Spirit Must Match Rules of Ethics Reform : The People Must Continue to Hold Their Public Officials Accountable for Favoritism

In its enthusiasm for striking while the iron is hot, the Board of Supervisors should not lose sight of the larger picture while reforming the way lobbyists interact with the county.

The impetus for reform, it should be said at the outset, is wonderful. But the board should not forget that business as usual conducted in the daylight will not necessarily be different from business as usual conducted under the cover of non-disclosure.

In fact, it’s the spirit of the reform--that is, putting real psychological distance between influence-peddlers and public policy makers--that counts as much as the letter of the law.

The lesson comes to mind now that the board has voted unanimously--if not with unanimous enthusiasm--to draft an ordinance that would require lobbyists to register with the county, to disclose the clients they represent, and to disclose the campaign donations they make.

The registration drive follows the conviction of former Supervisor Don R. Roth on misdemeanor violations of political ethics, and is part of a series of reforms that included a new campaign spending law revision. All this is part of an overdue effort to change the assumed rules of the game.

In fact, the measure is part of a package of proposals the county is preparing in the wake of the Roth conviction. Other proposed reforms include a virtual ban on gifts to county officials and a new code of ethics that would spell out the proper relationship between politicians and people with business before the county.

For years, politicians in Orange County have been able to award millions of dollars in contracts to firms that lobby them without any true accountability.

But such old habits die hard. Even when reform comes, the public still must be on guard to hold public officials accountable for undue favoritism.