"LAX to establish ethics office"

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

L.A. airport operations to get office to set ethical standards
By Rick Orlov
The Los Angeles (CA) Daily News
 
 
In a move designed to improve its tarnished image, the Airport Commission
voted Monday to create an office that will set ethical standards and
investigate suspected misconduct in the city's airport operations. 

The Office of Ethics and Business Conduct will train employees and provide
information to contractors, consultants and others on how to deal with Los
Angeles World Airports. 

"This will enhance the public's trust in our government," Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa said in a statement. "Public service is an honor and with it
goes responsibility. Every decision must be made in the public's interest." 

Ongoing criminal investigations into possible contracting irregularities at
City Hall were prompted last year by allegations that companies had to make
political contributions in order to win consideration from the Airport
Commission. 

Since taking office on July 1, Villaraigosa has vowed to eliminate the
potential for "pay-to-play" politics by removing all lobbyists from city
commissions and appointing his own ethics czar to enforce city regulations. 

LAWA's new ethics office will ensure the airport department develops and
follows a code of ethics in its business dealings and also will create a
whistle-blower system for people to report suspicions of misconduct. 

"High standards of ethics and business conduct are a prerequisite for
everything we want to achieve at our airports," said Lydia Kennard, named by
Villaraigosa earlier this month to take over as LAWA chief. "My first goal
is to ensure LAWA conducts its business in accordance with the highest
standards." 

Kennard said the new office will be modeled after those in place at other
large corporations and governmental institutions and hopes it will serve as
a prototype for other city agencies. 

Among its first duties will be to survey LAWA staff and develop a code of
ethics, then train workers and provide information to contractors,
consultants and others on the city's regulations. 

Bob Stern of the Center for Governmental Study, who was involved in drafting
the original city ethics laws, said he applauds the attention being given
ethics but wants to make sure it works in coordination with the city Ethics
Commission. 

"That would be my only concern, that this does not replace what the Ethics
Commission does," Stern said. "The code of business conduct is something
completely different, but also appropriate. What is best about all this is
the fact that any attention at all is being paid to the issues of ethics in
government."

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