Do we need an ethics commission?

In her interview with Heath
Haussamen, link, gubernatorial
candidate Janice Arnold-Jones
raised interesting arguments against
creating an ethics commission.
While not proposing a final "no"to the
idea of an ethics commission, she raised
a two prong argument to that end.

1. "Creating an ethics commission, she said, would construct “yet another bureaucracy” with “its own internal issues with ethics.”"
2. And, "... she noted that there are already other checks on ethical conduct in New Mexico, such as the attorney general and state auditor. Then she noted that those agencies are limited by budget constraints.

The first argument is specious. If you awoke one morning and realized that there was no fire department in your town, you would create one based on the need. If a new bureaucracy is justified, that it is "yet another bureaucracy" is not a compelling argument against one.

The second argument bears more examination.

"There are other checks on ethical conduct in New Mexico, such as the attorney general and the state auditor."

I would have to contest that the state auditor and attorney general represent checks on ethical misconduct. I would argue that they are barely checks on legal misconduct.

Our next governor, Janice Arnold-Jones rightly pointed to correlation between the underfunding of the SAO and AGO, and their lack of effect.

As far as I know, there is only one New Mexico State Statute that specifically and explicitly requires accountability to any standard of conduct higher than the law. It reads, public servants must discharge the duties of their office, ethically.

The law is completely and utterly unenforceable. There is not even an agreed upon definition of what the word ethical even means.

Whatever else it means, it means telling the truth.

Ethical means telling the truth. Legal means telling no lies.
The one, being a higher standard of conduct than the other.

While we spend forever debating whatever else the word ethical means, let's begin at least, by agreeing that it means telling the truth.

If for no other reason, I would like their to be an ethics commission just to see what we could come up with if we put our minds to it.




photo Mark Bralley