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Which telecom companies are pulling the strings in your state government? Find out which telecommunications companies are spending the most on lobbying and campaign contributions. Learn about your public utility boards, where they are located and how to file a complaint. Also, view the personal financial disclosure statements of board members and learn how much they earn.

California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94102-3298
(415) 703-2782
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/

How to file a complaint
Online

Mail a written complaint

Jurisdiction: Privately owned telecommunications, electric, natural gas, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies
Funding: funded through a charge on the utility bills of consumers
Commissioners: 5
  Appointed by: Governor
  Term: 6 years
  Annual Salary: $114,191
Chairperson: Appointed by Governor
  Term: at pleasure of Governor
  Annual Salary: $117,818
Commissioners

Michael Peevey (Chair)
Term: 2002-2008
Financial Disclosure:  2002  2003  2004 

Susan Kennedy
Term: 2003-2009
Financial Disclosure:  2003  2004 

Dian Grueneich
Term: 2005-2011

John Bohn
Term: 2005-2011

Geoffrey Brown
Term: 2001-2007
Financial Disclosure:  2001  2002  2003  2004 

California Receives C for Disclosure of Utility Commissioner Outside Ties
California ranked 6th in the nation for making basic information on state legislators' income, assets and potential conflicts of interest available to the public. California received 78.5 out of a possible 100 points.
See Report Card

California Conflict-of-Interest Provision: "A public utilities commissioner may not hold an official relation to nor have a financial interest in a person or corporation subject to regulation by the commission." (California Public Utilities Code ยง 303(a))

Telecommunications Industry

State Campaign Donations

Telecommunications industry donations, including legislative and statewide, throughout three election cycles, 1999-2000, 2001-2002 and 2003-2004. Click on total to see how this state stacks up:
Cycle Amount
2003-2004 $3,329,274
2001-2002 $4,376,833
1999-2000 $2,679,227
Total $10,385,334

Telecommunications interests donating $10,000 or more to state races, including legislative and statewide, throughout six years, from 1999 to 2004:
Name Total
SBC Communications Inc. $2,927,638
AT&T Corp. $2,842,332
National Cable and Telecom. Assn. and state orgs. $1,620,220
Verizon Communications Inc. $794,747
Sierra Tel Communications Group $401,187
Sprint Corp. $237,166
Pac West Telecom, Inc. $199,250
Qualcomm Inc. $193,863
MCI (formerly WorldCom Inc.) $162,250
Cingular Wirless LLC $73,540

Source: Institute on Money in State Politics, with analysis by Center for Public Integrity
State Lobby Spending

Spending total includes only amounts filed electronically.

State-level lobbying by telecommunications companies in 2003 and 2004. Click on the total to see how the states stack up:
Year Amount
2003 $7,297,019
2004 $7,140,770
Total $14,437,790

Major telecommunications interests lobbying government in this state in 2003 and 2004:
Name Total
SBC Communications Inc. $5,372,041
Verizon Communications Inc. $2,401,594
AT&T Corp. $1,575,658
National Cable and Telecom. Assn. and state orgs $1,054,768
CTIA-The Wireless Association $923,129
Cingular Wireless $656,726
AT&T Wireless $628,434
Deutsche Telekom AG (T-Mobile USA) $302,462
Nextel Communications $257,158
MCI (formerly WorldCom Inc.) $244,956

Source: Source: Center for Public Integrity analysis of state records