BUSINESS MUST TRULY BE CLEAN BEFORE IT'S SO SEEN.

Byline: Martin Cooper Local View

TO a large degree, the nation's business community is in trouble of its own making.

Labor unions attack with impunity businesses' exploitation of the ``working people'' and bloated corporate salaries, bonuses and perks for management. The media wring their collective hands over the Kenneth Lays, Bernie Ebbers and Martha Stewarts, who are implicitly positioned as typical corporate miscreants. Elected officials ignore cries for reform of unfair business taxes, workers' compensation and other anti-business legislation, knowing that the corporate cash cow is also a convenient ox to be gored - and milked.

When the media inform the public that Michael Ovitz received millions of dollars after less than a year as president of Disney and that supermarkets are fighting to lower their share of health-care benefits for clerks and checkers, many elected officials secretly rejoice. Now there is less pressure on them to pass business-friendly legislation that will reduce government's revenues, a significant amount of which go for their own pork, perks and proposals.

Whining about unfair media coverage, pointing out that union leaders' pockets are as well-lined as those of many corporate executives, and endless Chamber of Commerce lobbying sorties to City Hall, Sacramento and Washington, D.C., will not solve the problem.

It's simple: Business has to clean up its own act.

The textbook definition of public relations is ``doing good and telling people about it.'' Business thinks it's pretty good at telling us how good it is. Do we really believe Big Tobacco's commercials that it doesn't want those under 18 to smoke? Do we all ``drink responsibly'' in response to a small tagline at the end of a TV spot that has just convinced us that imbibing is synonymous with success with the opposite sex? Do we all ask our doctor if the latest TV-touted pharmaceutical is right for us?

It has become a cliche that we cannot be responsible for others, but only for ourselves. To that end, we in the region's business leadership must look in the mirror and assure ourselves that we are providing our customers and clients with good, safe products and services at a fair profit to ourselves. We must be sure our employees are fairly compensated and provided a positive, productive working environment. We must set ourselves a standard of ethical and honest business practices that can bear the scrutiny of the most critical, including executive compensation that is appropriately reflective of the job we do.

If we can do that, we need not fear the media, unions, legislators or others who choose to examine us. And then let them examine themselves.