Amazing: days after conviction on seven felony counts, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens ran neck-and-neck for re-election (That's why politicians love earmarks, Senator McCain.)
He was leading until the absentee ballots started coming in, and still trails by only 214 votes to Mark Begich as this is written. Up-to-date results are here.
Showing posts with label Senate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senate. Show all posts
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Privatization dancing
Most people favor privatizing the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, from what I hear 'on the street' and see in online polls like the one on Rep. Joseph Camacho's website. But proverbally, the devil is in the details.
The Senate has sent the House Bill calling for privatizing CUC within 45 days back with "minor amendments", according to the Saipan Tribune. Well, that's helpful, but about what you'd expect when the story doesn't even mention the bill's number.
How many companies are going to sort through the engine pieces on the power plant floors, take stock of substations, lines and transformers and come back with a bid?
Somebody, preferably from outside the Commonwealth, needs to independently take a 'snapshot' of CUC before there is any request for bids. The Legislature was just guessing when it set the value at $500 million and now $250 million. The winning bidder will also face huge costs for needed spare parts and maintenance that has been deferred for years.
I'm groping in the dark here (Last night too, but that's a different story), but I've heard the company will also have to "protect" current employees. That's hanging an albatross around a pig's neck when hiring practices have helped bring CUC to its current state. The pool of qualified CNMI residents isn't huge. It would be suicidal to fire valuable employees, particularly with the tightening labor market due to impending federalization. Do you really want to pay for the others with higher power bills?
Like any new board members, the Public Utilities Commission had to rack up some frequent flyer miles before digging into business. That's done, but I doubt if they'll be ready to go in 45 days.
Privatization was a great idea 20 years ago. It's a better idea now, but not if it's another one of those rush jobs that has to be done again and again.
Oh, one other thing, a proposed amendment: "Proceeds from this sale may be used for operations only after retiring all government debt and unfunded obligations."
Speaking of rush jobs, The Marianas Public Land Trust will be meeting in the Morgen Building at 9:00 am Monday to discuss Resolution 08-03. You know, Aggreko money.
The Senate has sent the House Bill calling for privatizing CUC within 45 days back with "minor amendments", according to the Saipan Tribune. Well, that's helpful, but about what you'd expect when the story doesn't even mention the bill's number.
How many companies are going to sort through the engine pieces on the power plant floors, take stock of substations, lines and transformers and come back with a bid?
Somebody, preferably from outside the Commonwealth, needs to independently take a 'snapshot' of CUC before there is any request for bids. The Legislature was just guessing when it set the value at $500 million and now $250 million. The winning bidder will also face huge costs for needed spare parts and maintenance that has been deferred for years.
I'm groping in the dark here (Last night too, but that's a different story), but I've heard the company will also have to "protect" current employees. That's hanging an albatross around a pig's neck when hiring practices have helped bring CUC to its current state. The pool of qualified CNMI residents isn't huge. It would be suicidal to fire valuable employees, particularly with the tightening labor market due to impending federalization. Do you really want to pay for the others with higher power bills?
Like any new board members, the Public Utilities Commission had to rack up some frequent flyer miles before digging into business. That's done, but I doubt if they'll be ready to go in 45 days.
Privatization was a great idea 20 years ago. It's a better idea now, but not if it's another one of those rush jobs that has to be done again and again.
Oh, one other thing, a proposed amendment: "Proceeds from this sale may be used for operations only after retiring all government debt and unfunded obligations."
Speaking of rush jobs, The Marianas Public Land Trust will be meeting in the Morgen Building at 9:00 am Monday to discuss Resolution 08-03. You know, Aggreko money.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Who's listening anyway (Immigrate Expectations Part II)
S.2739 is in the news bigtime. Locally. I challenge you to find a story in the national media that mentions Saipan or the CNMI and the bill.
The U.S. economy is melting down, Iraq is a mess, and the presidential campaign is in full swings(sic).
OK sure, immigration is part of the national debate and a lot of businesses want a guest worker program. Some states don't want to wait, but we're not the poster child for how to do it.
Has a single Senator or Congressman spoken up opposing U.S. control of CNMI immigration ('federalization')? I don't think so, but correct me if I've missed one. That's understandable, we're the Typhoid Marianas because of Jack Abramoff, Tom Delay, Mark Zachares, et al. The petri dish has been contaminated. I'll let you be the judge of whether the ten-year, er, delay was worth it, but who's going to stick their head up now?
I don't even think they're paying attention to our local media. A few congressional staffers, maybe. We hear from them occasionally, but it always sounds like they've been asked for comment. They defend what's already proposed.
So why all of these stories from local politicians, businesses and business organizations? Who are they trying to influence? Each other?
Oh, and contract workers? I've heard for more than twenty years that there might be a path to naturalization 'someday'. I always thought it was wishful thinking. I still do. It's not about the numbers, that's a drop in the bucket nationally. It's the precedent--which makes it a controversial provision that was dropped from the legislation. It's not about fairness either. Sorry. For most national politicians it's about politics.
Realistically, a retreat on the minimum wage law is much more likely. Again, I'm not talking about fairness, but politics. Republican administrations are always against minimum wages*. I'm amazed any one was surprised when OIA came out for a freeze.
Democrats hold the majority in both houses of Congress, of course, and they are the minimum wage party. Only, I still wonder about that six-month Oldaker Biden & Belair contract. They did some "minimum wage" work back in the Abramoff days, too.
*Case in point: Kansas Republicans blocked raising their state minimum above $2.65 per hour. Surprised? I was (Lawrence Journal World & News)
**I also wondered about David Cohen's resignation from the Office of Insular Affairs. The timing is awfully close. Pulas' line about not wanting the job because it's political gets a new twist. While I still think he was just trying to beat the rush of lame duck Bushketeers waddling to the unemployment line, it's at least a possibility.
Two immediate thoughts: 1) He might have disagreed but not wanted to be disagreeable or, 2) He might have agreed, but not wanted to spoil his image as the godfather of the poor and dispossessed. We'll probably never know unless somebody like TPM Muckrakers gets hold of some emails.
The U.S. economy is melting down, Iraq is a mess, and the presidential campaign is in full swings(sic).
OK sure, immigration is part of the national debate and a lot of businesses want a guest worker program. Some states don't want to wait, but we're not the poster child for how to do it.
Has a single Senator or Congressman spoken up opposing U.S. control of CNMI immigration ('federalization')? I don't think so, but correct me if I've missed one. That's understandable, we're the Typhoid Marianas because of Jack Abramoff, Tom Delay, Mark Zachares, et al. The petri dish has been contaminated. I'll let you be the judge of whether the ten-year, er, delay was worth it, but who's going to stick their head up now?
I don't even think they're paying attention to our local media. A few congressional staffers, maybe. We hear from them occasionally, but it always sounds like they've been asked for comment. They defend what's already proposed.
So why all of these stories from local politicians, businesses and business organizations? Who are they trying to influence? Each other?
Oh, and contract workers? I've heard for more than twenty years that there might be a path to naturalization 'someday'. I always thought it was wishful thinking. I still do. It's not about the numbers, that's a drop in the bucket nationally. It's the precedent--which makes it a controversial provision that was dropped from the legislation. It's not about fairness either. Sorry. For most national politicians it's about politics.
Realistically, a retreat on the minimum wage law is much more likely. Again, I'm not talking about fairness, but politics. Republican administrations are always against minimum wages*. I'm amazed any one was surprised when OIA came out for a freeze.
Democrats hold the majority in both houses of Congress, of course, and they are the minimum wage party. Only, I still wonder about that six-month Oldaker Biden & Belair contract. They did some "minimum wage" work back in the Abramoff days, too.
*Case in point: Kansas Republicans blocked raising their state minimum above $2.65 per hour. Surprised? I was (Lawrence Journal World & News)
**I also wondered about David Cohen's resignation from the Office of Insular Affairs. The timing is awfully close. Pulas' line about not wanting the job because it's political gets a new twist. While I still think he was just trying to beat the rush of lame duck Bushketeers waddling to the unemployment line, it's at least a possibility.
Two immediate thoughts: 1) He might have disagreed but not wanted to be disagreeable or, 2) He might have agreed, but not wanted to spoil his image as the godfather of the poor and dispossessed. We'll probably never know unless somebody like TPM Muckrakers gets hold of some emails.
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