Attorney General Gary King's office is urging the Public Regulation Commission to hold hearings on what it says are unfair billing and business practices by Qwest and Windstream phone companies. The office said smaller Internet service providers are "being bullied."
According to King's office, Assistant Attorney General Brian Harris presented a report to commissioners that outlines the alleged problems with the companies.
The report details how "small New Mexico companies that provide essential Internet services to small towns and cities are being forced out of business or are struggling to stay alive by monopolistic practices of the two largest incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) in the state," according to the AG's Office.
“There exists a market asymmetry right now where small Internet service providers depend on big companies that control what the small companies can offer to their customers,” Harris said in a release. “We are asking the PRC to eliminate this advantage, promote competition and protect consumers by stepping in.”
Here is info straight from the AG's Office on what it says is happening:
"Some of the more egregious examples include: A monthly bill that exceeds 5000 pages, billing errors that consistently favor the ILEC, arbitrarily imposed termination liability fees, an enduring “run-around” when the small business tries to solve the problem with the ILEC, improper threats to shut down service, and improper “slamming” of broadband customers. Many of these businesses, at great expense, have had to devote at least one full time employee simply to trying to decipher the bills. Some companies have ceased operation, at great dislocation to their customers; others have had their customers experience enormous frustration when they are caught between a phone company and their local ISP."
Anyone out there having or know about these problems?
According to King's office, Assistant Attorney General Brian Harris presented a report to commissioners that outlines the alleged problems with the companies.
The report details how "small New Mexico companies that provide essential Internet services to small towns and cities are being forced out of business or are struggling to stay alive by monopolistic practices of the two largest incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) in the state," according to the AG's Office.
“There exists a market asymmetry right now where small Internet service providers depend on big companies that control what the small companies can offer to their customers,” Harris said in a release. “We are asking the PRC to eliminate this advantage, promote competition and protect consumers by stepping in.”
Here is info straight from the AG's Office on what it says is happening:
"Some of the more egregious examples include: A monthly bill that exceeds 5000 pages, billing errors that consistently favor the ILEC, arbitrarily imposed termination liability fees, an enduring “run-around” when the small business tries to solve the problem with the ILEC, improper threats to shut down service, and improper “slamming” of broadband customers. Many of these businesses, at great expense, have had to devote at least one full time employee simply to trying to decipher the bills. Some companies have ceased operation, at great dislocation to their customers; others have had their customers experience enormous frustration when they are caught between a phone company and their local ISP."
Anyone out there having or know about these problems?
Hi water groupies:
I am certain one among you is perfect for the following or know someone who is. Check it out. Worth a few bucks and your 15 minutes of fame:
If you know an individual or a company that’s done a stellar job of conserving outdoor water, you can nominate them for the 2008 Intelligent Use of Water Award sponsored by Rainbird.
Consumers or professionals can submit nominations. The nominations are open to anyone who is leading the way in water conservation. Nominees can include landscape architects, contractors, irrigation consultants, public agencies or even a homeowner.
The winner will receive a $10,000 prize and their work will be featured in a short film about their contribution to outdoor water conservation. The film will be shown in the final screening event of the Intelligent Use of Water Film competition (www.iuowfilm.com) in Los Angeles on Oct. 11.
Submissions are due by June 30.
This year’s entries will be judged by: Elizabeth Cutright, Editor, Water Efficiency, The Journal for Water Conservation Professionals; Dan Stark, Executive Director of the American Public Gardens Association; Ron Stoltz, Director of the School of Landscape Architecture at The University of Arizona; and Marty Eberhardt, Executive Director of The Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, Calif. and winner of the 2007 Intelligent Use of Water Award.
For more information or a nomination form: http://www.rainbird.com/iuow/award.htm
There's more snow on the Sangres, all the way to Elk Mountain, after last night's storm!
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
food_ishShare successful, disastrous or otherwise amusing food stories, photos and recipes.
Hi friends,
It's been a lovely drizzle all day. I was out in it for about three hours with 45 middle school girls from the Santa Fe Girls School on a 9-acre parcel they steward along the Santa Fe River. The "preserve" project, as they call it, is a stunning piece of outdoor classroom. I only wish more public schools could do something similar. They could pretty much throw "No Child Left Behind" out the window then. The eighth graders serve as board of directors and make decisions about what needs to happen on the preserve working with biologist Will Barnes. The seventh graders and sixth graders are assigned jobs through the year. Over the last four years, the students have removed hundreds of nonnative trees, spread the mulch, measured water levels in 7 test wells, measured water flows in the river, made a bridge, collected water bugs and fish, surveyed birds and wildlife and tested soil. They've collected oral stories about the river from nearby neighbors and taken video of the work in progress. They've learned to tabulate data and keep records.
Moreover, these girls have learned to appreciate worms, not be squeamish around mud, and work in freezing cold weather.
At the end of each school year, they give a multi-media presentation about what they've learned. It is impressive and if you ever have a chance to see it, do.
This year the sixth-graders also started mapping out and cleaning up a wash that runs near the school and eventually empties into the SF River.
Through all this the girls fulfill the following state standards: math, science, public speaking, place-based learning, history (local).
Also today in D.C. - the House overwhelmingly approved the new Farm Bill. The Senate is expected to vote (and approve it) today. Pres. Bush has threatened to vetoe the bill ostensibly because it continues large subsidies to big corporate wheat, corn and soy growers. That just seems a little odd considering most of them are probably from his party.
Later.
It's been a lovely drizzle all day. I was out in it for about three hours with 45 middle school girls from the Santa Fe Girls School on a 9-acre parcel they steward along the Santa Fe River. The "preserve" project, as they call it, is a stunning piece of outdoor classroom. I only wish more public schools could do something similar. They could pretty much throw "No Child Left Behind" out the window then. The eighth graders serve as board of directors and make decisions about what needs to happen on the preserve working with biologist Will Barnes. The seventh graders and sixth graders are assigned jobs through the year. Over the last four years, the students have removed hundreds of nonnative trees, spread the mulch, measured water levels in 7 test wells, measured water flows in the river, made a bridge, collected water bugs and fish, surveyed birds and wildlife and tested soil. They've collected oral stories about the river from nearby neighbors and taken video of the work in progress. They've learned to tabulate data and keep records.
Moreover, these girls have learned to appreciate worms, not be squeamish around mud, and work in freezing cold weather.
At the end of each school year, they give a multi-media presentation about what they've learned. It is impressive and if you ever have a chance to see it, do.
This year the sixth-graders also started mapping out and cleaning up a wash that runs near the school and eventually empties into the SF River.
Through all this the girls fulfill the following state standards: math, science, public speaking, place-based learning, history (local).
Also today in D.C. - the House overwhelmingly approved the new Farm Bill. The Senate is expected to vote (and approve it) today. Pres. Bush has threatened to vetoe the bill ostensibly because it continues large subsidies to big corporate wheat, corn and soy growers. That just seems a little odd considering most of them are probably from his party.
Later.
After I wrote this story about the delays at the Secretary of State's Office in posting campaign finance information online, I started hearing from candidates who were not only upset that the information they filed yesterday won't be online for another two weeks, but mad about the troubles they had to go through to file their data in the first place. More on that in a minute.
Just as upset, it seems, are the Republicans, who called on SOS Mary Herrera to immediately release the finance reports.
“We should demand more from our elected officials. It is highly unreasonable for Mary Herrera to shield public information from public examination for two weeks!," wrote Adam Feldman, the state Republican Party's executive director.
"Our state government should be continually open, accountable, and transparent, but the Democratic establishment that has controlled New Mexico for the past 78 years has prevented it from being so. We’re calling on Mary Herrera to release the state campaign finance reports immediately; it’s a part of her job, and she needs to do it,” he said in a statement.
Candidates said they had problems with the simplest of tasks, i.e. inputting names and other information about their donors online, as required by state law.
This from Santa Fe Democrat Brian Egolf, who is running unopposed for the seat held now by Rep. Peter Wirth:
"As we filed yesterday, the SOS’s system knocked all my data out, lost many contributor occupations, scrambled information, and ended up generating a “final report” for me stating that my campaign is over," he wrote.
For the record, Egolf's campaign isn't really over, although he doesn't have any challengers. He sent his campaign reports to me to prove it.
Just as upset, it seems, are the Republicans, who called on SOS Mary Herrera to immediately release the finance reports.
“We should demand more from our elected officials. It is highly unreasonable for Mary Herrera to shield public information from public examination for two weeks!," wrote Adam Feldman, the state Republican Party's executive director.
"Our state government should be continually open, accountable, and transparent, but the Democratic establishment that has controlled New Mexico for the past 78 years has prevented it from being so. We’re calling on Mary Herrera to release the state campaign finance reports immediately; it’s a part of her job, and she needs to do it,” he said in a statement.
Candidates said they had problems with the simplest of tasks, i.e. inputting names and other information about their donors online, as required by state law.
This from Santa Fe Democrat Brian Egolf, who is running unopposed for the seat held now by Rep. Peter Wirth:
"As we filed yesterday, the SOS’s system knocked all my data out, lost many contributor occupations, scrambled information, and ended up generating a “final report” for me stating that my campaign is over," he wrote.
For the record, Egolf's campaign isn't really over, although he doesn't have any challengers. He sent his campaign reports to me to prove it.
Because of problems with the Secretary of State's online campaign filling system, candidates will have until the end of the day today to file the reports that were due Monday, the office says.
Although improvements have been made, problems with the system have long plagued the Secretary of State's Office and caused wrath from the Legislature. So it's frustrating to find that the system is still slow, still difficult to use.
My guess is thess problems won't slide under the radar screen this time. Expect questions of Secretary of State Mary Herrera from lawmakers in the coming days about the system.
Although improvements have been made, problems with the system have long plagued the Secretary of State's Office and caused wrath from the Legislature. So it's frustrating to find that the system is still slow, still difficult to use.
My guess is thess problems won't slide under the radar screen this time. Expect questions of Secretary of State Mary Herrera from lawmakers in the coming days about the system.
...but not in the big race where everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what he does.
Instead, Sen. Pete Domenici says he's for Marco Gonzales in the 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. The move is not a surprise: Gonzales worked for Domenici for 10 years on Capitol Hill. Gonzales, a Santa Fe lawyer, faces Dan East, a Rio Rancho construction company owner.
Domenici announced the endorsement in a postcard mailed to voters.
Instead, Sen. Pete Domenici says he's for Marco Gonzales in the 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. The move is not a surprise: Gonzales worked for Domenici for 10 years on Capitol Hill. Gonzales, a Santa Fe lawyer, faces Dan East, a Rio Rancho construction company owner.
Domenici announced the endorsement in a postcard mailed to voters.
"I have enjoyed seeing Marco advance his professional career back home in New Mexico and re-establish his northern roots," he wrote. " Because Marco understands our unique cultures and interests and is a man of principle and conviction, I know he will serve us well in Congress."
Still no word on whether St. Pete will go for Rep. Heather Wilson or Steve Pearce in the Republican primary to replace him, although there still is speculation he'll go for Wilson, just days before the election. Domenici, however, has said he'll hold off until after the election. . .
Good Monday morning, water groupies:
At my parent's place near Mora, it is the begining of a beaver conflict between neighbors. The beavers, as you will recall, have built a series of stunning architectural structures and backed up water up and down the little valley where my folks live. They've devastated the cottonwood grove along the creek, but the backed up water is definitely helping the water table. People downstream of my parents though are getting a bit upset by the beaver tree destruction and are making noise about offing them. Hopefully, my parents can talk them out of it. In their area it is still very much the wild NNM of old. You have to understand family feuds and alliances and tread carefully or you are likely to get run out of town. I'm afraid that's an aspect safe SF urban enviros still don't really grasp. Until the old guard patrons are really gone, that's how rural NNM will remain.
This just in from Rio Grande Restoration exec dir Steve Harris:
The rescheduled oral argument in the Coalition Protestants' City of Albuquerque San Juan Chama Project water rights case is set for 1:30 on Wednesday, June 18 at the Court of Appeals courtroom, Room 119, 237 Don Gaspar Street. As you will recall: this concerns the State Enginneer's permit for the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority's new river diversion. Coalition has contended that the project artificially inflates ABCWUA's water rights, with avoidable impacts to the regional water budget, the Rio Grande and NM's compact compliance.
Harris calls it the biggest potential court case in water since 1907.
But there's another at least as big: the attempted intervention by Scott Boyd into the Lower RG adjudication case. Now a lot of water lawyers out there say Boyd is crazy. Other well-versed water geeks say Boyd is fighting an uphill battle the size of Mount Everest, and he's obsessed, but not crazy. He's been fighting to prove the fed BOR never had the legal right to create and claim water rights on Elephant Butte because his grandfather Dr. Nathan Boyd had them first. It's is an incredibly complex, contrary history - mirroring water law as a whole in NM.
Judge Valentine has given Scott Boyd standing. If he ever gets his day in court, and by some miracle an opinion went his way, it could turn NM water law on its ear, completely.
It is definitely one to watch.
Later
At my parent's place near Mora, it is the begining of a beaver conflict between neighbors. The beavers, as you will recall, have built a series of stunning architectural structures and backed up water up and down the little valley where my folks live. They've devastated the cottonwood grove along the creek, but the backed up water is definitely helping the water table. People downstream of my parents though are getting a bit upset by the beaver tree destruction and are making noise about offing them. Hopefully, my parents can talk them out of it. In their area it is still very much the wild NNM of old. You have to understand family feuds and alliances and tread carefully or you are likely to get run out of town. I'm afraid that's an aspect safe SF urban enviros still don't really grasp. Until the old guard patrons are really gone, that's how rural NNM will remain.
This just in from Rio Grande Restoration exec dir Steve Harris:
The rescheduled oral argument in the Coalition Protestants' City of Albuquerque San Juan Chama Project water rights case is set for 1:30 on Wednesday, June 18 at the Court of Appeals courtroom, Room 119, 237 Don Gaspar Street. As you will recall: this concerns the State Enginneer's permit for the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority's new river diversion. Coalition has contended that the project artificially inflates ABCWUA's water rights, with avoidable impacts to the regional water budget, the Rio Grande and NM's compact compliance.
Harris calls it the biggest potential court case in water since 1907.
But there's another at least as big: the attempted intervention by Scott Boyd into the Lower RG adjudication case. Now a lot of water lawyers out there say Boyd is crazy. Other well-versed water geeks say Boyd is fighting an uphill battle the size of Mount Everest, and he's obsessed, but not crazy. He's been fighting to prove the fed BOR never had the legal right to create and claim water rights on Elephant Butte because his grandfather Dr. Nathan Boyd had them first. It's is an incredibly complex, contrary history - mirroring water law as a whole in NM.
Judge Valentine has given Scott Boyd standing. If he ever gets his day in court, and by some miracle an opinion went his way, it could turn NM water law on its ear, completely.
It is definitely one to watch.
Later
O.K., so this probably isn't really what most people are focusing on during election season. But it's big news, too.
Gov. Bill Richardson, on a trip to Mexico, announced that our neighbors to the south will again accept U.S. cattle. Mexico had shut the border to beef and beef product imports from the United States in the wake of the 2003 mad cow disease scare.
Cattle started crossing last night under an agreement with U.S. officials and the Mexican equivalent of the USDA.
“While we had to endure long and frustrating delays, I am pleased that New Mexico’s livestock industry will resume trade with Mexico,” Richardson said in a statement. “This is good news for our livestock industry and for our economy, which was unfairly impacted by concerns about unsafe beef.”
Since the ban, Richardson and New Mexico agriculture secretary Miley Gonzalez have started several programs to better track cows and improve cooperation with Mexican cattle officials aimed at stopping the spread of mad cow disease.
Cattle cross the border at Santa Teresa, through a livestock inspection facility that straddles the border. I spent a day there on assignment way back when, and it's quite the place. Weak and sick cattle on their way into the United States are weeded out, including with paint guns, before they can cross. Other cattle are checked for disease, and then dunked in a giant vat of insecticide. And I mean giant. It was like a swimming pool, big enough to fit at least two cows at a time.
Richardson is on a two-day trip to Chihuahua and Sonora states. He's already signed several cross-border initiatives and is set to speak later today at the 66th annual U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association Conference and meet with the governor of Sonora state, Eduardo Bours.
Gov. Bill Richardson, on a trip to Mexico, announced that our neighbors to the south will again accept U.S. cattle. Mexico had shut the border to beef and beef product imports from the United States in the wake of the 2003 mad cow disease scare.
Cattle started crossing last night under an agreement with U.S. officials and the Mexican equivalent of the USDA.
“While we had to endure long and frustrating delays, I am pleased that New Mexico’s livestock industry will resume trade with Mexico,” Richardson said in a statement. “This is good news for our livestock industry and for our economy, which was unfairly impacted by concerns about unsafe beef.”
Since the ban, Richardson and New Mexico agriculture secretary Miley Gonzalez have started several programs to better track cows and improve cooperation with Mexican cattle officials aimed at stopping the spread of mad cow disease.
Cattle cross the border at Santa Teresa, through a livestock inspection facility that straddles the border. I spent a day there on assignment way back when, and it's quite the place. Weak and sick cattle on their way into the United States are weeded out, including with paint guns, before they can cross. Other cattle are checked for disease, and then dunked in a giant vat of insecticide. And I mean giant. It was like a swimming pool, big enough to fit at least two cows at a time.
Richardson is on a two-day trip to Chihuahua and Sonora states. He's already signed several cross-border initiatives and is set to speak later today at the 66th annual U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association Conference and meet with the governor of Sonora state, Eduardo Bours.
V-Gift for Charity
This month is Mental Health Awareness Month, so the LiveJournal team is offering users a chance to support the Depression and Bipolar Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping improve the lives of those suffering from mood disorders. Proceeds from purchases of the Emerging Sun v-gift during May will be donated to the DBSA, so feel free to buy one. Or, if you really want to rack up some good karma points, get a bunch!
And don't forget: Mother's Day is this Sunday. Be a dear and check out the v-gifts shop. Send something that'll make her smile.
L to R: Emerging Sun, #1 Mom, Gift Basket, Chocolates, A Dozen Red Roses
Brand-Spanking New, Contest-Winning Themes
We know how you salivate over the prospect of new themes, especially when they're designed by users with a unique handle on both form and function.
L to R: Shiny, River at Night, Live and Learn, Vector Drips.
( Winners of the HP 'What Do You Have to Say?' Theme Design Contest )
Advisory Board Nominations
We'd like to remind you that the nomination process for LiveJournal Advisory Board user-representatives has begun. If you think you're fit for the job, now's the time to nominate yourself! After all, you're the only who can do it. In two weeks, on the 22nd, the voting process will begin; we'll remind you about it again here.
If you're interested in keeping up with the nominations, watch
lj_election_en. We'll post the results and announce the winner by the end of the day on May 30th. The new user-representatives will be seated on June 1st. Further details can also be found in lj_2008.Advisory Board Nominations Begin
This morning we are opening the nomination process for the user-representative positions on the LiveJournal Advisory Board. A full description of the process can be found here.
To get you started, here are the basic things you should know:
- You may only nominate yourself
- Each nominee will need 100 motions of support in order to be eligible to be a candidate
- We ask that you keep your comments on the nomination posts to "I support this nomination" or something to that effect; be kind to those who will need to count the "supports", please.
- Although the nominations and election poll will take place inlj_election_en, you do not need to watch the community in order to keep up with the election; we'll announce everything here as well.
Everyone here at LiveJournal is looking forward to this first-ever User-Representative election! We'd like to thank everyone who is participating. Some words from our current Advisory Board members:
danah boyd: “LiveJournal is filled with very passionate users. These users have helped shaped LJ's various communities over the last decade and it gives me great joy that LJ is recognizing and incorporating users' voices into the decision-making processes. Having user representatives from different parts of LJ on the Advisory Board will help make sure that the company is meeting the needs of its diverse constituents.”
Esther Dyson: "I'm sure we'll learn a lot from the process, and later on from the two users selected as well. Especially, I hope that the discussions before the voting will be more meaningful and more focused on policy than those in some offline campaigns."
Brad Fitzpatrick: "It's cool that SUP is getting users involved with the LiveJournal decision-making process. I look forward to seeing who the community elects and the results of our efforts working together."
Professor Lawrence Lessig: “The user elections will provide a critical check on LJ's process of maintaining a valuable and trustworthy environment for the LJ community. The mandate of the elections will give the user representatives pride of place among the members of the Advisory Board. Each of us will look to them to guide us in our judgment about how best to make LJ the community we all aspire that it will be. I look forward to welcoming the user representatives, and learning a great deal from them.”
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
chasethestars has also made some banners for you to use, if you'd like to show your support for the candidate of your choice!
( Banners + code for you to use! )
This morning we are opening the nomination process for the user-representative positions on the LiveJournal Advisory Board. A full description of the process can be found here.
To get you started, here are the basic things you should know:
- You may only nominate yourself
- Each nominee will need 100 motions of support in order to be eligible to be a candidate
- We ask that you keep your comments on the nomination posts to "I support this nomination" or something to that effect; be kind to those who will need to count the "supports", please.
- Although the nominations and election poll will take place in
lj_election_en, you do not need to watch the community in order to keep up with the election; we'll announce everything here as well.Everyone here at LiveJournal is looking forward to this first-ever User-Representative election! We'd like to thank everyone who is participating. Some words from our current Advisory Board members:
danah boyd: “LiveJournal is filled with very passionate users. These users have helped shaped LJ's various communities over the last decade and it gives me great joy that LJ is recognizing and incorporating users' voices into the decision-making processes. Having user representatives from different parts of LJ on the Advisory Board will help make sure that the company is meeting the needs of its diverse constituents.”
Esther Dyson: "I'm sure we'll learn a lot from the process, and later on from the two users selected as well. Especially, I hope that the discussions before the voting will be more meaningful and more focused on policy than those in some offline campaigns."
Brad Fitzpatrick: "It's cool that SUP is getting users involved with the LiveJournal decision-making process. I look forward to seeing who the community elects and the results of our efforts working together."
Professor Lawrence Lessig: “The user elections will provide a critical check on LJ's process of maintaining a valuable and trustworthy environment for the LJ community. The mandate of the elections will give the user representatives pride of place among the members of the Advisory Board. Each of us will look to them to guide us in our judgment about how best to make LJ the community we all aspire that it will be. I look forward to welcoming the user representatives, and learning a great deal from them.”
chasethestars has also made some banners for you to use, if you'd like to show your support for the candidate of your choice!( Banners + code for you to use! )
- Mood:
chipper
Page Summary
- kn_sfnm : AG wants big phone companies investigated [+0]
- staci_on_water : Water innovator award [+0]
- lj_spotlight :: bensinclair1 : 05/15/08 Homepage Spotlight [+13]
- lj_spotlight :: bensinclair1 : 05/15/08 Homepage Spotlight [+1]
- lj_spotlight :: bensinclair1 : 05/15/08 Homepage Spotlight [+5]
- staci_on_water : River classroom, farm bill threats [+0]
- kn_sfnm : GOP to SOS: release campaign finance data now [+0]
- kn_sfnm : Candidates get extra day to file campaign reports [+0]
- kn_sfnm : Domenici makes endorsement [+0]
- staci_on_water : (no subject) [+0]
- lj_spotlight :: ljkrissy : 05/09/08 Homepage Spotlight [+16]
- lj_spotlight :: ljkrissy : 05/09/08 Homepage Spotlight [+6]
- lj_spotlight :: ljkrissy : 05/09/08 Homepage Spotlight [+17]
- kn_sfnm : Mexico to accept U.S. cattle again [+2]
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/newsinfo.gif)
news :: theljstaff : May News [+289] - news :: theljstaff : Advisory Board Nominations Open [+318]