SANDAG has become a glaring example of everything wrong with government — an agency where a few insiders make millions while failing to deliver on their promises, all at the expense of hardworking taxpayers.
It’s like a political scandal straight out of a cliché movie, but it’s playing out in real life, right here in San Diego. The waste and mismanagement have gone on long enough, and the solution starts with us. Voting no on the Measure G sales tax increase is the first step to cutting off their unchecked flow of money and demanding real accountability.
Over the past decade, SANDAG has consistently fallen short, failing to deliver on its promises and mismanaging taxpayer money. The projects that were supposed to be completed under the 2004 tax hike remain largely unfinished, with most not even in the planning stages. Just a few years ago, the agency was embroiled in a toll collection scandal on the 125 freeway and tried to conceal the issue from both the public and its board.
Now, SANDAG faces a Department of Justice investigation, and within the past year, their top leadership — including the CEO, interim CEO, CFO, COO, and Chief Legal Counsel — have all left or been dismissed.
Does this sound like an agency we should trust with more of our tax dollars, especially when families are already grappling with skyrocketing living costs? Absolutely not. Yet, that’s what would happen if Measure G passes.
SANDAG has consistently broken its promises to San Diego voters and has lost the public’s trust. The half-cent sales tax from 2004, which runs until 2048, is still in place, yet key improvements to highways like the I-5, SR-78, and SR-67 — vital for reducing traffic congestion— have not been completed. Instead of addressing these critical needs, SANDAG has repeatedly neglected them, leaving our roads clogged and our communities underserved.
San Diego County is over 4,200 square miles, larger than some states. Unlike cities like Paris or New York, many residents — whether they live in Fallbrook, El Cajon, or Borrego Springs — cannot rely on public transit to commute.
Once again, SANDAG is pushing the same false narrative that Measure G will ease traffic and shorten commutes. These are the same empty promises used to justify previous tax increases. Measure G would simply add another tax on top of the one we are already paying for the next 24 years.
Before considering any further funding, SANDAG needs to deliver on its previous commitments. San Diego residents deserve transparency and follow-through, not more broken promises.
SANDAG has turned into an oversized bureaucracy that serves the interests of a few while placing the burden on taxpayers. An audit conducted last year exposed significant mismanagement in their contracting process, with some contracts inflating by up to 700% beyond initial estimates. One contract alone saw a $64 million increase. This goes beyond mismanagement — it’s a blatant violation of the public’s trust.
In just four years, SANDAG spent over $2.4 million in questionable taxpayer-funded credit card purchases, including nearly $70,000 on restaurant meals and $250,000 on days when employees weren’t even working. This is taxpayer money being squandered by an agency that claims to work in the public’s interest.
To make matters worse, the same companies benefiting from these inflated contracts are backing Measure G, knowing it will continue to fill their pockets. Two independent audits have confirmed SANDAG’s corruption, but no significant reforms have been made. Until SANDAG gets its house in order, it’s time to stop the flow of taxpayer money.
We cannot trust an organization under federal investigation, wasting public funds, and inflating contracts to benefit a few. It’s time to hold SANDAG accountable. Vote no on Measure G until real reforms are made.
Miles Himmel serves as communications director for Supervisor Jim Desmond and is founder of the Larry Himmel Neighborhood Foundation.