<a href="http://elections.sun-sentinel.com/2010/results/index.php?id=2&quot; target="”_blank”">Broward
County (FL) voters embraced</a> (3-1) two ethics questions on the
ballot yesterday, which applied the new county code of ethics to all
municipalities in the county as well as to all constitutional offices
(including the sheriff, appraiser, and clerk). They voted 6-1 for the

An <i>Ethics Matters</i> newsletter from the Atlanta ethics officer is always
a valuable occasion for those interested in local government ethics.
<a href="http://www.atlantaga.gov/client_resources/government/boards/ethics_matt…; target="”_blank”">The fall newsletter</a> is no exception (to subscribe, e-mail [email protected]). This is the first

A week ago, Transparency International published its fifteenth annual <a href="http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/re…; target="”_blank”">Corruption
Perceptions Index</a>, which scores countries on the basis of a variety
of independent reports on and surveys about corruption, including those
from the World Bank and other development banks, and those surveying

Government pensions are one of the most serious issues facing local and
state governments. Most pension plans are underfunded, and the generous
pensions, the relatively short vesting periods, and the low retirement ages that allow for
at least one more career, not only cost taxpayers a great deal of money,
but seem unfair to those without pensions or with far worse pension
situations.<br>
<br>
This is not an area where government officials should want to add
apparent conflicts to the mix, but an investigation done by the Ohio

Election time makes public many ethics situations that make valuable case studies. One involves Florida gubernatorial candidate
Rick Scott.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/oct/28/rick-scott-solantic-investig…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the Naples (FL) <i>News</i></a>, there is reason to believe that

Hidden in the middle of <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/charter/html/home/home.shtml&quot; target="”_blank”">Question 2
on the New York City ballot</a> this week are two important changes in
the city's conflicts of interest law (to my knowledge, the nation's
only aptly named ethics code). The current conflicts of interest

<br>
U. S. Senate candidate for Connecticut Linda McMahon was, until she
announced her candidacy, the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE), and her management of that company has been her principal
argument for electing her. <a href="http://corporate.wwe.com/2010_10_28.jsp&quot; target="”_blank”">WWE announced yesterday</a>
that it will be "giving away WWE merchandise near select Connecticut
poll locations on Election Day."<br>

Consultants often fall between the cracks of government ethics. They
are contractors, but professionals rather than suppliers or
construction companies, and they often act just like government
officials, only they're not on the payroll. And yet the ethics rules
that apply to government officials often do not apply to consultants.
Often, ethics commissions don't even have jurisdiction over consultants.<br>
<br>

Here's an interesting twist. The mayor of Watervliet, Michigan (pop.
1,900) resigned in protest after the city commission interviewed one of
its own members for the apparently paid position of city treasurer, according to <a href="http://heraldpalladium.com/articles/2010/10/26/local_news/2253525.txt&q…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the <i>Herald Palladium</i> on Tuesday</a>.<br>
<br>

In the October 28 issue of the <i>New York Review of Books</i>, there is <a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/oct/28/moral-brink/&quot; target="”_blank”">an
essa</a>y by the excellent South African novelist J. M. Coetzee on