"Financial disclosure forms still outdated; Documents reveal little of leaders" by Frank Phillips and Noah Bierman, Globe Staff / June 1, 2011
Two years after lawmakers tightened ethics rules to calm public outrage over corruption scandals, the state continues to use outdated financial disclosure forms that allow political leaders to avoid providing a clear picture of their finances, business dealings, and potential conflicts of interest.
Yesterday was the annual deadline for Beacon Hill’s decision makers to reveal their financial holdings, but the public can expect to get only a narrow glimpse of politicians’ assets and family income on a form that has not been updated in three decades....
The state’s public disclosure laws and the Ethics Commission that enforces them were created after a corruption scandal rocked the State House in the late 1970s and sent three state senators to jail. At the time, the law’s disclosure requirements were some of the strictest.
Some lawmakers and public officials have argued that the current law is still sufficient. More specific information about home values, they say, is already available in other public documents. Too much public scrutiny could also discourage public service, they believe.
???????
Then I'LL DO IT!
But other states have made efforts to update their laws to keep them current. Several years ago, Louisiana's public, fed up with their state's history of colorfully crooked politicians, demanded tighter laws that transparency advocates now consider the national standard....
Who would have thunk it?
Massachusetts ranks 17th....
Bit like farting in a crowded elevator.
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