Wednesday, April 23, 2014

House Ethics Committee Investigation Of Eric Turner Proving To Be A Useless Exercise

I can't say that I'm surprised by the bipartisan display of support from Republican and Democratic members alike today for State Rep. Eric Turner (R-Cicero) at today's initial meeting of the House Ethics Committee that is charged with investigating whether Turner broke any House rules by privately lobbying his colleagues to defeat legislation imposing a moratorium on the construction of new nursing homes in Indiana, a move that could have cost him and his family members tens of millions of dollars in potential profits from their expansive, planned investments in nursing home construction. Turner was not required to appear before the committee today to answer questions and so he didn't. He spoke prior to today's meeting in answers to written interrogatories he furnished to the committee through his high-paid Indianapolis lawyer who used to serve as the House's parliamentarian and a self-dealing member in his own right as a former member of the Indianapolis City-County Council.
"I thank Chairman Steuerwald and the House Ethics Committee for conducting a thorough review of the facts and I was pleased to answer the questions presented to me. I am confident the Ethics Committee will conclude that I have acted within the House Rules and the House Code of Ethics, as I have for my entire 24 year legislative career."
Sure, Turner has reason to be confident of his exoneration, and it's not just the dirty laundry he could expose on the most powerful member of the esteemed body if the leadership doesn't leave him alone. It's pretty much impossible to violate ethics rules written by corrupt, self-dealing lawmakers who want to ensure that lawmakers can continue getting rich from service in the legislature just like they have for decades in Indiana while pretending to be part-time public servants who are generously giving their services to Hoosiers for a small annual salary, if you exclude their generous per diem, health care and retirement perks, not to mention the thousands of dollars in entertainment spent on each of them and their family members annually on average by State House lobbyists. Oh, and don't forget all the lawmakers and their spouses who are given high-paying, no-work, no-show jobs and under-the-table consulting work following their election to the legislature by businesses and organizations with an interest in the people's business they transact as state lawmakers. They all complain about the sacrifices they make to serve in the General Assembly, but the standard of living for most lawmakers seems to improve substantially after they become lawmakers. Numerous lawmakers have enjoyed lucrative post-legislative careers as lobbyists working for the very people they had just performed specific public acts to benefit. As fellow blogger Doug Masson commented, "Good work if you can get it."

Here's something you can take to the bank. The most self-dealing lawmakers never, ever honestly fill out those financial disclosure statements they are required to file annually. I've discussed quite often how useless these statements are that are filed by members of the Indianapolis City-County Council. The House ethics rules, like the City-County Council's ethic rules, for economic interest disclosure are written very loosely by design to allow members room to drive an 18-wheeler through them. Members who choose not to comply with the loose requirements know that there is no punishment for non-compliance because their colleagues don't take ethics rules seriously and aren't about to open up scrutiny of their own actions by singling out any one member for punishment for non-compliance.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excused...Not by many waiting and watching the unified ways...and agenda's...There's the history here of course...Special privileges and treatments and more are not going unnoticed by a very high select...

Anonymous said...

If there is not a crime in what this POS has done, then the legislature failed the People of Indiana!

-They better correct this!

Flogger said...

The House Ethics Committee, now that is an Oxymoron here in Indiana. I suspected the Fix was in when the Democrats failed to make this an issue. The Democrats are truly disgusting to me. I speak as a former Democrat.

Bottom line it appears both parties are perfectly happy with a live and let live attitude. Scam and skim what you can from the system. Corporatism, and Crony-Capitalism reigns Supreme and unites both parties. Since the standards and rules concerning ethics are written by those who profit from the system, they immunize themselves from any prosecution.

Back in the early 1970's we had a reading in a Political Science Class. The Author stated both parties at their core represented the same interests, and were allowed to profit from it personally. Any differences between them were meant to divide the electorate - that is like a skilled Illusionist they drew your attention away from the endemic corruption in the "System."

Anonymous said...

Eric and Zeke have been doing this sort of thing for years. I knew Zeke as a child and can remember him bragging about his father using legislation to further the family business-- clear back in the '80s. It was mainly a fireworks business at the time.

Anonymous said...

Zeke is a delusional, egotistical, liar. Looks like he learned from one of the best...