Bad governance costs taxpayers millions

Re “Findings removed from public version of Ash

Street inquiry” and “After jail deaths, some families get late notifications, no cause” (March 21): It’s rare two stories about such government malfeasance appear in the newspaper on the same day.

Thanks to the U-T’s investigative reporting by Jeff McDonald we learned Monday that three elected officials in San Diego appear to have cost the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars due to their mismanagement and negligence.

Former Mayor Kevin Faulconer and current City Attorney Mara Elliott seem to be culpable for the Ash Street office building debacle.

According to the U-T’s reporting, they are responsible for the loss of millions of dollars from what Councilwoman Vivian Moreno said was more than just incompetence, calling it “deliberate fraud.”

The other story explained how Sheriff Gore has allowed negligent mismanagement of the county jails for years, resulting in unnecessary inmate deaths that have cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in lawsuits, not to mention tragic loss of lives.

These two cases are still huge liabilities for taxpayers.

Pete Powell East Village

The purchase of the former Sempra Energy building on Ash Street is one of the worst real estate deals made by the city. It is well-known that the city grossly overpaid for the property.

Through the use of a double escrow, the city’s loss was the seller’s and middlemen’s substantial gain.

It’s an understatement that the sellers laughed all the way to the bank at taxpayers’ expense. We as a city will not be able to put this ugly chapter in our city’s history to rest until all parties come clean on this issue.

Wilbur Smith Clairemont