Ethics? We don’t need no stinking ethics in Cowtown!

I can’t keep up with all the crazy in Cowtown these days, it’s truly the Wild, Wild West and crazy enough to make the Wall of Shame on the CityEthics.org blog.

The Fort Worth Council, Mayor, and City Attorney Deal Irresponsibly With a Conflict Situation

For those who, like me, believe that neither a mayor nor a local legislative body nor a city attorney has any business getting involved in the government ethics process, here’s an example you can use of the mess they can make when they do get involved.

First, here is the background of the Fort Worth situation. According to an article in the Star-Telegram last Thursday, in late June the city’s Ethics Review Committee (ERC) determined that three members of an Air Quality Study Committee (AQSC) who work for major drilling companies had a conflict of interest (for more on the decision, see another Star-Telegram article, from June). According to a city government press release dated March 22, the ten-member AQSC was formed this year “to address recent air-quality studies regarding the short- and long-term health effects of emissions from gas facilities. The committee is charged with ensuring that data regarding air quality are comprehensive, specific to Fort Worth and sufficient to answer residents’ questions. The committee will evaluate and make a recommendation to the City Council on the qualifications of proposed companies and a scope of work for an air-emission study.”

The CityEthics.org blog lists the top 5 mistakes made.

Do you think that gas company employees should serve on city committees that oversee their industry?

Vote in the Star-Telegram poll HERE