Ethics Codes | City Ethics

Ethics Codes & Reform October 13, 2010

Four Varying Approaches to Ethics Reform

Four current attempts at ethics reform show the incredible variety of approaches and ideas of what government ethics is.

Prohibiting County Employees from Contracting with the County

October 4, 2010

A Proposed Ethics Code for Memphis Falls Short

Three years ago, I featured Memphis in a blog post, noting that, in the last six years, 66 government officials, employees, and contractors had been found guilty of various sorts of government-related crimes. Last year, I noted that the city's mayor had resigned under a cloud of accusations.

Ethics Codes & Reform August 11, 2010

Two Very Different Views of Local Government Ethics

Below are the opinions of two candidates running in a primary for a seat on the Effingham County, GA commission, which perfectly present two very different views of local government ethics, one pseudo-religious (people are good or bad), the other professional (people need guidance):

Ethics Codes & Reform July 1, 2010

False Statements in Elections

Honesty, although central to ethics, is not central to government ethics. The reason for this is that honesty, or falsity, is so complex, it is almost impossible to define or enforce. And first amendment freedom of speech places so many limitations on government regulation of expression short of libel (the intentional attempt to falsely destroy another's reputation). Life is full of mistakes and misreadings, half-truths and kernels of truth, and these do not constitute falsity. Honesty comes in more shades of gray than a black-and-white movie.

Conflicts of Interest June 8, 2010

Political Preferential Treatment and Quid Pro Quos

A capable individual decides to run for city council against an incumbent who has been on the council since long before the mayor got involved in politics (in other words, the incumbent owes nothing to the mayor and is in no way under the mayor's control). The mayor asks a former mayor to try to convince the candidate to drop out of the race, and allows the former mayor to offer the candidate an unpaid position on a city commission.

Resources & Learning May 29, 2010

Ethics training research example: Sioux Falls, SD

I am conducting a national research study on government ethics programs with a focus on training. This research is being done in connection with the Ethics Center of the University of North Florida. Cities across the U.S. are being studied as to their ethics program structure, training requirements and training methods. In reviewing programs, one city deserves to be mentioned—Sioux Falls, South Dakota, nicknamed “the best little city in America”. The population is 154,997 and is ranked #150 in U.S. cities by population. In 1979 the State Ethics Commission in South Dakota was eliminated.

Ethics Codes & Reform April 30, 2010

NY State Comptroller Reports on Local Government Ethics and Provides a Model Code

New York State's new comptroller (see an earlier blog post about the prior comptroller's ethical problems) has recently produced a report based on an audit of 31 New York local governments and a survey of many more (see the press release for an overview).

Campaign Finance & Pay-to-Play February 14, 2010

Hunting for a Clever Pay-to-Play Scheme?

I don't usually use examples from Congress, but this one is too good, and instructive. According to yesterday's New York Times, Billy Tauzin, when he was a Louisiana congressional representative, started two hunting clubs, whose memberships included primarily lobbyists and executives of companies with business before the committee he chaired, the energy and commerce committee.

Ethics Commissions & Administration February 2, 2010

EC Members and the Law-Ethics Distinction

Should ethics commission members follow ethics laws to the letter, and no further, or should they provide leadership and a role model by going beyond legalism and instead acting ethically? State EC members in New York and Georgia are telling the world by their actions and their words that only the letter of the law matters in government ethics.

Ethics Codes & Reform December 17, 2009

Clean Water and Clean Hands

What do clean water laws have to do with government ethics laws? According to an article in today's New York Times, there are three connections. One, the water in Scottsdale, AZ, where government ethics professionals just congregated for a conference, has high amounts of arsenic in it.

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