2009 Local Land Use Ethics Update Now Available!

Possibly the most valuable annual local government ethics resource was
published this morning:  Patricia Salkin's <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1493502">2009 Ethical
Considerations in Land Use</a>, a 28-page summary of reported cases and
opinions on ethics matters in land use situations. The <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1315543">2008
edition</a> focused on wind farm ethics in New York (also see my two blog
posts on this topic: <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/content/critique-new-industry-local-governmen…;
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/node/432">2</a&gt;). For some earlier
updates, click <a href="http://www.governmentlaw.org/eth_land.php">here</a>.<br&gt;
<br>

One notable trend that Salkin recognizes is that, for the second year
in a row, there has been an increase in the number of reported cases
involving allegations of unethical conduct on the part of land use
attorneys. Allegations of bias and malice also increased.<br>
<br>
Salkin is director of the <a href="http://www.albanylaw.edu/sub.php?navigation_id=668">Government
Law Center</a> at Albany Law School, and the author of the <a href="http://lawoftheland.wordpress.com/">Law of the Land blog</a>,
which focuses on land use law. Notable in her blog post on this latest
ethics update is that she fails to mention the name of its author -
herself.<br>
<br>
I will try to comment on some of the most interesting cases in the new
update over the next few weeks. But don't wait. This is a goldmine for
anyone interested in local government ethics.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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