BART Ad Featuring Draymond Green Prompts Political Practices Complaint
OAKLAND (KCBS) -- A BART promotion featuring Golden State Warriors Forward Draymond Green has prompted a complaint alleging unfair political practices.
The complaint alleges that the 31-second "Take BART to the Game," which was posted on BART's website Friday, may violate election law by supporting Measure RR. That's the $3 and half billion dollar bond measure on next week's ballot that would raise taxes in all the counties BART serves in order to pay for a system overhaul.
Agencies aren't supposed to use public funds to create material advocates for or against a ballot measure and the campaign denies the video does anything other than encourage people to get on BART.
But, KCBS and Chronicle Insider Phil Matier argues it's a fine line between public service and political advocacy.
"Text blasts if a BART train's late, you can sign up for warnings if there's trouble on the system, and now those blasts include regularly various problems that are on the line; for example, corroding cables, or leaking inside the tunnel in San Francisco, while saying we need to keep the system going. Is that campaigning? That's what the debate is about – not so much Green," Matier said.
