Charge It

Charge It! BART Executives’ Credit Card Spending Topped $6.5 Million in 2008

Oakland – New details about BART executives’ financial management emerged less than one week after BART directors approved a plan to raise fares by 6.1% starting July 1. Information obtained via public records act request shows that BART executives and their staff managed to charge more than a half million dollars a month on everything from computer equipment, Apple products, food and catering, luggage supplies, sporting goods, and speed reading classes.

The information exposing the spending habits of the top BART executives was released by the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3993.

BART executives racked up over $6.5 million in credit charges in 2008 – all paid by California taxpayers and BART riders.  An online ad campaign, including Google ads and a display ad on the California policy news website Rough & Tumble (www.rtumble.com) was also launched today to shine light on excessive spending on the part of BART executives.

"In these difficult budgetary times, it is incumbent upon every government agency to make sure taxpayer dollars are not wasted," said Assemblymember Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch). "It is imperative to have an open and transparent accounting of dollars spent so that the public can be fully informed. It is important, likewise, that bargaining units can clearly see the district’s finances and priorities and better see where a fair settlement of negotiations should be."

Among the items charged to, and paid for, by the District in 2008 are:

• Over $27,000 in food and catering including:
• $2,635.36 on Togo’s Sandwiches
• $1,160 on See’s Candies
• $953.05 on Roundtable Pizza
• $1,300 at Performance POS, a fine dining company in the North Bay
• $577.15 at Devan Thai Cuisine in Oakland
• $493.14 on The Glass Onion gourmet catering
• $23,487.77 spent at local Apple stores or Apple online stores (the District’s computer system is not compatible with Macs)
• Over $15,000 in office furniture purchases from:
• IKEA
• Kantor’s Furniture
• Interior Motions
• Almost $6,300 on companies that make promotional items with corporate logos, such as pens, hats, mugs, or key chains.
• $5,200 on Blackberry devices – or at least 50 new phones over the course of the year.
• $1,629 on an “Angel Island Tram Tour”
• Over $1,500 on shoes, shoe repairs, and bags or luggage, including:
• Timbuk2
• Tumi.com
• Zappos.com.
• Over $1,500 at the outdoor gear store REI.
• $554.48 on eyeQ speed reading software.

“Under any context these expenses are bound to raise eyebrows,” said Jean E. Hamilton, President of AFSCME local 3993. “But the District is currently facing a huge budget deficit and they’ve just decided to raise fares to help make up for it. This is not the way to win BART riders’ sympathies.”

Download Charge It! BART Executive Credit Card Spending: Necessary Purchases or Wasteful Habits?

View the complete list of BART credit card spending for 2008