City Ethics | Breaking the oxymoron: "City Ethics"

October 7, 2008

Bailout Conflicts - The Treasury Speaks Softly and Carries a Small Stick

Update: Later in the day, according to a report in On the Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on the Treasury Secretary to strengthen the conflict of interest requirements discussed below.

October 6, 2008

Term Limits in Time of Crisis -- Staying in Power vs. Upholding the Law

Updated Oct. 10, 2008; see final three paragraphs

New York City is in a crisis. But its mayor and 2/3 of its City Council will have to leave office due to term limits imposed by referendum in the 1990s.

Conflicts of Interest October 1, 2008

Why "When Does an Interest Become an Interest?" Is Not the Right Question

When does an interest become an interest? When an official starts thinking about entering into a contract? When she starts negotiating the contract? When she agrees on the details? When she actually signs the contract? Or is this not really the question to focus on?

According to an article in the Aspen (CO) Daily News, this issue arose recently on the Aspen City Council.

Conflicts of Interest September 30, 2008

When Conflicts Can Help a Town Save Money -- And How to Handle Them

Sometimes a conflict of interest can help a community save money. An official with a relationship to a company might be able to negotiate a better deal for his town, as long as his company gets the business and the credit. But is this legitimate, and even if it is, how should it be handled?

Conflicts of Interest September 28, 2008

Ethics Laws and Difficult Family Predicaments

Sometimes it's very difficult for a government official to deal with a conflict of interest involving a member of his or her immediate family. The common approach to ethics is to assume that an official will favor a family member, but sometimes an ethics law can take an official out of the uncomfortable position of having to reject a family member. And sometimes the situation with a family member can have elements of both.

September 28, 2008

Setting the Record Straight in Missouri

A troubling KMOV television news report from Missouri (yes, another story from Missouri) has caught fire on right-leaning blogs. A self-styled Obama Truth Squad has been formed in Missouri, consisting of city and county prosecutors and sheriffs, who intend to set the record straight in response to advertisements that falsely characterize Sen. Obama and his policies. Examples include his religion and his tax cut proposal.

Resources & Learning September 27, 2008

Logical Fallacies V - Accusations of Hypocrisy or Inconsistency

A year and a half ago, I started a series of blog entries on logical fallacies and their use in municipal politics. Logical fallacies are pseudo-arguments that consciously or unconsciously attempt to falsely persuade or manipulate people. They treat people as means rather than as ends, manipulating their thoughts, their feelings, their prejudices, their loyalties for the speaker's ends.

Conflicts of Interest September 26, 2008

How Much of a Company Must an Official Own Before There Is a Conflict of Interest? - A Story from Missouri

A difficult aspect of government ethics is the percentage of a company that must be owned by a government official in order for there to be a conflict of interest. The figure chosen for ethics codes is usually 5%.

The City Ethics Model Code uses the following language in defining "outside employer or business":

Ethics Codes & Reform September 25, 2008

Government Ethics and the Clash Between Rules-Based and Ends-Based Ethical Approaches

The most serious obstacle to the acceptance of conflict of interest programs in government is the clash between government ethics' use of a rules-based (deontological) ethical approach, and government officials' use of an ends-based (teleological) ethical approach.

September 23, 2008

Dissatisfaction with Government - The New Gallup Poll

We have something more than a credit crisis. We have a governance crisis. According to the new Gallup Governance poll, only 26% of Americans are satisfied with the way this nation is being governed. In 2002, the number was 59%. As recently as early 2007, the number was 42%. This is a bigger drop than the stockmarket. Perhaps our nation belongs in moral bankruptcy court. The last time 74% of Americans were dissatisfied with their government was after Watergate.

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