According to <a href="http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x945638644/Ashland-selectmen-see…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the Metro West <i>Daily News</i> on Friday</a>, the Ashland (MA)
board of selectmen sent two reported allegations of possible acts of ethical
misconduct to the state ethics
commission. The request sought not enforcement, but clarification. I hope by

Here's a curiosity relating to local official legislative immunity.
According to <a href="http://statehousenewsonline.com/2011/02/25/legislators-sponsor-unusual-…; target="”_blank”">an
article in statehousenewsonline.com on Friday</a>, Virginia state

<b>Conflicting Employment Is Nothing to Rave About</b><br>
Some forms of conflicting employment are wrong to the extent that the
only way to handle the conflict responsibly is to resign from one of
the jobs. If this is not done, even a minor conflict can be very
damaging, especially when there are already other problems. This is the
case with an administrator at the Los Angeles Coliseum who worked on
the side as a consultant for a company that annually produced a rave at
the Coliseum.<br>
<br>

It's nice to see conflicts of interest being opposed by political party
leaders, but not when they're taken out of context. The opposition this week
has been limited to public sector unions. The conflict involves
public sector unions making contributions to candidates who will be in
a position to deal with union compensation.<br>
<br>

<br>Term limits, the recession, a new kind of governmental district, and a drive to save and manage local parks have all contributed to a fascinating ethics situation in Pierce County, Washington, home of
Tacoma. Just last year I stayed in Pierce County and visited some of
these parks, so this story is a little more concrete to me than most I
write about.<br>
<br>

Here are three interesting conflict of interest case studies from
Tuesday's news.<br>
<br>
<b>Conflicts That Make You Act Differently, and Imaginative Resolutions</b><br>
According to <a href="http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_17455394&quot; target="”_blank”">an
article in the Los Angeles <i>Daily Breeze</i></a>, a former Los Angeles
airport attorney, who reviewed the paperwork submitted by four

I'm going to keep showing how wrong the criminal
enforcement of ethics laws is until there is at least some sign of
movement away from it. This time I will do it by looking at two recent
proceedings in which serious penalties are involved, one criminal, the
other civil. The criminal penalties are about punishment, the civil
penalties about strengthening the ethics program and sending important
messages to other officials and employees.<br>
<br>

<b>Update:</b> August 26, 2011 (see below)<br>
<br>
At the same time there is talk of local government ethics reform in New
York State, the new attorney general has his own plan for local
government oversight. But it is all criminal in nature.<br>
<br>
His idea is to place public integrity officers in all thirteen <a href="http://www.ag.ny.gov/tour/tour.html&quot; target="”_blank”">attorney

Agency consolidation seems to be the buzzword this year. The
ostensible reason is to save money and use government resources more
efficiently. But is this really the principal reason?<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/TOB/S/2011SB-01009-R00-SB.htm&quot; target="”_blank”">A
bill has just been introduced in Connecticut</a> (my state) to place
the Office of

On January 28, the New York State Bar Association issued <a href="http://www.nysba.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&Template=/CM/ContentD…; target="”_blank”">a
report on government ethics reform in New York State</a>, which