PR utility expected to get emergency manager after outcry over contract to tiny Montana company...

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




Puerto Rico utility expected to get emergency manager after outcry over contract to tiny Montana company: report

BY MAX GREENWOOD - 10/26/17 09:27 AM EDT

Puerto Rico's financial oversight board reportedly plans to appoint an emergency manager to oversee its electric utility.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico has moved to appoint Noah Zamot, a member of the board's executive team, to direct the utility's day-to-day operations.

The move comes amid backlash over the utility's decision to award a $300,000 million contract to a small Montana-based firm to repair the territory's badly damaged electric grid in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

The firm, Whitefish Energy, had only two full-time employees at the time the hurricane struck Puerto Rico last month, and has never before worked on a project as large in scale as the one in Puerto Rico. It is located in the Montana hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/357276-puerto-rico-utility-expected-to-get-emergency-manager-after

[justhanginon]

1. You certainly don't have to travel to Denmark to know something stinks

on this contract. No experience, no employees but politically connected to the trump administration through another of his many corrupt appointments, Zinke. Venality runs rampant through Washington D.C. right now and will not get better until this filthy administration is run out on a rail.

[Not Ruth]

2. Puerto Rico is getting an emergency manager

Seems about a month overdue

[Blue_Adept]

3. "$300,000 million" WTF?

Oh and hey, supposedly this town is where Richard Spencer is from too?

Curious.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. Copy editing is unnecessary overhead and represents a cost savings opportunity.

[LanternWaste]

7. Other times, mistakes simply happen.

While yet other times, mistakes simply happen lacking any nefarious or greed-related motive.

[hatrack]

10. It's not our place to second guess people who make mistakes in journalism

The authority of Some Guy With A Laptop is not to be questioned!

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Don't forget to get the names of all the employees and check

to see if this is a partisan money train. At a minimum, see if the money is being diverted back to the Republican party or their candidates.

[niyad]

11. google "300million to trump donors" jaw-dropping, but completely in character for trump

and company

[Scruffy1]

6. There only qualification was they are RNC and Trump donors.

What amazes me is they thought they could get away with being so brazen. With all of the publicity around the hurricane it's going to be in the news. I would assume there inflated price of $319.00 per hour for a lineman plus over $300.00 per diem includes kickbacks for everyone.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/whitefish-puerto-rico-utility-contract

[angrychair]

8. So funny

$300,000 million contract to a small Montana based firm

Don’t put it past them but that is a lot of money

[rockfordfile]

9. The Whitefish guys should be locked up.