RE: CAA: Mutual Help List, "Ethics & The Administration of Public-Use Airports"

[Barclay Dick <bdick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve and Steve,

Potentially there is so much to discuss about this topic one hardly knows
where to begin.  Over the years I have noted that many state, regional and
national professional organizations, such as the SWAAAE and the AAAE, have
Ethics Committees.  The committees are usually chaired by someone on the
Executive Committee of the organization.  Typically, whenever that committee
chair is called upon to give an Ethics Committee report, he or she will say
something to the effect of, "I'd like to report that we have no ethics."
Now, this comment is usually made to report that there were no questions of
ethics that had arisen during some period of time.  Everyone would then
chuckle.

I always found such comments and reports uncomfortable.  Although I believe
that most people understand the intent of the comment, that no ethical
questions were raised for the committee to investigate, the comment seemed
to me to suggest that ethics is not a concern and is given only lip-service
at the most.

On those few occasions when I have served as chairman of an Ethics
Committee, I have taken the task seriously and have been relieved that no
questionable ethics reached the committee's attention.  I reported, "I am
happy to report that there have been no concerns about the ethical behavior
of the membership brought to the attention of the committee."  I was serious
with that comment.  I like working in a profession that seems to have few
ethical behavior conundrums.

Still, I think the profession of airport management has to stress ethics and
ethical behavior instead of giving it an appearant wink and nod with reports
that, "We have no ethics."

A few years ago I moderated a session about ethics at the AAAE's National
Airports Conference.  The session was attended by many younger people in the
profession.  The attendees seemed genuinely interested in the discussion.  I
believe most of them truely wanted to know what is deemed as ethical
behavior in this profession and what isn't.  I applaud the AAAE for having
that forum and I hope to see it again at state, regional and national
conferences.  And, I hope to stop hearing the chair of the Ethics Committee
report, "We have no ethics," because I know we damn sure should and I
believe we do.

Barclay Dick, A.A.E.
Vice President, Operations & Safety
Tucson Airport Authority

-----Original Message-----
From: squilty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:squilty@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2002 7:30 PM
To: help@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: CAA: Mutual Help List, "Ethics & The Administration of
Public-Use Airports"


Steve,

Ethics? WELL! another fine Pandora box you've gotten us into Steve!  
:>)

Why do I feel not many will touch this subject in an open forum with a 
10 (or even one) foot pole? Probably because a question of ethics 
applies to the other guy, not to me (rhetorically speaking). It is tough 
to discuss without pointing fingers or making judgments of who will cast 
the first stone. But it is a subject matter of importance in our field 
(and all others). Just whose ethics do we follow though? I know you have 
some specific examples in mind of recent events. What might open up the 
discussion is to give a scenario and have folks discuss how they would 
handle it, rather than a broad general discussion that is difficult to 
grasp? You first.

Best regards,

Steve Q.


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