Documentation of deceptive statements made by Robert A. Kittle, Editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune regarding UCAN on KPBS.

On Friday, July 18th, Bob Kittle of the San Diego Union Tribune appeared on KPBS radio's "Editor's Roundtable." In the last few moments of the show, Mr. Kittle was challenged by the host, Gloria Penner, to respond to his Editorial Opinion on July 14, that UCAN, the Utility Consumers' Action Network is a "lucrative scam."

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT FROM KPBS EDITOR'S ROUNDTABLE, FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2008.

A recording of the complete KPBS program Bank problems, presidential race, UCAN funding is online at www.kpbs.org. To read the full text in PDF format as transcribed by UCAN, click here.

KPBS Radio-Portion of Editors’ Roundtable regarding SDG&E and UCAN:

CALLER DELISE: I’m a UCAN member and Union Tribune subscriber for 16 years. I am deeply offended by Kittle’s attack on UCAN. To quote him a few years ago, he referred to Michael Shames as a “Consumers’ Hero” who returned $363 million in wrongful charges to San Diego consumers. What offends me the most is why after writing the attack on UCAN - where clearly the information comes from SDG&E - why he did not publish UCAN’s reaction?

KITTLE: I did not make the comment about Michael Shames being a hero and having saved taxpayers this amount of money. That may have appeared in a news story somewhere but it was not an editorial that I wrote.

Don’t put those words in my mouth. That’s just factually incorrect. [ FACTUAL MISSTATEMENT #1 ]

Unfortunately, Michael Shames has posted something on his website that leaves that impression. I received none of my numbers from SDG&E; I didn’t talk to SDG&E. I did receive some information from Sempra, WHICH IS SDG&E’s parent company, [ FACTUAL MISSTATEMENT #2 ] but primarily I relied on official filings that are all public information filed with the PUC and IRS in this case. Those numbers cited in the editorial are all accurate no one has raised an objection. Lastly, Michael Shames sent a letter to the editor and also posted it on his website that contained a number of factual inaccuracies, to say the least, things that were not true. [FACTUAL MISSTATEMENT #3]

We don’t publish letters that we know contain false information. I explained that to Michael in an e-mail and invited him to send a letter that does not have those factual errors in it but thus far he has not done so.

KITTLE: My issue here is I don’t think it is proper for ratepayers to pick up the cost of these interest groups. [ FACTUAL MISSTATEMENT #4 ] They play an important role. I’m glad they’re out there. I just don’t think the ratepayers should pay for them. [ FACTUAL MISTATEMENT #5 ]

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Related posts:

The original "Lucrative Rip-Off" Editorial by Robert A. Kittle, San Diego Union Tribune.

UCAN's rebuttal to the Union Tribune Editorial.

Mr. Kittle's refusal to print UCAN's response.

Letter of complaint from University of San Diego School of Law.