The Prepaid Press - April 15, 2008 - (Page 4)

PREPAID BUSINESS April 15 · 2008 - 4 THE RETSKE REPORT By Gene Retske Election Year Politics and Woody Hayes First off, don’t worry. The Prepaid Press is not getting ready to endorse a candidate for president, we are as deeply divided here as most of the nation. Nor, are we about to endorse Woody Hayes, besides he is long gone. The years following a national election often bring changes to the business environment. In all sectors of prepaid, there has been increased scrutiny by regulators and lawmakers, and consumer advocate groups. The likelihood of any meaningful legislation before the November election is minimal, but not entirely impossible. Sometimes, political grandstanding gets the best of pandering politicians and they do bizarre things or pass last minute laws without a lot of debate. For example, floating around the halls of Congress right now is a bill on “net neutrality.” Whether you think this is a good idea or not, the fact is that something with the impact this has should be debated, argued and negotiated, before any action is taken. Pandering could cause this to become dislodged and be voted on. This is not to say that there is anything to indicate that this particular bill is about to burst forward; this is just meant as an example. But, if it did, whichever way it would go, it would be done in haste, and have a high probability of being a political mistake. If voted into law without a thorough hearing and debate, we could end up with a bad law that could take years to fix. (Remember the 1996 Telecom Act?) If voted down, the issue could be ignored for years to come. This is just to illustrate what can happen in an election year. Again, the likelihood of any THE BAR JUST GOT RAISED meaningful legislation being acted upon in 2008 is remote. No matter who wins the presidency, no matter who controls the House or the Senate, January 2009 will be a new dawn. In the prepaid industry, there are a lot of loose ends – DAC, USF, card fees, unbanked services, and so on. A new Congress and a new president will be anxious to take action to demonstrate to the electorate that their election was a good decision. In every sector of prepaid, there are noises being made about regulation, deregulation (OK, these are rare), consumer issues and lawsuits. All of these are fodder for a political debate during the election cycle. The famous, or infamous, Ohio State football coach, Woody Hayes, was once asked why he did not call more pass plays. He responded that there are three things that can happen when you pass the football, and two of them are not good. Likewise, with volatile industry issues and a political season. The first thing that could go wrong, as we mentioned, is that incumbent candidates could move in haste, creating a disaster if careful consideration is not given to complex issues before decisions are made. This is analogous to Woody’s quarterback throwing an interception. The second thing that could wrong, nearly as bad, is that candidates commit to taking a particular action, before thoughtful consideration of the policy. This is as bad, if not worse, than the first thing that could go bad, and compares to a dropped pass for Woody’s boys. The best thing that politicians can do in the heat of a campaign is to make no more than a solid commitment to consider the issue, and listen to all sides before making a final decision. This is the best thing for all parties, the public and the politicians. It does not commit the candidate to a specific course, but it puts the issue on the front burner for resolution after the election. Special interest groups can still get their licks in, the candidates can look involved and decisive, and ill considered actions are not made or committed. Let’s hope our candidates, as they begin to emerge, are as wise as Woody! Arthur Tobias 1944-2008 TURNKEY ELECTRONIC POS We are excited to announce the opening of our state of the art customer support center; over 50 dedicated professionals to be your back office with an unparalleled level of service. • Customer Support • Customer Set up/Training • Proactive Customer Retention • Back Office Accounting • Product Management • Terminal Management • Electronic Airtime • Integrated Long Distance • Bill Payment • Stored Value • Cross Border • Global Roaming Recipient of "2008 TSP of the Year Award" from Boost Mobile AGENTS WANTED 212.219.2220 sales@prepaypoint.com Built EXCLUSIVELY on distributor alliances Arthur (Arty) Tobias, 64, the father of TPP president and publisher, Robin Tobias, suffered cardiac arrest and died suddenly on March 31, 2008, while playing golf, the game he loved best. In addition to Robin, he is survived by his wife, Sandy; son, Jeff; his children’s spouses, Scott & Holly; grandchildren, Ashley and Matthew; and many friends and business associates, who mourn him. Before retiring to Delray Beach, Arty was a distinguished member of NYMEX. He was brilliant, witty, funny, kind, and generous. A graveside service was held by the immediate family in New York. There will be a Memorial Service in Delray Beach, Florida - details to be announced. Arty was excited about having a comprehensive cardiac program in the Boca/Delray area, so the family is requesting donations to: The Lynn Heart Institute at Boca Raton Community Hospital In Memory of Arthur Tobias Sarah Pollak, Director of Development & Donor Relations BRCH Foundation, Inc. 800 Meadows Road Boca Raton, FL 33486 Phone: (561) 955-4069 http://www.prepaypoint.com/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Prepaid Press - April 15, 2008

The Prepaid Press - April 15, 2008 Motorola to Split Mobile Payments: The Saga Continues Contents The Retske Report: Election Year and Woody Hayes Regulatory Rundown: 2008 First Quarter Mobile Update 5 Minutes with Mark Herrington tppEXPO’08 Spotlight New Handsets Announced at CTIA Prepaid Wireless in Brief Prepaid Wireless Roundup Virgin Mobile Reports Earnings of 6 Cents Movida Files Chapter 11 LiveWire Mobile Acquires Groove Mobile Boost Selects Vesta for Transactions RadioShack to Offer Trumpet Mobile Service Virgin Offers New Pay as You Go Plans Book Review: Webster’s New World Telecom Dictionary Management Changes at IDT Spot Rates Calling Cards in Brief The State of Prepaid Technology: Productive Coexistence FTC Asks Court to Halt Prepaid Calling Card Scam Louisiana Community Mulls Tax on Prepaid Cards Pactolus Wins VON Magazine Award iBasis Lowers Pakistan Rate for Pingo The Legal Line Biometric Update: Keep Your Shirt On AccountNow Ends Upfront Fees Evolution Benefits Acquires SmartFlex Payments in Brief NetSpend to Offer Bill Payment and Top-up Union Bank Introduces Contactless Card Ingenico Announces Development Kit Prepaid 101: Stupid Card Tricks PLS Offering Walk-In Bill Payment Spend Gift Cards ASAP Credit Card Breach at Hannaford Bros. NACS Withdraws Opposition to Tobacco Bill Study Finds Gift Card Packaging Increases Sales NACS Names International VP Inflatable Display Provides Inexpensive Signage Retail Focus in Brief Our Advertisers Contact Us

The Prepaid Press - April 15, 2008

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