Departments



Articles

Less

Editorial: Sign Thefts - Fear of the Opposition?
October 14th, 2004

Editorial: Police Arrested a Person
October 7th, 2004

Editorial: Korean Cloud on the Horizon
September 14th, 2004

Editorial: Moratorium Battle Heats Up
August 30th, 2004

Editorial: Orders From the Top
August 12th, 2004

Editorial: On the Value of Art
July 14th, 2004

Editorial: Of Voles and Men
June 24th, 2004

Editorial: Clam Poaching, are We Number One?
June 4th, 2004

Editorial: Leadership Overcomes Flawed Process in Missile Range Decision
May 10th, 2004

Editorial: Bomb Range Inn
April 25th, 2004

Editorial: Is the President Above the Law?
April 8th, 2004

Editorial: The "Good Old Days"
March 15th, 2004

Editorial: Access to Public Records
March 1st, 2004

Editorial: Sunset Park: A Reality?
February 23rd, 2004

Editorial: The "Tree Ordinance"
February 9th, 2004

More

"Eight is Enough" May Be Too Much

"Eight is Enough" May Be Too Much

Mike Segal

Ex- Florida Senate President W.D. Childers was arrested Monday in Pensacola on a felony arrest warrant charging the Escambia County Commissioner with two counts of bribery and one count of money laundering, according to reports in the Associated Press.

The big surprise for observers of Florida politics is that Childers is being held on state charges, something that is seen just about as often as the sighting of a Florida Panther.

The Federal Justice Department has a special wing for former Florida Legislators at the Federal prison at Eglin Air Force Base in the panhandle. It now has a vacancy sign out since former Speaker of the House "Bo" Johnson was released last year.

The Justice Department treats the Florida Legislature like a refrigerator. Whenever there is a vacancy at the federal prison, they can just reach in there and get them a cold one. Cold, because they usually wait until the elected official leaves office before they are prosecuted. This is why the "Eight Years is Enough" law may be too much, because it tends to shield Florida legislators from federal prosecution until they are term limited out.

If these alleged charges against Childers are true, then the Justice Department may very well bring some federal charges of their own.

The problem with bringing state charges is that Florida's ethics laws need an overhaul. Gov. Jeb Bush assembled a blue ribbon commission in his first year in office to review the state's anti- corruption laws. They crafted a new law titled, "Citizens Right to Honest Government" which was introduced to the legislature for the past three years but never passed in either house.

Floridians should not have to rely on federal prosecutors to clean their dirty laundry. The "Honest Government Act" should be passed this year or the citizens will be forced to do the job themselves through a constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile corruption remains one of the major cottage industries among Florida legislators. Once they get term limited out of office they often go back home to run for county office where they teach the local officials how to do corruption Tallahassee style, with both fists. Only a tough ethics law will stop this cycle of corruption and renew the public's trust in their government.

Click for printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

 

 

© 2013
Cedar Key News

cedarkeynews@gmail.com