The investigation of the San Diego Association of Governments that came out this week is a doozy.
On this week’s podcast, hosts Andrew Keatts and Scott Lewis read excerpts from the independent investigation of the regional transportation agency and break down its most shocking findings.
The investigation of SANDAG was spurred by a series of stories by Keatts, who found that the agency knowingly misled voters by using a flawed economic forecasting model.
Also on the podcast, Lewis and Voice of San Diego’s Ry Rivard talk to Randy Record, chairman of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, about the organizations’ legal battles with the San Diego County Water Authority.
“We’ve decided to stick with the facts and stick with what the court says and let it play out,” Record said. “But it is extremely frustrating when public agencies litigate each other. There’s no way that the public wins.”
Hero of the Week
This week’s hero goes to Tony Diaz, a homeless man who fought false claims made by a San Diego Police officer. Body camera video showed the officer lied when he cited Diaz for sleeping in the back of his truck.
Goat of the Week
SANDAG gets the goat this week. The agency has yet to accept responsibility for the economic forecasting problem.