Emanuel outlines Chicago hurricane aid for Puerto Rico
Emanuel
Chicago firefighters and paramedics are heading to Puerto Rico this week to help residents there recover from Hurricane Maria  and  Mayor Rahm Emanuel  said the city will try to organize to accept families forced to leave the island for an extended time.
Joined by  U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez  D-Chicago  Emanuel  sought to draw a distinction Monday between the city’s effort to assist Puerto Rico and what  the mayor  called the “totally inadequate” response from President Donald Trump’s administration.
“What the federal government did in the last six days  I think you know the conclusion  is inadequate  and I’m being gentle in my criticism of it ”  Emanuel  said at a City Hall news conference. “Totally inadequate on a human level. Totally inadequate that somehow these are not citizens of the United States of America.”
 He  said around 1 600 people have already arrived in the city on flights from the island since the hurricane struck Sept. 20. The mayor gave few specifics about how Chicago will prepare to accept people from Puerto Rico.
 He  said  he  wants “a structure in place” to prepare for many more to come and perhaps stay for an extended period.  Emanuel  cited as a model the way many citizens of New Orleans relocated to Houston after Hurricane Katrina.
“How do we take this from an individual basis to make it the city of big shoulders  we’re organized to do this in an organized fashion?”  he  said.
“I can either take my energy and criticize (the federal government) for their inadequacy  or take my energy and time and focus on getting ourselves organized so people know that if they have loved ones they can bring them  the kids can get in school ” Emanuel said. “They can get the health care they need. They can get an apartment they need or housing they need  a roof over their head. Again  I want to say  as many tomorrows as it takes.”
Chicago firefighters and paramedics are heading to Puerto Rico this week to help residents there recover from Hurricane Maria  and  [TGT]said the city will try to organize to accept families forced to leave the island for an extended time.
Joined by  U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez  [TGT]sought to draw a distinction Monday between the city’s effort to assist Puerto Rico and what  the mayor  called the “totally inadequate” response from President Donald Trump’s administration.
“What the federal government did in the last six days  I think you know the conclusion  is inadequate  and I’m being gentle in my criticism of it ”  [TGT]said at a City Hall news conference. “Totally inadequate on a human level. Totally inadequate that somehow these are not citizens of the United States of America.”
 [TGT]  said around 1 600 people have already arrived in the city on flights from the island since the hurricane struck Sept. 20. [TGT] gave few specifics about how Chicago will prepare to accept people from Puerto Rico.
 [TGT]  said  [TGT]  wants “a structure in place” to prepare for many more to come and perhaps stay for an extended period.  [TGT]cited as a model the way many citizens of New Orleans relocated to Houston after Hurricane Katrina.
“How do we take this from an individual basis to make it the city of big shoulders  we’re organized to do this in an organized fashion?”  [TGT]  said.
“I can either take my energy and criticize (the federal government) for their inadequacy  or take my energy and time and focus on getting ourselves organized so people know that if they have loved ones they can bring them  the kids can get in school ” [TGT] said. “They can get the health care they need. They can get an apartment they need or housing they need  a roof over their head. Again  I want to say  as many tomorrows as it takes.”