City Related

In the materials I have found online, Speech or Debate Clause issues are discussed in terms of state legislators (and usually state constitutions), even though the federal Speech or Debate Clause applies equally to local government legislators. But the discussions are all relevant to local government situations.

I will continue to add to this list, and I'd appreciate receiving information about other discussions of these issues.

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The Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One doesn't like having to get approval from the federal government for changes in its voting policy, in order to prevent racial discrimination; it says that everything's fine and dandy in Northwest Austin. The requirement can be found in Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, extended in 2006.

The land deals of Congressman Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar, CA) could provide fodder for numerous blog entries on various topics. I wrote about him and ethics recidivism, to show how important it is to deal with a local politician's unethical actions so that they don't turn into much bigger ones as he rises through the ranks.

Now I'd like to look at a way in which municipal officials, feeling they're helping out, enable unethical conduct.

Six weeks after my blog entry on the mass resignations in Eastern Oregon towns due to new financial disclosure requirements, the predictions of government coming to an end (still being fanned to flames by Fox News) have turned out to be highly exaggerated.

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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).

One of the most frustrating problems many cities and counties face is all that untaxable land owned by nonprofit organizations. Some states, such as my state, Connecticut, pay local governments part of what they lose out in property taxes, but when things are hard, as now, and the taxes are most sorely needed, there's less in the kitty to hand out.

An article in today's Modesto Bee provides an excellent example of problems that arise when a city's redevelopment is accomplished by people who can benefit directly from it.

The five-person Riverbank, California Council has three members who own property downtown, which is going through a redevelopment phase (apparently, things like theaters, not low-cost housing).  The council members also sit on the city's Redevelopment Agency.

When should governments provide counsel for officials who have had an ethics complaint brought against them? This has become a big issue recently in my state, Connecticut.

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This Sunday New York Times' front-page feature on how doctors are recognizing the value (ethical and financial) of apologizing provides a good opportunity to bring up again what I consider to be one of the most important topics in local government ethics.

Actuary Jonathan Schwartz has received no funds from City Ethics. But it may seem like that from how perfectly today's front-page New York Times article follows up on the blog entry I posted yesterday.

In yesterday's blog entry, I argued that governments and public sector unions do not have the same right as businesses and ordinary unions to put information in a light that helps their cause.  They have a responsibility to be truthful, so that the public can understand what is happening.