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>> KIM MALCOLM STEPPED IN THIS
WEEK TO REPLACE MICHAEL SHAMES
AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
UTILITIES CONSUMERS ACTION
NETWORK.
UCAN HAS BEEN RACKED BY INTERNAL
FIGHTING AND ACCUSATIONS OF
EMBEZZLEMENT IN RECENT MONTHS.
MALCOLM IS HERE TO TALK TO ME
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF UCAN.
YOURE COMING IN AT A TUMULTUOUS
TIME FOR UCAN.
THERE IS AN FBI INVESTIGATION,
TWO STAFFERS MADE SOME SERIOUS
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE FORMER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MICHAEL
SHAMES, ABOUT FINANCIAL
DEALINGS.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO REPAIR THE
ORGANIZATION?
>> WELL, THANK YOU, AMITA.
AS YOU KNOW, UCAN HAS A
WONDERFUL REPUTATION WITH STATE
REGULATORS AND WITH THE SAN
DIEGO COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO BUILD ON UCAN'S GOOD
REPUTATION, ITS LITIGATION
SKILLS, THE WORK IT'S DONE FOR
THE LAST 30 YEARS IN THE
COMMUNITY, HELPING CLIENTS AND
CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR BILLS AND
SERVICES.
SO THAT'S MY JOB RIGHT NOW, IS
TO BUILD ON THAT, AND TO GET BY
THE LAWSUITS AND THE
ALLEGATIONS.
>> WHAT IS MICHAEL SHAMES'S
RELATIONSHIP TO UCAN RIGHT NOW?
IS HE STILL SOMEHOW CONNECTED TO
THE ORGANIZATION THAT HE
BASICALLY HELPED FOUND?
>> YES, DEFINITELY.
MICHAEL HAS STEPPED DOWN AS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HE IS STILL
EMPLOYED BY UCAN AS AN ATTORNEY,
AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
CASES WITH SAN DIEGO GAS &
ELECTRIC, AND WE'RE WORKING OUT
A FUTURE WORKING RELATIONSHIP
WITH MICHAEL, WHO HAS BEEN SUCH
AN ASSET TO UCAN FOR SO MANY
YEARS.
>> AS YOU KNOW, SAN DIEGO GAS &
ELECTRIC HAS AN EFFORT UNDERWAY
TO CHARGE CUSTOMERS FOR THE 2007
UNINSURED WILDFIRE COSTS AS WELL
AS FUTURE UNINSURED WILDFIRE
COSTS.
THERE WERE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS
HELD HERE IN APRIL, AND THERE
WAS A PRETTY HUGE UPROAR ABOUT
IT; ALMOST 1,000 CUSTOMERS
SHOWED UP TO PROTEST THIS AT THE
COMBINED HEARINGS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS
PROPOSAL?
>> UM, WELL, IN MY EXPERIENCE AT
THE PUC, IT WOULD BE
UNPRECEDENTED FOR THE COMMISSION
TO ALLOW A UTILITY TO RECOVER
COSTS RETROACTIVELY FOR DAMAGES
RELATED TO AN EVENT FOR WHICH IT
HAD LIABILITY, AND IT WOULD BE
VERY UNUSUAL.
SO -- AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD
BE IN CONSUMER INTERESTS, AND I
DON'T THINK IT WOULD SEND THE
RIGHT SIGNAL TO THE UTILITY FOR
ITS FUTURE OPERATIONS AND
MAINTENANCE OF ITS SYSTEM.
>> YOU WORKED AT THE CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION FOR
20 YEARS AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE
LAW JUDGE, YOU WERE ALSO CHIEF
OF STAFF FOR A COMMISSIONER.
THERE IS A PERCEPTION AMONG SOME
PEOPLE THAT THE PUC IS NOT
SERVING THE INTERESTS OF
CUSTOMERS BUT RATHER THE
UTILITIES.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
PERCEPTION?
>> I THINK THE COMMISSION HAS A
LOT OF VERY TALENTED AND
DEDICATED STAFF.
I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE
THE DECISIONS THERE ARE VERY
WELL MEANING.
I THINK IT'S UP TO ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE UCAN TO PRESENT THE FACTS
AND THE ANALYSIS AND ADVOCATE ON
BEHALF OF CONSUMERS AND THE
ENVIRONMENT.
RIGHT NOW I THINK THERE ARE A
LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, BECAUSE
OUR GOVERNOR HAS JUST APPOINTED
THREE VERY COMMITTED, VERY
SMART, AND VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE
COMMISSIONERS WHO SEEM TO CARE
VERY MUCH ABOUT CONSUMERS.
SO UCAN WILL BE DOING A LOT MORE
LITIGATION UP THERE IN THE
FUTURE ON BEHALF OF SAN DIEGO
RATE-PAYERS.
>> SO THESE THREE APPOINTEES
HAVE SERVED ONE YEAR SO FAR.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW THEY
VOTED?
>> WELL, HONESTLY, I'VE BEEN
RUNNING A NON-PROFIT IN BERKELEY
THAT DIDN'T FOLLOW REGULATIONS
SO MUCH.
I HEAR VERY GOOD THINGS ABOUT
THE WORK THEY'RE DOING,
THE INITIATIVES THEY'RE TAKING,
AND THE PUBLIC POLICIES THEY
HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO.
>> KIM MALCOLM, THANK YOU FOR
SPEAKING WITH US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.