Last updated on 2012.09.09
In conjunction with its annual conference in Deadwood last month, the South Dakota Telecommunications Association hosted a forum with four of the five candidates for Public Utilities Commission. I would have loved to have covered the meeting live, as I did the Lawrence County Commission's big meeting on the Deadwood Standard Project the same day, but alas, I'm not an SDTA member.
Fortunately, SDTA's director of industry relations Greg Dean provided me a summary of the candidates' statements at the August 21 forum. I post here a summary of Mr. Dean's summary (with no partisan editing, I promise!). The focus of the forum was telecommunications issues, but other topics arose as well.
And remember: Nick Nemec is challenging Chris Nelson for his seat. Matt McGovern is challenging Kristi Fiegen for hers (as is Russell Clarke, who was absent from this forum).
Opening Statements:
- Nelson said he has taken on the telecommunications portfolio on the PUC since Commissioner Steve Kolbeck's resignation in June 2011. He promised to continue putting that expertise to work.
- Nemec emphasized that rural areas need good telecom service. He promised to keep learning and be a fair regulator.
- Fiegen said providing good rural telecom service costs a lot, but that she wants to ensure that South Dakota has access to modern technology.
- McGovern noted that his experience as a law clerk suits him well for the judge-like function of the PUC. He promises an independent voice for consimers and farmers.
Question #1: If you are elected to the PUC this fall, what specific issue will be the first you want to address when you take office?
- Nelson will continue pressuring the Federal Communications Commission to improve rural call completion and fix its reforms of the Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation reform.
- Nemec will address grain warehouse issues first. He said he and McGovern have a checkoff fee plan to protect farmers in the event of a grain warehouse bankruptcy (like the Anderson Seed debacle earlier this year).
- Fiegen agreed with Nelson that we need to work on major revisions to the FCC's USF order. She promised to fight cost-hiking EPA regulations. She said we need to work on natural gas issues and pipeline safety. As for grain warehouse issues, Fiegen wants to protect farmers without overregulating them.
- McGovern wants to increase campaign finance transparency and prohibit contributions from regulated entities to PUC candidates. He also will fix the grain buyer bonding program to put farmers first in line when grain warehouses go bankrupt.
Q#2: In general, it seems as though there is diminished support these days from legislators and regulators for federal policies and programs that are necessary to offset deployment costs in high cost rural areas and to ensure that, between rural and urban, there is continued universal and comparable access to essential services. Do you have any thoughts or ideas as to how those of us in South Dakota and in other rural states might be able to change this disturbing trend? (addressed to Nelson and Nemec)
- Nelson said its tough to advocate for rural needs in D.C. To get the attention of the President and show him how the EPA and FCC are damaging rural America, we must get bipartisan cooperation.
- Nemec said we must differentiate between no regulation and too much regulation. Regulation ensures rural people get services.
Q#3: If you could sit on the FCC for one day, what would be the issue that you would bring to the table for that Commission to address? (addressed to Fiegen and McGovern)
- Fiegen said we need to have a plan for baseline service for rural America.
- McGovern said we need to stop the change in the FCC's USF reform order that mean less dollars for rural America. We need to expand the contribution side of the USF formula to include such things as texts and VOIP. We also need to work on making changes (strengthening statutes) for the Do Not Call List.
Q#4: Recently, the CEO of Verizon was quoted in news article that said his vision for the future is to stop investing in the company's copper network in rural areas and focus on its wireless network and offering bundled services. Does this vision mesh with what you think is best for people living in South Dakota? (addresses to Nemec and Nelson)
- Nemec said Verizon should concentrate on making better service in rural South Dakota. Wireless is important, but service here needs to be better.
- Nelson said Verizon is responding the dramatic increase in data traffic via smartphones. Still, companies like Verizon cannot abandon their wireline network across rural America.
Q#5: Broadband adoption rates in South Dakota tend to be close to the national average. Do you have any suggestions about how to increase broadband adoption rates in the state? (addressed to McGovern and Fiegen)
- McGovern said we should include broadband in our universal service policies. As part of that universal service, we should consider programs to help consumers get broadband hardware. He recommended that the PUC set up kiosks at fairs with broadband access so people can see the value of broadband first hand.
- Fiegen said we need to make broadband available and affordable. She said companies are pulling back on broadband projects in rural South Dakota due to uncertainty over FCC regulations. She said that for jobs, education, and health care, rural America needs and deserves broadband service comparable to what urban America has.
Closing remarks:
- McGovern said elected officials must foster cooperation between government and the private sector, as they did with the Rural Electrification Act and the 1934 Communications Act
- Fiegen says rural and urban, Republicans and Democrats, should work together to make South Dakota a leader in broadband and communications.
- Nemec said good telecommunications access boosts rural America's access to consumer goods and education. He cited his wife's recent graduation from SDSU's nursing program: she took all of her courses online and set foot on campus only two or three times.
- Nelson addressed the question about sitting on the FCC for a day. He said he would work to identify third-party call routers that are not completing calls into rural areas and make sure we fix the problem. He would change the regression analysis portion of the USF order. He would change the culture of the FCC to respond to rural America.
L2wis over at SouthDaCola has more on SD ALEC Queen Kristie Fiegen. As I read this story all I could think about was Nelson's and Fiegen's all things ALEC approach to their decisions. They have their priorities against ours.
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This could get good, the ALEC candidates versus the people: http://www.southdacola.com/blog/2012/09/sd-alec-queen-kristie-fiegen/
My McGovern for PUC shirt will be delivered this week.
Fiegen certainly sounds like an ALEC-bot with her constant regulation-phobia.
Say, Wayne: would you get that t-shirt faster if we had better rural broadband? ;-)
I think it is the Michigan broadband that is slowing the Matt Who t/shirt deliveries Cory. Michigan is where you should hang your hat Matt, don't be using our system to make your name on Gramps back.
Les, independent of my support for the Democrats on the PUC ballot, don't you think you attitude could be part of South Dakota's problem? Why look at a guy like Matt McGovern, a guy who wants to contribute his time and talent to South Dakota, and tell him that he shouldn't be here, that he should go live in some other state? Even if we don't elect the guy, can't we welcome him? I don't like Kristi Noem, but I don't tell her to move to Alaska. Les, your knock on McGovern sounds like the cultural pettiness that Dr. Newquist says holds South Dakota back.
Right, Cory. What I hear is you welcoming Kristi home.
Come on back to SD, Ms. Noem. We miss you dearly.
So neighborly of you, brother. ;^)
When I hear people that don't know saying "this McGovern guy" I feel that's fraudulent advertising and like many politicians, just another way of herding the sheep. Matt McGowen grandson of George and I would go away in a heart beat.
I wouldn't care if you told Kristi to move to Alaska Cory, it is better than what I've thought of telling her on some of her votes.
But will you vote for the next guy up named Bush in the next Presidential primary, Les?
I'm just sensitive, Les, to the "Go away, you don't belong here" line of attack. Matt McGovern wants to contribute to our community. We should welcome that willingness to contribute.
I don't know any Matt McGovern Cory. George McGovern was a friend of my fathers and I dont believe either would stamp approval on this very opaque action. I would welcome Matt McGowen grandson of our senator to SD.
BTW Cory, there are a few in my party I would gladly tell to leave our state and I'm sure you would heartily agree.
At this point Matt is only a man of words and this very open sudden twisting of names assures me there is more to come with a twist.
Les, I don't resort to the "love it or leave it" argument. It just doesn't move the ball. This folderol over Matt McGovern's name sounds like a cheap way to avoid discussing the issues. And to assert that George McGovern doesn't approve is silly. You can find pictures of him with his grandson during this campaign. Your dad's friend is obviously proud of his grandson's efforts to make a difference in South Dakota. And Matt McGovern is no wordy speechmaker. He's a smart policy dude who knows more about the PUC job than incumbent appointee Kristie Fiegen, who recites a lot of GOP talking points.
Cory, I have a 'minor' correction to your last post. We must admit it is sometimes hard to see the difference most days. It is not GOP talking points she is following. What she and Chris Nelson are following are ALEC talking points because she is a bought and paid for GOP spokesperson for them.
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As the 'former' leader of ALEC South Dakota she used state funds to learn how to strip rights from the people who will now try to vote in this election.
I don't know what PUC debate you heard Testor, but Ive heard nothing but great honest answers from both sides. Not that both sides have an equal understanding of our utility issues. You accuse but bring no facts to the table.
Obviously you don't mind twist Cory. How many voters will go to the polls knowing this man is not a McGovern? It is a spin to gain votes from the uneducated plain and simple. McGovern/Fiegen/Clarke, hmmmm.....
Also don't spin my words into love it or leave it mentality. My comments on Matt's home state hopefully show most folks the complete story of Matt leaving Michigan to climb a small pond ladder in SD where the McGovern name still carries recognition. I was never one to put the small pond onus, not a resident, on SHS and would not with Matt should he come clean and build his own character.
Wouldn't you agree we have plenty of spin in SD without adding more?
Les, there has been a very healthy discussion of Fiegen and Nelson ALEC activity and money received from ALEC supporters as reward. Visit L3wis' site at http://www.southdacola.com for more information.
Testor, point taken! She does sound very ALEC.
Les, it's not like coming to South Dakota is an easy choice to make. It may be cheaper to run a campaign here, but if your goal is to make a big name for yourself and gain lots of power, moving to South Dakota isn't exactly good for your hopes. How many South Dakota politicians become really big wheels? And how many become big wheels by running for the PUC?
As for playing on the McGovern name, well, is that really such an advantage in South Dakota compared to other states? McGovern built the Democratic Party here, but he got roughed up in 1972 and 1980. The recognition the name buys cuts both ways. Might not the McGovern name have at least as much power in another state where there are more Democrats?
PUC decisions plus the years of legislative record combine to show more than any debate appearance or ads will. We all know how candidates are on their best behavior during the campaign to redirect attention away from the documented record. So don't be blinded by the shiny rhinestones of oratory, research multiple sources of record.
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Americans and South Dakotans are very lazy citizens. We only want to believe what we want to believe we heard. We do not look at the records of the candidates. Look at your increasing utility bills and then look at the funders of our current PUC members. You don't think there is a correlation between voting records and who has given them money? Research your candidates to see if the people and corporations buying our leaders are ruining our lives for their profit.
No McGovern bump from Matt's home state of Michigan where GOP holds a 2/3 super majority in the state senate.
My daughter plans to keep her paternal name for the benefit of her licensing which was all done before a marriage.
What's Matt's benefit in using mama's maiden name and why don't you and I use mama's name?
Anyway Cory, there are more important issues to discuss. A president that was going to bring us home from a Bush debacle of two wars has us on the edge of war in how many more countries?
Testor, right you are about lazy Americans.
In SD we have reasonable pricing on our utilities as compared to most other states. I don't believe our commission can take as much credit for that as they can for the quality of service we are provided.
Democrats, PUC: speak truth to power and tell South Dakotans, "you can help heal your waterways!"
Pour liquid medications over cat litter, or some other absorbent material, and seal it in a plastic bag before placing it in the trash;
Fill pill containers with household glue, remove all personal information, and then place the container in the trash once the glue has dried; or
Cut trans-dermal patches into small strips, place them in a container and add household glue, or mix them with coffee grounds or cat litter before placing them in the trash.
http://kunc.org/post/boulder-medication-drop-helps-keep-waterways-clean
http://www.onearth.org/article/truth-to-power
@cody_winchester live-tweeting PUC hearing with KXL.
"Fiegen says people misconstrue authority of PUC - can't reroute pipelines, for example.
Yankton County Commish is up -- he lives about 1 mile from existing Keystone line"
"Said they "didn't have any complaints" about the way TransCanada treated landowners or county infrastructure"