A Times Editorial

Keeping politicians trustworthy

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 26, 2000

Weak state anti-corruption laws almost encourage politicians to cash in on their office. A study by the Center for Public Integrity, a non-partisan government watchdog group, found that one-fourth or more of state lawmakers across the nation stand to benefit personally from their legislative jobs.

The report is compelling not just for its examination of ethics laws in all 50 states, but also for the many examples of self-dealing it reveals in legislatures across the nation. In some states, lawmakers pull double-duty as registered lobbyists -- crafting legislation that benefits their private-sector clients. Many hire their spouses, have business ties to lobbyists or manage to secure public-sector jobs on the side.

Florida didn't rank among the 10 worst states but received "barely passing grades" for the loopholes that can make state ethics laws easy to ignore. Florida does not require lawmakers to disclose their spouses' employment, income, clients, business ties or financial holdings. Many reporting requirements that do exist protect office-holders by requiring little detail and providing long lag times before disclosure. The state's record in prosecuting ethics violations also is notoriously poor -- slow and weak by design. The Legislature, after all, writes the ethics laws and funds the prosecutors.

Full and timely disclosure is the public's best way of keeping politicians straight. Every state should require lawmakers to disclose their finances and make the reports easy and affordable for the public to access. States also should expand open-government laws, tighten the rules against outside employment and double-dipping and institute harsher penalties for lawmakers who break even the spirit of the law.

It should not require a law to prevent a legislator from throwing business to his firm, putting family members on the public payroll or collecting legalized bribes in the form of "consulting fees" from utilities, insurers and other conglomerates regulated by the states. Graft is graft. But too many lawmakers can't help themselves, and that's why state ethics laws need to be tightened and enforced. The public should never accept the notion that corruption is part of the price it must pay for a citizen legislature.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.