These days, transparency in our government is more important than ever.

With the injection of big corporate money into politics, good old fashion ethics in politics has become a running joke for many of our elected officials.

Last week, the Editorial Board of the Detroit Free Press published a piece entitled the Sunshine Promise asking elected officials and candidates to sign a pledge to be honest about their personal finances while serving the American people and to institute reforms that will lead to greater transparency in our government.

Recent polls show that approximately 80 percent of Americans no longer trust their politicians and it’s time that the citizens of this great nation demand that elected officials serve our interests and not their own.

Our government is falling victim to rampant corruption. Too many Americans are ignoring the problem and allowing big donors to dictate what our future rights will be and allowing them to profit while we are left paying the bills. If our democracy is to survive as we know it, we must restore voter confidence in our political system. It’s time we hold our politicians accountable and the Sunshine Promise will do just that.

By signing the Sunshine Promise, our nation’s elected officials pledge to support initiatives that will expose policy-making decisions by our officeholders that allow them to financially gain from their time in office. By signing the promise, our politicians will be expected to introduce reforms that will not only lead to more transparency in government, but also allow us to know which of our politicians are being influenced by big money donors.

Some aspects of the promise include demanding that Michigan become the 48th state to require officeholders to disclose their assets and sources of income. It will also require lobbyists and elected officials to report any expenditure on behalf of elected officials, such as elaborate vacations and conferences. It will also impose a cap on the value of gifts that they can receive. It will also adopt specific standards for legislators who intend to become lobbyists after they leave office and will monitor any legislation that they have introduced that would be considered a conflict of interest or allow personal gain for their future employers. The promise would also establish a cooling-off period between being an officeholder and taking a job as a lobbyist or other related job. Americans have a right to know if their elected officials will personally benefit from their actions while serving the people of this great nation.

When I was in college, one of my professors said he felt that our current politicians were the best that the United States could offer and that the truly honorable people of this country choose another line of work, becoming doctors, police officers, firefighters or teachers.

I don’t embrace that cynicism. I believe that this nation can do better if we are vigilant. We can leave our children a better world only if we combat this greed and corruption.

Officeholders and candidates need to take this pledge. It’s time that they do the right thing.

 

William Crandell is a community activist and member of the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Democratic Party. He is also a member of the South County Democratic Club where he has served as their communications director and as the chairperson of the SCDC Blue Tiger Community Action Committee.