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The Launching of a Collaborative Government Ethics Website
Friday, October 4th, 2013
Robert Wechsler
A new online collaborative effort in the field of campaign
finance was launched yesterday. Known as the SUN Center (SUN
stands for States’ Unified Network, even though it includes cities
or, at this point, city), it is intended, according to a press
release announcing the launch, for the sharing of "innovative
ideas, strategies and legislation related to campaign finance. The
SUN Center will be a one stop shop for the public to stay informed
and encourage campaign disclosure in elections."
"The Center will display proposed and existing legislation organized by issue area, current news, and other information concerning campaign finance. It will also, for the first time ever, develop a database of organizations that make contributions in multiple states, to allow campaign disclosure enforcement entities to exchange information, indentify patterns, review enforcement histories, and coordinate enforcement efforts.
"The group is nonpartisan and consists of 10 states and cities, including, New York State and City, California, Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, and Iowa. The group is informal, but confers regularly to bring best practices and coordination to campaign disclosure efforts in individual states and at the national level."
It's too bad that the focus is on disclosure and that the first thing you see when you visit the website is a quote about disclosure from the Citizens United decision. But the idea of collaboration, sharing ideas, and helping governments with best practices is an excellent one.
In fact, it is something that the conflicts of interest world, usually a step behind the campaign finance world, should consider emulating. Local and state ethics commissions, legislative bodies, government attorneys, and good government groups have nowhere to turn for agreed-upon best practices, or even for a discussion of what they should be.
The states and cities that have staff and programs worth emulating should consider a website to discuss and bring best practices and strategies to the many thousands of states and cities that have neither staff nor ethics programs worthy of the name. Having a centralized location for proposed legislation, with the ability to comment on it, would be a good way to provide an informed discussion of the usually inadequate, and sometimes destructive, ethics reform efforts around the country.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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"The Center will display proposed and existing legislation organized by issue area, current news, and other information concerning campaign finance. It will also, for the first time ever, develop a database of organizations that make contributions in multiple states, to allow campaign disclosure enforcement entities to exchange information, indentify patterns, review enforcement histories, and coordinate enforcement efforts.
"The group is nonpartisan and consists of 10 states and cities, including, New York State and City, California, Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, and Iowa. The group is informal, but confers regularly to bring best practices and coordination to campaign disclosure efforts in individual states and at the national level."
It's too bad that the focus is on disclosure and that the first thing you see when you visit the website is a quote about disclosure from the Citizens United decision. But the idea of collaboration, sharing ideas, and helping governments with best practices is an excellent one.
In fact, it is something that the conflicts of interest world, usually a step behind the campaign finance world, should consider emulating. Local and state ethics commissions, legislative bodies, government attorneys, and good government groups have nowhere to turn for agreed-upon best practices, or even for a discussion of what they should be.
The states and cities that have staff and programs worth emulating should consider a website to discuss and bring best practices and strategies to the many thousands of states and cities that have neither staff nor ethics programs worthy of the name. Having a centralized location for proposed legislation, with the ability to comment on it, would be a good way to provide an informed discussion of the usually inadequate, and sometimes destructive, ethics reform efforts around the country.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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