On Saturday, I attended a one-day conference on Institutional Corruption sponsored by the Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University (videos of it will eventually appear here). Although local government was scarcely mentioned (there was one image of a painting that portrayed the 1930s machine in Kansas City, MO), many ideas that were discussed are applicable to local government ethics.

I will start with the ideas of Mark Warren, a professor at the University of British Columbia, not because he was the first or best speaker, but because, on the train to Boston, I read the online draft of his 2005 paper "Democracy Against Corruption" and found it fascinating. His talk at the conference presented some of the same ideas.

The International City/County Management Association (the city, county, and town manager professional organization) is holding a 90-minute audioconference on local government ethics on January 29. I do not know the details of the program, and I am not endorsing it, but it sounds like a very inexpensive way for local government managers and employees to share a professional presentation on local government ethics. The cost is $149 for members and $199 for non-members, but a room of people can listen in on a speakerphone or sound system for the price of one.

The case studies used will be emailed in advance, so that participants can be prepared. And these case studies can be discussed afterwards, as well. For more information, click here.

• What safeguards can be put in place to protect the innocent ??
• Disgruntled employees making false ethical allegations as retaliation to employer...

---