The State-Local Obstacle to Ethics Reform

One of the biggest obstacles to ethics reform in some U.S. states and
Canadian provinces is the possibility of state enforcement of local
ethics. For example, in Connecticut, there has been talk for years at
the state level about either having state enforcement or state
requirements. Even though it has all been talk, and the towns and
cities have successfully talked it down, the same town and city CEOs
have said that it's silly to talk about local ethics reform when
something might happen at the state level. It's a great way to eat your
cake and have it, too.<br>
<br>

According to <a href="http://www.winnipegsun.com/comment/editorial/2009/02/22/8483066-sun.htm…; target="”_blank”">an
editorial in the Winnipeg </a><span><a href="http://www.winnipegsun.com/comment/editorial/2009/02/22/8483066-sun.htm…; target="”_blank”">Sun</a>,</span>,
this recently happened in Winnipeg. Some council members favored asking
the province to oversee local ethics, because they felt it was a
conflict of interest to have the mayor and the council appoint people
to oversee their own ethics. Other council members and, apparently, the
mayor said they favored having the mayor appoint an "accountability
commissioner" and have more scrutiny over councillors' expense
accounts. But when it came to a vote, the council did not vote for
either solution. So ethics is still up to their personal judgment.<br>
<br>
The mayor had the public interest clearly in mind when he described the
exercise as follows: "It was an opportunity for a few councillors to go
after yours truly
and they chose to do that. That's fine. That comes with the territory,"<br>
<br>
When the mayor sees government ethics as about him, it does seem time
to ship ethics enforcement out of town.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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