CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN JOSE : BART Directors’ Perks Found Lavish

Some Bay Area Rapid Transit directors spend lavishly at restaurants and prefer cars to their own trains in perks that go largely unchallenged, a published report says. The spending continues despite a critical grand jury finding two years ago, the San Jose Mercury News reported. Among other things, the district paid for meals at exclusive restaurants and for limousine service. Fremont Director John Glenn has taken a private limousine from his house to the San Jose airport and back five times since late 1989 at a cost of $55 to $80 each way, the newspaper said. “I will not leave my car parked at the airport,� Glenn said. “They will be ripped off. I own a Cadillac and a Mercedes.� As for meals, he said: “Whether I go for BART or go on my own, I always eat at the best restaurants. When I go to San Francisco, I eat at L’Etoile or Fleur de Lys, not Doggie Diner. I don’t think the taxpayers expect me to lower my standards.� San Francisco Director Wilfred Ussery was dubbed “BART’s travel king� by the newspaper because of 19 trips he has taken since January, 1989.