Above: The description for this 1936 photograph reads: "Sharpsburg, Pa. - flood relief station. Refugees receive food and clothing - 6,000 people out of 8,270 population were supplied at the WPA station, set up in YMCA bldg." Disastrous floods hit Pittsburgh and surrounding areas in March 1936. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
Above: A closer look at the center of the photograph shows how grateful these flood survivors are for WPA assistance. It's not often that people smile so vibrantly after a disaster; but when the government is truly on your side, and not in Wall Street's back pocket, it must bring a great sense of relief. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.
For a variety of reasons, the U.S. government's response to the disaster in Puerto Rico has been subpar. Days and days after Hurricane Maria left the island, drinking water is still in short supply, hospitals are overwhelmed, power is out over most of the territory, most cell towers are toppled over, other vital infrastructure has been destroyed, and people are even trying to use the San Juan Airport as a shelter from the surrounding chaos.
During the New Deal, the WPA had a thorough and well-managed disaster response program. The WPA used formerly-unemployed men & women to bring food, supplies, and manpower to people in distress. Today, we've been fed too many lies about the unemployed being useless, and told too many fairy tales about the magical power of the free market, to even begin to imagine what a full and fast government response could look like.
And so now, Puerto Rico is experiencing the worst of both worlds - an underfunded, unimaginative government, and a callous and often-times incompetent private sector.
There are many good people trying to help Puerto Rico, and there will be inspirational stories during the recovery, but the response is far short of what a WPA-type program could do.
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