A Regional Solution to Regional Corruption
In February, I wrote <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/search/node/%22nonviolence%20and%20government…
blog posts</a> applying some of the concepts and practices of
nonviolence to the field of government ethics. This is effectively
an eighth post. This time the inspiration is not a book, but <a href="http://www.life-peace.org/index.php/download_file/view/309/1/">the
latest issue of the journal <i>New Routes</i></a>, entitled "Peace
Without Borders: Regional Peacebuilding in Focus."<br>
<br>
This issue takes recognition of the fact that war does not occur in
isolation in only one country. Political and ethnic leaders of neighboring
countries are often involved, either militarily or through providing
money and arms. If wars are regional, then peace solutions must also
be regional. Europe is the best example of success in regional
cooperation not only to bring about peace, but to institutionalize
it so that war is almost impossible.<br>
<br>
The same is often true of government ethics.<br>
<br>
Illinois is an
excellent example. Although it is Chicago that is famous for ethical
misconduct, many of the cities, counties, and towns around it have
terrible ethics records, and the state is also a mess. Misconduct
occurs among politicians in the same party organizations, and these politicians
go from one level of government to another (in office and on party
committees), as well as in and out of government, lobbying, and
business, across all borders. The contractors and developers that
cause problems in one city cause the same problems in other cities
and counties in the state. Like war, ethical misconduct does not
respect borders.<br>
<br>
Even if reformers are successful in getting one city a first-rate
ethics program, the city's officials will be tempted by the same
people as before, will be colleagues of the same people on party and
regional committees, and will be given money by PACs and party
committees outside the jurisdiction. And to the extent city
officials get involved in ethical misconduct outside the city's
borders, there is usually little the ethics program can do.<br>
<br>
This is one of many reasons a regional or state ethics program, if
it is independent and comprehensive, can be better than a city, county,
or town program, especially in regions where corruption is rampant and local officials insist on control of the ethics programs.<br>
<br>
It is naive to act as if everything that happens in a community
originates in the community and stays in the community. Communities
are not islands. And if they are not islands, ethics programs should
also not be islands. If they must be separate (by law or
unwillingness of legislative bodies to cooperate or give up power
over ethics programs), ethics programs should cooperate. They should
train their ethics commissions together, have annual meetings to
discuss common issues they face, hand matters over to each other
when ethics commission members have conflicts, and seek out advice
from each other when problems arise.<br>
<br>
See the <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/files/lgep1-0%20-%20Robert%20Wechsler.htm#Sta…
ethics program</a> and the <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/files/lgep1-0%20-%20Robert%20Wechsler.htm#Sta…
solution</a> sections of my free e-book <i>Local Government Ethics
Programs</i>.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
---