Whitfish Contract Canceled to Rebuild Power Grid in Puerto Rico

Facing withering criticism from members of Congress and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the governor of Puerto Rico moved on Sunday to cancel a $300 million contract awarded to a small Montana company to rebuild part of the island’s battered power grid.  While government officials in Washington and San Juan have argued over how a company from Whitefish, Mont., with connections to the secretary of the interior but only two full-time employees secured an emergency contract that requires the work of thousands of people, the majority of Puerto Rico is still without electricity, nearly six weeks after Hurricane Maria knocked down thousands of poles and lines.  Some stores, medical centers, restaurants and a fortunate few private residences are running on generators, but most of the island’s 3.4 million people are plunged into darkness after sunset.  The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, known as Prepa, is generating just 30 percent of its normal output, the government said. The power grid is in such bad shape that the power authority is not able to say exactly how many of its customers are without power. The authority has estimated that repairs will cost at least $1 billion.  Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló announced on Sunday that he had decided to ask the power authority’s board — which he appoints — to cancel the contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings, two days after FEMA issued a strongly worded statement criticizing the deal. FEMA said it had “significant concerns” and warned that it might refuse to cover the costs of the contract if it was found to be improper.

  I watched the Norman Goldman program till ten to four.  He was saying that the Estate tax covers property of over 5.5 million and that is in the top one fifth of one percent.  That can’t be right.  Not with the thunderous applause you hear at campaign rallies every time abolishing the estate tax is mentioned.   And not when people measure their wealth not in millions but billions of dollars.  Rumor has it that my parents' combined estate is over a million dollars.  If this is the case I do not believe that five times that would be a fifth of one percent of the population.  That is REALLY rarified territory.  I think whoever keeps the statistics on income brackets is asleep at the switch.  I think it's safe to say that President Trump's constituancy isn't limited to hillbillies from Kentucky and heartland truck drivers, or even disgruntaled factory workers in the Midwest.  It's the right wing that always talks about "Class Warfare".  And why not?  They started "class warfare" under Reagan - - and guess what?  They have won the war and the rest of us have lost.  Up till 1980 the classes were fairly clearly defined as to where each group stood and the same had been true for decades.  Of course our side talks about the "good" rich people who support liberal causes.  This must be as offensive to the right as the term "good nigger"was t liberals in the sixties.   The implication is that "good rich" aren't your average day rich person but must be closet Marxists or something.  I have a feeling we aren't going to be a better republic till there is a drastic turnabout in events and vast economic changes are made both in our tax policies but health care too- - - For The Better. 

 On Chris Matthews now the charge is leveled that conspiracy theorists all believe that “you have the belief first, and then you have to try to come up with the facts to back it up”.  In my opinion this is patently untrue.  I don’t believe that I’ll turn on Bill Handel today.   Bannon says that “It is a season of war against the Republican establishment”.   You heard it.   I posted today’s blog a few minutes ago.  I am hoping that improved content will drive my readership numbers up.   Mitch Mc Connell says he wants to back people who have a good chance of being elected.   Chris Matthews doesn’t believe there is an actual civil war among Republicans because basically they’re all after the same thing and that is screwing over the average American.   Both are after a party “purification”.  

You’ve heard the expression of “a chicken in every pot”.  Now an eleven year old kid wants “a locker-board in every locker”.  He’s the one who shortened the standard skateboard so that it would fit in a school locker or even in a back pack.  Apparently he got financial backers on “Shark Tank”, which should be to their liking.  They shouldn’t shy away from something that isn’t capital intensive.  All you need is a saw and a screw-driver and some paint to decorate the board.  He’s already sold some boards. 

I had Leo Le Port on.  The I phone 10 was officially “released” a week ago.  But now you had to wait till yesterday to be able to actually order one.  But you won’t get that order filled until the following Friday, November 3^rd.   But Leo tried to get one but he struck out.  But his wife called and got an order for November 10^th.  The device has a better camera and better facial recognition.  I don’t get it.  They say the devices won’t be generally available till Christmas.  This to me shows some major screw up in planning.   I don't see how they can have record setting sales and not get the merchanrise on the shelves.

They had Fats Domino day on Rhapsody in Black.  They covered his carrier from 1950 to at least spring 1960.  The fidelity of his recordings gradually improved.  “All My Myself” is that mystery rocky song I couldn’t remember last week they played.   Sometime I'm planning on doing anothe rock compilation featuring more earliest songs or rock.  In the year 1958 Fats Domino tried to change his sound even adding re-verb to tracks.  But the records didn't sell so at the beginning of 1959 he went back to his former style.