724- TAO TAO TANO DIALOGUE'S

HERE IS THE LATEST DIALOGUE I'VE HAD WITH TAO TAO TANO

It is in its entirety and unedited...
"TAOTAO TANO CNMI Assoc, Inc." <taotaotanocnmi@gmail.com> wrote:
O.K. Mr. Doutrich,
In 2004 the Government put a Temporary Restraining order against CUC, when CUC came knoking at there door for payments roughly 10 million at the time. The person who filed TRO was non other than Fermin Atalig a corrupted rat who stole from MPLA and was never proscecuted in the amount of $20, 000.00 on government Credit Card and is now roaming the islands scott free. Anyways our Judicial branch granted his TRO gag order which at that time reached 19 million of uncollected water and sewer bills aside from the governments 6 million a month billing excluding fuel purchases of roughly 5-6 million each month. CUC and the government worked out a payment plan for 3 yrs. for the uncollected delinquent billing. The problem was at the same time CUC was out 19 million, and the government was still falling behind on current billings by the millions. CUC started falling apart since then and the BB administration at time declared a state of emergency because they couldn't pay any of the amounts promised and they were at the same time delinquent on current billing. So the administration created a cover up called SURCHARGE in order for the government to catch up with payments. We all use to pay 11 cents per kilowatt but with their cover-ups we ended with additional 3.5 cents per kilowatt. Meaning we the consumers for 3 yrs. were paying for thier corrupted cover-ups and the Government was warned about this issue by CUC legal counsels. On top of all this cover-ups CUC then was also being runned and managed by corrupted Board members who mismanged the entire agency. They had excessive highly paid consultants, employees, executives, Off -island trips, self-interest contract deals, employees weren't paying their utilities, excessive spending on equipments not needed, RFP's in the millions without results and so forth. This is just a short story on what happen and why we faught this agency and the government is simple THEY ALL DECEIVED the Consumers and the Taxpayes. The history is longer but I would need to sit down with you so that you can see for yourself what went wrong. During our battle up at the legislature we found that none of the elected leaders even bothered conducting or calling for an oversight hearing on CUC. If fact part of our proposal was that the commercial establishments were to pay 18.6 per kilowatt flat rate no additional charges but the legislature shot it down for the reason that business establishments/ owners are also residential consumers and they can't have both ways. Mr. Dutrich I hope that I have shed some light in the matter but if you do have questions please feel free to drop in and I'll be happy to assist you.

Thanks,

TAOTAO TANO's...

OK Tao Tao Tano.. So how does lowering the power rates below the operating costs of CUC fix anything? You have told me the the government is mostly at fault and I totally agree, we are on the same page with that. I have lived here 14 years so I know the history of all the problems. I want to help you with this as you suggested I help solve the problem. I really appreciate you responding in a intelligent and professional way, you in return will get the same respect. Let me say this, then I'll move forward. A business, any business cannot operate at a deficit, which in essence what is happening now at CUC. This is in part because of your group's actions and the cause of my ire when my business is closed and I'm sweating in the dark. That being said, lets now move forward.. The only solution to the problems are in steps. First is to remove it from government and political interference. Second, immediately following that a competent and capable private operator must be put in place. Now this poses a problem as the gov. is still interfering in the RFP or the bidding process. Somehow we must get around that, maybe by federal assistance, the only ones that can take responsibility in this case.Third, an accounting of all numbers must take place, costs and expenses verses charges and rates. Income verses outgo. All kilowatts cost the same to produce so the rates should be the same across the board at all times for all users. 1 Kw costs X to produce, 1 Kw should cost X+ to use, this is simple economics. We are now getting into the operations that the new operator will take control of so we needn't go farther. If your group wants to move in this direction then you will get unlimited support from all business groups and economists who understand how this works. This is not the legislature! So to put the shoe on the other foot. If you need me to help you, I am available. Thank you for your time,

GLEN DOUTRICH

yes Mr. Doutrich, We need everyone's help and I am forwarding you a copy of our proposal to the Senate President to start with. Here is another major dilemma with the fitial administration, I believe that regardless of who the governor is he should have the full support of both houses when it comes to the well being of the peope and our island as whole. In this current stage he does not have any of this and I agree with the Privatization option for I can't see any options why CUC should a government entity or a public utility. We have a lot self-interest politicians up there and the thing about is I am not afraid of any them. I've made that clear to each and one of them that we the people put them in office, it should be us the people to take them out. Years of sitting around doing nothing wasting taxpayers money is wrong Mr. Doutrich. I did my best inviting all business entities on our Taotao Tano gatherings to discuss our movement on the high rates but none had showed up. As you can see in our proposal we did include the commercial business establishments. I did forward this copies to Harry hoping at least he could pass it on but I guess he didn't. Public Law 15-94 is available at our blogspot. Visit: taotaotanocnmi3.blogspot.com and scroll to the bottom section. Thank you and hope we can start fresh from here. Lets help each other.

Gregorio Cruz President of Taotao Tano CNMI

.....GED.....

PS Although all the problens with CUC weren't solved today, I do appreciate the dialogue being congeinal and respectful, that in its self is a step foward and a winner for all.