The Nexus of Ethics
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It seems like coming out against business as usual is all the craze these days in state capitals across the country.
Public officials (some more than others) at all levels of government got the message following the 2006 mid-term elections -- a message that still resonates in 2008. Voters were sick of the steady indictment drumbeat and they were prepared to do something about it at the ballot box.
It was time for ethics reform.
Ethics reform is the nexus issue for all public policy matters. Want to know what that uranium mining company is spending to lobby your legislator? Interested in who gets a seat at the proverbial table when it comes time to decide policies affecting insurance companies? Curious about how public contract decisions are made for construction projects?
Somewhere along the way, each of these questions can be answered, provided a good ethics policy is in place.
Louisiana is the latest example of a state where ethics reform is the hub issue. Former congressman Bobby Jindal, acutely aware of polling data showing that "corruption" was a major reason for the election defeat of so many of his fellow Republicans in the 2006 congressional elections, moved quickly after assuming the Governor's chair in Baton Rouge this year. Jindal understands the urgency of the new political realities created by the public's demand for increased transparency and curbs on the potentially corrupting influence of money on the policy-making process. Good governance in the public interest is not about getting a nice meal at the local Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with some lobbyist picking up the tab.
Opposing business as usual is not an easy matter. But, changing the rules of the game can go a long way.
Public officials (some more than others) at all levels of government got the message following the 2006 mid-term elections -- a message that still resonates in 2008. Voters were sick of the steady indictment drumbeat and they were prepared to do something about it at the ballot box.
It was time for ethics reform.
Ethics reform is the nexus issue for all public policy matters. Want to know what that uranium mining company is spending to lobby your legislator? Interested in who gets a seat at the proverbial table when it comes time to decide policies affecting insurance companies? Curious about how public contract decisions are made for construction projects?
Somewhere along the way, each of these questions can be answered, provided a good ethics policy is in place.
Louisiana is the latest example of a state where ethics reform is the hub issue. Former congressman Bobby Jindal, acutely aware of polling data showing that "corruption" was a major reason for the election defeat of so many of his fellow Republicans in the 2006 congressional elections, moved quickly after assuming the Governor's chair in Baton Rouge this year. Jindal understands the urgency of the new political realities created by the public's demand for increased transparency and curbs on the potentially corrupting influence of money on the policy-making process. Good governance in the public interest is not about getting a nice meal at the local Ruth's Chris Steakhouse with some lobbyist picking up the tab.
Opposing business as usual is not an easy matter. But, changing the rules of the game can go a long way.
