Ethics, what ethics?

The Fort Worth Weekly does a bang up job describing Fort Worth's lack of ethics.  And what's to come.

Two years ago, members of the city’s little known and little used Ethics Review Committee found out what happened when you pissed off Mike Moncrief. The mayor tossed their board and major parts of the city’s ethical rulebook out the window.

Since the city council hires and fires the city attorney, there is no safeguard in place to keep the council from getting whatever opinions it wants.

“Millions of dollars in contracts and awards go out on a regular basis. Inside information on key areas for future city development is available to certain officials and businesspersons, but not to the average person. Friendships can color deals; so can animosity,” said Wechsler, research director for the nonprofit Cityethics.org.

The city council, he said, “simply defies anyone to bring them to task.”