In some counties, when a company seeks small-business or women- or
minority-owned business designation for a county contract, this
designation also applies to the municipalities within the county.
Why can't the same sort of thing apply to lobbying? Tampa council
Partial withdrawal from participation is not a sufficient cure for
an apparent conflict of interest. When there is any involvement, it
can be seen as providing preferential treatment, as being unfair.
Once again this is made clear, in the most controversial local
government problem of the year: a white police officer's
killing of a black man in Ferguson, MO.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/news/2014/nov/11/stalemate-continues-ove…; target="”_blank”">an
article yesterday in the Rockdale <i>Citizen</a>,</i>
Rockdale County, GA's county commission is having a debate on how to
select its three-member ethics board and its alternates.
Unfortunately, it's a debate that is being waged with no reference
According to <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-638369-campaign-fppc.html" target="”_blank”">an
editorial in the Orange County (CA) <i>Register</i> this week</a>,
Orange County citizens will soon vote on an initiative that would
make their county the second one to turn its campaign finance
program over to the state's Fair Political Practices Commission
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/11/nyregion/for-astorino-a-conservative-…
article today in the New York <i>Times</a>
</i>describes a situation that sheds light on pay to play. It involves the Westchester County (NY) county executive, who is
getting special scrutiny because he is running for governor and has,
throughout his career, as well as in this election, been openly
According to <a href="http://www.voiceofoc.org/county/article_7fc1f7d2-3c3b-11e4-9d96-4374dd2…; target="”_blank”">an
article Sunday on the Voice of OC website</a>, the Orange County,
CA legislative body has drafted <a href="http://goo.gl/ubOZ21" target="”_blank”">a
In <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/08/us/as-2-go-free-joe-freeman-britt-a-d…; target="”_blank”">an article in the New York </a><i>Times</i> this
Monday</a>,
the Robeson County (NC) district attorney described his
predecessor's bullying ways, which are typical of those of an
individual who heads a local fiefdom:<blockquote>
When city and county contractors and their lobbyists don't follow
the rules, it's difficult to catch them, because few cities have an
oversight office that investigates on its own initiative. Without
such a program, communities depend on federal and state criminal enforcers who focus on bribery and kickbacks.<br>
<br>
It is the FBI and a federal grand jury that did the job in Dallas County which, unlike the city of
Dallas, has no ethics program, just an aspirational code. In fact,
It's questionable whether a contractor, developer, grantee, or other
individual or entity that seeks special benefits from a local
government should be permitted to make sizeable campaign
contributions to candidates for positions in the local government.
But if they are not permitted to make such contributions directly,
they should not be permitted to make them indirectly, either.<br>
<br>
The mayor of Miami-Dade County has announced the formation of a
Procurement Review Task Force to, according to his May 6 memo
(attached; see below), "improve and simplify our procurement
process."<br>
<br>
The principal goals of the task force are:<blockquote>