The Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette recently made some good points about ethics reform in government. Said the Gazette editorially:

“The problem with congressional ethics reform is those who need to reform are proposing the remedy. While some may say voters hold the ultimate power in ensuring that reforms are enacted, the fact is those who are most likely to offend hold the real power over reform efforts. …

“Perhaps if they traveled more often to their districts for ‘fact-finding’ trips and talked to residents there about the real-life problems of living in 21st century America – poverty, health care and taxes, to name a few – there wouldn’t be such a need for ethics reform.”

Congressional people from Kansas generally do a good job of “getting home” often enough to stay in touch with and listen to the people they are supposed to serve. Chances are representatives and senators from our state have a far better notion of what the public wants than someone from states with the huge and diversified populations one finds for California, Illinois and New York.

The problem is that those “homebodies” who keep in closer touch with their constituents face a daunting task in transmitting to their more blase colleagues from the bigger regions the real-life problems of the citizenry. Unfortunately, the more in-touch legislators, like the public in general, get shortchanged when it comes to “reforms.”

The Gazette hits the nail squarely when it notes that Congressional reforms are being formulated and attempted by the people who have to measure up to new standards. We know from long experience that they do not tend to make it too tough on themselves.

It’s a little bit like the foxes setting goals in a hen house. Their decisions are not likely to be overly friendly to the chickens.