NewMexicoMatters.com

Eyes Wide Shut On New Mexico

If you've ever stayed tuned to KOBTV after Meet the Press, then no doubt you've caught that station's version of a news roundtable called "Eye on New Mexico."

Co-hosted by Monica Armenta Nicole Brady and the dependably disheveled Dennis Domrzalski, the show may be more appropriately called "Dennis just got out of bed New Mexico," or "hey I saw these headlines in the news but I didn't really read the articles nor really know what's going on, New Mexico."

Seriously, "Eye on New Mexico" doesn't seem to be get many eyes in the way of viewers as evidenced by their relatively uninterrupted broadcast, which reminds you just how long 30 minutes really is.

Yesterday's show was a particularly good example; The show featured special guest, PRC Commissioner Jason Marks, one of the most straight forward and upright advocates for the public's interest in New Mexico. Disheveled Dennis and Morning Monica seemed at a complete loss as to what to questions they had for Marks.

Dennis meandered his way into questions using broad swipes like "so the PRC has gotten a lot of negative publicity lately. Eric Serna, Con Alma, and now did you fire this other guy, or what?"

The same with the issue of Qwest, which was why I actually listened to the entirety of the program. But considering the importance of the story, the issue got little time.

If it weren't for Marks, the show would have been literally 3 or 4 poorly constructed questions.

There's no shortage of important issues to discuss in New Mexico unless you have your eyes wide shut.

Technorati Tags: budget, Coal, corruption, Education, Elections, New Mexico, Politics, reform

Qwest Proposed Settlement Agreement

Here it is! The original document. Read it and weep.

Qwest, Details and Devils

Farmington Daily Times - Opponents to Qwest plan emerge:

Stephan S. Melnikoff, an attorney with the U.S. Army Litigation Center, said in his response to the PRC that needed improvements would not be assured under the current settlement.

"Los Alamos National Laboratory and White Sands Missile Range specifically have been identified as being adversely impacted by serious inadequacies in Qwest's network infrastructure and service," Melnikoff wrote.

"The Stipulated Settlement Agreement appears not to expressly address these two problems." Others who have filed formal responses opposing the proposed settlement were Citizens for Integrity and Transparency in Utility Matters and the New Mexico Internet Professionals Association.

Attorney David Mittle of the Citizens group argues that even if the settlement reaches its goal of bringing high-speed Internet access to 83 percent of the state, those living in the other 17 percent will see no benefit. If the PRC were to follow through with its original order of rebates or credits, all Qwest customers would benefit, he said. "That consumers from every part of Qwest's New Mexico network were equally harmed and should be equally compensated is fair because every Qwest consumer effectively paid for, but was deprived, the benefit of required investment," Mittle wrote.

So lets think about this for a second; The Governor and Qwest say their plan would provide high-speed internet access to 83 percent of the state. But are we talking about 83% of the state's population or are we talking about 83% of the state's geography? Because if we're talking population, then all Qwest would have to do is improve their services in Santa Fe, San Juan, Dona Ana and Bernalillo Counties and they'd be providing service to well over the majority of the state's population.

But what about the rest of the state? The whole point was that Qwest would get to do Business in New Mexico at a reduced price in exchange for bringing us into the internet age. But laying fiber-optic cable and expanding services in rural parts of the state where poverty is more endemic, isn't profitable. That's why we had that AFOR agreement. That's why it's a big deal that Qwest came up 250 million short of their pledge to invest in New Mexico's telecom infrastructure.

Check out this map which shows rural vs. urban populations in New Mexico according to the FCC. Rural is in red and the non-rural is in grey. If you live in the red, guess what.

ABQjournal: Qwest's Settlement Offer Has Critics

Andrew Webb from the Journal was kind enough to point me toward the article by Rosalie Rayburn from earlier in the month that identifies the groups objecting to the Governors plan and the reasons why.

ABQjournal: Qwest's Settlement Offer Has Critics:

The New Mexico Internet Professionals Association, consumers group Citizens for Integrity and Transparency in Utility Matters, and the Department of Defense/Federal Executive Agencies filed formal challenges this week with the state Public Regulation Commission.
 
The Internet group— an Internet service providers organization— said it opposes the agreement because it was excluded from discussions that led to it. Qwest, the state General Services Department and state Attorney General's Office were the only signatories to the proposal, the group said.
 
The Internet group also said the proposal should do more to benefit residents.
 
"Clearly we have concerns about the contents of the proposal, about the way it was done," said Marianne Granoff, chairman of the New Mexico Internet Professionals Association's government affairs committee.
 
Citizens for Integrity said the proposal fails to offer equal benefits to all customers.
 
In addition, the proposal calls for Qwest, the GSD and the attorney general to determine whether Qwest has met its new promise, leaving the most appropriate oversight agency, the PRC, out of the equation, CITUM director David E. Mittle said in the filing.
 
The Department of Defense/Federal Executive Agencies said the offer fails to provide for improved telecom services for Los Alamos National Lab and White Sands Missile Range.
 
The Internet group and CITUM also questioned why the GSD and attorney general took it upon themselves to do the PRC's job. The groups cautioned against moving quickly on the proposal as requested by GSD, the Attorney General's Office and Qwest.

Wow, WOW, WOW!!!!!! Right before our own eyes! Just explain to me how this is any different from Dick Cheney holding private meetings with energy companies to craft the energy plan? Damit, I hate it when Democrats do this. Especially the ones that are running against Republicans that have taken over $400,000 from oil companies themselves. I almost am afraid to look at the finance reports.

Baca says Qwest deal may paint PRC into corner

The Deming Headlight - PRC considers latest Qwest offer:

Chairman Ben R. Lujan said Qwest was simply doing what the PRC had asked — coming forward with a plan to settle the dispute.

But Commissioner E. Shirley Baca of Las Cruces said she felt reports from the governor's press conference made the settlement appear to be a done deal, and may have painted the PRC into a corner.

"It almost made me feel like we had to do it or it would make us look like the bad guys for not going along with money for low-income schools," Baca said, referring to part of the settlement that calls for $15 million to be devoted to school technology.

Baca said she felt "offended" by the way the settlement was announced.

"Ultimately, whether any of the parties like it or not, whether the governor likes it or not, the buck does stop here," she said. "We are the final deciding body, not the governor's office, not the (General Services Department), not the attorney general."

ABQjournal: PRC Says Its Hands Are Tied in Qwest Case

Might have missed this article if it weren't for my trusty google news alerts. The Journal is reporting that  though Qwest agreed to a deal with the Guv and the AG, the company is still petitioning the State Supreme Court for a rehearing, putting the Guv's deal in "limbo."

This thing is a ticking stinker. Now we just have to figure out why.

ABQjournal: PRC Says Its Hands Are Tied in Qwest Case:
 

SANTA FE— Qwest, Gov. Bill Richardson and Attorney General Patricia Madrid had asked state regulators for an expedited review and adoption of the Baby Bell's proposed $265 million settlement so it could begin benefiting New Mexicans.
 
But Public Regulation Commission members said Thursday that nothing can legally happen about the proposal until Qwest Communications drops its petition for a rehearing with the state Supreme Court or gets a ruling.
 
Typically, the court takes weeks or months to make such a ruling.
 
"We're not supposed to do anything substantive on a case that's still proceeding through the Supreme Court," PRC Chairman Ben Lujan said during the first scheduled day of hearings on the proposal. "If Qwest is serious about moving forward in service of New Mexico, I would ask that Qwest ask the Supreme Court to drop its motion. This commission's hands are tied."
 
Qwest did not respond during the hearing.
 
The PRC last year found Qwest was short about $220 million that it had promised in a regulatory deal in 2001 to invest in New Mexico by early this year. Regulators then ordered Qwest to refund the money to customers. Qwest asked the state Supreme Court to overturn the order, but the court in June said the PRC was within its authority.
 
In the meantime, Qwest negotiated a proposal with two agencies outside the PRC to spend $265 million in something more than three years if it gets approved. Richardson held a news conference in his office with Madrid touting the proposal and asking regulators to review and approve it quickly.
 
But Qwest, on July 14, asked the state Supreme Court for a rehearing, throwing the process into limbo.
 
Company spokesman Bill Myers told the Journal on Thursday that the court has yet to take action on Qwest's petition. He did not comment on whether Qwest planned to drop the petition.
 
The PRC on Tuesday said it would begin formally considering the settlement proposal but on Thursday said the ongoing court case precluded further discussion.
 
At least four parties, including two consumer groups, have filed objections with the PRC about the proposal.
 
"We eagerly await the decision of the court," Lujan said.

PRC considers Qwest settlement

Here's the thing about Qwest, the day after this deal was announced, I happened to see one of the qwest repair guys on my road. The running joke I have whenever I see a Qwest tech in my area is to ask if they're installing the broad band. Usually the response is that I'm lucky to have a phone.

On this occassion, I asked if they'd heard about the settlement. The Tech responded that he had. So I asked what he thought. The response was telling; "80% of the state is going to have access to high speed internet? Bullshit!"

Yeah, that pretty much summed it up for me. I'm all for the settlement, but I want to know how much of that $265 million is money that Qwest should have already spent on maintaining lines in New Mexico but didn't. More specifically, how much of their $265 million penalty will Qwest get to spend on items that would otherwise come out of their normal operating expenses?

Link: Alamogordo Daily News - PRC considers Qwest settlement.

SANTA FE -- The Public Regulation Commission may eventually agree to a proposed $265 million settlement offer from Qwest, but commissioners made it clear Tuesday they would do so at their own pace.When he announced the proposed $265 million settlement last month, Gov. Bill Richardson urged the PRC to act quickly so Qwest could begin work. But Commissioner Jason Marks said Tuesday a timeline proposed in the settlement does not give other parties to the case adequate time to study the proposal and respond."I think we set our own timeframe, recognizing that there are, as always, benefits
to dealing with these things as fast as possible," Marks said. "But, I think this is no different than any other very complicated case."The settlement would end a legal dispute regarding a shortfall of about $220 million in investment that Qwest had agreed to make in its New Mexico infrastructure. The Supreme Court ruled the PRC has the authority to enforce that agreement, known as an alternative form of regulation, but the company has filed for a rehearing of the case.

U.S. Lists Places Where It Could Force New Power Lines - New York Times

U.S. Lists Places Where It Could Force New Power Lines - New York Times:
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 — The Energy Department took the first step on Tuesday toward designating parts of the nation’s electric grid as “critical congestion” areas, which could force New York, New Jersey and other states to allow construction of new power lines that they do not want.

The department published a nationwide study listing places where transmission bottlenecks prevent power generation by distant plants with lower costs, and instead require the use of closer, more costly equipment.

Technorati Tags: Blogs, Coal, Congress, Energy, lobbying, New Mexico, Politics, Tax credit

ReQwest for Details

Last week, the Governor and Patricia Madrid held a press conference to announce that they had negotiated a settlement with Qwest for $265 million dollars and that they were urging the PRC to accept the deal that had been struck.

ABQjournal: Qwest Plan Means $265M for State:

SANTA FE— Qwest has offered to spend $265 million on new telecommunications infrastructure statewide in an effort to settle a longstanding dispute with state regulators over its investment in New Mexico.

The proposal, unveiled Wednesday during a news conference in Gov. Bill Richardson's office, includes $15 million for technology in schools over three years and $250 million on other improvements over 42 months.

That's about $45 million more than state regulators say Qwest owed the state under a regulatory plan approved in 2001.

Richardson, who presided over the conference, said Qwest's offer would close the technology gap between New Mexico and other states, increase high-speed Internet access from 69 percent of the population to 83 percent and improve access to technology in rural schools.

He urged state regulators to approve the plan.

No Public Regulation Commission members attended the conference.

Sounds great and maybe it is, but I'm waiting for the PRC to determine that. Qwest's easy access to the Guv makes me less that completely confident in a deal struck by his office and that of the Attorney Generals.

Technorati Tags: Bill Richardson, Blogs, Democrats, Elections, lobbying, Mike Stratton, New Mexico, Patricia Madrid, Politics, reform, Republicans, Tax credit

90 Seconds + 2 phone calls = The Internet For All

I just called both Sen. Domenici and Sen. Bingaman's office to let register my opposition to Sen. Ted Steven's telecom bill which would create a tiered internet, and request that they vote no on S. 2686. The entire process took me 90 seconds max.

All I did was click on the link below and then select NM from the map and up popped my two senators and their respective phone numbers. According to "Save the Internet," both Domenici and Bingaman are undecided, and considering their records on a banking and oil and gas, I would definitely call both.

I'm waiting for the New Mexican, the Abq Journal and the rest of the state's Newspapers who have an online presence to realize they have a vested interest in making sure our Senators vote "no," considering that they'll be a primary target for higher fees since they're providers of rich content such as video and audio reports in addition to their written articles.

Click the link or just use the info from below. Either way, check out the site when you have the time; its a wealth of information. Save the Internet : Find out where your Senators stand:

Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)Undeclared on Net Neutrality Call Sen. Domenici now at 202-224-6621

Say: "I urge Senator Domenici to protect Net Neutrality, which prevents the largest phone and cable companies from turning the Internet into their private tollway. I urge the Senator to vote NO on Senator Stevens' telecommunications bill (S. 2686) unless real Net Neutrality language is added that prohibits network operators from discriminating against content and creating a tiered Internet."

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)Undeclared on Net Neutrality Call Sen. Bingaman now at 202-224-5521

Say: "I urge Senator Bingaman to protect Net Neutrality, which prevents the largest phone and cable companies from turning the Internet into their private tollway. I urge the Senator to vote NO on Senator Stevens' telecommunications bill (S. 2686) unless real Net Neutrality language is added that prohibits network operators from discriminating against content and creating a tiered Internet."

Technorati Tags: Bill Richardson, Blogs, Congress, Democrats, Elections, lobbying, New Mexico, Pete Domenici, Politics, Jeff Bingaman, reform, Republicans