Backsliding

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski is hedging on his support for the ethics law that the Legislature overwhelmingly passed, and Kulongoski signed, less than a year ago.

By contrast the governor seems absolutely committed to curtailing global warming.

He even opted for shank's mare on his commute to the Capitol Tuesday, rather than the gas-guzzling Lincoln Town Car that is his usual ride.

The Associated Press described Kulongoski's two-mile walk as a "hike," which tweaked our funny bone since the governor never left the Salem city limits and pretty much stayed on sidewalks.

But Kulongoski's symbolic striding, though unlikely to shave even a tiny fraction of one degree off future temperatures, bothers us not nearly as much as his back-pedaling on that ethics law.

The law itself isn't new. It dates to 1974, and it requires certain public officials, including city councilors, city managers and planning commissioners, to fill out "statements of economic interest." These include the officials' sources of income (but not the amounts) and properties owned. The goal is to ensure the public knows if an official could benefit from his or her position.

Officials in 97 cities and six counties were exempt from the 1974 law. The legislation Kulongoski signed last July 31 ended that exemption.

That decision has prompted about 100 officials, mainly from small rural towns, to resign during the past month. The officials contend the economic interest statements constitute an invasion of their privacy.

In an April 8 letter to public officials who have to fill out those statements, Kulongoski wrote: "All Oregonians deserve assurance that their representatives are making decisions based on the public's best interest, rather than for personal gain. I agree, however, that there must be balance between public officials' public responsibility and their private life. I have asked my legal counsel to review the current law to determine whether it achieved the correct balance."

Kulongoski also wrote that he will "work closely with the Legislature to address the unintended consequences of the current ethics law."

The unintended consequences, obviously, are the resignations of 100 officials.

But how does the governor propose to address those? By emasculating the law that he put his pen to less than a year ago?

Perhaps Kulongoski and lawmakers can forge a compromise that eases public officials' fears and preserves the vital purpose of the ethics law.

We hope the governor feels as strongly about that law as he does about climate change.

A copy of the economic interest statement form will be posted on the Baker City Herald's Web site: www.bakercityherald.com