Many major cities do not prohibit gifts from those seeking special benefits from the city government (restricted sources) to
family members of city officials. Such a prohibition may seem a stretch,
at least theoretically. How can a government interfere in the gifts given to an official's family members? Consider this situation, from 2011, which recently became
public.<br>
<br>

<h4>“You work for the banks, they pay you, and yet you’re supposed to
represent the public interest. ... Consultants have a financial
incentive to do things to attract repeat business.”</h4><br>

<b>Applicant Disclosure Is Good for Officials</b><br>
If Ontario or Mississauga required broad applicant disclosure,
Mississauga's mayor would not be in court this week arguing that she
didn't know that her son had invested in a huge hotel and convention

<h4>“There’s a case out there; I myself cannot speak about the case.
However, I would ask the community, each and every one of you, to
keep me in your prayer.”</h4><br>

Appearances are very important in government ethics. A situation
that has arisen with respect to a proposed state audit of the Palm
Beach County ethics commission has created serious appearance
problems.<br>
<br>

<h4>“We have a system that only catches morons.”</h4><br>

Yes, another New York state legislator has been arrested on bribery
charges. That's scarcely news. According to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/nyregion/assemblyman-eric-stevenson-i…; target="”_blank”">an
article in today's New York <i>Times</i></a>, he was helping developers
get permits to open adult day care centers in his district. In other

We often hear elected officials saying, "I can't be bought at any
price." The assumption behind this statement is that there is no
amount of money, no job offer, nothing that will make the elected
official act or vote any way than the way he otherwise intends to
act or vote, that he cannot be influenced.<br>
<br>
In a discussion forum I follow, journalist
Ben Adler pointed out that there might actually be different prices
for different acts. Sometimes elected officials accept gifts or

Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New
York, said yesterday, in reference to a sting operation that led to
the arrest of several elected officials in New York City and the
village of Spring Valley, NY, “A show-me-the-money culture seems to
pervade every level of government.” However, that's not really the moral of the story.<br>
<br>

More and more each year, the City Ethics website has been the go-to
place for local government ethics information. First a blog, then a
Model Ethics Code, and then a huge resource book. Thousands of pages of
useful information. What more could anyone ask for?<br>
<br>
How about clearing away some of the debris? In other words, a short
introduction to local government ethics. An explanation of what it
is and what it isn't. A summary of the basic concepts. A description