# The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 7, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070 "2016-12-07T00:25:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 645
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12885 "2017-10-26T16:26:48Z")
I think the reasons have already been covered - sadly but predictably. Another win for the Swamp. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12886 "2017-10-26T16:29:01Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > That’s fine defense for it being a small company in a small town. The question is why did this small company in a small town get such a large contract, when it is quite obvious they do not have the resources to service it. Oh yeah. Not defending that. I was just curious. Thought I might actually see a business. Then I thought about the personal mailbox angle. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12887 "2017-10-26T17:38:22Z")
> [@AI\_Proofreader](#): > > The idea that there are people out there who read Trump’s twitter feed and nod along and smile, just made me shudder a little bit. > > But you know these people have to exist. How they manage to tie their shoelaces in the morning I’ll never understand. Flip-flops are allowed in the voting booth. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12888 "2017-10-26T17:57:19Z")
The mayor of San Juan criticized the Whitefish contract, whoever the person is who runs their Twitter account threatened to pull out and leave them high and dry, as if nobody else can fill the void, if she doesn’t shut up. They appear to have taken that tweet down. They then said, “We share frustration with Mayor Cruz on the situation in Puerto Rico, but her comments are misplaced.” > They then apologized. [https://twitter.com/WhitefishEnergy](https://twitter.com/WhitefishEnergy) ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12889 "2017-10-26T18:30:02Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The mayor of San Juan criticized the Whitefish contract, whoever the person is who runs their Twitter account threatened to pull out and leave them high and dry, as if nobody else can fill the void, if she doesn’t shut up. > They appear to have taken that tweet down. > > They then said, “We share frustration with Mayor Cruz on the situation in Puerto Rico, but her comments are misplaced.” > [x.com](https://twitter.com/WhitefishEnergy/status/923240245822394368) She hurt their feelings! ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12890 "2017-10-26T18:48:13Z")
OK, so [Reuters reported yesterday](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-puertorico-power/puerto-rico-whitefish-defend-controversial-power-contract-idUSKBN1CU020) that the governor of PR, Ricardo Rossello, defended the company. > [@](#): > > “Of those (contractors) who met the requirements and aggressive schedules to bring brigades, one was asking for a substantial amount of money - which PREPA had no liquidity for - and another did not require it,” Rossello said. “That other one is Whitefish.” Today it’s being reported that the Governor is “calling for an audit,” but the [actual announcement](https://twitter.com/ricardorossello/status/923315694019710976/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fnews%2F357215-puerto-rico-governor-requests-audit-into-contract-awarded-to-tiny-energy) seems a lot more routine, implying no evidence of any issues. Furthermore, he confirms Whitefish’s claim of having 300 people on the ground. > [@](#): > > To date, Whitefish has been providing important recovery services to PREPA in the aftermath of Hurrican Maria… Currently, Whitefish has approximately 300 people on the ground to continue providing electrical grid recovery services for which they were initially retained. Taken as a whole, it seems like other companies were considered, and Whitefish was chosen for a reason. Despite having 2 employees and a shitty website, they seem to have gotten boots on the ground quickly and are doing important work. Unless and until something comes out that indicates the contract was awarded illegally or they’re not performing agreed upon services at a fair price, this feels like a scandal in search of a crime. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12891 "2017-10-26T19:07:12Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > Flip-flops are allowed in the voting booth. There’s a **Bricker** joke in there, but I don’t want to make it. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12892 "2017-10-26T19:19:10Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Taken as a whole, it seems like other companies were considered, and Whitefish was chosen for a reason. Despite having 2 employees and a shitty website, they seem to have gotten boots on the ground quickly and are doing important work. Unless and until something comes out that indicates the contract was awarded illegally or they’re not performing agreed upon services at a fair price, this feels like a scandal in search of a crime. …I don’t think anyone is claiming that Whitefish don’t have 300 boots on the ground. But anyone can organize 300 boots on the ground. Give me a multi-million dollar budget and I would like to think I would do a half-way decent job of any job that requires project management. But there is absolutely nothing in Whitefish’s CV that points to them having the expertise and the experience to be able to handle a job of this scope. There are many companies in America who have had to work in similar crisis situations. > [@Washington Post](#): > > PREPA did not reach its agreement with Whitefish until Sept. 26, six days after the storm swept through. By comparison, the Florida utility FPL requested mutual aid before Hurricane Irma hit. The result was an army of nearly 20,000 restoration workers, including FPL employees, from 30 states and Canada at work on the first day. > > On Oct. 1, FPL had teams assembled to assess damage in Puerto Rico. It posted notices in Spanish and English on its Facebook page: “FPL is ready to help Puerto Rico.” Florida Gov. Rick Scott mentioned the offer in a news release. > > The Florida utility says it never received a reply. The Puerto Rican utility has not replied to offers of assistance from mutual-aid partners, according to the American Public Power Association, which coordinates such operations. > **[Small Montana firm lands Puerto Rico’s biggest contract to get the power back on](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)** > > Whitefish Energy, a two-year-old company, had just two full-time employees on the day Hurricane Maria made landfall. How could FPL not even get a call? I’m less concerned about the “legality” than I am in the clear absence of process that lead to these guys getting this contract. These guys shouldn’t have even made the short-list. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12893 "2017-10-26T19:44:09Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …I don’t think anyone is claiming that Whitefish don’t have 300 boots on the ground. > > But anyone can organize 300 boots on the ground. > > … > > How could FPL not even get a call? I’m less concerned about the “legality” than I am in the clear absence of process that lead to these guys getting this contract. These guys shouldn’t have even made the short-list. I don’t want to get roped into defending something I know little about, but there are [a lot](https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/policy/logistics-complicates-puerto-ricos-electric-grid-recovery) of [challenges](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/19/us/puerto-rico-electricity-power.html). > [@](#): > > “I can’t tell my guys to put trucks on I-95 and drive south,” said Mike Hyland, senior vice president of engineering services for the American Public Power Association (APPA). The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is an APPA member. That makes it eligible for mutual aid from other members. Some of those members in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida received aid from APPA after Irma crashed through. > > Indeed, recovery for Puerto Rico and for other islands mowed down by Irma and Maria hinges on logistics as much as engineering. > > Not only do trucks, equipment, and personnel need to be moved by barge and airplane to the islands, but arrangements need to be made for fuel, food, water, security, and housing. Across the region, demand for all of that is high. If a line worker takes a San Juan hotel room, will a permanent resident have to move? > [@](#): > > Ricardo Ramos, chief executive of the power authority, said outside companies had been hesitant to come until they knew where the storm would make landfall. After that, he needed several days to assess the damage, and communications were down. > > By the time Mr. Ramos had a full grasp of the damage a week after the storm, he said, the Corps of Engineers had been tasked with overseeing power restoration, a duty outside its usual purview. > > That was something of a relief, Mr. Ramos said, **because mutual aid agreements cost millions of dollars that the power authority cannot spare.** And > [@](#): > > The Montana company he hired, Whitefish Energy Holdings, agreed to do the work without a down payment. The chief executive, Andy Techmanski, said that he got the contract because he showed up in Puerto Rico unannounced. > > Mr. Ramos expressed no regrets. > > “I mobilized what I could, which was private contractors, and I am happy with the decision. I would do exactly the same,” he said. “I think we’re right on target.” And > [@](#): > > Brig. Gen. Diana Holland, the commander of the Corps’ South Atlantic Division, said the contracting process went “really quickly,” despite the fact that taxpayers demand a careful review of such emergency contracts. So it’s a difficult job made more difficult by the logistics, PREPA might not have felt they could afford FPL and/or that FPL wasn’t in a position to get crews to an island with a ravaged infrastructure, the Army CoE took over which negated the need for FPL, and there was a contracting process that was supposedly followed according to this army general. Again, something may come out and change my mind, and lord knows the federal response to this disaster could have been a lot better, but the people in PR actually dealing with Whitefish don’t seem to have any complaints. Except the San Juan mayor, who’s increasingly seeming like a political hack. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12894 "2017-10-26T19:57:59Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > OK, so [Reuters reported yesterday](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-puertorico-power/puerto-rico-whitefish-defend-controversial-power-contract-idUSKBN1CU020) that the governor of PR, Ricardo Rossello, defended the company. …wow. I just read that properly and this link answers all the questions. For some bizarre reason I had thought that the Federal Government would have been issuing the tenders and paying the bill. But the contract was issued by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. And the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority is broke. So they went with the tender that didn’t require\* money up front\*. The company that didn’t need a deposit. I suspect the Zinke connection really is a big coincidence. The PREPA had two options: one that required cash up front and one that didn’t. It is no surprise they went for the “no money down” option. That makes sense. They went with the tender they had the cashflow to be able to accommodate. But the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority should not have been put in that situation. I don’t actually fault Whitefish for going for the tender. But I suspect that (due to their lack of experience) they have probably underquoted. And they are “front-footing” the expenses. So it will become a competition of who runs out of money first: the financiers of Whitefish or the PREPA. What a clusterfuck. > [@](#): > > So it’s a difficult job made more difficult by the logistics, PREPA might not have felt they could afford FPL and/or that FPL wasn’t in a position to get crews to an island with a ravaged infrastructure, the Army CoE took over which negated the need for FPL, and there was a contracting process that was supposedly followed according to this army general. Going for the cheapest bid very rarely works out ever. Going for the cheapest bid typically results in poor workmanship and shoddy results and more expense because you have to do a “do-over.” > [@](#): > > Again, something may come out and change my mind, and lord knows the federal response to this disaster could have been a lot better, but the people in PR actually dealing with Whitefish don’t seem to have any complaints. I’m sure that the people from Whitefish are very polite. > [@](#): > > Except the San Juan mayor, who’s increasingly seeming like a political hack. Oh fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12895 "2017-10-26T20:01:35Z")
It’s quite possible that Whitefish was a valid choice, fairly made, and will do a good job. This administration has done nothing to warrant the benefit of the doubt, though, and it’s prudent to assume that \*every \*deal they make is shady until proven otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12896 "2017-10-26T20:14:06Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > But the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority should not have been put in that situation. … What a clusterfuck. I agree, this is where the criticisms should lie. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Oh fuck off. Ehhh, as far as I know Mayor Cruz didn’t say anything about this contract that’s apparently been operating for over 3 weeks until the story made national news here, and then she calls for the contract to be voided based on… what? Not investigated, not audited, but _voided_. What’s she got to do with this anyway? This is all above her pay grade. To be fair, I think the media likes the “Trump vs. the Mayor” story a lot more than what they’re getting from the actual governor, but still, she seems perfectly content to be in the limelight sparring with Trump. > [@jsc1953](#): > > It’s quite possible that Whitefish was a valid choice, fairly made, and will do a good job. This administration has done nothing to warrant the benefit of the doubt, though, and it’s prudent to assume that \*every \*deal they make is shady until proven otherwise. Sure, maybe we can get our own news channels where talking heads drone on for 22 hours a day just asking these sorts of questions… I dunno man, I don’t think Trump’s badness should give liberals an excuse to adopt bad habits. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12897 "2017-10-26T20:22:01Z")
Does anyone have access to documentation that establishes _when_, exactly, Whitefish sprang into existence? ETA: and CV’s of Whitefish’s principals? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12898 "2017-10-26T20:26:07Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Does anyone have access to documentation that establishes _when_, exactly, Whitefish sprang into existence? > > ETA: and CV’s of Whitefish’s principals? 2015, here’s the founder’s [linked-in profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-techmanski-23105120). ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12899 "2017-10-26T20:35:20Z")
Steronz: A politician is a political hack! Real world: Wow! Tell us more! ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12900 "2017-10-26T20:43:52Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Ehhh, as far as I know Mayor Cruz didn’t say anything about this contract that’s apparently been operating for over 3 weeks until the story made national news here, …you may or may not have been following the news, but Mayor Cruz has been a bit fucking busy over the last 3 weeks. > [@](#): > > and then she calls for the contract to be voided based on… what? Not investigated, not audited, but _voided_. What’s she got to do with this anyway? This is all above her pay grade. Because the almost inevitable consequences of engaging a low-bid contractor (or as we know in this case the contractor that said “we don’t need money up front” to get the contract) is that down the line the work is most likely to be problematic. Investigations and audit process take months. And by that stage if the workmanship is shoddy then it will be already too late. They didn’t win the tender because they were the most experienced or the best bid. They won because they could work on finance. They won because Puerto Rico literally doesn’t have the cash flow to do anything else. The Federal government should have stepped up. But they haven’t. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12901 "2017-10-26T20:54:02Z")
Trump is endorsing Ed Gillespie for Virginia Governor. Gillespie has called for Confederate monuments to remain standing: [The Republican Campaign in Virginia Is All About Preserving “Our” Confederate Statues – Mother Jones](http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/10/the-republican-campaign-in-virginia-is-all-about-preserving-our-confederate-statues/) Trump just tweeted that Gillespie will stand up for “our great statues/heritage”. So Trump has just endorsed the Confederacy over the United States. > ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12902 "2017-10-26T21:05:55Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …you may or may not have been following the news, but Mayor Cruz has been a bit fucking busy over the last 3 weeks. The media didn’t seem to give a shit about PR [until it became a Trump story](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-media-really-started-paying-attention-to-puerto-rico-when-trump-did/), and partly it became a Trump story because Mayor Cruz decided to publicly spar with him. I think that was smart; nobody’s going to look good battling it out with the mayor of a poor, embattled city. She was a sympathetic figure, and she brought much needed attention to the situation. But whenever anyone rises to political prominence by taking on the president… motives are not always pure. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Because the almost inevitable consequences of engaging a low-bid contractor (or as we know in this case the contractor that said “we don’t need money up front” to get the contract) is that down the line the work is most likely to be problematic. Investigations and audit process take months. And by that stage if the workmanship is shoddy then it will be already too late. They didn’t win the tender because they were the most experienced or the best bid. They won because they could work on finance. They won because Puerto Rico literally doesn’t have the cash flow to do anything else. The Federal government should have stepped up. But they haven’t. And what does this have to do with the mayor of San Juan? Why did she throw her 2 cents into the circus? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12903 "2017-10-26T21:41:53Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > The question is why did this small company in a small town get such a large contract, when it is quite obvious they do not have the resources to service it. My question is, how did Halliburton not get the contract? ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/12904 "2017-10-26T22:02:25Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > But whenever anyone rises to political prominence by taking on the president… motives are not always pure. …please forgive me for not taking the word of a random person on the internet on what the motives are for a person that speaks out. > [@](#): > > And what does this have to do with the mayor of San Juan? Why did she throw her 2 cents into the circus? You bought her into the thread, not me. WTF does she have to do do with the Trump clusterfuck? She threw her 2 cents in because her voice is heard above the others at the moment, because she loves her country, and she is speaking out. Why the fuck should she not speak out? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=644) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=646)