San Juan mayor calls for canceling 'alarming' contract for Puerto Rican power repairs

[DonViejo]

Source: Yahoo News




Hunter Walker
White House Correspondent
Yahoo News October 25, 2017

WASHINGTON—A $300 million contract to fix Puerto Rico’s hurricane-damaged power grid that was given to a tiny Montana company should be voided, says San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who said the process of awarding the no-bid contract raised ethical and legal questions. In an interview with Yahoo News on Tuesday evening, Yulin described the contract as “alarming.”

As of Tuesday morning, over 75 percent of Puerto Rico does not have power as a result of damage from Hurricane Maria. The storm hit the island, which is a U.S. territory, on Sept. 20.

Puerto Rico’s utility, PREPA, signed the contract with Montana’s Whitefish Energy last month. At the time, the firm had just two full time employees. The contract was awarded without a competitive bidding process. Yulin, the mayor of Puerto Rico’s largest city, described the Montana company as inadequate and said there appears to be a lack of “due diligence” behind the contract.

“The contract should be voided right away and a proper process which is clear, transparent, legal, moral, and ethical should take place,” Yulin said.







Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/san-juan-mayor-calls-cancelling-alarming-contract-puerto-rican-power-repairs-132636239.html

[doc03]

1. Puerto Rico would be the perfect demonstration project for solar

energy.

[kwalter66]

16. Elon Agrees

http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/05/news/economy/elon-musk-puerto-rico-tesla-power-grid/index.html

[4139]

2. Damned if you do, damned it you dont...

The company’s plan needs a serious review, and also the contract.
But voiding it opens to possible legal challenges and putting out for competitive bid might slow the repair process by weeks it not months.

[Plucketeer]

6. Yeah but...

Which is worse in the end - having to wait for bids or ending up with a clusterfuck of a grid, done by an inept contractor?

[Drahthaardogs]

23. Competitive bid must go out for 30 days

If it is any shorter, and they only get one bidder, by law they have to re-bid it.

In addition, a contract of this size could be protested which would put it all on hold for months.

Government Contracting is broken and has been for years.

[Eliot Rosewater]

19. Nah, just give the job to Elon Musk who would not cheat anybody and would do a great job.

[rurallib]

3. one would think that in "normal" times heads would roll over this contract

Since I seldom watch TV news was it even reported on? Surely Fox avoided it? What about the others?
I know MSNBC covered it with Rachel.

[forgotmylogin]

4. Hey, no problem, they got two guys and a truck!

They've been driving nonstop from Montana to Puerto Rico and plan to arrive by early next week at the pace they're going.

[christx30]

29. But how can they get there?

Puerto Rico is an island. Surrounded by water. Big water. Ocean water.

[forgotmylogin]

30. Yeah, that could turn out to be a real problem!

[Not Ruth]

5. Puerto Rico got a no money down deal

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1016&pid=195211

http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/24/news/economy/puerto-rico-whitefish-trump-contract/index.html


“PREPA's executive director, Ricardo Ramos, told reporters last week during a press conference the cash-strapped island chose Whitefish because it didn't require a big deposit upfront. The other unnamed contender wanted a $25 million down payment for the work, Ramos said.
"In that moment, we were not in a position to offer that collateral," said Ramos. "The other company did not ask for a guarantee of payment."
But some on Capitol Hill are concerned that Whitefish may have stood out for another reason.
The tiny utility company is based in Whitefish, Montana, which also happens to be the hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.”

[Not Ruth]

7. I wonder why Elon did not co-sign for a better repair company

[LuckyLib]

13. Surprise, surprise!

“The tiny utility company is based in Whitefish, Montana, which also happens to be the hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.”

A criminal enterprise- two employees!

[DemSoc]

8. Kicking! n/t

[Submariner]

9. This is Trump and Zinke facilitating a quick cheap re-stringing job

to last long enough until the next wind storm after Zinke's friends leave the island with a pocket full of dough and leaving a crappy job in their wake.

[Eliot Rosewater]

20. If this happened under a Democratic president we would have to build a Star Trek

spaceship, send it out 4 light years and put said democratic president on it surrounded by ten thousand green berets and Navy Seals to protect them from the deplorables, and still it wouldnt be enough protection.

[Brother Buzz]

10. Jeez Louise, it's a obsene sweetheart deal that has a ton of meat on the bone

Under the contract, the hourly rate was set at $330 for a site supervisor, and at $227.88 for a “journeyman lineman.” The cost for subcontractors, which make up the bulk of Whitefish’s workforce, is $462 per hour for a supervisor and $319.04 for a lineman. Whitefish also charges nightly accommodation fees of $332 per worker and almost $80 per day for food.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/small-montana-firm-lands-puerto-ricos-biggest-contract-to-get-the-power-back-on/2017/10/23/31cccc3e-b4d6-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?utm_term=.c3a8bb46924a

[Old Vet]

12. WOW, I would come out of retirement for $200hr flagman job and $80 a day for food

That's 6000.00 a month in wages and 2,400 a month for food, That's 100,800.00 per year and that's low balling it.

[kwalter66]

17. WOW....

Based on a 5 day, 40 hour work week that's $416,000.00 per year, $34,666.66 per month and $8,000.00 per week.

[Journeyman]

18. If the numbers in my quick search are correct, you could hire 247 Puerto Ricans for the cost . . .

of one schlub from Montana. And the Puerto Ricans (the fortunate ones) would have their own accommodations.

(Census Bureau statistics on income show the high end Puerto Ricans make $25,000 a year -- $12 an hour. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-17.html)

[Drahthaardogs]

24. A typical billing rate (fully burdened) for a site super

Should be around $135/hr.

There is probably hazard pay plus ups as well as night differential.

I know guys on hurricane duty now that are paying $500/night for a hotel. Scalping and gouging is taking place. Trump is letting them do it. We as the taxpayers are footing the bill.

[3catwoman3]

11. I was listening to an item about this on...

...MSNBC last night. IIRC, the biggest job this company had done so far was a few miles stretch of something - can't remember more than that.

This doesn't seem right. But then, the Trump administration seems to think lack of experience/qualifications is the only criterion that matters when choosing someone to be in charge of various endeavors/cabinet posts.

[Sunlei]

14. Our GOV Federal money contracts should go to LEGIT businesses,Not 2 people who want to profit off

Americans Federal money.

We can't afford squandering OUR FEDERAL CONTRACTS.

[Eliot Rosewater]

21. Not anymore. Trump voters want their tax dollars to be literally stolen from them

they must

Not just trump voters, some other folks too.

[Sunlei]

27. Republicans (& perhaps some Ds too), like Romney & Cheney have been for decades experts at

taking Americans Federal money contracts, managing the 'job' and stuffing a huge percent in their pockets as profit. The Bush wars cost us Americans a couple trillion and America/citizens can't even point to a road or a hospital or a public facility built with OUR Federal funds.

This still happens today, Americans Federal contracts allow way to high a percent to go right into the pockets of one or two people at the top.

I do not believe the salary(s) stated in this recent contract to re-build power wires is or will be actually paid to those 'linemen', flagmen, hotels and food services. what is it about 350 +80 just for housing & food PER DAY for one man? People lie to get those 'no bid' contracts. Legit American businesses and our local economies suffer.

[Drahthaardogs]

25. The FAR is a welfare guide for small business

Read it. You will cry

[gilligan]

15. Lega

Moral, transperant,ehtical and moral from this administration? You've got to be kidding me

[Rollo]

22. Just heard on CBS Evening News that Whitefish Energy gave $33k to Energy Sec Perry when he was gov..

... corruption thy name is Trump ...

[Sunlei]

28. Energy Sec Perry GIVE BACK THE $33,000 BRIBE to The American peoples FEDERAL Gov.money.

[Pachamama]

26. Who signed this contract? The Governor of Puerto Rico?

The more I hear about this "contract" the fishier and more rotten it sounds...