Join the Jackson County Ethics Commission - Day 112 of the Jackson County Ethics Blackout
I recently spoke with one of the County legislators most resistant to Ethical Home Rule. Not only did he attack the concept of local oversight, he even had the gall to attack the future ethics commission. "Do you really think Sanders is going to appoint people he doesn't control?", he whined. That vile little attack on the process came from someone who agrees with the appointment of criminals to be a majority of the Anti-Drug Committee. The fact is, Mike Sanders will appoint whichever 5 nominees that the Ethics Commission Selection Committee delivers to him. Mike Sanders has been above-board through this whole process, and is the prime mover behind the move to articulate the very Ethics Code that the Jackson County legislators are excluding themselves from. Unlike the Jackson County legislators, Mike Sanders is not foolish enough to maneuver himself into a battle against ethics. It takes a special kind of stupid to fight against Ethical Home Rule in Jackson County, and Sanders doesn't suffer from that kind of stupid.
Unfortunately, the Jackson County Ethics Commission Selection Committee is facing a few problems in finding a properly balanced slate of candidates to submit to Mike Sanders for appointment. The application "deadline" has been extended from the end of February until whenever they can get a great slate of candidates they feel confident will carry out their duties impartially and diligently. Here is the application, and here are the qualifications. The application is a simple online form and the qualifications are minimal.
If you read this blog, and live in Jackson County, you probably qualify to be a member of the Jackson County Ethics Commission. Stepping up and serving now would give you a chance to learn more about how the County works. More importantly, you would be playing an important role in the return to Ethical Home Rule for Jackson County.
Hint - while the Charter requires that "no more than three commissioners must be from the same political party", there is no restriction that you must belong to either of the major parties. Seems like this would be a great way for one of those third parties to get somebody involved in actual government . . .
Won't you consider going online and filling out the short application? If you will not or cannot, do you know somebody who might be waiting for a call from you to get involved? Would you please make that call?
I promise to continue the fight to bring Ethical Home Rule back to Jackson County, but the fight is meaningless if we can't find 5 citizens to serve on the Ethics Commission. The criminals on the Jackson County Legislature and their secretive colleagues are quite happy to allow the Ethics Commission to remain unfilled. They need our oversight.
Labels: Henry Rizzo, Jackson County Ethics Blackout, jackson county Ethics Crisis, James Tindall, Mike Sanders, public service
posted by Dan at 3/30/2009 05:59:00 AM
3 Comments:
I saw Sanders speak at a chamber sponsered event and he said exactly what you wrote. He will appoint the 5 he is given.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueRwxU0-xPg
Looking at the reasons given by the former members of the Ethics Commission, why would anyone want to challenge our faith in this bunch of hooligans?
Obviously, you have not put your name in, Dan. Neither have I, but you can be sure my complaint will be the first of many to be filed when the appear.
No hurry, because the first issue that needs to be decided is whether the Legislature has a right to carve the loophole in the Ordinance.
Since the attorneys who work for our County wrote the changes, Michael Sanders is already responsible for this miscarriage of justice. It is in his job description to enforce the Charter Rule.
Legislators signed a legal document to uphold the same, but they then are not lawyers. Heck some can barely read or write.
The clock is ticking: how long are you willing to wait? They will continue to hold the public hostage while legislators break every rule in the book.
July 22, 2005 from the Examiner
"I'm afraid history may record that the technical attack upon our powers sucked the wind out of the sails of will that pushed us forward," Eckhardt said. "I am informed that there is an ongoing movement to revitalize the commission and I publicly wish it well. But this commission cannot work with out commitment and political will."
Then, "all it took" was one Legislator to stand up and ask that it be done. I helped, a little.
Post a Comment
<< Home