Water district's election eve ad questioned

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is getting some heat for running a taxpayer-funded advertisement on the eve of the election.

The quarter-page ad, which has appeared in publications including Monday's Daily Herald, promotes the district's rain barrel program.

The ad features the names and a photo of district commissioners -- three of whom are up for re-election in today's Democratic primary.

"I know it looks a little odd, but this has nothing to do with the election," said Jill Horist, the district's manager of public affairs.

Horist said the ad coincides not with the election but with the start of a major community education program on storm water management. On Saturday, the district began selling 55-gallon rain barrels, which collect rainwater that can be reused to water gardens or wash cars.

"Spring is coming, and we wanted to raise people's consciousness about water conservation," Horist said. "There are absolutely no ties to politics whatsoever."

Because the ad promotes an official district program, it doesn't appear to violate any campaign laws.

But Cindy Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, questioned its timing, nonetheless.

"They couldn't run this Wednesday?" she said. "The problem when these things happen right in the window of an election is that it's very hard for voters to discern governing from campaigning."

The district defends the use of the photo, saying it's merely a way for the public to become familiar with a little-known government agency.

The district includes the incumbents up for re-election: Cynthia Santos, Frank Avila and Kathleen Therese Meany. They're vying for re-election against challengers Diane Jones, Dean Maragos, Matthew Podgorski, Mariyana Spyropoulos and Derrick Stinson. The three winners will take on Green Party candidates in November.

"We do such a good job, and people should be acknowledged," said Horist. "A lot of times there's some confusion as to just who we are."

Better Government Association Executive Director Jay Stewart also said the district used poor judgment with the ad. That type of ad would be illegal for candidates at the state level based on 2003 ethics reforms, he noted.

"I don't know why it couldn't wait a week," he said. "It doesn't exactly rain hard in February around here."

The board isn't privy to the district's ad campaigns, Santos said.

"We're the policy makers and have no input as to what gets advertised and when," Santos said, adding she wasn't familiar with the ad. "It's not a political thing."

Avila also doesn't see the ad or its timing as politically motivated.

"This is about raising the awareness of this rain barrel program," he said. "We have to conserve water, and we're promoting that."

Stinson called the ad a "cheap shot," regardless of whether his opponents knew about it.

"I feel it's unfair to be doing that now," he said. "It's using taxpayer money to promote the incumbents under the guise of the rain barrel program."