Political figures and scandals go hand in hand. It’s difficult to imagine one without the other. And it’s for this precise reason that the two make for such great television dramas.
With the recent scandals surrounding Supervisor Carrillo and Mayor Filner, a casual onlooker may come to the conclusion that ethical conduct is a relic of the past. And while most elected officials in California will not end their public service careers in such infamy, the chance of finding one’s self on the wrong side of state ethics laws as a public official is a very real possibility.
Thankfully, the Institute for Local Government (IGL has published a guide that is available as a free e-book download at their website. Titled Understanding the Basics of Public Service Ethics, the guide has been updated to include the most recent of laws surrounding personal financial gain, perk issues, transparency, fair process and merit-based decision making.
The e-book can further be used to support a local agency’s mandatory AB 1234 ethics training. The League has made it available so that it can be downloaded, printed, and duplicated to be used as a whole or as individual subject matter handouts depending on an agency’s need.
The guide is just one example of the many fantastic resources provided by the (IGL). Understanding the Basics of Public Service Ethics is made available for free thanks to the generosity of the following IGL supporters Aleshire & Wynder, Best Best & Krieger, Burke Williams & Sorensen, Hanson Bridgett, Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, Richards Watson & Gershon, and Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai.