City Ethics | Breaking the oxymoron: "City Ethics"

January 18, 2009

Hostile Takeovers in the Municipal World

When I wrote about the "industrial city" of Vernon, California a year ago, I didn't pay attention to a story that would, if it were true (allegations have been made but, as far as I know, not proven), make for a great movie, at least as dramatic as Chinatown, about municipal corruption in Southern California.

January 16, 2009

Council Accounts - Conflicts and a Lack of Transparency

A year ago, I wrote about New York City Council's earmark funds and the ways they were being abused. Atlanta's council members have a different sort of fund, not intended to help their constituents, but intended to help themselves.

Ethics Codes & Reform January 16, 2009

Self-Serving Ethics

See update below

Ethics is popular in Illinois right now, so popular that two mayoral candidates in the Village of Niles, a northwest suburb of Chicago (pop. 30,000), are putting it at the center of their campaigns. But it's not ethics as most of us like to think of it.

January 15, 2009

A D.C. Loan Officer's Possible Conflicts of Interest

Are loans to businesses that do business with a city sufficient to create a conflict of interest? This is the question that has been batted around recently in Washington, D.C., according to an article in today's Washington Post.

January 14, 2009

New Year's Resolutions in Jacksonville

The new year is a good time for ethics commissions and officers to look ahead to 2009 and set goals and priorities. According to an article in today's Jacksonville Daily Record, this is exactly what the Jacksonville (FL) ethics commission did at its first meeting of the new year. As did the city's ethics officer, City Ethics' very own Carla Miller.

Conflicts of Interest January 14, 2009

Special Districts - Conflicted But Invisible

Special districts are an important and growing form of local government, and yet they often fly beneath the radar. In fact, I've only mentioned them once in my blog. And most citizens have no idea what they are or that they exist in their area (I myself can't name one in my area). For this reason, conflicts of interest involving special districts also remain, for the most part, invisible.

January 13, 2009

Transition Team Conflicts in Sacramento

Sacramento recently had an interesting situation, which set off accusations of conflicts of interest. According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, the newly-elected weak mayor came into office with a volunteer transition team, consisting primarily of people who have business with the city or represent people and entities that have business with the city.

Conflicts of Interest January 12, 2009