OCR Text |
Show TuesJav. October 6, to review FCC ce jong-distan- Recess' fees By BARRY SCHWEID AP Diplomatic By JEANNINE AVERSA Associated Press Writer I - WASHINGTON The gov-rnme- nt decided Monday to ike Another look at federally plated fees that make up a tr "portion of ills.'raising the possibility of nviflgs for customers. the Federal Specifically, oinmunications Commission iOjj reviewing the "access" long-distanc- e that i'S long-distanc- e Albright works for terms of compa-u- i pay to local phone carriers o Connect calls. Those fees. are passed along to e customers, make up bout 40 percent of the average 22.50 monthly residential long-islanc- Writer WASHINGTON Secretary of State Madeleine Albright headed to the Middle East on Monday hoping to put together a deal for an Israeli withdrawal on the West Bank that President Clinton could announce at a summit in mid-Octobe- r. Four days have been set Oct. 15 to 18 aside for Clinton to hold three-watalks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. If Albright is unable to put the pieces together most y importantly secure from Arafat new guarantees to uproot terClinton could come rorism up short in his bid to play peacemaker in the Middle East as he successfully did in Northern Ireland. "I don't expect her to come back with all the issues resolved," State Department spokesman James P. Rubin said en route Monday. Albright's aim is to "whittle away, clear some underbrush" to set the stage for intensive negotiations in Washington, he said. Clinton brought Netanyahu and Arafat to the White House last week to try to set up a timetable for forging an agree !W, DAILY HERALD, Prto. I lah half-doze- safe-passag- e n distance-Netanyah- n long-distanc- No-Fe- e Netanyahu's." Albright's strategy differs from her predecessors in the who past quarter-century- , spent long stretches shuttling between Israel and the Arabs in quest of a resolution to the conflict. During Albright's only other negotiating trip to the Middle Hast, she had pledged not to return until Israeli and Palestinian leaders made the "hard decisions" necessary to restart peace talks. "I'm not going to come back here to tread water," she said at Home Equity Credit Line IhlhHnUtittlM!) iHtfk long-distanc- e gtill, consumer groups and companies have e ie$i pushing regulators for bil- liofts in additional cuts, saying thi current fees are artificially high. Local phone companies say more government-orderecuts woild either lead to decreased WJ? d investment in their networks them to go to state reg ulators and seek local rate increases. But some local phone companies want the FCC to give them the flexibility to lovrer their fees to respond to competitive factors. With the help of we will decide who's and make any necessary right FCC said adjustment,'' CKairman Bill Kennard. Further complicating the matter: Part of the fees and there's a dispute over how mtich goes to make local affordable to service phne poir people and customers livt ing in rural and other or Ibrce ii com-mejite- rs Regular variable rate high-cos- ai was. y 5'he Consumer Federation of America, the National Retail the and Federation International Communications Association, which represents big telecommunications users, have together asked the FCC for more cuts in access fees. But they have not proposed a spe- 1 M M APR cify figure. Meanwhile, MCI and AT&T alsb have been pushing for cuEs. Last week, AT&T Chairman Michael Armstrong, a speech, said they should be cu"at least $10 billion annual- in At Zions Bank, we're celebrating 125 years of local banking. But rather than put out cake and ice cream, we thought that you'd appreciate an incredibly low rate on a home equity RECORDING EXTRAVAGANZA! digital techsology rt aa IV7t7i L'MI per song ReCord 10 I J3 JJUMSSOHS JltUnULKSOKS -- VOOlltSSOKS a WHOM ALL MUSIC & VOCAL :romKESis0FF! HOT VOCAL WflUW WTMK! LESSONS COME TRY US Oil I 16 10-- Mm.-Th- rs. " : Sd. 12-- 6 p.m. (by oppoitmiU Member FDIC 1 www.zions bank. ofBanking -7 ) 796-67- M tiwiiin ZIONS Celebrating BANK 125 yean ! W. STATE ROAD - PL. GROVE Plaza 2 Located in All American Fri p.m. 9 p i. Slute Hours: hi credit line or one of our other popular types of loans. Just be sure to apply soon. Like any (5626) or visit any Zions Bank office. good parry, it won't last forever. Call Jong CD " A1 pocket. That is Arafat's yes,"' Erekat said. "In order to reach an agreement she needs a second 'yes,' and that is Mr. bill. e The FCC said it will seek mblic and industry comment nthe amount of foes now barged. The commission didn't say what, if anything, it intends to dcrjibout them. But its action raises the possibility of addi tional cuts to the fees, which e would lower bills f reductions are passed along to customers. It is unlikely the commis sion, under pressure to keep phone bills stable, would raise tha fees because that would make bills go up. The FCC last ordered the payments cut in May 1997 by lw billion to better reflect local phone companies' costs to calls. The connect payments total about $23 - Page accord Israeli-Palestini- an ment. attacks. After months of U.S. prodU.S. officials say a other issues also have ding, Netanyahu has agreed to relinquish 13 percent of the not been settled, including West Bank, with 3 percent Palestinian demands for a seaturned into a nature preserve port and airport, under joint between the West Bank and Gaza, and an industrial zone in security. Arafat said he had accepted Gaza. But the "Israel has shown its willarrangement. u Netanyahu made it clear an ingness to go the accord was conditional on told reporters Palestinian territory not being Sunday. "Now it's up to the used to launch attacks against Palestinians to show their willIsraeli civilians. ingness to carry out their The Palestinian Authority part." has said it is working to conPalestinian negotiator Saeb tain militant groups like Erekat said that the movement Hamas, but that even its best must come from the Israeli efforts cannot provide an iron- side. clad Albright "has one 'yes' in her guarantee against Israeli-Palestinia- 1 HK ratio up to 50. The regular variable rate, which will take ertect six months after your loan begins, varies based on the amount The special introductory rate is 5.90 APR on loam ol $50,000 or more with a ratio is 50 or less, and your loan amount is $50,000 or more, your regular APR will be 8.00. of equity you have in your home and the prime interest rate. As of 1018 the prime rate was 8.25. Currently if your .25 APR. 9 ratio is ratio is 50 or less and your loan amount is less than $50,000. your regular APR will be 8.50. If your If your 00. 2.75 your regular APR will he 8."5; APR. The maximum APR is 18. A $15 charge is made for any check or draft written against the line for less than $500. If the line is not used once during any calendar year, a $50 fee w ill be assessed. This oHer is available on home equity credit lines below $250,000. Ask your financial advisor about tax deductibility. |