Oct 14, 2007
New Jersey
An Ethics Syllabus
- New York Times

Something has been overlooked in all the furor about official corruption in New Jersey. There is one plan, partially in effect, that could lead to reform.

When he was governor, Richard Codey initiated requirements imposing ethics standards on officials and employees of the executive branch of state government. An executive order required them to take ethics courses, online and in person. They were given clearly written ethics guides. A toll-free number, 888-223-1355, was made available so that citizens could point out ethics violations.

And a State Ethics Commission, composed of more private citizens than public officials, was established to hear complaints. It has recently been given tough enforcement powers.

The problem is that these requirements cover only the executive branch, even though they were originally designed to cover all governmental bodies in the state. As a result, the Legislature, county and municipal governments, and local school boards are covered by a hodgepodge of regulations of their own devising.

Local officials, for example, get no ethics training unless it is required by the individual town or county, which is rare. Legislators and their employees get an ethics guide and are offered training online, but they do not have to take it. (Under a bill awaiting Gov. Jon Corzine’s signature, legislators would have to receive ethics training starting next year.) School board members and some administrators are provided training by their professional organization.

Interestingly, most of the recent federal indictments of government officials involved legislators and local officials rather than members of the executive department or school boards.

The Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers and others have proposed that the executive branch’s standards be extended to all governmental bodies in the state and that enforcement powers be given to the State Ethics Commission. The newly elected Legislature that convenes in January should adopt such a proposal. Ethics training should be mandatory for all local officials, school board members, and legislators, and the same standards should cover all public officials in the state.

Ingrid Reed, a director at Eagleton, has pointed out that common ethical standards and training would not deter those intent on breaking the law. But they would help those officials who are unaware of the nuances of ethical standards, or are easily conned by unscrupulous colleagues and outsiders wanting favors.

On their own, a common set of ethical standards, guidebooks and training would not assure cleaner government. But they would impress on officials and employees of all governmental bodies that their job is to serve the public, not themselves or their relatives.