KVNUFTP

Is honesty too much to expect from public officials? We already know that its too much to expect from Wall Street. And by judging some of the events of this week alone, things certainly look grim.

1) Utah Legislature: These “moral pillars” in our Utah community are very accustomed to accepting lots and lots of gifts from lobbyists, and much of the time, little is disclosed. And while all Legislators get a “small” per diem compensation for traveling, those who live closest to the capitol don’t see anything unethical about pocketing the money and using it for more recreational purposes.

Oh, but just in case you were actually questioning the ethics behind such actions, legislators such as Sen. Stephenson of Draper want you to know that they deserve such perks. Therefore, while our dutiful legislators are considering laying off thousands of state employees and discussing budget cuts, not only are they requesting salary increases, but they are enjoying the generosity of lobbyists- because they deserve it.

2) Mark Walker: While he hasn’t been proven guilty of anything, Walker has been charged with “offering an inducement to a candidate to withdraw from a race.” And what’s fishy to me is how quickly Walker offered to take a plea deal.

3) Timothy Geithner: I have been extremely dissatisfied with some of Obama’s picks for his cabinet and other top government positions (CIA Director, Leon Pinetta, for example), and with this in mind, the choice of Timothy Geithner was no less disappointing.

The controversy surrounding Geithner is pretty ironic. Geithner has been accused of not paying recent payroll taxes, which amounted to thousands and thousands of dollars.  What is sad to me is how Geithner is being defended and his offenses overlooked because of his qualifications. While thousands of Americans are languishing in prison because of tax issues, Timothy Geithner is being given what seems like a “free pass.” The lesson to be learned: if you mess up, the IRS is going to take you down (oh, *unless you have the right political connections or influence). Great example, President-elect Obama, that’s change I can believe in.

* And if you are a former First Lady, you and your husband can collect millions from scumbags around the world, or if you are selected as Attorney-General, your past casework for terrorists and rogue-financiers doesn’t really matter, either.

4) And speaking of taxes, looks like our friends on Wall Street don’t feel much like paying taxes either. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that “83 of the 100 largest publicly traded corporations and 63 of the 100 largest federal contractors maintain subsidiaries in countries generally considered havens for avoiding taxes.” And what’s worse is that the report “lists Citigroup and Morgan Stanley as having set up hundreds of tax haven subsidiaries, along with American International Group and Bank of America. Also in the tax-haven list are well-known companies and such federal contractors as American Express, Pepsi and Caterpillar.”

Dishonesty has always been a part of the American political experience, but these things are truly disappointing.

- Marc