Bipartisan work proves need for reform

By Jon Sinton

You may take it as a matter of faith that when two people so diametrically opposed on most issues regarding government agree so completely on one issue, its worth must not be in dispute.

Prepare to have your faith shaken.

Both the conservative Georgia Tea Party and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s liberal columnist agree that Georgia should invoke an ethics law that actually has teeth — to enforce a dollar limit on the gifts lobbyists may give the legislators they wish to influence.

● “It doesn’t matter to [Georgia House Speaker David] Ralston that 72 percent of Georgians and 82 percent of Republicans have told pollsters that they support a gift limit,” wrote the AJC’s Jay Bookman.

● “If you want a luxury lifestyle, join a country club.” Julianne Thompson, Tea Party Patriots. 

With that, Ms. Thompson summed up the incredible frustration of the Georgia Alliance for Ethics Reform — the coalition that includes the Tea Party Patriots, Georgia Watch, the League of Women Voters and Common Cause Georgia. Even the most cynical among us are shocked that the very modest bill that Rep. Tommy Smith, R-Nicholls, introduced during the second week of the session generated no Republican co-sponsors.

The bill was meant to languish in the Rules Committee where it would have almost certainly died; giving Republican House members a free pass, knowing it will never come to the floor for a vote. But the continued public pressure has put the bill originally deemed DOA back on life-support.

If Georgia citizens continue to make calls and send emails to the House Republican leadership, this bill could have new life. Further, a similar bill is ready for introduction in the Senate by Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, and it has some legs. If passed, it will surely pile more pressure on the House Leadership.

House Speaker David Ralston’s opposition is based on the idea that current rules requiring that lobbyists disclose their spending on lawmakers are good enough. Taking that argument to its logical conclusion means that we might as well legalize bribery, as long as it’s open bribery. 

And once we get an ethics bill, we’ll have to address the issue of enforcement. This Tuesday is the one-year anniversary of the complaint Common Cause Georgia filed against the unregistered lobbyist who took Speaker Ralston and family on a $17,000 trip to Europe over Thanksgiving 2010. This complaint has yet to be acted upon by the group formerly known as the State Ethics Commission.

That our state legislators refuse to even consider a bill that caps the amount of money lobbyists can spend on them — something every surrounding state has as standing law — should concern us all.

Apparently, they’re convinced we’re not watching or that we’re not interested in how they conduct our business.

We urge voters to make their voices heard.

Jon Sinton is the Chair of Common Cause Georgia.