One of the glossy mailers you have received from the deep-pockets MeasureB-Yes group, the fold-out one, has a section devoted to accountability, led by a photo of a cute dog. This is supposedly a watchdog, but it is a straw dog. Straw men are arguments raised and then answered, but which were never an issue, and so this is a straw dog. [A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent’s argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not advanced by that opponent. – Wikipedia.]

• “We’ve bought in a watchdog to guard your Measure B transportation dollars.”
• “Your transportation tax dollars are safe and stay local.”
• “Tough legal controls to prevent diversion by state and federal governments.”
• “Legal restrictions that guarantee funds can only be used for Sacramento County transportation projects.”

There was never any question about funds being diverted to other governments or other uses. In fact, the ballot measure has NO language preventing diversion, because it didn’t need any – it was never a question.

So why would the pro-B folks raise this argument? There is a strong suspicion that it is because of the Eye on Sacramento report on Measure A (EOS Report on Spending of Measure A Taxes & Summary of Findings) which indicates significant mis-management of funds. Not diversion, mis-management. Neither EOS or anyone else has alleged that Measure A funds were diverted to other governments or non-transportation uses, or that Measure B funds will be. So this is a straw man, or straw dog, meant to divert attention away from the real lack of accountability in Measure B.

But there are significant accountability issues!

• Measure B 2016