Ralston puts cheap price tag on credibility

A recent editorial from The Summerville News.

The idea of a Georgia politician traveling to Europe to study the effectiveness of high speed rail is not unreasonable. Such trips should be funded by the state and should be fully transparent in terms of agenda, costs, etc.
That new House Speaker David Ralston, his family and a staffer and his spouse visited the Netherlands and Germany on a $17,000 excursion largely paid for by a consulting firm interested in an Atlanta to Chattanooga rail line is unacceptable.
Mr. Ralston’s actions are exactly the kind arrogant excess that has soured so many Georgians on the political process.
The speaker explained that the trip took place at Thanksgiving and he did not want to be away from his family during the holiday. That’s understandable. But why not do what most taxpayers would have to do, either change the dates of the trip or make the sacrifice of not spending the holiday time with family?
Georgia politicians, including Mr. Ralston, have talked a lot about improving ethics in state government. Yet on such a fundamental example the speaker chose the option which benefited him financially, with apparently little concern for propriety.
What’s more, this episode weakens the case for high speed rail. Is it a worthwhile endeavor or just another taxpayer-funded boondoggle dreamed up to funnel millions of dollars to companies with the right connections?
Criticism of Mr. Ralston by ethics groups has been swift and on target.
“This is a prime example of the need for our ethics proposals,” said Common Cause of Georgia Executive Director William Perry. “The public is tired of the perception of the luxury lifestyle of legislators.”
That’s true as far as it goes, but more important than perception is the question of whether or not government policy is being determined by the highest bidder.