Tonga in Space? There Just Had to...
Tonga in Space? There Just Had to Be a San Diego Link
Whenever I read about a high-stakes financial deal, with allegations flying in all directions, I just assume a San Diegan is at the bottom of it.
So it was when I read “Tiny Tonga Seeks Satellite Empire in Space” on the front page of the New York Times.
An “ambitious American entrepreneur” is seeking to secure for the South Pacific kingdom the last 16 orbiting patterns for communication satellites linking the United States, Asia and the Pacific.
The mastermind of Tonga’s bid is Matt C. Nilson, 51, head of Nilson Research Corp., a telecommunications consulting company. The company has offices in Tonga, Manila and San Diego.
I caught up to Nilson at his home in Bay Park, overlooking Mission Bay.
He says he retired in 1987 after working at General Dynamics/Convair. He went to Tonga to enjoy his retirement in paradise.
He became good friends with Tonga’s King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV. Nilson and the king decided to make a bold bid for satellites.
Because of its sovereignty and location, Tonga is said to have a good claim under the international law that limits the number of satellites.
The first three satellites are expected to cost a total of $500 million to $600 million. But finding investors probably won’t be difficult in this satellite-short world.
Tonga can keep a tiny portion of the satellite capacity for its own use and lease out the rest. This in a country whose economy is dependent on fishing, coconuts and bananas.
A U.S.-led consortium of nations is fuming at Tonga and Nilson. It says Tonga just wants to capture the market on satellites and jack up the price at will.
Not so, says Nilson. He says the consortium is miffed because its telecommunications hegemony is threatened: “What we’ve done is pull off a coup.”
I would have liked to talk more to Nilson, but I have research to do.
I’m positive there must have been a San Diegan present when the Pyramids were financed. Can you imagine the commission on a job like that?
Where Bar Meets Turf
Your government in action.
* Need an attorney? Call the track.
Twenty-four attorneys from the San Diego city attorney’s office, plus 18 summer interns, spouses and children, trekked to the Del Mar Race Track last Thursday afternoon.
The attorneys were all taking either comp or vacation time. The court schedule was said to be light because a State Bar meeting had just finished.
“We have 20 jury trials a day for the next two weeks,” said Chief Deputy City Atty. Susan Heath. “The time to play was this one week only.”
They may know the law, but horses are another matter. Not a Pick Six in the bunch.
* Speaking of attorneys.
Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller is fighting the county Department of General Services over plans to oust his staffers from the County Regional Center in El Cajon and relocate them in rented space in a shopping center next to a toy store.
One of Miller’s concerns is that the ground-level office would leave prosecutors vulnerable to drive-by violence from vindictive defendants.
Miller labels as “rather remarkable” a suggestion from General Services that he could minimize the danger to prosecutors by making sure the desks near the windows are assigned to secretaries.
He has sent a hotly worded letter to Chief Administrative Officer Norman Hickey.
* Last week was the final stretch of the legislative session in Sacramento, arguably the most important week of the session, with dozens of bills being voted on.
State Sen. Wadie P. Deddeh (D-Bonita) took the week off to prepare for his son’s wedding.
Hacker’s Lament
The Coronado Golf Course is a jewel, but it has one flaw: loudspeakers at the clubhouse spew music over several holes.
As I was hacking toward the green on the second hole (par 5, 495 yards) I heard “The Impossible Dream.”
I resent that.
