Still waiting on ethics
GOVERNOR PATRICK is threatening to veto a 25 percent increase in the state sales tax unless the Legislature passes an ethics bill. His threat irks lawmakers, but they should do the right thing anyway.
The public wants an end to business as usual. It has been a tumultuous year of scandal on Beacon Hill. Salvatore F. DiMasi was indicted after he stepped down as speaker of the House of Representatives. Two state senators resigned and also face criminal charges. The Globe has turned up a pattern of pension abuse by state employees.
Lawmakers already acted on pension and transportation reform measures. Now, they need to act decisively on ethics reform. The Ethics Commission should be strengthened - not weakened, as the Senate proposes. It’s also important to close a critical loophole by making it clear that gifts given to public employees because of their official position are illegal for the giver as well as for the recipient; and impose a criminal penalty in certain circumstances.
That may seem like overkill to some. Patrick himself ran afoul of current state ethics law when he sent a box of cigars to House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and a bouquet of flowers to Senate President Therese Murray. The rules ban gifts of $50 or more to a public official in return for an official action. Instead of sending an ostentatious bouquet to one individual, the governor could have sent a more modest offering to the Senate as an institution.
But Patrick’s overzealousness with flowers doesn’t change the need for tighter ethics rules on Beacon Hill. It’s time to strengthen what’s already on the books and make sure it applies to everyone. 