--- [ WORLD WATCH ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=332) # Editor’s Memo: Who Do You Trust with Your Money? CITYWATCH TODAY—The MTA has agreed to pay nearly $300 million more to the contractor of the 405 Freeway widening project. That makes the total cost of the project, according to the Times, about 55% higher than the original budget. Metro said that caving in was cheaper than the cost to continue the court fight. Of course it would have been cheaper if Metro hadn’t screwed up in the first place. They went into the project with inadequate info and changed the plan a number of times after the contractors began work on it. Are these really people you trust with your money? Government is full of pretenders. People who are skilled at getting elected to office and then pretend they are knowledgeable on finance, management, communication, the law, etc. Miguel Santana was no pretender. He knows what he was talking about. He is the City Administrative Officer and he’s moving on to a new challenge. Written by Ken Draper. December 01 2016 [Comments](#disqus_thread) CITYWATCH TODAY—The MTA has agreed to pay nearly $300 million more to the contractor of the 405 Freeway widening project. That makes the total cost of the project, according to the Times, about 55% higher than the original budget. Metro said that caving in was cheaper than the cost to continue the court fight. Of course it would have been cheaper if Metro hadn’t screwed up in the first place. They went into the project with inadequate info and changed the plan a number of times after the contractors began work on it. Are these really people you trust with your money? Government is full of pretenders. People who are skilled at getting elected to office and then pretend they are knowledgeable on finance, management, communication, the law, etc. Miguel Santana was no pretender. He knows what he was talking about. He is the City Administrative Officer and he’s moving on to a new challenge. Over the past few years, CAO Santana has managed your money. Jack Humphreville writes about the impact he has had at City Hall and what a loss he will be to you. Too many of the people handling your money … making decisions on how to raise and spend it … are seriously short on financial expertise. He was not among them. Give Jack’s piece a read. See what you think. In Today’s CityWatch. +++++++ Mansionization, granny flats, community plans, pay to plan, greedy developers. Few things get LA’s blood boiling like City Planning issues. CityWatch offers a bunch of angles on Planning this posting … including a piece on how LA’s Planning Process got into this mess. That and more. Today’s CityWatch. Thanks for coming. Let us know what you think. Ken Draper-Editor, CityWatch [![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/ME%20DENTAL%20SPA/me%20dental%202026%20final.jpg)](http://medentalspa.com/) ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/banners/signup-for-cw.png) ## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays First Name [ ![LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/LADWP/dwp%20level%20pay%205-7-25.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Pay Your Bill Help)") [ ![Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/HHR/AHF-rent-too-high.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/104 "Home - HHR Rent is too High - SB-2") --- ## Featured CityWatch Stories [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/fd/064h-fdb0b507.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) ### [Remembering Ken Draper: CityWatch and Transparency Are his Legacy](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29355:remembering-ken-draper-citywatch-and-transparency-are-his-legacy&catid=12) LA WATCHDOG - Ken Draper, the editor and publisher of CityWatch for more than 20 years, passed away on August 8, 2022… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/0f/061a-0f1ada2f.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) ### [Brace Yourself For A Worse Housing Crisis](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33148:brace-yourself-for-a-worse-housing-crisis&catid=398) PLANNING WATCH - The California State Legislature will soon vote on the following draft legislation. Please carefully… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/54/064j-54f0ecbd.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9) ### [Be Prepared to Protect Our Democracy in November From a Trumpian Plot](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33204:be-prepared-to-protect-our-democracy-in-november-from-a-trumpian-plot&catid=9) BE AWARE - Back in the days when conservatives were so hungry for media platforms that they’d come on progressive shows… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/ab/063e-ab3b1ba1.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396) ### [Nithya Raman Loses the Homelessness Gavel — Her Record Explains Why](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33174:nithya-raman-loses-the-homelessness-gavel-her-record-explains-why&catid=396) THE BOTTOM LINE - Raman wants Los Angeles voters to promote her to mayor. Before handing her the keys to City Hall, v… [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/media/yootheme/cache/75/064a-75d5dbb3.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33199:your-boss-owns-your-workday-not-your-brain&catid=425) ### [Your Boss Owns Your Workday—Not Your Brain](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33199:your-boss-owns-your-workday-not-your-brain&catid=425) THE NEURAL WORKPLACE - California must protect workers before workplace surveillance crosses the final frontier: the hu… --- ## [ WORLD WATCH ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=332) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/June-2026/051q2.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32951:venezuela-needs-the-world-more-than-ever-english-spanish&catid=332)### [Venezuela Needs the World More Than Ever \[English & Spanish\]](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32951:venezuela-needs-the-world-more-than-ever-english-spanish&catid=332) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/June-2026/047f.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32873:netanyahus-betrayal-of-israels-promise&catid=332)### [Netanyahu’s Betrayal Of Israel’s Promise](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32873:netanyahus-betrayal-of-israels-promise&catid=332) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/May-2026/039k.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32727:turkeys-egregious-human-rights-violations-are-beyond-the-pale&catid=332)### [Turkey’s Egregious Human Rights Violations Are Beyond The Pale](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32727:turkeys-egregious-human-rights-violations-are-beyond-the-pale&catid=332) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Mar-2026/022f.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32427:from-epic-fury-to-a-trap-of-trumps-own-making-finding-the-way-out&catid=332)### [From ‘Epic Fury’ To A Trap Of Trump’s Own Making: Finding The Way Out](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32427:from-epic-fury-to-a-trap-of-trumps-own-making-finding-the-way-out&catid=332) [ ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/Feb-2026/055p.jpg) ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32307:top-7-mongolia-travel-tips-for-2026&catid=332)### [Top 7 Mongolia Travel Tips for 2026](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32307:top-7-mongolia-travel-tips-for-2026&catid=332)