Carlyle promises no phone rate increases for 10 years

[Konaguy]

http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2004/08/02/daily65.html

[Konaguy]

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Aug/09/bz/bz01a.html

[pzarquon]

Let's see. In the face of increasing recurring costs, increasing competition, plus the substantial one-time charges they'll have to make to move their operations back into the state, they're saying they'll hold rates the same until 2014. Pardon me if I'm a bit skeptical.

Since most folks are figuring they'll just pump-and-dump Verizon Hawaii in half that time, I don't think they're really worried about keeping their promises. They've definitely made life harder for any potential buyers, though.

[Konaguy]

Funny if you noticed I gave a thumbs up and thumbs down to this.
I really don't know what I was thinking, but I'm very skeptical
of Carlyle's financial plans for Verizon Hawaii. I have been e-mailing
the PUC and the Consumer advocate my displeasure with this purchase.

[Linkmeister]

My initial reaction was that making a 10-year promise is silly. I see no reason to change my mind.

[Konaguy]

http://www.state.hi.us/budget/puc/dockets/telecom.htm#04-0140

[pzarquon]

Now that's a lot of PDFs. Some of them redacted... which, of course, only makes me more curious as to what's missing.
Docket No. 04-0140 -- In the Matter of the Application of Paradise MergerSub, Inc., GTE Corporation, Verizon Hawaii Inc., Bell Atlantic Communications, Inc., and Verizon Select Services Inc. For Approval of a Merger Transaction and Related MattersA lot of this stuff is dated last year. What's the connection to the Carlyle sale?

[Konaguy]

Now that's a lot of PDFs. Some of them redacted... which, of course, only makes me more curious as to what's missing.
A lot of this stuff is dated last year. What's the connection to the Carlyle sale?


Try this link as this one is related to the Carlyle sale [Dated August 6th 2004]
http://www.state.hi.us/budget/puc/dockets/telecom.htm#04-0140

[Konaguy]

I got a message from Hawaii PUC that I would have to resend all
my comments in regards to this purchase, if I wanted it to be a part of the official record. Very frustrating

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Aug/12/bz/bz01a.html

[Miulang]

Hmmm...There was this story (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Feb/14/br/br05p.html) in today's Advertiser about how much money the Carlyle Group made last year, and it occurred to me that I had seen something on another website about what this company was and who the principals were.

Read this story from www.informationclearinghouse.info (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2321.htm) and discover that two of the owners are former Pres. George HW Bush and ex-Prime Minister John Major. You will learn about the secret ties that the Carlyle Group has with our defense spending, among other things.

Kinda ironic, isn't it? Your phone service will be owned (at least in the short term) by a highly secretive group of former heads of state and industry? :eek:

There's even a book by Dan Brody:Iron Triangle: Inside the Secret World of the Carlyle Group that might be worth reading if anyone is really interested. There's an interview (http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3199.htm) from Democracy Now! with the author as he talks about his book.

Miulang