June 9, 2011 Opening Dinner — The Inaugural Class of the Good Government Initiative
June 8, 2011 Community Conversation: Does Money in Politics Corrupt Absolutely?
The Good Government Initiative held its second Community Conversations on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 with the generous sponsorship of Northern Trust Bank in downtown Miami. The program was entitled “Does Money in Politics Corrupt Absolutely?” The panel, moderated by Kendall Coffey of Coffey Burlington, was made up of Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs, Miguel De Grandy, of Miguel De Grandy, P.A., Fred Grimm, of The Miami Herald, and Gihan Perera, of the Miami Workers Center and Florida New Majority.
The panel discussed campaign issues, the interaction between contributions and influence, and the roles of the media and citizens in monitoring elected officials and insisting on good government. All of the panelists agreed that there is a pervasive cynicism of the electorate.
De Grandy argued that the influence of money is exacerbated when more citizens do not participate in the electoral process. “If you have an election where fewer than 20 percent of people registered turn out, then money becomes more important,” he said. He went on to explain that money is not the only factor in corruption, however. “There are a lot of people who can be bought for some amount of money. But, there are some people who can’t be bought for any amount of money. It’s not an issue of money; it’s an issue of personal integrity.”
Commissioner Jacobs asserted that it is important for candidates to set an ethical tone early in their careers. “An important element is the way you conduct yourself in running for office.”
March 3, 2011 Community Conversation: Civility in Government — Can It Happen in South Florida?
Can there be civility in politics? That was the question considered by Ambassador Sue Cobb, Senator Rene Garcia, former Senator Dan Gelber, and Pauline Winick of The Protocol Centre in the first of a series of Community Conversations organized by the Good Government Initiative. The panel was moderated by Katy Sorenson, president and CEO of the initiative on March 2 at the Biltmore.
The discussion, to a sold-out crowd at the Biltmore, focused on a wide range of issues regarding how politicians do and don’t get along, how technology is changing communication, and how political discourse has both progressed and regressed in our era. On the positive side, we no longer have duels.
Audience members questioned the panelists on their own experiences and on how politicians decide when and how to challenge their colleagues.
