| 01/19/2005 |
| Hearing deals with ethics reform |
| By PENNY RIORDAN , Staff Writer |
|
NEW BRITAIN -- Municipal ethics
reform dominated the discussion at a public hearing hosted by state
senators and representatives Tuesday night. Representatives
from the city’s municipal government spoke about how any ethics
reform at the state level would affect local government. The committee will be charged with the task of contract and ethics policy reform in the wake of former Gov. John G. Rowland’s resignation amid scandal in the summer of 2004. Most of those who spoke were connected with local politics or government. Many stressed the need for reform to happen not only at the state level, but also locally. While longtime Republican voices such as Louis Salvio, former alderman and chairman of the Board of Finance and Taxation, said massive policy reform was not needed, other local elected officials pleaded for uniformity between municipal ethics codes. "There isn’t a whole lot wrong with the policies in place," Salvio said. "There is a great deal wrong with the legislative bodies who do their jobs." But local party leaders disagreed with Salvio, pleading with legislators to create uniformity between ethics codes in cities and towns. "What may be unethical in New Britain may be perfectly ethical in Farmington and what may be unacceptable in Farmington may be perfectly acceptable in West Hartford," said city Treasurer and former Democratic Alderman Jason Jakubowski. "There is presently no consistency and that can be dangerous," he said. Jakubowski and Democratic Alderman Jamie Sullivan have led a movement toenact local ethics policy reform before the state imposes its own rules. Sullivan formed an Ethics Task Force to look at ways to overhaul the present code to cut back on conflicts of interest and tighten legal loopholes. Although some questioned why such tight codes are needed, especially in towns smaller than New Britain, Jakubowski countered that ethical lapses were almost more likely to happen in towns. "I don’t see how any town, over time, isn’t going to face some of those issues," he said. Beyond local ethics reform, a key component to meaningful reform is public financing of campaigns, said resident Phil Sherwood. "Too few candidates want to even run for public office because they cannot afford the sky-rocketing price of admission," he said. This was the first of several hearings being held around the state. Penny Riordan can be reached at priordan@newbritainherald.com, or by calling (860) 225-4601, Ext. 221. |