EDITOR:

Georgia House Ethics Committee chair Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs, has ridiculed ethics reform by comparing it to the Easter Bunny.

He’s tried to convince constituents that stronger ethics laws are not necessary. And he’s even claimed to have performed his own analysis of our state’s ethics laws and determined Georgia ranks as one of the best in the nation rather than dead last. At least he voted in favor of the ethics bill House Speaker David Ralston wrote.

The sad truth about the ethics debate going on under the Gold Dome, even if some reforms become law, our state will still be one of the worst in the nation for susceptibility to corruption (State Integrity Investigation http://www.stateintegrity.org/georgia).

According to that report, even if a new law is enacted, the following letter grades remain: public access to information: F, state civil service management: F, state pension fund management: F, state insurance commissions: F, political financing: F, legislative accountability: F and redistricting: F. There is an enormous amount of work to be done to improve our state’s ethics laws. We don’t need any more obfuscations and denials.

Sandy Springs is one of the premiere municipalities in Georgia and our representative in the Legislature should reflect that fact. We need a lawmaker who looks squarely at the inadequate rules under which our government operates and challenges his/her associates to do better. If you can do this, don’t wait another minute. Make that decision today and announce your candidacy.

Don McAdam

Sandy Springs