The Oakland Tribune reports that the city pays about $9,500 a year for cellular phones for its five council members. The phones were supposed to be used only for emergencies, but the members often used them for personal calls, including long-distance chats with relatives. Although Oaklanders became upset at the expense, council member Nate Miley pointed out that there is no official policy against using the phones for personal calls: "until there's a policy, there can't be an abuse."

†