Two types of independence often clash when it comes to government
ethics. It is important that government ethics programs be administered
by independent commissions. But independent agencies often do what they
can not to be subject to a local government ethics commission.<br>
<br>
It is clear which sort of independence is more important, but
independent agencies still put their interest in self-regulation ahead
of the public's interest in an effective, trustworthy ethics program.

It's hard for ethics codes to deal with every kind of relationship where nepotism might be a problem. In a
matter involving the <a href="http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/sfwmdmain/home%20page&quot; target="”_blank”">South
Florida Water Management District</a> (SFWMD), the relationship involves oversight.<br>
<br>

Incompatible offices is a form of conflict I have not dealt with in
this blog. A good occasion to do this is <a href="http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2010-12/58022849.pdf&quot; target="”_blank”">a
recent California attorney general's opinion</a> interpreting the
state's 2005 incompatible offices statute, which applies to local and state

Without giving it any thought, it would be hard to think of a better
fit than a city politician running the local chamber of commerce. After
all, the goals of a chamber of commerce and of a city government are
pretty much the same:  security, good government, good services,
low taxes.<br>
<br>
But when you think about it more, you realize that a chamber of
commerce is not just a cheerleader for the city, but also a powerful
organization that lobbies city politicians on a variety of issues,

Some local government ethics codes include a provision prohibiting officials from
acting outside of their authority, which is especially directed at
council members interfering in a city or county's management. I don't
consider this a government ethics issue, since it does not necessarily
involve favoritism, the official's personal interest, or anyone's
personal interest. It is most often just a matter of the official
trying to get things done through improper channels, which is a

<b>Update: May 27, 2011</b> (see below)<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/content/open-meetings-laws-and-legislative-im…; target="”_blank”">Last
week, I wrote</a> about a temporary restraining order (TRO) placed on
the publication of a Wisconsin bill that was allegedly passed in
violation of the state's open meetings law. However, the court placing

<b>Some Problems with Mayoral Executive Orders in Philadelphia</b><br>
On January 25, Philadelphia Mayor Nutter signed three ethics-related
executive orders, which I would love to link you to, but cannot.
How effective, except as a way to get the council moving on ethics reform, are executive orders that can't be found online? These orders deal with nepotism, family-oriented conflicts, outside
employment, and gifts.<br>
<br>

A recent decision of the Wilton, NY ethics board (attached; see below)
raises important issues regarding the selection of ethics commission
members, their withdrawal from participation when they have a conflict, and the way an ethics commission handles allegations that are
not covered by the ethics code.<br>
<br>

<i>This blog post was partially rewritten on March 24, 2011 after communication with the EC's executive director.</i><br>
<br>
The actions of one member of <a href="http://klec.ky.gov/default.htm&quot; target="”_blank”">Kentucky's
state
legislative ethics commission</a> has undermined the public's view of the EC and of the state's lawyer

<b>Seeking Order in Government</b><br>
All government officials seek order, not just in the sense of law and
order, but also in the sense of having everyone
know their roles, their authority, and their relationships to other
individuals and agencies.<br>
<br>
Nonviolent actors seek order in societies where some kinds of disorder
are taken for granted, for example, in dictatorships that have usurped
authority and destroyed relationships.<br>
<br>