Letter: Fear of conflicts of interest is out of control

Monday, Oct. 18, 1999 | 9:25 a.m.

We need to recognize that even a real conflict of interest does not always present an ethical problem if it is properly handled. For example, officials in the legislative branches of government routinely vote on their own salaries -- a blatant conflict of interest but not an ethical problem when widely publicized in advance. Full disclosure is the key.

Well-connected people, which public officials invariably are, often face conflicts of interest. But their conflicts are not necessarily finessed -- and may be exacerbated -- by doing nothing. A public official has no obligation higher than his duty to vote his constituents' interests, and any conflict of interest must be extraordinary indeed to trump this obligation.

Nor should elected officials dodge their obligation to vote by hiding behind the opinion of a district attorney. The attorneys rendering these opinions have every incentive to be safe, which inevitably means a timid opinion speculating on farfetched possibilities, perceptions or appearances of conflicts of interest, real or imagined.

The proper way for an elected official to address the conflict of interest problem is to make a full disclosure, explain his position to the extent he thinks necessary and vote his conscience, leaving it to the voters to decide whether he acted honorably or venally. Otherwise government action may easily be determined by the minority of the members of a legislative body. We have just seen this happen at the Clark County Commission in the Wal-Mart controversy.

C.H. MC CREA