County Related

The New York Times has an excellent article today on Alan Greenspan in relation to the current financial crisis. It provides food for thought about government regulation at any level.

Essentially, Greenspan believes that the cause of the crisis is Wall Street decisionmakers not acting honorably. However, the decision to regulate, like the decision to pass ethics codes, is to...

If you have a city car, why bother having your own? If you have a county cellphone, why bother having your own? If you have an honor system, why bother honoring it?

In Bellingham, Massachusetts, according to an article in the Milford Daily News, a town meeting moderator whose firm was also town attorney resigned as moderator when his firm was replaced as town attorney. He did this, he said, not out of spite, but because he would now represent clients before town boards and commissions, and this would conflict with his position...

"I just don't see it that there would be any motivation in such that people would be trying to evade Freedom of Information responsibilities."

--Thomas Mooney, attorney for firm that represents numerous school districts and municipalities in Connecticut, regarding a recent growth in the filing of freedom of information complaints (from an article in the Stamford Advocate)

Maybe it's...

When does an interest become an interest? When an official starts thinking about entering into a contract? When she starts negotiating the contract? When she agrees on the details? When she actually signs the contract? Or is this not really the question to focus on?

According to an article in the Aspen (CO) Daily News, this...

Sometimes a conflict of interest can help a community save money. An official with a relationship to a company might be able to negotiate a better deal for his town, as long as his company gets the business and the credit. But is this legitimate, and even if it is, how should it be handled?