Phil Matier: Questionable All-Expense Paid Trip For CPUC Officials
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – A California Public Utilities Commission delegation has left for an all-expenses paid study trip to Sweden.
Among those making the trip to study Sweden's sustainable energy programs are CPUC President Michael Peevey and his wife, state Senator Carol Liu, commission member Tim Simon, Peevey's chief of staff Carol Brown and the commission's Los Angeles office manager Denise Tyrell.
KCBS and Chronicle Insider Phil Matier:
Some of the tab is being picked up by the Swedish government, while the Energy Coalition, a California non-profit, is picking up the tab for Simon and Brown.
KCBS and Chronicle Insider Phil Matier said California and Swedish officials have swapped visits for 17 years, but not everyone is pleased about it this year.
"State Assemblyman Jerry Hill from San Mateo said, I don't care who is picking up the tab," Matier said. "You guys should be back here taking care of things like whether or not the pipelines are safe, not going off to Sweden. And if it is your 16th trip, it's getting to be a regular thing. What are you learning?"
Matier said it is actually a very common practice among organizations and politicians, to make trips to other parts of the country and world and check out what others are doing in a more leisurely setting.
You can hear Phil Matier's comments Monday through Friday at 7:50am and 5:50pm on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM.
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