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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Letter to 2007 Mayoral Candidates
Letter Sent to 2007 Mayoral Candidates on January 2 asking them to Commit to an Agenda of Better Ethics, Principles and Values
2 January 2007
Dear Candidate:
Local scandals and unending investigations have caused citizens to lose confidence in government and in their elected representatives. Philadelphia’s soiled reputation gives businesses a reason not to create new jobs here and people a reason not to live here. The damages are costly and don’t stop there.
You have an outstanding chance to begin to change all that.
The Committee of Seventy is asking you and the other candidates and potential candidates for mayor to commit to the Ethics Agenda. We will also ask City Council candidates to make a similar pledge -- since Council will be as important as the new mayor in changing the political culture in Philadelphia.
A few opportunities for ethical abuse have been addressed in the last few years. Much more work remains to be done. In addition to pledging to pursue the specific reforms in the Ethics Agenda, we ask you to commit to three overarching principles:
- “As Mayor, I will make hiring, contracting and appointing decisions based
on the proven performance and untainted character of the contract recipient
or the appointee – not on their connections or contributions.”
- “As Mayor, I will promote complete transparency in order to improve
accountability and increase public participation in local government.”
- “As Mayor, I will insist upon a culture of fair and impartial decision-making
and reduce the reality and perception of conflicts of interest and
pay-to-play.”
These principles and the Ethics Agenda apply to your conduct in office. We also ask you to demonstrate your value system by running a clean campaign. We urge you to:
- Articulate ground rules for your campaign workers, for allies who work on your behalf and for organizations that campaign in your name. Your campaign rules should include bans on voter intimidation and appeals made on the basis of race, religion or other such factors.
- Run honest and civil campaign advertising.
- Publish information regarding your key campaign aides and campaign supporters on your web site so voters have some clue of the kind of people you choose to have around you and accept money from.
Many other critical issues beyond those involving honest government will dominate this campaign before it is over. But belief in your proposed solutions to crime or taxes or anything else will inevitably depend on whether the voters decide that you will command a government that is trustworthy.
We ask you to begin this new year by quickly endorsing the three principles spelled out earlier in this letter and by agreeing to commit to each of the 28 reforms contained in the Ethics Agenda.
Your answers – or your lack of them – will be published on the web sites of The Next Mayor project and the Committee of Seventy. I hope you, your opponents and especially citizens will help us continuously expand this set of ideas.
The Ethics Agenda is before you. Philadelphia awaits your response.
Sincerely,
Zachary Stalberg
President and CEO
01/02/07
By: Zack Stalberg
Sections. / Reform--January 2007
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