This is a city ethics code?

City ethics code?

Are you freaking kidding me?

Reportedly, this week, our own city hall adopted what they're calling an ethics code:

New ethics code, approved Thursday, says Kansas City employees can't accept gifts worth more than $1,000.

Are you kidding me?

They can accept gifts up to $1000?

Who doesn't think our city government representatives can't be bought for $1000 or less?

Especially if, say, this month they get $1000 and then next month and the month after that, ad inifinitum?

Or $1000 this week from me and $1000 next week from my wife and another $1000 the week after that from my kid, 'cuz, you know, it's all perfectly legal, right?  Right?

I ask again--who here thinks their representative can't be bought?

Anyone?

Bueller?

Come on, guys, try a bit harder.

We know there are absolutely no limits down in Jefferson City for gifts or "campaign contributions" (don't make me laugh) but it's City Hall. You have to have more and better--read: lower--gift limits than this.

Get real.

No laws about throwing away or trashing government computers?

I keep remembering that ol' Mittens Romney had computers erased and destroyed on his way out of office back in Massachusetts, when he was governor. Did you read or hear about it?

Mitt Romney administration deleted emails before leaving office

"It doesn't appear to have been illegal, but this, from the Boston Globe, doesn't make Mitt Romney's administration look particularly open and transparent:

Just before Mitt Romney left the Massachusetts governor’s office and first ran for president, 11 of his top aides purchased their state-issued computer hard drives, and the Romney administration’s e-mails were all wiped from a server, according to interviews and records obtained by the Globe.

Romney administration officials had the remaining computers in the governor’s office replaced just before Governor Deval Patrick’s staff showed up to take power in January 2007 … Beth E. Myers, who was Romney’s chief of staff, bought her hard drive on Aug. 18, 2006, the same month that she left state employment.

Peter G. Flaherty, who was Romney’s deputy chief of staff, bought the hard drive from his computer on Nov. 3, 2006 ... Flaherty later became the Romney campaign’s chief liaison to social conservatives."

I don't mind telling you folks here and I think most, if not all, would agree, first, I think this is wrong since these were government computers, reputedly doing government--the people's--work.

Second, I think this could, of course, likely cover up things that otherwise shouldn't have happened.

Third, and most importantly, I think it needs to be said and acted on that this is made illegal--very strictly and clearly illegal--in each and every of the 50 states, all our cities and counties and then in our Federal Government, too.

Every government employee--every one of them--needs to be held accountable for their actions and official words and deeds. These are OUR computers, people, again, supposedly doing our work. It shouldn't be possible to be able to either sell these computers or trash the information on them.

Making this illegal would make our representatives at least somewhat more accountable for their words and actions in office, if not a great deal more.

What troubles me is that there doesn't seem to be an existing outcry for anything like this to happen.

Left as it is, legal to give or throw away this information, will lead to not good things.

If it hasn't already.

Link: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/68583.html#ixzz24P4EfJ6I

Legislators for life?

When Charlie Rangel got charged with possible violations of House rules recently in Washington, it occurred to me--and I brought it up here--that, for pity's sake, he's 80 years old, why can't he just pack it in and go home? I mean, sure, he'd miss the power and the perks and maybe even the money, too, but at 80 years old, aren't you due, Charlie, for heading to the hacienda? Do you have to be a selfish, self-centered old goat and stay in the office virtually forever? Do you not think your constituents and, heck, possibly even the country couldn't be served by you stepping down and letting someone younger--say, 60??--with more energy and hopefully, ideas--get in there and do the job? Then I saw Sunday, in The Kansas City Star, in a Steve Kraske column, where our very own Ike Skelton has served 17 terms. Holy cow. Seventeen terms?? Again, is it not time to freaking step down?? And why do we, as voters, do this? Why do we keep voting these same people into office, time and again? Are we that lazy in the voting booth? Is that what it comes down to? It seems the answer is yes. Let's vote these old dudes out and get fresh blood, ideas and energy in there. Let's make this a better city/state/country to be in. Here's hoping.