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Home My WebLink About20060912Workpapers 1.pdfGIVE SLEY LLP lAW OFFICES 601 W. Bannock Street PO Box 2720, Baise, Idaho 83701 TELEPHONE: 208 388-1200 FACSIMilE: 208 388-1300 WEBSITE: www.givenspursley.com Via Hand Deliverv Gary G. Allen Kristen A. Atwood Kelly T. Barbour Christopher J. Beeson William C. Coie Michael C. Creamer Thomas E. Dvorak Idaho Public Utilities Commissio~oy Lewis Eiguren Offi 'Jeffrey C. Fereday Ice of the Secretary Martin C. Hendrickson R E eEl V E D Steven J. Hippler Debora K. Kristensen Anne C. Kunkel Jeremy G. ladleMay 16, 1006 MAY 1 6 2006 Daniel Klein Idaho Public Utilities Commission 472 W. Washington O. Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720-0074 Boise, Idaho Franklin G. lee David R. Lombardi John M. Marshali Kenneth R. McClure Kelly Greene McConnell Cynthia A. Melilio Christopher H. Meyer L Edward Milier Patrick J. Miller Judson B. Montgomery Angela K. Neison Deborah E. Nelson W. Hugh O'Riordan, lLM. Bradiey V. Sneed H. Barton Thomas, lLM. J. Will Varin Coniey E. Ward Robert B. White Kenneth L Pursley RETIRED Raymond D. Givens RETIRED James A. McClure RETIRED Re:In the Matter of the Investigation or Rural Telephone Company s Compliance with Commission Rules, Case No. RUR-06- Dear Mr. Klein: In response to your request for additional information regarding the above-referenced Commission inquiry, I am forwarding the following additional documents: Copy of annual Lifeline/Linkup informative flyer that Rural Telephone last forwarded to each of its customers in June 2005; Copies of Rural Telephone s Notice of adverse credit information and credit scoring requirements for new customers; Copy of Notice of Business Residential Classification and Business Rate Tariff mailed to Atlanta customer Leonard Perkins; Copy of AtlantaIdaho.org webpage giving notice that (208) 864-2213 (Mr. Perkins' line) serves a "non-profit association that provides a variety of goods and services. " If you have any questions regarding this information please do not hesitate to contact me. t:;Jd4t1 Michael C. Creamer Enclosures cc:Rural Telephone Company MCC:kdt S:ICLIENTSII716\28\MCC Letter to Daniel Klein-OOOI.DOC Income-based criteria will be in effect for all telephone companies that offer Lifeline beginning in June 2005. Some telephone companies may offer Lifeline discounts to individuals who qualify based on household income before that date. Residents of Indian reservations or tribal lands qualify if they participate in any of the programs listed above have a household income that is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines, or participate in one of these programs: . Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) general assistance . Head Start (income eligible) . Tribal TANF f\TC How do I apply to receive Lifeline, Link Up and TLS support discounts? Consumers must apply through their local telephone company - please let us know if you are interested in any of these programs. Visit the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) web site at www.lifelinesupportorg for more information about eligibility requirements. You also may call USAC toll free at 1-888-641-8722, with any questions about Lifeline, Link Up and TLS discounts. (P-15-lJ~ Yes You Can Afford Telephone Service . ...--.-----..-......-.-..-.--.-........."....----------......... Every person in America should have access to quality, affordable telecommunications service. This principle of "Universal Service" has been the goal of the telecommunications industry for decades, In 1934, the federal government codified the goal and reaffirmed it in 1996 by establishing policies for the "preservation and advancement of Universal Service. To achieve the Universal Service goal, carriers have access to a fund that is generated by contributions from the telecommunications providers in the United States, Telecommunications companies draw from the fund to provide four programs that support telecommunications services nationwide, Link-Up ~erica. (Link-Up)' and' , . the Lifeline Assistance Program (Lifeline) are part of the fund's Low-Income Program and are described in detail below. Toll limitation service is another program available to low income subscribers to help them control what they spend on telephone service. Lifeline, Link Up, and Toll Limitation Service support provide discounts to eligible low-income consumers to help them establish and maintain telephone service. What type of discount is available? Lifeline assistance lowers the cost of basic monthly local telephone service. Eligible consumers can receive up to $10 per month in discounts. Additional state support also may be available. Eligible residents ofIndian reservations or tribal lands can receive up to an additional $25 in Lifeline support but must pay at least $1 for basic monthly service. Link Up reduces the cost of initiating new telephone service. Eligible consumers can receive a 50% discount off of the one-time costs associated with initiating telephone service , up to a maximum of $30. Eligible consumers also qualify for a deferred payment schedule for remaining costs of up to $200. Eligible low-income consumers living on tribal lands are eligible for an additional discount of up to $70 to cover 100% of the charges between $60 and $130. Toll Limitation Service (TLS) support allows eligible consumers who wish to avoid incurring large long distance fees to choose toll blocking or toll control at no cost. How do I know whether am eligible? Eligibility for Lifeline, Link Up and TLS support varies by state. Individuals who reside in states that have their own discount programs qualify for federal Lifeline Link Up and TLS support if they meet the eligibility criteria established by their state. In states that do not provide state support, an individual is eligible ifhe or she participates in one of the following programs: . Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) . Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8 . Medicaid . Food Stamps . Supplemental Security Income (SSI) . Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)' . National School Lunch free lunch program In addition, a consumer may be eligible if his or her household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines: 2004 Income Requirements - 48 Contiguous States Family Size States & DC Alaska I Lmaii $12 569 $15 701 $14 445 $16 862 $21 074 $19 386 $21 155 $26 447 $24 327 $25 448 $31 820 $29 268 $29 741 $37 193 $34 209 $34 034 $42 566 $39 150 $38 327 $47 939 $44 091 $42 620 $53 312 $49 032 For each additional 293 373 941 person add Foundation (((t for Rural Service This brochure was produced by the Foundation for Rural Service, the philanthropic arm ofthe National Telecommunications Cooperative Association. Its mission is to promote, educate and advocate rural telecommunications In order to sustain and enhance the quality of life within communities throughout rural America. For additional information on the Foundation. visit www.frs.org. This advocacy campaign also is supported by the Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative, based in Herndon, VA. NEW CUSTOMER CREDIT SCORING REQUIREMENTS 1. Check to see if the applicant has an existing account or had an account in the past. If applicant has or had an account, check their payment history with us. If the customer is/was consistently in good standing, no deposit will be required. 2. If the applicant does not have an account and was not a previous customer but is willing to provide a letter of credit from their prior telecommunications provider and their *credit history meets the requirements below, no deposit will be required. 3. If the customer does not fall into either category above , the company will ask the customer to sign a credit release authorization to run a credit history report. CSR will adhere to the credit scoring criteria below: Credit Score Rating 720 - 850 675-719 619 - 674 575 - 618 525 - 574 .:: 524 Excellent Credit Good Credit Fair/ Good Credit Poor Credit Very Poor Credit Severe Adverse Credit No Deposit Required No Deposit Required No Deposit Required $100 Deposit Required $200 Deposit Required $300 Deposit Required *ALWAYS OBTAIN WRITTEN CONSENT TO RUN CREDIT HISTORY REPORT Rev. 4/06 II'I I""II" "."", II..Leonard & Geri Perkins POBox 33 Atlanta, ill 83601 S H \ P P E D JJ\N 2 1 2006 NOTICE OF BUSINESS/RESIDENTIAL CLASSIFICA TION We are in the process of properly classifying residential and business phone customers. This procedure will involve identifying businesses by reviewing directory advertising, newspaper ads, web-page sites and/or a phone line voicemail, or answering machine answered with a business name. When a residential account access line is detennined to be a business line the rate will be immediately transferred to the appropriate commercial tariff. A notice will be forwarded to the customer infonning of the rate change. non-profit organization may be charged a reduced rate upon Rural Telephone Company receiving a copy of "tax exempt" status. A business may have a residential line installed at the same address. Separate rings could be established to identify whether the call is the residential or commercial line. Business phone charges may be tax deductible. You will want to verify this with your accountant or tax professional. If you have any questions, please don t hesitate to contact our customer service department at 1-888-366-7821. Thank you for allowing Rural Telephone Company to provide your telecommunications needs. RURAL TELEPHONE COMPANY I.P.c. NO. IstRevised Sheet No. 27 Cancels Original Sheet No. 27 IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSIONAPPROVED EFFECTIVE DEC 1 8 '00 FEe 1 4 '01. ~d1~ SECRETARY NETWORK ACCESS LINE SERVICE (Cont' Business Rates Apply:LJ COpy ".. 4H any location where activities are of a business, trade, or professional nature. ~$t'any location where the listing of service at that location indicates a business, trade . bt profession. Where only one network access line is provided at a: location which is both a residence and a business. At schools, hospitals, libraries, churches, and other similar institutions. Residence Rates Apply: In private residence where business listings are not provided and telephone service is not used for the conduct of business. In the place of residence of a clergyman, physiqian, or other medical practitioner provided the subscriber does not maintain an office in the residence. Extended Area Service: Extended Area Service (EAS) will be provided without additional charge for the Rural Telephone exchanges of Boise River, Prairie, and Tipanuk to the communities listed in the regions and exchanges listed below: Quest Treasure Valley EAS Region: Boise Caldwell . Eagle Emmett Idaho City Kuna Melba Meridian Middleton . Nampa Star Quest Mountain Home Exchange: Mountain Home Glenns Ferry (N) Issued by: Rural Telephone Company, Inc. By: Jim Martell. President sltariffinvldraftlrural network access.doc Effective: February 14,2001 Atlanta, Idaho Page 1 of 2, i~----'- l!COPY- t AUantaldah fUU Weicorne to the At!anta , IdahD.or';1 Web site . ----.-- lIor~E I !lIS'IOR1 Of AHAIIYII ATlIINTA TDDJi'i I SlIITlSTS I UII1I5 I I11AP Ii GIREC1IIUIS .-"-_.~. .._- ".._.~----~--- The Hub, your starting point for both summer and winter fun. ............,......"..,....,........_.._.__..,......"...,_......."........-..,...."-,..'... Atlanta Businesses and Services: Note: There is no service station in Atlanta, so please make sure that full of gas before departing on your trip. .. ! Business Listings: , Pinnacle Peaks Sawtooth Lodge at Green Valley Convention Center and Dude Ranch. www.pinnaciepeaks.com Ai Reutzel, General Manager. Ph: 208.864.2168 V" :. Beaver Lodge Restaurant, Bar, Lodging and Propane. Lois and Russell Beavers, proprietors. Ph :208.864.2132 The Hub Restaurant, including non-smoking room. Jan Wills and Chuck.Smart, proprietors. Ph: 208.864.2222, Fax: 2Atlanta, Stage Delivery service between the greater Atlanta area and Boise. Larry Rexroad, proprietor. Ph: 342.8038 ~ Len The Wanderer Info Services A non"profit association that provides a variety of goods and servi. and SW Idaho. Ph: 208.864,2213 or leonardo1937(9Jhotmall.com Current Events: Proposed Opening of a mining operation near Atlanta. Atlanta township came to be because of mining and mining intere~ an Important part of its history. However, there has been no signi! commercial mining in the Atlanta area for over 50 years. As of latE inquiries as to opening a new mining plant. Additionally, here are point out the multitude of concerns not only with openings this Spl also concerns about mining in the Atlanta area in general. Any qUE comments please respond to business(9Jatlantaldaho.org. The Proposed Mining Plan www.atiantagoidels.com Idaho Conservation League www.wlldidaho.org Earthworks www.earthworkaction.org Sierra Club www.sierraclub.org Montana Environmental Center www.melc.org ..............,.