Partisan Misuse of Office to Pass "Ethics Reforms" in Alabama

Quick. What's the biggest government ethics problem?<br>
<br>

Did you say deducting union membership dues from government paychecks?
If you didn't, you are clearly not an Republican Alabama state senator.<br>
<br>
When you think of double-dipping, do you think of a mayor also
acting as a state representative, or someone holding a government job
while getting a government pension? If you do, you are clearly not an
Republican Alabama official. They appear more concerned about teachers holding
elected office, a problem that keeps us up late at night.<br>
<br>
Why all this concern about teacher corruption? Because teacher unions
are major supporters of that other party, the one that lost the
election this year.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Alabama-Senate-passes-bill-apf-2676070960…; target="”_blank”">an
Associated Press article yesterday</a>, the first bill passed by the
new Republican majority in the Alabama Senate was the payroll deduction
bill. That's not ethics, that's kicking your opponent when he's down. I
try not to even mention elected officials' party affiliation, because I
don't think it matters. But here it's about partisan misuse of office
to pass fake "ethics reforms," which undermines government ethics.<br>
<br>
Many of the ethics reforms on the table are good ones. But there is no
excuse for dressing up petty-account settling as ethics reform. The
House should vote against this bill to show that there is some
sense of pride among the new majority Republicans in Alabama.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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