Safra Working Papers
Book Excerpt 1: Fiduciary Duty
Robert Wechsler
This is the first of a series of posts that will pull out valuable pieces from my new book Local Government Ethics Programs.
Book Excerpt 2: A Checklist of Ethics Commission Activities
Robert Wechsler
Here is one of the most useful sections of my new book Local Government Ethics Programs. Summer is upon us, and most ethics commissions that do not have a case before them do not meet. In fact, many ethics commissions are nearly inactive all year long. But this doesn't have to happen. There's a lot that needs to be done.
Book Review: Emil "Bud" Krogh, Integrity
Robert Wechsler
It took a long time for Egil "Bud" Krogh to write his book on
Watergate, but it finally came out a few months ago.
Krogh is not one of the better known Watergaters, partly because he pleaded guilty to his crimes. But as the head of the Plumbers, in charge of investigating leaks to the press, he oversaw the break-in of the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist. For years he has been giving lectures on ethics, a program he calls the Integrity Zone (and his book is entitled Integrity).
Krogh is not one of the better known Watergaters, partly because he pleaded guilty to his crimes. But as the head of the Plumbers, in charge of investigating leaks to the press, he oversaw the break-in of the office of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist. For years he has been giving lectures on ethics, a program he calls the Integrity Zone (and his book is entitled Integrity).
Book Review: Jane Jacobs' Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics
Robert Wechsler
Not one of the recent books in my ethics library cites Jane Jacobs’ 1993 work, Systems of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics. The citations I found on-line do not include any about government ethics. This is a big loss for the government ethics community, because Jacobs, who died a couple of years ago, gave us a lot to think about. And we’ve been missing out.
Jacobs’ book (in the form of a dialogue among a group of people) sets out two separate and opposed, yet symbiotic moral syndromes.
Books of Interest
Robert Wechsler
Most books of relevance to local government ethics deal with administrative ethics, that is, the ethical behavior of government administrators, rather than with conflicts or government ethics programs. However, they do deal partially with government ethics, and it is valuable to see how government ethics fits in the larger context of administrative ethics. Most of the books on government ethics deal primarily with the federal and state levels; the ones that focus on local government are either old or international.
Boot camp for city officials teaches 'a culture of ethics'
Robert Wechsler
from the June 26, 2006 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0626/p02s01-usgn.html
At a seminar in California, municipal leaders learn how to stay on the straight and narrow in times of temptation.
By Daniel B. Wood | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
SANTA CLARA, CALIF.
Bribery vs. Acceptance of Gifts
Robert Wechsler
According to an
article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, yesterday former
New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin was convicted on 20 of the 21 corruption
charges against him, primarily for bribery, honest services fraud,
and tax fraud.
Bridging the Gulf Between Administrative and Government Ethics
Robert Wechsler
I have done a poor job in this blog covering administrative ethics,
that is, the field of study involving the professional conduct of
public administrators. Writers on administrative ethics have done a
poor job of covering government ethics, that is, the field of study
involving conflicts of interest. Although the two fields overlap,
they exist in mostly separate worlds. For example,
rarely does an administrative ethics professor show up at a Council
on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) conference, and my work (among
others') has been totally ignored by administrative ethics
professors.
Broad Responsibility for Ethical Misconduct
Robert Wechsler
A couple of weeks ago, in
a City and State column, veteran NYC reporter Wayne Barrett
hit the nail on the head regarding the responsibility for failures
to deal responsibly with conflicts of interest, specifically with
respect to the conviction of former state assembly speaker Sheldon
Silver, a Democrat:
Broward County (FL) Ethics Reform Talk: Gifts and Advice
Robert Wechsler
According to an
article this week in the Sun-Sentinel,
the Broward County, FL commission is discussing changes to the countywide ethics program, focusing on gifts and ethics advice.
Gift Bans
Gift Bans
Broward County Ethics Reform Passes, But Budget Concerns Remain
Robert Wechsler
Broward
County (FL) voters embraced (3-1) two ethics questions on the
ballot yesterday, which applied the new county code of ethics to all
municipalities in the county as well as to all constitutional offices
(including the sheriff, appraiser, and clerk). They voted 6-1 for the
question "Allow counties to show taxpayers the portion of property
taxes attributable to constitutional officers." But this extremely reasonable matter still has to be approved by the
state.
Broward County IG Report on Countywide Ethics Program
Robert Wechsler
This week, the Broward County (FL) inspector general filed a
Review of the Existing Ethics Structure (attached; see below) of the countywide
ethics program that he oversees, and which came into being via
charter amendments overwhelmingly approved by the county's voters in late 2010.
The 21-page report focuses on a two-part reform recommendation: (1) an ethics
officer who would uniformly interpret the Code and provide
precedential advisory opinions, and
Broward County Legislators Drag the County's Ethics Feet
Robert Wechsler
As I mentioned in a
recent blog post, the Broward County (FL; home of Ft. Lauderdale)
commissioners are seeking to have an ethics code (enforced by an
inspector general; it's being drafted) apply to county employees, as
well. For some reason, this not only must go to referendum, but must
also be approved by a majority each of state senators and
representatives whose constituency touches on Broward County.
Budget Games and Gimmicks
Robert Wechsler
Agreeing on the local government budget is the most important thing
that the government does every year, because it affects every
department and agency. But with the exception of the big issues of the
year, it's a pretty arcane process often accomplished behind closed
doors. Thus, it provides excellent opportunities for unethical conduct,
very little of it dealt with in ethics codes.
Budgetary Hijinks
Robert Wechsler
Below is an op-ed piece I wrote this week for the North Haven Post about the unethical conduct involved in my town's budget process. Nothing was done illegally or in violation of the town's mediocre ethics code.
Bullheadedness in the Face of Ethics Advice
Robert Wechsler
Bullheadedness is unprofessional, at least in most professions. By
"bullheadedness," I mean doing what you want no matter whether a
professional tells you not to do it or whether your boss tells you not
to do it, even if they tell you why and they are clearly right.
Bullying an Ethics Board Pays Off in Sioux Falls
Robert Wechsler
It staggers the imagination how combative local government officials
can sometimes be with respect to ethics commissions. A
year ago, I wrote about a former Sioux Falls (SD) council member,
Kermit Staggers, who attacked complaints filed by the city's ethics
board as "frivolous" and attacked its procedures when it gave him two
private, that is confidential, reprimands.
CA Appellate Court Protects EC Legal Advice on the Basis of Privilege
Robert Wechsler
The logic of a California appellate decision on Monday, in the case of St. Croix v. Superior Court (A140308, July
28, 2014) (attached; see below), doesn't seem right to me. It skips steps. St. Croix is
the executive director of the San Francisco Ethics Commission, and
this matter involves a public records request for documents relating
to the commission’s regulations governing ethics complaints. Here's
how the court's logic goes:
CA Gov. Brown Points to 50-Year-Old Essay To Defend His Veto of Ethics Reforms
Robert Wechsler
This week, California governor Jerry Brown had to go back fifty
years to find someone who agreed with his view of government ethics
reform.
California Limits Local Government Officials' Access to Free Tickets
Robert Wechsler
Sports and other event tickets are a constant issue in local government
ethics. Yes, mayors are often expected to attend major events, but who
else is? Why should city ownership of a facility matter in handing out
tickets? The ownership is not the officials' or employees', but the
citizens'.