We here in the U.S. like to think of Canadians as like us, but better.
More honest, less greedy, more accepting of diversity, etc. And they
pay for it by being dull.<br>
<br>
In the realm of government ethics, this sadly isn't true. At least in
Montreal. According to <a href="http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13905…; target="”_blank”">a

<big>"In my view, the suggestion [by Judge Sotomayor] that [campaign]
contributions are tantamount to
bribery should offend anyone who’s ever contributed to a political
campaign — including the millions of Americans who donated money in
small and large amounts to the Presidential campaign of the man who
nominated Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court."</big><br>
<br>

I don't like seeing conflicts of interest discussed improperly in the
context of an election. Elections are a good time to educate the public
about issues, but when government ethics is used for partisan purposes,
it undermines both the public's understanding and their trust in
elected officials.<br>
<br>

A <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/node/227&quot; target="”_blank”">judicial opinion</a> is
apparently not enough to put an end to local government officials using the excuse that
the local government attorney told them participation in a matter is legal. Nor is the fact that the official's decision whether to participate is not solely a legal decision, but
rather a judgment based partially on the language of an ethics code and

Gov. Sarah Palin's national fame has brought government ethics
complaints to the attention of people who had never paid any attention
to them. And the result has, in general, been one of distortion rather
than education. The latest news has especially distorted the nation's
view of government ethics: the argument that defending against
frivolous ethics complaints was too costly in dollars and time, and
therefore damaging to the state and the people of Alaska, so damaging
that the governor resigned her position.<br>

<b>Ethics Reform Usually Means Ethics Changes</b><br>
While most people in Massachusetts are cheering on the ethics reform
package that was just passed, at least one state representative has focused
on the compromises and limitations of the package, calling it a first
step. Most responses to scandals are partial rather than changing the entire environment,

It is common for mayors and council members to take volunteer positions
on the boards of community nonprofits. Sometimes it's primarily
honorific, but sometimes it shows a special commitment to a particular
program or project, and sometimes it involves a leadership position.
Such a position can create real or apparent conflicts of interest.<br>
<br>

<span class="vitstorybody"><span class="vitstorybody"><big> I don’t
care
what state you are talking about, you are always going to have one or
two people who are going to do the wrong thing. That’s human life. But
the bottom line is: I can tell you that my members who are in the House
of Representatives are here for the right reason, and I am just a
little cautious to make a regulation for one person.</big><br>
<br>
Reaction of Rhode Island House Speaker William J. Murphy to Gov.

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has reached <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/2009/pdf/0629_riscruling_irons.pdf&quot; target="”_blank”">a
decision</a> on the legislative immunity case (Irons v. RI Ethics
Commission) involving the state ethics commission and the state
legislature. As expected, its majority opinion (it was a 3-1 split)
concluded that the state's Speech in Debate Clause 100% overrides the

It's not easy to publicize ethical and unethical activity in a
responsible manner. And when this is done, it can sometimes lead to
false attacks on the the legitimacy of the organization doing the
publicizing. This is what happened this week in Colorado.<br>
<br>