DC pols are so easy to buy: ethics edition
Given that last week, Prince George's County Councilwoman Leslie Johnson pleaded guilty and there was much hullaballoo until she resigned--since she won't be sentenced until October, she could stay on Council till then, yesterday's Washington City Paper piece on Councilman Harry Thomas' egregious misuse of public and donated funds for personal use, "Where The Team Thomas Money Went," makes me wonder why there isn't a criminal case filed against CM Thomas.*
1) End “pay to play”: Ban contributions from any source that has or intends to seek a city government contract...
2) Ban contributions from lobbyists: Lobbyists who seek government access and want to influence officials through campaign cash have become a rampant and toxic problem here.
3) Crack down on independent expenditures: The courts have provided that PACs and so-called independent organizations can support candidates and accept and spend unlimited sums from donors. But this is just another way for insiders to curry favor with elected officials. ...
4) End constituent service funds: These funds — raised from campaign contributors, government contractors and those seeking special access to elected officials — were established to help council members assist needy constituents, but the situation today is that council members have $80,000 per year to direct. ...
5) Bar elected leaders from receiving free legal advice: Lawyers provide free or discounted services as a way to ingratiate themselves to elected officials. ...
6) Ban the practice of setting up nonprofit organizations to fund nonofficial mayoral travel and related expenses: These funds are largely hidden from public scrutiny and open to abuse and self-dealing. The funds come from the same insiders and government contractors, but their contributions are not limited by the same constraints as campaign or constituent service contributions.
7) All government meetings should be open and held in public: Despite a recent effort at improvement, we still have a weak statute on open public meetings. Boards and commissions still conduct most of their business behind closed doors. To avoid scrutiny, private meetings or caucuses are often used to reach decisions, with members appearing in public only to vote and announce decisions. We should make it illegal for a majority of a board, commission or committee to meet in private. Public business should be conducted in public.
8) Strengthen and enforce city contracting rules: It has become too common a practice for prospective bidders to have insider contact before or during the contracting process. ...
9) Impose a strict “bad boy” provision: Ban anyone who has been convicted of or financially penalized for insurance, financial, contracting or other types of fraud from doing business with the D.C. government.
10) Ban contractors working under false pretenses: Anyone who has misrepresented himself during the contract-award process should be barred from doing business with the city government, period.
Labels: corruption, electoral politics and influence, government oversight, provision of public services
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