It is a pleasant surprise to find an intelligent conversation about
local government ethics in an article and the comments to it. The
latest example of this occurred <a href="http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/andy_rizzo_…; target="”_blank”">yesterday
in the New Haven (CT) <i>Independent</b></a>, an online newspaper.<br>
<br>

Edward T. Hall's classic book, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=reByw3FWVWsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=be…; target="”_blank”"><i>Beyond
Culture</i></a> (Anchor Books, 1976), is not a government ethics book.
But a lot of the wisdom in this brilliant book can be applied to our
field.<br>
<br>

Several interesting issues arise from a recent ethics case in
Jefferson Parish, a suburb of New Orleans with about 430,000 people.
According to <a href="http://theadvocate.com/news/6470612-123/jeff-ethics-panel-declines-to&q…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the <i>Advocate</i> yesterday</a>, an employee of a large

Two of the most important elements of a government ethics program
are the appearance (and reality) of independence and a monopoly on
ethics advice and enforcement. The government ethics program that
has jurisdiction over the greatest number of local officials and
employees in the U.S. has problems with respect to both of these elements. And
its commission's selection of a new executive director, after two years without
a formal director, emphasizes both of these problems.<br>
<br>

In New Orleans, it is the ethics board that selects <a href="http://nolaoig.org/main/">the city's inspector general</a>.
According to <a href="http://www.myneworleans.com/New-Orleans-Magazine/July-2013/Assessing-a-…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the July issue of <i>New Orleans</i> magazine</a>, it took the

<b>Update</b> October 7, 2013 (see below)<br>
<br>
On Independence Day weekend, I like to focus on the independence of
local government ethics programs. The public naturally trusts any
ethics program that has not been selected by the officials under its
jurisdiction. An EC that is not dependent on the
appointment and budgetary powers of a mayor or local legislative
body can function, and be seen to function, fairly and without bias.<br>
<br>

According to <a href="http://www.nmtelegram.com/2013/05/07/berry-donors-sue-clerk-over-contri…; target="”_blank”">a
New Mexico <i>Telegram</i> article</a>, four Albuquerque contractors sued
the city's ethics board, claiming that a 2007 charter provision banning
contributions from contractors violates
their free speech rights.<br>
<br>

In Hawaii, "Aloha" is not just a greeting. It also is a way of
treating people, of thanking them. In other words, it often involves
a gift. That explains the headline of <a href="http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2013/07/01/19418-can-too-much-aloha-b…; target="”_blank”">a
Honolulu <i>Civil Beat</i> article yesterday</a>, "Can Too Much Aloha Be

Lawyers and confidentiality can both be serious obstacles to the effectiveness of a
government ethics program. An ethics case in Trumbull, CT provides a
good look at how this can happen.<br>
<br>
<b>Attorneys on an Ethics Commission</b><br>
According to <a href="http://www.trumbulltimes.com/11080/ethics-complaint-dismissed-herbst-ba…; target="”_blank”">an

<b>Allen County, IN</b><br>
According to <a href="http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130615/LOCAL/306159987/1002/LOC…; target="”_blank”">an