Broward County Legislators Drag the County's Ethics Feet

As I mentioned in <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/content/family-and-conflicts-broward-county-f…
recent blog post</a>, the Broward County (FL; home of Ft. Lauderdale)
commissioners are seeking to have an ethics code (enforced by an
inspector general; it's being drafted) apply to county employees, as
well. For some reason, this not only must go to referendum, but must
also be approved by a majority each of state senators and
representatives whose constituency touches on Broward County.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/01/legi…
article</a> last week in the <i>Sun-Sentinel</i>, things started looking bad
when some of these state legislators spoke their concerns at a state
delegation hearing. They appear to have been most concerned about the IG's powers,
especially the power to act on his or her own initiative, with
independence and little oversight. The usual politicians' fear of lack
of control.<br>
<br>

<a href="http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/01/brow…
<i>Sun-Sentinel</i> article</a>, from later last week, shows more concerns
from state legislators as they voted on the matter. For instance, one didn't
want to meddle in personnel issues (not relevant). Another was concerned that the
ethics code hadn't been written yet, even though it will have been
before it goes before the state legislature and the people.<br>
<br>
A majority of the legislators who were present voted for the ethics
code to apply to employees, but since a majority of representatives
voted against it, it didn't pass. And the second vote, on an IG, was
tabled, for fear it too wouldn't pass. Only 12 of the 25 legislators
showed up to vote on this important issue.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/01/anal…
<i>Sun-Sentinel</i> article</a>, the reason for all this interest in ethics in
Broward County is as follows:  "last fall’s arrests of a Broward
County
Commissioner, a School Board member, a former Miramar city
commissioner, and a prominent Hollywood political fundraiser. It was
further fueled by the implosion of a Ponzi scheme allegedly
orchestrated by the high profile lawyer Scott Rothstein, who also
spread lots of campaign cash to politicians."<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/01/repu…
<i>Sun-Sentinel</i> article yesterday</a>, the Republican representative who
sponsored the measure blamed Democrats for its failure to pass. This is
sad, because she was the only one of six Republicans to even show up.
In the representatives vote, three Democrats voted for, four against.
Among senators, three Democrats voted for, one against. Clearly a
partisan issue!<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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