Nepotism in Metro Atlanta
Nepotism is a difficult topic to get a hold of. It is the most
generally accepted kind of ethical misconduct, most governments do
not keep records (or, at least, public records) of familial
relationships, and nepotism provisions are rarely enforced. For all
of these reasons, the news media do not give nepotism much coverage.
So in many governments, especially those with poor ethics
environments, nepotism is common.<br>
<br>
Kudos go to David Wickert of the Atlanta <i>Journal-Constitution</i>
for doing <a href="http://www.myajc.com/news/news/metro-atlanta-governments-vulnerable-to-…; target="”_blank”">an
investigative piece last weekend</a> about nepotism in the
metropolitan Atlanta area (Disclosure: I was interviewed for the
article, and I am quoted in it).<br>
<br>
Wickert writes, "In the last three years alone, five area city and
county governments hired at least 770 relatives of current
employees. Those hires took place as thousands of metro residents
struggled to find work, raising questions about whether family ties
trump good government."<br>
<br>
And that's just the last three years. "About 1,700 employees of six
governments examined appear to live together, judging by home
addresses; most share the same last names."<br>
<br>
These numbers are certainly low, because it is difficult to know who
is related to whom, and "No one consistently tracks" family ties.
And yet it is very easy to do this. New employees need only be asked
to list the names of their relatives in the government, employees
can be required to notify Human Resources if they marry someone or
otherwise become closely related to someone by marriage or co-habitation, and Human
Resources can keep a list of these familial relationships and
provide it to the local ethics commission, if there is one.<br>
<br>
What makes this article truly special is that Wickert shows the many
consequences of nepotism. The consequences of ethical misconduct are often overlooked, because they don't have dollar amounts. Here are a few of them that go beyond <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/files/lgep1-0%20-%20Robert%20Wechsler.htm#Nep…; target="”_blank”">what
I say in my book</a> <i>Local Government Ethics Programs</i>.<br>
<br>
"Complaints of nepotism were among a host of problems that led
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to suspend the
accreditation of the Clayton and DeKalb school districts in recent
years. Experts say nepotism can cheat taxpayers of the most
qualified employees. It also has other hidden costs. It can create
discipline problems, damage morale of other workers and lead to
conflicts of interest. It can even open the door to fraud by
breaking down checks and balances. Even the appearance of family
favoritism, the experts say, is enough to tarnish a government’s
credibility and warp how employees make decisions."<br>
<br>
"Government policies on posting jobs also may give the edge to
insiders. Many openings are posted only on local governments’ own websites.<br>
<br>
Atlanta council member Michael Julian Bond points to another
problem that arises from nepotism: He is quoted as saying, "I don’t want someone trying to
hire someone related to me thinking they will have greater sway
over me." A government agency or a restricted source knows that hiring a relative is an
effective way to get on a high-level official's good side. The
official doesn't have to say a word. Everybody knows, at least as
long as high-level officials have allowed nepotism, both within government and between government and restricted sources, to be legal. In fact, the hiring of high-level officials' relatives is an important form of pay to play.<br>
<br>
As I am quoted in the article as saying, “The ramifications
[of nepotism] are huge, and you never actually see many of them
because it’s about what doesn’t happen." What doesn't happen is
the many people who don't apply for jobs or who leave public service
due to the positive preferential treatment that is given to
officials' relatives, which means negative preferential
treatment toward them.<br>
<br>
Wickert also looks at the ways in which nepotism can be
prevented, and the things people say in defense of their
relationships with employees.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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