So this week our new Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that all of his cabinet members, office staff and senior managers have signed an integrity pledge.
And, the governor said all office senior staff and cabinet members have completed mandatory ethics training.
“The Shapiro Administration continues to ensure the highest standards of integrity guide every action taken by employees under governor’s jurisdiction,” a news release stated.
So, are we to believe that making all these people sign an integrity pledge will guarantee they perform ethically?
Shouldn’t they all have been evaluated before being hired to assure that they have conducted themselves in an ethical manner and with the utmost integrity?
The unfortunate reality of toady’s world is that ethics and integrity often take a back seat in people’s lives. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of people around who do possess these qualities and they are to be commended.
The point is that those ethical people were born and raised that way — the ethics and integrity have been taught to them by their parents or other mentors and they used those qualities in their work and personal lives.
Shapiro said that this integrity pledge and the mandatory ethics training are modeled after best practices he established in the Office of Attorney General.
“The integrity pledge every senior administration official and Governor’s Office staff member has signed is a promise to the people of Pennsylvania that we will serve their best interests each and every day,” said Shapiro. “As attorney general, I held my agency and my staff to the highest standards of integrity and accountability, and I’m proud to say that we are bringing those same standards to the Governor’s Office. Together, we will promote trust in government and accountability for public officials while fostering dialogue and allowing our administration to bring people together to deliver results for all Pennsylvanians.”
OK, Governor, let’s hope the theory that having all staff sign a paper called an integrity pledge will somehow assure that they will always perform with the utmost integrity and in the most ethical manner.
But when Eric Fillman, former chief counsel for the House Ethics Committee in Harrisburg and the first-ever Chief Integrity Officer under then-Attorney General Shapiro says, “Because commonwealth employees and Governor’s Office staff are committing themselves to these high standards of ethics, Gov. Shapiro can ensure the commonwealth maintains an atmosphere of integrity and trust as he moves his agenda forward.”
I’m just a little unsure about how this pledge will “ensure” anything.
To that end, employees under the Governor’s Integrity Pledge shall:
• Place the interests of the citizens of the commonwealth above their own interests.
• Comply with all ethical standards and requirements.
• Perform their job duties with integrity and professionalism.
• Carry out their job duties in a fair, impartial and nondiscriminatory manner.
• Safeguard all confidential or protected information within their possession or access.
• Adhere to applicable laws, regulations and commonwealth policies in performance of their job duties or otherwise acting on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Well, yeah, Governor, that’s the way elected officials and, well, all people should act. They shouldn’t have to be told to do and assurance won’t come by signings a piece of paper.
It might seem like a good thing to do, but it should never need to be done.
And get this, the governor says officials and employees who fail to maintain these standards may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
No kidding.
This will be well worth keeping an eye on as we go forward.