Along with all the development in the City, here on The Patch we started our own building program. A few weeks ago we built the “House of Lies” to hold all the false and misleading statements made by Council and Commission members. The “House of Lies” already had its first tenant, Councilmember Scott Voigts, and we needed three articles to hold all the furniture that made up his residence. The “House of Lies” must be a popular destination, because we already have reservations from Council member McCullough who plans to move in shortly.
Today we announce a new development – the “House of Ill Repute”. The “House of Ill Repute” is designed to house all the ethical violations and hypocrisy that is occurring, most of which is confined to the Council. Needless to say, the “House of Ill Repute” will be adjacent to the “House of Lies”, both of which are on the “wrong side of the tracks”.
The rationale for the new development comes from the Council’s continual refusal to clean up their own house. The City has a “Code of Ethics” which you can find on the website. It prescribes acceptable “conduct at public meetings” and “conduct in office” and applies to Council and Commission members. Here are some of the gems you’ll find there -
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“1.7 Make impartial decisions in the best interest of the City of Lake Forest, free of narrow political interests, financial and other personal interests that impair independence of judgment or action, and are consistent with, but not limited to, the requirements of the Fair Political Practices Act and other state and local laws.”
“2.3 Safeguard ability to make independent, objective, fair and impartial judgments by scrupulously avoiding financial and social relationships and transactions that may compromise, or give the appearance of compromising, objectivity, independence, and honesty.”
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“2.4 Carefully consider if exceeding or appearing to exceed authority of office for personal and/or financial gain. When in doubt, avoid actions that create, in the mind of a reasonable observer, the appearance of impropriety, ethical lapses, legal violations, or actions inconsistent with the Leadership Principles.”
It all looks fine and good, but in fact the City’s Code of Ethics is a mere shell – a false front designed to look good but to be completely ineffective. The sad fact is that there is no procedure for reporting breaches of the code, no procedure for examining the veracity of the claims, and no penalty for violating the code. As a result, when was the last time you heard about the Council discussing a violation of the Code of Ethics? The answer, of course, is “never”!
There are two possibilities to explain why the Council never discusses violations of the code of ethics. First, it’s possible that they never occur. Stop laughing! It is “possible” even though we all know that it’s unlikely and in fact, it isn’t the case. The other possibility is that like a den of thieves, no one wants to point out the foibles and misdemeanors of their peers lest they find themselves on the other end of the accusation. When so many people habitually violate the code of ethics, does anyone dare bring up the subject?
Of course, like everything else, it’s a matter of opinion. One person’s ethical violation is another person’s “principled stand”. Similarly, one person’s “hypocrisy” is another person’s “change of mind”. You’ll have to judge for yourself whether or not the issues we report are serious. Next week we’ll hold an open house and see who shows up. Stay tuned. You may be surprised.
