Erasing history: the U-T reported that when Orso informed the SANDAG Board that he had deemed the Deputy CEO position “no longer necessary for our current needs,” he neglected to mention that the Deputy CEO was also the agency’s chief economist.

New San Diego Association of Governments CEO Mario Orso has just fired the agency’s chief economist, Ray Major. His statement to the board, obtained by the San Diego Union Tribune through a public records request, was brief and cryptic. But a member of the board, speaking to SD on the QT on condition of anonymity, said that Orso had been overheard on a Zoom call late yesterday afternoon, and gave a brief summation of his comments. “Basically, he was saying that the numbers didn’t add up for San Diego. Utility bill are scheduled to keep rising, and they’re already among the highest in the nation. Home prices are growing faster than just about anywhere else — we’re at $1 million for a median price. The local biotech sector is collapsing. We can’t even afford to clean the poop out of the ocean or house our homeless. Things are bad, and they’re going to get worse, fast. So if the numbers don’t add up, it’s time to get rid of the numbers guy. This city has done just fine for a long time. The trick is to not look too closely. After all, it’s a beautiful day! Why would anyone want to spend it with their nose in a ledger book?”