Overview of Ethics Reform
It may sound like this is just an effort to make life more difficult for sticky-fingered politicians, but this term actually covers multiple initiatives intended to remedy a wide range of governmental failings.
In a philosophical sense, ethics reform is about right and wrong and about ensuring that those in government meet their responsibilities to the public. In a practical sense, ethics reform is about raising citizen expectations regarding the quality of municipal services, ensuring equal opportunity when it comes to public employment and contracting opportunities, and eliminating discriminatory treatment, which favors the "connected" over everyone else.
Ultimately, ethics reform is about dollar and cents - tax dollars wasted or stolen, potential residents turned off by stories of municipal corruption, and corporate investment directed to jurisdictions lacking our now infamous "pay-to-play culture."
Why is Ethics Reform Needed ?
Although it's hard to nail down an accurate individual or total cost, government waste occurs at every level of government, in every state, county and municipality in America, regardless of which political party is running the show. Sometimes it's a case of outright corruption, but much more frequently it's simply the political winners and their allies taking advantage of the "spoils of victory."
Ethical misconduct takes place in every type of institution from borough councils to the federal government, from the richest countries to the poorest, and in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Unfortunately, Philadelphia has a more notorious image than most cities for our corrupt and unfair political system, which inhibits the city's growth on many levels. For the Philadelphia region to return to national and international economic prominence, we need to trim the political fat and use this significant savings to both reduce city taxes and improve services. We also need to lose, once and for all, our reputation for being "corrupt and contented" as described by Lincoln Steffen in 1903. The reality is that with our industries and amenities we are very well positioned for the 21st Century, but we are held back by the national perception we at least tolerate and arguably celebrate 19th Century machine politics
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Reform--January 2007 |
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U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah yesterday vowed to improve ethics in City Hall while making his government available in neighborhoods across town as part of "a new era of openness unlike any ever seen in our city." By: Michael Currie Schaffer
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
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The Committee of Seventy today welcomed the release of Congressman Chaka Fattah’s plan to create a more open, honest and ethical city government if elected Mayor of Philadelphia. By: Zack Stalberg
Source: Press Release
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A squeaky-clean City Hall. That would be the result if Philadelphia city government actually lived up to each and every good-government proposal unveiled last week by the city's best-known watchdog group.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
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All the 2007 Democratic mayoral hopefuls declared themselves pro-ethics yesterday. By: Catherine Lucy
Source: Philadelphia Daily News
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Seeks Commitments from 2007 Mayoral Candidates on 28 Reforms to Curb Conflict of Interest and “Pay-to-Play” By: Zack Stalberg
Source: Press Release
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The Committee of Seventy was informed today that potential 2007 Philadelphia mayoral candidate U.S. Congressman Robert A. Brady has committed to 28 specific reforms contained in an Ethics Agenda released by Seventy this morning
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Letter Sent to 2007 Mayoral Candidates on January 2 asking them to Commit to an Agenda of Better Ethics, Principles and Values
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