PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

Now we get word from Haiti that the US government has been busy setting up a radio station in the sky, broadcasting from a hovering airplane. The purpose? To warn Haitians not to try to cross to the United States in this hour of crisis. The the Air Force is also distributing 50,000 hand crank/solar powered radios to the population.

The biggest need in Haiti right now is for coordination. Sharing information among all the various government and non-government groups trying to do good works would be a vital first step. That would be a much better purpose for a new radio station.

Let’s take some Haitians into America and see if they can set up a better life here. I would suggest that 100,000 emergency immigrants would be a good start. How do you decide who gets to come? What’s wrong with a lottery? There are probably a million or more displaced persons in Port au Prince, so letting half a million or more immigrate would make a big dent. Most of the time, immigrants to America wind up making a contribution and making the country more interesting and diverse. Sure, they bring problems, but those who have a work ethic make a real contribution. One reason that immigrants tend to do well here is that they are better able to see the opportunities available in contrast to where they were raised.

If we take 100 thousand and a few other nations also take a equal number, the problem of rebuilding Port au Prince would be greatly lessened, because we wouldn’t have so many starving people around getting in the way. Those who remain could be given work in the rebuilding and, with a little money, they can take care of themselves just fine.

A partial evacuation of Port au Prince, and some other towns, is part of the answer to allowing Haiti to be rebuilt as a better, stronger place that can support itself. Otherwise, we are just likely to paper over this disaster with huge problems building for the future. Who wants that?

Doug Terry, 1.19.10

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