Real ethics reform; the third rail in the Roundhouse

To the outside observer, it might look like legislators are talking about ethics reform in state government.

If I had a dime for every time the word ethical has been used in the Roundhouse, I would have enough money to hire two more UNM Vice Presidents of Something or Another.

The word you don't hear a lot is; truthtelling.
There really is a fundamental ethic; it is truthtelling.
If we are not talking about truthtelling, we are not talking about real ethical reform. At best, we are talking around real ethical reform.

There are limits on truthtelling.

Setting those limits is the prerogative of the people, not of the
public servant. Whether or not we talk about truthtelling,
is the prerogative of the people, not of the politicians and public servants.

It is clear that a majority of legislators do not want to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. They want to hide as much of the truth as they can, without appearing to be trying to hide the truth.

Case in point; a searchable archive of legislative webcasting.

Whatever the reasons are, to not archive, those reasons in toto, pale in comparison to the right of the people to know what is being done with their power, their resources, and by their politicians and public servants.

If you don't know the truth, you have no control over the spending of power and resources that are fundamentally your own.

There is a line between the truth we must, and must not, know. That line needs to be defined and enforced.

And for as long as legislators pretend not see the elephant in the room, there will be only incremental ethical reform, which is not really ethical reform at all.

Truthtelling and accountability cannot exist without the other.
You cannot have accountability if the truth is not told.
You cannot claim to be willing to tell the truth, unless you are
willing to be held inescapably accountable when you don't.

Those who will not talk about truthtelling, have no intention to tell the truth; no matter what else they might want you to believe.