The View From Here: Lessons on lack of integrity in government

Today's article focuses on integrity in government. Let's start by consulting the dictionary. Here's the definition I think is most appropriate: Integrity means "firm adherence to a code of high moral values."

When I read about the Immokalee High School fiasco, it started me thinking. The missing ingredient was integrity, or better yet, the lack of it. Not only the students, but also their parents who forged their birth dates, and their principal, coaches and teachers — all of whom chose to ignore the obvious. I say "obvious" because I can't believe anyone can mistake a 30-year-old man for a young teenager.

I guess what I'm saying is that you lack integrity, not only in breaking the law, but also by failing to enforce it as well. Come to think about it, isn't that why we're having this immigrant debate — failure to enforce the law?

That line of thinking moved me from Immokalee to government and on up to Tallahassee. After all, if we expect integrity from the folks in Immokalee, shouldn't we also expect it from our lawmakers?

Here are some examples of integrity failure that will help you better understand what I'm trying to get across:

Failure No. 1: Our state legislature continues to intentionally violate our state constitution (Article IX, Section 1). That's the section that clearly states that a paramount duty of the state of Florida is to provide a "high quality education" to Florida's public school children. That's the law, but what's really happening? Rather than provide for a "high quality education," our legislators have deliberately chosen to under fund education.

What's more, it keeps getting worse. Several years ago Education Week (a national publication) found that Florida was spending $1, 242 less per student than the national average. In its latest update, Education Week reported that Florida had fallen even further behind: to $1,310 below the nation's average.

And to get "high quality," not "average," we would have to spend more, not less.

For those who may question the connection between money and performance, it is no coincidence that Florida, by most performance indicators, ranks at or near the bottom of the entire country. For example, in the latest report Florida's SAT test scores fell 4 points further behind the nation. We were below by 28 points; now we're 32.

So my question here is, why doesn't the state legislature, and the governor for that matter, have the integrity to obey the law — the state constitution? Let's spend the money required to educate the children. They are our future.

Failure No. 2 addresses this question: When does lobbying cross the line and become bribery?

I'd say it crosses the line when the donations, gifts and favors given to lawmakers by lobbying groups influence those lawmakers to give special treatment to their benefactors to the detriment of the quality of life for the rest of us.

In addition to extravagant donations, it was also reported that lobbyists have taken legislators and their wives on weekend junkets to New York City. I was amazed. That far exceeds the usual free golf, wining and dining, sky boxes, etc., etc. that we have come to expect and despise.

Is anyone naive enough to believe there isn't a quid pro quo attached to these shenanigans?

Failure No. 3 is the preferential treatment resulting from Failure No. 2 (lobbying and /or bribery). Here are some examples:

• There are more than 400 sales tax exemptions granted certain industries. Many are more than 50 years old. Every one should be re-evaluated and re-justified periodically.

I suggest we examine 10 percent per year, every year according to seniority. There are billions of dollars at stake, enough to upgrade our children's education. Why should you and I have to pay a tax on our ticket to a sporting event while sky boxes go tax free?

• Another extremely costly freebie is the state's regulation that prevents collection of property taxes from newly built properties for the remainder of its first year of existence. Since that made no sense to me, I asked my representative if she could get to the bottom of it. I could hardly believe what she told me: The utility lobby pushed it through to get a year of property tax-free operation. So, in order to benefit the utility industry, all new home buyers and all newly built businesses get free fire and police protection, free schools and libraries etc., etc., etc. When Collier County attempted to rectify this injustice and collect an interim service fee, the courts ruled against the county, stating the remedy rests with the state legislature. Yeah, right! The state legislature has chosen to sit on their collective thumbs.

I could go on, but won't for space restrictions. But here's one urgent warning.

The building lobby is trying to kill impact fees and is getting perilously close to succeeding. There only two sources of funding for expanding our infrastructure: impact fees and taxes. Therefore, if you are against impact fees, than you must be for higher taxes. The only other choice is to let the infrastructure fail, and that includes our roads and schools.

Sen. Bennett took a run at killing impact fees with his SB2302, but came up short.

Watch this guy. I hear he's in line to run for president of the state senate.

Failure No. 4, to put it politely, is to adjust your position to tell the group you're talking with, whatever they want to hear. The example given in the previous "failure" will serve here as well: Sen. Bennett being against both impact fees and higher taxes, stretches the limits of credibility — and that's what Failure 4 is all about.

Although I could go on, by now you should understand the point I'm making. Let's have the integrity to tell the truth, to act responsibly and to solve problems by putting together thoughtful, comprehensive plans that take into account unintended consequences. Further, we must have the integrity to avoid the temptation to seek special privilege and to avoid granting privilege to those willing to ante up "gifts" to achieve their ends.

My concern is this: We've highlighted the failure of integrity at Immokalee High School, but we've ignored the failures of the Florida Legislature to exhibit the integrity needed to comprehensively address far more serious issues.

And as a footnote: I would fire the Immokalee High School principal. His students need a far better role model — one with the integrity to do the right thing, even if his team loses a soccer match.