Ethics Reform Task Force Report Released in Philadelphia
Yesterday, Philadelphia's Task Force on Ethics and Campaign Finance
Reform released a <a href="http://media.philly.com/documents/Task+Force+Report.pdf" target="”_blank”">58-page
report</a> (plus ethics laws) requested by the city's mayor and council
president in 2008.<br>
<br>
The report recommends a large number of reforms, most of them stricter
than what exists, some of them less strict and more realistic. Here are
some of the most important recommendations:<br>
<br>
<ul>Make ethics rules applicable to all city officials and employees. Now
some rules apply only to the executive branch.<br><br>
Make the inspector general an independent office able to investigate
elected officials other than the mayor.<br><br>
Require lobbyists to register and disclose their activities.<br><br>
Ensure the ethics board's budget (it was recently reduced by 20%).<br><br>
Make campaign finance data easily available and searchable.<br><br>
Change from annual contribution limits to election-cycle limits
(annual limits favor incumbents).<br><br>
Get rid of the "death penalty" sanction, which disqualifies any
ethics violator from holding office or working for the city.<br><br>
Provide whistleblower protection.<br><br>
Clarify ethics code definitions.<br><br>
Add clear rules and transparency to the waiver process.<br><br>
Liberalize the prohibitions on political activity, e.g., allow city workers to make campaign contributions.<br><br>
Create a select citizens commission to make recommendations regarding
a possible public campaign financing program.<br>
</ul><br>
This is a report that is definitely worth reading.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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