The Ethics Elephant in the Press !
In an article published in the Jacksonville Daily Record on Thursday, Carla Miller revealed her plans as the City's new Ethics Officer:
September 5, 2007
The Daily Record: The task at hand: creating a culture
From: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=48985
Article published on: September 6, 2007
by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Having an effective ethics program in any environment is all about enhancing communication.
That’s how Carla Miller, the City’s recently-appointed ethics officer, described her task at hand.
Miller, a Jacksonville attorney, is a former federal prosecutor and staff director for the Florida House of Representatives Select Committee on Organized Crime in 1978 before handling public corr
August 29, 2007
Jacksonville Mayor appoints City Ethics' Carla Miller as Ethics Officer
Yesterday in a dramatic speech to the City's Council, Mayor Peyton announced a series of sweeping ethics reforms, foremost of which was his appointment of Carla Miller as the City's Ethics Officer - in his words:
"The establishment of a high-level, in-house ethics officer for the city of Jacksonville. I have asked Carla Miller to take on this important responsibility.
Conflicts of Interest
August 28, 2007
Mayoral Allowances - An Alternative Solution to Preventing Unethical Conduct
Taiwan has come up with the perfect way to prevent mayors from misusing government funds.
August 13, 2007
Another New Orleans Scandal and the Conflict of Interest Behind It
Today's guilty plea by New Orleans' City Council vice president, Oliver Thomas, is on its face about the acceptance of a bribe. But behind that bribe is a serious conflict of interest.
Not only was Thomas the council vice president and longest-serving council member, but he was also a member of the board of the French Market Corporation, a city agency that owns and manages buildings in the French Quarter.
Local Government Practice
August 4, 2007
Ethical Government and Ethical Conduct: A Statistical Study
It's difficult to show clearly that ethical government correlates with ethical conduct. However, last year Raymond Fisman and Edward Miguel came up with a study that does this: They studied parking tickets given to United Nations diplomats in Manhattan.
Because, until 2002, there was zero enforcement of parking rules for diplomats, they were given a carte blanche or, if you will, were tempted to act unethically (breaking rules for private gain when enforcement is not a consideration).
Conflicts of Interest
August 1, 2007
Election Officials and Their Conflicts
Election officials. Who in a democracy should be more above suspicion than election officials?
At the place where I vote, the line that is the required number of feet from the voting area is traditionally right along the near side of the sidewalk that runs along the edge of the school parking lot.
Ethics Codes & Reform
July 31, 2007
Justification and Its Effect on Ethical Reasoning
One of the 'latest things' in politics today is Drew Westen, a psych professor who advises the Democrats that they should be paying more attention to emotions than to policies (as, many say, the Republicans have been doing), because people's emotional reactions have a great effect on how they vote.
What is the implication for ethics of what Westen and his colleagues are saying?
July 30, 2007
The Ethics of Local Government Involvement in Immigration Matters
Immigration is a new issue for municipalities. Or is it?
Last week, a federal judge struck down ordinances passed in Hazleton, PA that would harshly punish undocumented immigrants who tried to live or work there, as well as employers and landlords who provided them homes or jobs. Also last week, New Haven, CT began to hand ID cards out to all citizens, but with the intention of helping undocumented immigrants.
Ethics Codes & Reform
July 26, 2007
The Accountability of Sharing Our Mistakes
What a nice thing to wake up to: reading in the newspaper that at least some American institutions are using words like 'transparency' and 'accountability' as if they really meant it.
In an article in today's New York Times, we learn that foundations are now publicizing their failures as well as their successes. A consultant to foundations is quoted as saying, 'there's an increasing recognition among foundation leaders that not to be public about failures is essentially indefensible.