Yes. As a US citizen, it is far cheaper for me to help a Puerto Rican fly to the mainland and get a job, versus the enourmous money pit that is Puerto Rico's finances (which calls for, in their constitution, taxes be funneled to bondholders before infrastructure).
> Is entirely abandoning Puerto Rico actually what Puerto Ricans want?
This does not matter to me. I'm willing to help those that want to leave and can find opportunity elsewhere. The current US administration as shown they won't help. The Puerto Rican government has no ability to help themselves. Shall we just let people slowly suffer until death?
> Is crowdfunding abandonment the response you would want if your state faced a natural disaster?
When a ship is sinking, you don't demand people stop throwing life rafts and get back on the boat to repair the boat. If I were a natural disaster victim, I would happily accept any form of help provided if I was left with nothing.
BTW, Puerto Rico has about 3.5 million residents.
Crowdfunding as a patch is both mathematically unlikely in the short term and socially toxic in the long term--this is why we have governments, they can marshal the proper number of zeroes at the end of the number, it's their job. At least, when led by people who believe it is their mission to actually do their jobs.