Here is a summary of the Carla Miller's presentation at the last Baymeadows/Southside Community Group.

Summarized by Kathleen Perera

Ethics is the Key to Democracy

Carla Miller, Esq, Ethics Officer for the City of Jacksonville, spoke to the Southside Tea Party on Monday, April 4, 2011 and had several insightful points, namely:

Democracy will fail if its citizens are not diligent in protecting it. That means that every citizen is obligated to keep himself informed in matters that will threaten the power of the people.

Therefore, every citizen must focus on the role of Ethics and the Government. It is through this understanding that democracy will continue.

Key components:

Trust:  A reliance (confidence based upon experience) on the character or ability…of someone or something. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trust)

Public Trust: That which is created for the promotion of public welfare and not for the benefit of one or more individuals. (http://www.businessdictionary.com )  This includes dealing with conflicts of interest or issues that may appear as conflicts of interest.

Critical Thinking and Ethics: The analysis of right and wrong conduct using critical methods of logic, evaluation and understanding with accurate, credible and relevant information. (It’s Our Government, Module 1: League of Women Votes Jacksonville, Youth Leadership Jacksonville, Young Democrats, Young Republicans, Democratic Women Information Network, and Republican Women’s Club of Duval Federated, pages 3-4.)

Public Service Ethics Values:

            Public Interest—No personal gain. Elected officials act in the public’s interest,

            not their own. This includes not using or misusing government time, employees

or property for their own purposes.

            Independent Objective Judgment—No conflicts. Issues should be decided upon

            by their merits, free from either real or perceived conflicts of interest.

            Transparency and Accountability— Oversight, openness of proceedings,

            whistleblower protection,  accountability.

            Democratic Leadership—Those in public service should obey all laws and

            respect the democratic process.

            Respectability and Fitness for Public Office: Professional and personal lives

            should be of such that they are worthy of honor and respect and is the

            guide whether the offices should be considered suitable for public office.

            Conflict of Interest Laws: Just because an action is legal does not mean that it is

            ethical or that it will increase public trust. Also, just because an issue does not

            have a direct law guiding it does not mean that elected officials have the leeway

            of dealing with that issue as if it were not a conflict of interest.

            Corruption: The abuse of public power for private gain that goes against the

            public interest. Public officials act in the best interest of private concerns (their

            own or those of others, regardless of, or against, the public interest (United

            Nations definition)  (Ibid, pages 8-11.)

ACTION PLAN FOR ALL CITIZENS:

BE INFORMED. Join citizen watchdog groups, sign up for email bursts from Carla Miller at ethics@coj.net. Watch for citizen education courses.

DEMAND TRANSPARENCY. Demand that government documents, including budgets and legislation, be written in PLAIN ENGLISH.

DEMAND ACCESSIBILITY. Public records need to be accessible on the web. Sole source and professional service bids should be posted on line.

DEMAND AN INDEPENDENT CITIZEN ETHICS COMMISSION. This group will hold the government accountable.

LAWS NEEDED TO BE PASSED NOW:  Local Bills 2011—167 and 2011—197. These laws will ensure the establishment of the independent citizen ethics commission, and an independent Inspector General and Ethics Officer to be appointed by the citizen Ethics Commission. They will have jurisdiction over all of the COJ authorities and will

serve to focus on local conflicts of interest.