Chiu, Herrera Put Ethics on the Agenda
Board President David Chiu and City Attorney Dennis Herrera's proposed ethics reforms would force into the open a flow of money aimed at influencing City Hall that has been hidden by custom and law, identifying how play-to-pay politics tips the scale on decisions that cost taxpayers in swollen contracts, preferential approval of permits and ensnares even do-gooder nonprofits as allies. In opting for heightened disclosure, the two city leaders laid aside for now adding new prohibitions such as enacting bans on contributions by lobbyists, fundraising by city commissioners or stretching the current ban on contractor contributions to include bundling of money contractors collect from others. Those are all features of ethics laws in force in other jurisdictions, notably Los Angeles and in Sacramento. |