Travel expenses are 300,000 yen. Super Bowl tickets worth thousands of dollars. Conference at a luxury 5-star hotel. Thousands of dollars worth of golf clubs and accessories.
A Spotlight PA investigation into disclosures of gifts by state lawmakers, published in Monday's edition of the Sun-Gazette, found these. The article also noted that Pennsylvania's disclosure requirements for these benefits for public employees are lax compared to other states.
We would like to see a reduction in these instances that lead to the perception that state legislatures are being unduly influenced by interested parties or groups with special ties. We believe that it is better for the public's trust in this agency and its impartiality and ability to act in the interests of all Pennsylvanians.
At the risk of appearing cynical, we must also recognize that it is difficult to eliminate the influence of corruption and public perceptions and assumptions about corruption.
The truth is, a more restrained state government that follows county and city guidance and tries to intervene as little as possible in markets and communities creates the perception and suspicion that legislators are acting first and foremost in Congress. This means that the risk is low. The concern of the most generous. It becomes difficult to believe that the government is making decisions that benefit its officials' friends when they are allowing the people to make their own decisions in the first place.
We believe there is value in pursuing a more transparent government where decision-makers are more skeptical of accepting gifts from people with their own agendas and objectives.
Governments that practice making such far-reaching decisions by taking a lighter touch and playing a smaller role in the lives of those affected by such decisions are better able to ensure that taxpayers and voters are aware of their decisions. You also don't have to worry too much about suspecting that they are motivated by personal gain.
