Collister Investigates

Watch interview with CPS Energy defending lavish meals

Carolyn Shellman
Carolyn Shellman
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Updated: 2/08/2012 5:23 pm
Watch the full interview with CPS Energy's lawyer as she explains why the public utility thinks expensive meals and parties I uncovered are justified.

Over the past few days I've reported on lavish meals, retirement parties and employee events that have been billed to ratepayers.  The Chairman of the Board at CPS Energy is promising to fix the problem in the wake of my investigation.

While interviewing the public utility's General Counsel, the public relations staff pointed a camera at me and recorded the interview for "training purposes."  But today CPS informed me they are putting the whole interview on their website.  Apparently they feel their side of the story has been lost in the flood of anger coming from ratepayers who don't want their money spent this way.

So, here it is, the entire interview for you to enjoy....

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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of News 4 WOAI (WOAI.com)

Girau - 2/12/2012 1:20 PM
1 Vote
If course she is going to say that the expensive meals where justified. They just paid her a crap load of money.

SANavyVet - 2/9/2012 4:21 PM
0 Votes
this woman is so full of crap.....they make sure the money is spent reasonably amost themselves.

Concerned - 2/9/2012 8:46 AM
1 Vote
This lady obviously does not believe what is coming out of her mouth! She is a mere puppet attempting to deflect the attention this issue has caused. CPS Top Exec makes over $400,000 a year and he believes its okay to spend our tax dollars on feeding his over inflated ego. These people are disgusting and out of touch with the people of San Antonio!

210bro - 2/9/2012 8:32 AM
1 Vote
Did you know they have a name for people who are always behind on their bills @ CPS? Yep, they call you "cockroaches".

yotube - 2/9/2012 8:25 AM
0 Votes
Did CPS even have a budget for that stuff like most companies do? So dumb if they didn't. It's harder to treat yourself when you are a city employer like CPS, SAPD, SAWS, etc. People are watching your every move with money so it's important to document and at least try and be somewhat cost effective. Otherwise, it is common practice elsewhere. In IT, it is common for vendors to take customers out to have very lavish meals. They do it every day, and it is a part of business. Expensive restaurants, Spurs games in the box Suite seats, lovely wine/beer places, and other such expensive events... been to it all from Dell, Cisco, Hitachi, Symantec. But vendors have budgets for all of that, granted it's a pretty generous budget.

akhenaten - 2/9/2012 7:08 AM
0 Votes
Doggy lookin'. Arf! Arf!

whocares - 2/8/2012 10:26 PM
2 Votes
So a College friend from out of town, is considered a Business lunch/dinner. I wish I could claim that on my taxes. Their books have to be open because they are a City Owned Business and they are bankrupting people because they like nice steaks. How about they go to a Texas Roadhouse where its like 40bucks for 2. what a bunch of low lifes. More Fraud Waste and Abuse, Do we have a hotline for this.

common sense - 2/8/2012 8:51 PM
5 Votes
what will happen when a city employee at one of these dinners becomes intoxicated,drives drunk and kills another police officer.Will we then stop the craziness of we taxpayers footing the bill for city employees drinking and driving city owned vehicles

spursrule - 2/8/2012 8:02 PM
2 Votes
I thought I clicked on a link for the Tales of the Crypt

MCampaRamos - 2/8/2012 7:31 PM
1 Vote
More peeple envy other peeple with money. Donlike CPS - Then donuse elektrisity - an computee, an teevee, sterio. Simpel an penless! cry cry cry is all thee do weeehhh! weeeeehhh! WWWWEEEEEHHHH!
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