Dialing up dollars

Telecommunications giant AT&T spent a total of $32,737 in the last three months of 2012 on what is called “activity expenses,” also known as freebies awarded to public officials to get their time and attention. And the care and feeding of legislative staffers doesn’t come cheap. Take the case of Stacey Brown, scheduler for Democratic state Sen. Juan Vargas, now a congressman. On December 19, Brown got a free ticket and parking pass to a Sacramento Kings basketball game at Sleep Train Arena, valued at $143; Vargas legislative aide Jasmine Hicks got the same. Then there was Edward Sprecco, district director for GOP state Sen. Joel Anderson, who partied down at the Poinsettia Bowl with a mere $65 admission ticket. Even Jeff Walters, “photographer to Speaker John Perez,” according to the disclosure, got in on the action with a $45 ticket to the Katt Williams show at the Sleep Train on November 23.