The Launching of a Collaborative Government Ethics Website

A new online collaborative effort in the field of campaign
finance was launched yesterday. Known as <a href="http://fppc.ca.gov/suncenter/&quot; target="”_blank”">the SUN Center</a> (SUN
stands for States’ Unified Network, even though it includes cities
or, at this point, city), it is intended, according to <a href="http://www.fppc.ca.gov/press_release.php?pr_id=780&quot; target="”_blank”">a press
release announcing the launch</a>, for the sharing of "innovative
ideas, strategies and legislation related to campaign finance. The
SUN Center will be a one stop shop for the public to stay informed
and encourage campaign disclosure in elections."<br>
<br>

"The Center will display proposed and existing legislation organized
by issue area, current news, and other information concerning
campaign finance. It will also, for the first time ever, develop a
database of organizations that make contributions in multiple
states, to allow campaign disclosure enforcement entities to
exchange information, indentify patterns, review enforcement
histories, and coordinate enforcement efforts.<br>
<br>
"The group is nonpartisan and consists of 10 states and cities,
including, New York State and City, California, Alaska, Idaho,
Maine, Montana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, and Iowa. The
group is informal, but confers regularly to bring best practices
and coordination to campaign disclosure efforts in individual
states and at the national level."<br>
<br>
It's too bad that the focus is on disclosure and that the first
thing you see when you visit the website is a quote about
disclosure from the <i>Citizens United</i> decision. But the idea
of collaboration, sharing ideas, and helping governments with best
practices is an excellent one.<br>
<br>
In fact, it is something that the conflicts of interest world,
usually a step behind the campaign finance world, should consider
emulating. Local and state ethics commissions, legislative bodies,
government attorneys, and good government groups have nowhere to
turn for agreed-upon best practices, or even for a discussion of
what they should be.<br>
<br>
The states and cities that have staff and programs worth
emulating should consider a website to discuss and bring best
practices and strategies to the many thousands of states and cities that have neither
staff nor ethics programs worthy of the name. Having a centralized
location for proposed legislation, with the ability to comment on
it, would be a good way to provide an informed discussion of the usually
inadequate, and sometimes destructive, ethics reform efforts
around the country.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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