Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

It's obviously not going away, and it's larger than just the president*.

Ken Klippenstein has gotten hold of Whitefish Energy's contract and it's repulsive. Click through to the tweet for more. This is present-day colonialism. There's no other word for it.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Boom. Leaked copy of the Puerto Rico / Whitefish contract: <a href="https://t.co/XR1wTcD5hJ">https://t.co/XR1wTcD5hJ</a></p>&mdash; Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/923730831637610496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I remain convinced that statehood is the only adequate solution. At the same time I think I'm going to be pleased when Puerto Ricans (hopefully) start moving to the mainland and changing its politics. It seems in some small way like karma, a thing we've had far too little of in these past few years.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

I think independence would in the long run also be better than the status quo.

Their own monetary policy, control of their own debt, no more Jones Act and so forth would be positive changes. It could also open up some possibilities with Spain and other parts of Latin America that aren't possible without control of their own foreign policy, perhaps.

However, they are much closer to a majority for statehood than for independence, and statehood has some significant advantages. And the large number of Puerto Ricans on the mainland and the ability to move to and from the mainland without impediment is a big advantage.

They'd have to potentially give up their national teams, or seek special accommodation, in competitions like the Olympics and such.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

The document's gone from the original thread. Here's a copy:

https://apps.npr.org/documents/docum...ned-10-17-Copy

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Either some assholes got really brave to do this so blatantly, or got really stupid, or this is a test to see just how much bullshit they can get away with.

That totally not sketch at all 2 employee contracting firm in Montana getting the huge contract is just the tip of the iceberg. Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz is taking them to task, including that they may have lied about FEMA's oking the contract, as FEMA has said it most certainly did not.
Carmen YulÃ*n Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) | Twitter

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

White House: Zinke told Trump he had 'no role' in Puerto Rico contract | TheHill

https://i.imgflip.com/1ye9yl.jpg

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Spoilered in afterthought as not sure if this is good reporting. Proceed at your leisure.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Whitefish cancelled!
Puerto Rico Power Authority Moves to Cancel Whitefish Contract After Plea From Governor - NBC News

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Misc:

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Who could have foreseen this?

So then, to recap:

- Shortly after the hurricane, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority awards a $300 million no-bid contract for electric power distribution system repair to a company that might as well be called Two Dudes from Montana, since the company has only two full time employees.

- The CEO of Two Dudes from Montana is buds with Trump's Secretary of the Interior. But that had nothing to do with the $300 million no-bid contract. No, sir. Nothing at all.

- The CEO's wife, a full-time nurse practitioner, is listed as a manager of Two Dudes. That resulted in Two Dudes receiving "economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business" status in connection with an Energy Department contract it won in back in July for a transmission line repair in Arizona.

- Faced with increasingly negative coverage over the buffoonish incompetence with which the agency is doing its job, PREPA cancels the $300 million no-bid contract with Two Dudes.

- As of yesterday morning, over seven weeks after the goddamn hurricane, electric power capacity was up to a whopping 43%.

- But then a major component of the system failed, dropping capacity back to 18%.

- Two Dudes repaired the component that failed.

- However, the work of Two Dudes had nothing whatsoever to do with the failure. No, sir. Nothing at all.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

I was watching this segment of Jordan Klepper's show, which I'm not ashamed to admit brought a tear to my eye:


I think it's his show's best segment to date, and it's also making me think I could get behind a Mayor Cruz candidacy in 2020. She's obviously a very capable, eloquent woman and there would be a nice poetic justice in seeing her hand Trump his ass. Of course, there are large number of people for whom that'd be poetic justice, but I think it'd be particularly satisfying in her case because of how fucked up things have been for Puerto Rico for so long.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

I was under the impression that America was a first world country.

Puerto Rico Is Once Again Hit by an Islandwide Blackout - The New York Times

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Well, the mostly white parts, anyway.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Whenever I write about Puerto Rico, the post inevitably gets about half the hits of my Trump posts. I'll keep writing about it because I don't need eyes for ads. You wanna know why PR isn't covered? Because people turn the channel.<a href="https://t.co/VHiVzOpU9b">https://t.co/VHiVzOpU9b</a></p>&mdash; The Rude Pundit (@rudepundit) <a href="https://twitter.com/rudepundit/status/1002901992954613760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Time to fire up the foreclosure machine.

After Storm, Foreclosures in Puerto Rico Stopped. They’re Starting Again.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Trump Calls Storm Response in Puerto Rico, Where 3,000 Died, ‘One of the Best’

And war is peace or something.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Charming.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Go Senator Merkley! :gocascadia:

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Thrad. Mainstream media sucking a little less.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: Pres. Trump rejects independent study that reports an estimated 2,975 people died in Puerto Rico in 5 months after Hurricane Maria; provides no evidence to discount the study; declares, without evidence, that the higher death toll is political ploy to make him look bad.</p>&mdash; NBC News (@NBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1040229427102314496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My father died in Puerto Rico between Irma and Maria. <br><br>He died alone, without power, without his medication. <br><br>Fuck this fucking fuck and everyone who voted for him and enables him. To disregard human life like this is the lowest of his lows. <a href="https://t.co/WTuT6fQXOD">https://t.co/WTuT6fQXOD</a></p>&mdash; Keith Hernandez (@keithrhernandez) <a href="https://twitter.com/keithrhernandez/status/1040232528186159104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FEMA Chief notes many of the deaths post-Hurricane Maria may have been because of spousal abuse the President is not responsible for. <a href="https://t.co/vNvESNbveA">pic.twitter.com/vNvESNbveA</a></p>&mdash; Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1041357671662841859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DnO2lA_U0AIUkOw.jpg

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

The Puerto Rico fuckery continues.

If you detest Puerto Ricans but can't persuade Congress to refrain from approving federal disaster relief aid to Puerto Rico, just do the next best thing. Sure, Congress approves the funding, but the Executive Branch is responsible for handing it out. All a racist shithead need do to fuck over the PRs is have Ben "The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Guy Built the Pyramids for Grain Storage" Carson hang onto the money.

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad
 

Oh hey did anyone hear about the earthquakes?

Another earthquake rattles Puerto Rico , this time magnitude 5.2

Just add Trump:
Puerto Rico disaster relief: White House to require island to implement reforms to get federal money after hurricane, earthquakes - The Washington Post

Re: Puerto Rico fuckery deserves its own thrad