EDITORIAL JUSTICE DELAYED L.A.'S INEFFECTIVE ETHICS COMMISSION NEEDS MASSIVE REFORM.THE announcement by the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. City Ethics Commission In the United States, an Ethics Commission is a commission established by State law to discourage dishonest practices by their public employees and elected officials. Almost all American states have such a commission. that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. violated vi·o·late tr.v. vi·o·lat·ed, vi·o·lat·ing, vi·o·lates 1. To break or disregard (a law or promise, for example). 2. To assault (a person) sexually. 3. campaign laws 31 times during his City Council race four years ago raises important questions. Chief among them is: Why does the city even have an Ethics Commission? When it takes four years to issue charges, is there really any point to what the commission does? Why even bother to point the finger at the lengthy list of violations of the law by Villaraigosa's campaign -- what possible good does it do now? Villaraigosa moved on to become mayor without the public having the benefit of the knowledge that two years earlier he cheated on campaign rules. And what will be his punishment be -- a fine paid for by the same people who have sought to buy "access" to him? The point of having ethics laws is to make sure our elections are honest and our politicians are honorable. But if takes years to punish offenders, and then only with a slap on Verb 1. slap on - apply carelessly; "slap some paint onto the wall" clap on, slam on apply, put on - apply to a surface; "She applied paint to the back of the house"; "Put on make-up!" the wrist, L.A.'s ethics laws just become part of the cost of doing business. Unenforced laws and weak enforcement are no better than no laws at all. |
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