The influx of Puerto Ricans to the mainland, dislocated by hurricanes and the Trump administration's criminally negligent response to it could spell utter disaster in Florida and other states for Republicans this November. Just in case Republicans can't get voter suppression measures in place to prevent them from registering to vote and disenfranchise them, the Koch brothers are sweeping in to try to win hearts and minds.
The Libre Institute, an offshoot of the Libre Initiative, a group backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, is launching new outreach programs this week in the Orlando area designed to provide English-language courses and civics lessons to thousands of Puerto Ricans living at least temporarily in Central Florida as the island continues rebuilding after deadly hurricanes Irma and Maria last fall. […]
The group is relying on partners such as Florida Hospital Orlando, Spanish-language radio stations and a network of churches across the region to help spread the word about the classes. State officials greeting Puerto Ricans arriving at airports in the state also are referring them to Libre for assistance, according to David Velasquez, deputy state director for Florida for the Libre Initiative, a sister group focused on political advocacy that is overseeing the courses. […]
As it has elsewhere since at least 2012, the group is offering English-language classes, courses on how to update professional licenses, and civics courses designed to highlight the group’s focus on economic empowerment. What the classes will not include are direct appeals to vote for certain candidates or causes, because the institute is a nonprofit barred from direct political activity.
“We want people to make an educated decision for themselves. We really feel that in the Hispanic community, people need to know these topics,” Velasquez said. “You have people coming to Florida from all over the world, and they don’t understand how the system works. A lot of things get miscommunicated or misunderstood. So, we want to educate people about the principles that are close to our hearts, and then leave it to them.” [emphasis added]
That's not condescending at all to the American citizens relocating to the mainland. Oh, wait, they do recognize that Puerto Ricans are actually citizens, but in need of "guidance." Daniel Garza, president of the Libre Initiative, says the "people from Puerto Rico are citizens, but what we can do is help guide them to a place where they can remove those barriers and move up the economic ladder." By which he means the glories of unfettered capitalism and deregulation. You know, all the things that have helped Puerto Rico so much so far. "They get the needed guidance and tools they’re going to need to transition faster. But it’s also an opportunity for us to educate them on the ideas that we feel make America strong—the principles of economic freedom."
Alternatively, as Democratic groups have pointed out, the Kochs and Libre are taking over for the Republican party, "skirting nonprofit laws by handing out ideological material; collecting names, email addresses and phone numbers; and basically doing the early legwork that Republicans should otherwise be doing to win over new voters." It's a population that wouldn't naturally be receptive to Republican overtures, so they're outsourcing to the Kochs with the added advantage of the Kochs bankrolling the whole thing. As usual.