The recent stream of news reports on government employee misconduct clearly indicates a serious epidemic in the Virgin Islands public sector. The pattern of accusations and indictments gives the impression that the problem is pervasive and that very few public servants are spared of this malaise. Every branch and rank of employees seem to be tinged or associated with some form of misconduct or unethical behavior. Even community stalwarts and ordinarily good people whom we hold in high esteem seem to be succumbing. Just take a look at a sampling of some of the headlines reported by the local media:
– Acting Health commissioner accused of embezzlement
– Correction officer charged with drug possession
– DMV clerks caught selling fraudulent licenses
– Elected officials fail to disclose campaign contributions
– Former governor pays back $50,000 to the federal government for misuse of funds
– IRB employee caught stealing and cashing checks
– Paternity office worker caught stealing checks intended for children
– Police officers jailed for civil rights violations
– PWD commissioner sentenced to jail for kickbacks
– School official arrested for swearing and defying police officer
– Tourism commissioner accused of sexual harassment
– Tourism office manager accused of pocketing money
– WAPA employee faces embezzlement charges
These headlines portray a scary and ugly picture. You can't help but wonder: Who is next? And why is this happening? Is our system of government so vulnerable and broken that it tempts people to tarnish themselves foolishly?
To make matters worse, our citizenry seems to react nonchalantly to these egregiously disturbing revelations. Where is our public outcry? Is this pattern of behavior so common that we have become immune and oblivious? Is our government a hopeless case waiting for its last rites?
Listening in informal discussions with friends and acquaintances, one gets the impression that most people in this community have given up. They feel that corruption is just a fact of life in our idyllic paradise and that this type of behavior has always been tacitly condoned. Furthermore, the general sentiment is that the reported cases of misconduct represent just the tip of the iceberg and there is vastly more mischief that goes undetected and unreported.
"It's like a spreading cancer," an acquaintance remarked as he read one of the headlines. "Dem people are always thiefing, while we – the little people – have to hustle to feed our families."
Sometimes the discussions conjure up images similar to those we have seen in documentaries of the bygone days of Chicago. According to the legends, the conduct of city government officials and the corruption inspired by the mob was almost indistinguishable back then. City Hall corruption was a known fact of life. Honest public servants were the exception while most politicians and government officials were devious and crooked.
The Windy City certainly was not the only den of public sector corruption on the American scene in years past. Corruption was a common occurrence in many state and federal agencies. Even in recent years, we have seen on the network news the humiliating spectacle and demise of Marion Barry, the former mayor of Washington, D.C.
Fortunately, since the days of perverted city politics, much has been done to diminish public corruption. Ethics and integrity commissions have been permanently established in virtually every major city and state government. Anti-corruption measures such as public-disclosure laws and codes of conduct have been introduced and adopted at all levels of government. Independent watchdog organizations such as the Center for Public Integrity have taken the bull by the horns and have become vigilant of public officials. Intelligent investigative media reporting has shed light into politics and helped to eradicate corruption in government.
In the federal government, the Office of Government Ethics was established by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. As described on the official OGE website, the mission of the Office of Government Ethics is to exercise leadership in the executive branch to prevent conflicts of interest on the part of government employees, and to resolve those conflicts of interest that do occur. In partnership with executive agencies and departments, OGE is expected to foster high ethical standards for employees and to strengthen public confidence that government business is conducted with impartiality and integrity.
In 1990, then-President George Bush issued an executive order to executive branch agencies outlining 14 general principles that broadly defined the obligations of public service. These principles provide guidance on common situations that arise in the workplace, such as gifts from outside sources, gifts between employees, conflicting financial interests, impartiality in performing official duties, and misuse of position. Underlying the principles were two core concepts:
– Employees shall not use public office for private gain.
– Employees shall act impartially and not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual.
By observing these general principles and pursuing ongoing ethics education, employees would help to ensure that citizens have confidence in the integrity of government operations and programs.
Although these measures are not perfect – and did little to prevent the unethical blunders of the recent White House administration – the overall public expectations of officials has been greatly elevated and there has been much closer scrutiny of government executives and employees. Even the mere appearance of misconduct in some cases has ended careers and derailed nominations to coveted appointments in government service, as in the recent case of Linda Chavez, nominee for U.S. Labor Secretary.
The Virgin Islands government would be well served by quickly adopting measures similar to those of the federal government. The rash of public scandals here signals an urgent need for a strong dosage of executive development, ethics education and effective enforcement measures. A concerted effort must be made to prevent more of our public servants from falling prey to the ruinous and damning epidemic. We must reform our system of governance to ensure that the residents of this territory have an accountable and ethical government.
The best antidote to corruption in a representative democracy such as ours is the organized and powerful voice of an informed citizenry. Let's save ourselves.
Editor's note: Carmelo Rivera is the owner of HR Consulting Service, a human resources and management consulting firm on St. Croix which publishes V.I. Business, a onepaper.com online publication. He is currently president of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce and served as commissioner of Labor in the Schneider administration.
