THE BENTLEY MAY HAVE TO WAIT

 

At today’s JJOKE meeting Ellen Biben announced that the proposed guidelines on reportable business relationships had been amended as a result of “public comment” received by JJOKE.

 

For those of you interested in “public comment” take a look at my previous blog entries on this subject.

 

At the risk of breaking my arm by patting myself on the back too vigorously I’ll just reprint one portion of my previous “public comment” and then move on:

 

“My goal is twofold, either the JOKE will recognize the folly of their new guidelines and “tweak” them so that the violations of Chase and American Express are no longer violations (no thanks necessary from the lobbying community this is what vigilante ethics is all about)”

 

Consider the guidelines tweaked, in fact JOKE commissioner Cavullo used that very term when describing concerns he had about the guidelines.

 

It’s rewarding to know the blog has made a difference.

 

And not to beat a dead horse, as that would be a waste of time, but I figured out why the original guidelines were so poorly constructed.  While waiting for the JOKE meeting to start I saw the original author of the guidelines (a smart New York lawyer) walk past me in the JOKE lobby looking very intent on getting somewhere, he opened the door to my right and walked directly into a closet.  It was obvious he had no clue where he was going but was absolutely certain that he knew the right way to get there.  And that perfectly describes how the JJOKE operates.

 

Thank god someone got to Biben and told her she needs to get this lawyer out of the closet.

 

Stay tuned as I may have to issue some more “public comment” if JJOKE gets its marching orders to investigate the latest legislative scandal involving a legislator and inappropriate sexual behavior. Once they leak that they are investigating I’ll comment.

 

But until then here is a piece of unsolicited advice (I know you don’t want my help Ellen but look at how well it worked on reportable business relationships) with all the things JJOKE should be working on responding to Dick Dadey’s challenge that JJOKE must be “ready for prime time and this is it” when it comes to investigating Vito Lopez would be yet another misstep. 

 

Am I the only person that thinks the good government groups have done more to harm ethics reform than any other entity in the last 6 years?  Talk about walking into closets.