In 2007 and 2008, the City of Providence spent $14,276.35 on David Cicilline's travel expenses.  The amount of money spent on travel seemed to be the focus of a Providence Journal report, but that isn't what caught my attention.  Rather than the amount of money, I was struck by the number of trips David Cicilline has taken: One every three weeks. 

     After reading about the Mayor's travel itinerary, I have a feeling there are important facts which aren't being made available.  This section didn't make me feel any better:

Assistant City Solicitor Melissa Chesnov Tucker, responding to a Journal request, said in a letter that the city does not keep public records about travel not billed to the city. “The only things the city has are records it maintains,” Cicilline explained. “If we don’t have the documents, we can’t make them up.”

Cicilline has declined to release his personal calendar, citing an advisory opinion by the state Attorney General’s Office that a public official’s personal calendar is not a public record. “My responsibility is to give the documents that you are entitled to and to provide the information that you requested and to answer all your questions fully and completely as humanly possible,” Cicilline said. “It is very clear that that statute does not require, nor should it require, us to stop the work we are doing to generate, do research and collect information on behalf of you.” 


     According to Melissa Chesnov Tucker, there are financial records for trips that the city doesn't have.  Even though tax dollars aren't being used, shouldn't they be documented to assure citizens that there are no conflicts of interest?  As for David Cicilline's itinerary, there is no legal reason compelling him to release it, but shouldn't he be willing to divulge the details to prevent the appearance of impropriety?  Some may argue that it is "personal," yet he claims to be working on behalf of tax payers on these trips.  If he is working so hard for us, and the trips are relevant to Providence's future, then why not share them?

     One of Cicilline's favorite trips was his nine day excursion to Saudia Arabia.  One of the highlights was visiting Saudi Arabia's largest oil field.  This experience will be invaluable if oil is ever discovered in Providence, but since that is unlikely, one has to wonder if his time might have been better spent getting to know Providence better.  Get out of the office and onto the streets of Olneyville, not Riyadh.