Airline price gouging Puerto Rico to U.S.
I have returned from Puerto Rico. A physician, I was attached to Federal Occupational Health in San Juan. Our job was to treat and/or triage all federal relief workers with health concerns. Any illness beyond our capacity was referred usually to the USS Comfort, a nearby naval hospital ship.
In addition to first aid, prescription refills and dispensing treatment for upper respiratory infections and other minor illnesses, we provide vaccinations. My two nurses and I work 12- to 14-hour days, seven days a week, as do all we meet. We see 50 to 75 people a day.
Good for us. We feel we are helping somehow this dark, wet mess of a post-hurricane Island, where everyone has a big heart and is soldiering on. That is unless they wish or need to obtain a ticket out. Tell me why an airline ticket to San Juan cost me $44 from Orlando, but the return trip was more than $1,000? Maybe it was the short notice, or one leg was business class? No. Look online. Isn’t price gouging illegal? Why was it only briefly addressed early post-hurricane, but now not so much? Why do these airlines get away with it?
And while we’re at it, why is permissible for Orlando-area hotels to ignore requests from Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide affordable hotel rooms for evacuees, hoping instead to cash in on holiday travel? Good will to man? I think not.
I. Cori Baill Winter Park
Does America want to stop mass murders?
America, Americans and American Institutions just don’t seem to care that mass murder has become an integral part of our lives. There is little national outcry from anyone to truly understand the nature of these attacks and take immediate action to eliminate or at least reduce the threat. We all know the next one is just around the corner, so let’s just forget the thoughts and prayers for those future victims. Our lack of action shows we don’t really care.
Who’s to blame? Americans are to blame. American institutions are to blame. You are to blame. Trump says it’s a mental-health issue. Where is his mental-health program? House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi lamely wants to close the gun-show loophole. President Obama said America is awash with guns, but did nothing about it. He does issue a presidential order on who can use which bathroom.
The media concentrates on flaky Russian election collusion accusations, and 40-year-old sexual harassment accusations, while virtually ignoring the clear and present danger that mass murder presents to Americans. The public just blows it off with a few thoughts and prayers and maybe a check, so long as these slaughters don’t affect them directly.
This lack of action is pathetic. We should all be ashamed.
Monty Clark Longwood
