

Momto2 - Did NFL player Spence mean "Pres.That Guy"?

btw - use a red Sharpie.

[lyle]

PJM has a piece today about a lesbian pastor who calls Jesus a bigot. Now let's play Name That Denomination.

[Miss Marple the Deplorable]

http://www.hbook.com/2017/09/blogs/family-reading/dear-mrs-trump/

Librarian in Cambridge writes a two-page letter full of condescension and veiled insults to Melania Trump for her gift of 10 Dr. Seuss books to the school library because....wait for it....Dr. Seuss is RACIST!

http://www.hbook.com/2017/09/blogs/family-reading/dear-mrs-trump/

Comments indicate that last year President Obama made remarks praising Dr. Seuss.

They politicize everything!

[Old Lurker]

DrJ "but you will sleep better knowing it is right"
Someday ask me how I know (hint: sometimes just say no if you inherit a small family company that has been passed around through about four, maybe five generations.)

[Frau Steingehirn]

lyle, my first guess is it must be the denomination my pinko girl friend in high school liked because you didn't need to believe in God: Unitarian.

[common man]

Well the Episcopalians have been pretty nutty recently. But I am with Frau, most likely Unitarian.

[Captain Hate]

Maybe we should start calling the GOP the Unitarian party:

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/09/28/vexing_question_for_the_gop_whose_party_is_this_135126.html

[lyle]

United Methodist.

[Extraneus]

http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/09/28/angry-spike-lee-compares-unsigned-colin-kaepernick-to-jackie-robinson-before-he-broke-color-barrier/

Heh.

[Captain Hate]

What I linked at 4:42 brings up an interesting conflict, namely that the networks that broadcast NFL games have a financial reason to downplay or out and out not cover fan protests against the league.

[common man]

Well with the sole exception being Jackie Robinson could play, and Kap ( with the exception of one year ) was pretty much mediocre at best.

[henry]

Plus the color barrier is silly in a majority AA league.

[common man]

Well Spike likes Kap anti America rap and his white man standing on the necks of all these brothers schtick. Lets be honest. It aint about football...

[rse]

I was going to say methodist, but then I had an uncle who was a prof for more than 20 years at candler school of theology. Far more liberal than many people appreciate.

[Frau Scheinheligen]

United Methodist!!!!!!! OMG - the church that put the Left in Religious Left!

I'm one block away from their church+School of Theology and they are already gearing up for another insulting in-your-face nativity scene. The manger has been set up on Route 66 to "start a dialog" with unfortunate drivers stopped for the traffic signal.