OMFG!! Carlyle just bought our phone company!!

[KamaAina]

And I found it by accident, buried in Yahoo! Finance, and not on any local site:

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040521/telecoms_verizon_1.html

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Private Equity firm Carlyle Group agreed to buy the Hawaiian wireline assets of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ - News) for about $1.65 billion in cash, the No. 1 U.S. telephone company said on Friday....

The deal is expected to close next year, contingent on regulatory approvals. In addition, Washington-based Carlyle has obtained financing commitments, and the closing of that financing is a condition of the accord.

The agreement includes the equity of Verizon Hawaii Inc., which operates 707,000 local access lines, as well as the services and assets of Verizon's long distance, online and directory publishing businesses there. Last year, those businesses had sales of $610 million and operating income of $58 million....

A new name for the assets will be announced at a later date.

May I suggest the following:

"Dial 'M' for Murder"

"1-800-BUSH-SUX"

"Global Domination Tel: Free calling to all 47 countries occupied by a Carlyle subsidiary!!"

Is there any way to make them stop, like informing the (spineless) PUC that our monopoly phone company is about to fall into the hands of shady international arms dealers bent on world domination?!

:grr: :grr: :nuke:

[KamaAina]

1. Update: S-B has the story

while the 'Tiser's "breaking news" has a feature on loser Jasmine Trias...

http://starbulletin.com/breaking/breaking.php?id=2654

Verizon Hawaii, whose possible sale to the Carlyle Group had been speculated for months, is being sold to the global private equity firm for $1.65 billion.

Months?! They sure did a good job keeping it off the "coconut wireless"!!

“We will offer new services to our customers, including expanded broadband, and we expect to add many new jobs after the acquisition," Carlyle Managing Director William Kennard said. "Importantly, rates will stay the same as we reposition the business as a true local company."

Is that William Kennard from the FCC?! Is he still there or did he go through the "revolving door"?

Last year, Carlyle Group purchased Horizon Lines LLC from CSX Corp. Horizon is the second-largest shipping company in Hawaii, behind Matson Navigation Co.

Great. Just great. The murdering slimeballs own our shipping line, and now our phone company. I'm gonna guess one of the interisland air carriers is next.

:scared: :scared: :scared:

Edit: quote marks

[KamaAina]

2. Stranger than truth: Now they're *selling* Horizon Lines!

http://starbulletin.com/breaking/breaking.php?id=2662

The Carlyle Group announced today that it will sell Horizon Lines, one of the nation’s largest shipping companies, to fellow private-equity firm Castle Harlan for $650 million...

On Friday, the Carlyle Group said it would purchase local telephone company Verizon Hawaii for $1.65 billion.

Horizon Lines serves Hawaii, Alaska, Guam and Puerto Rico, and is the main rival to Matson Navigation in Hawaii ocean shipping...

Ullman said the Carlyle Group’s Verizon Hawaii and Horizon Lines deals were completely unrelated.

Ri-i-i-i-ght. And I have a bridge I'd like to sell you; it connects two of New York's major boroughs...

Who is this Castle Harlan, anyway? More to come...

[oasis]

3. Hopefully Sen. Schumer will have all containers fully checked out

especially during the month of October.