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Technology Stocks : Leap Wireless International (LWIN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: pcstel who wrote (2017)5/17/2002 10:05:05 PM
From: Jon Koplik  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 2737
 
pcstel -- thank you (extremely much) for "breaking the silence" (regarding juicy tidbits from this year's annual meeting).

Two points :

1. So, if Sue had been wearing pink hot pants, our stock would be at $8.00 today (?)

2. Your comments near the end of your post (regarding (only) 6 "good" markets) ...

I'm sorry, but I am not following your thought process.

If you have time, please re-hash your thoughts, as if you were addressing morons (myself included, as always).

Jon.



To: pcstel who wrote (2017)5/18/2002 12:19:42 AM
From: Lance Bredvold  Respond to of 2737
 
Thank you very much PCS. As usual you see the stuff I am looking for plus a lot more. It sounds like a depressed crew as well it might be--but that is what one pays a chairman big bucks for: pulling it all together one more time.

Yes. Those markets up on the Northern Tier are curious to me. Something must be going to happen and there is no room in the 40 market plan for them. Shouldn't there already be some subscribers of one sort or another up there by now? Some markets were postponed until Sept or Oct as I recall because HDR wouldn't be ready till then. But some others already met requirements in April, but certainly they have to do more than be able to reach 25% of the pops and actually provide service to some of them. Don't they?

I suspect we are seeing White closing up and I don't think it is a good thing. And I don't suppose there is anyone who can counter him in San Diego. Barnard is gone, Sue was hired by him, Willardson had been around long enough but is now gone. Dan Pegg with Sue might be the best bets. I still think that fraud business took them by surprise and created a situation which is more marginal than White had planned on. He is trying to fight back, but it took a lot of the enthusiasm out of cricKet.

I thought I might run down there as late as last Friday, but I have to go the other direction this upcoming week and have a doctors appointment here Monday so I just couldn't see another trip to San Diego. Thanks for reporting, both of you. Don't know whether you are aware of it, but I sat across the table from you Steve, after the QCOM meeting. Lance



To: pcstel who wrote (2017)5/18/2002 1:34:12 AM
From: bruce_hamilton  Respond to of 2737
 
PCSTEL,

You wrote:
<<<<<<<I have no idea where these G/A expenses go! Over $27 dollars per sub. Compared to one of it's closest peers (size and technology wise) AirgatePCS which on a consolidated basis has a G/A cost per sub of about $12. On the operational side at the market level. It appears that Cricket is a low cost well oiled machine. At the corporate level. It appears to operate likes a Baby Bell. VP's upon VP's. Even if there were 600 employees at the corporate level, That's almost $80,000 per employee per quarter in G/A Expenses.>>>>>

Friday night ramblings:

I want to get a CFO in there, I have been hurt a few times when CFOs quit “to pursue other interests”. It is a red flag for me and was one of the issues that caused me to reconsider my position in LEAP.

I think the lack of checks and balances in place to catch this FRAUD problem; employees and systems to counter fraud and the slow progress in attracting a CFO speak to a minor change in my attitude toward management’s ability to manage. I did say minor, because I have the highest respect for Harvey and the work he did at QUALCOMM.

I would imagine Harvey has received a few phone calls from large shareholders asking “What up Harvey?” which can be a little draining to deal with on a daily basis, when he should be running the business instead of placating shareholders. “Keep working the problem Harvey I’m rooting for you.”

I need to see improvement in the companies efforts to reign in the FRAUD problem, reduce G/A, hire a CFO, give some visibility to the viability of future markets, continued success with sub adds and the NUMBERS adding up or down in some cases. That’s not too much to ask is it?

Bruce



To: pcstel who wrote (2017)5/18/2002 9:54:06 PM
From: Maurice Winn  Respond to of 2737
 
PCSTEL, do they stay at Motel 6 when they are visiting the cities they service?

<I have no idea where these G/A expenses go! Over $27 dollars per sub. Compared to one of it's closest peers (size and technology wise) AirgatePCS which on a consolidated basis has a G/A cost per sub of about $12. On the operational side at the market level. It appears that Cricket is a low cost well oiled machine. At the corporate level. It appears to operate likes a Baby Bell. VP's upon VP's. Even if there were 600 employess at the corporate level, That's almost $80,000 per employee per quarter in G/A Expenses. >

Do the staff spend money the way they would spend it if they were given the money in cash and they had to arrange their own business expenses and pay for them out of their own money?

My corporate experience is that some [most] people are complete wastrels and need somebody controlling them closely. The attitude flows from the boss and top managers.

When money starts gushing, there seems to be no limit to what can be wasted if people have the wrong attitude.

I have no idea how Leap staff spend money.

I have not bought Leap shares yet.

Mqurice