Editor's Note: Ben Franklin and the rotten borough

Nevada is awash in political corruption and unethical behavior. From Las Vegas City Hall to the Clark County Government Center to the corridors of state government, elected leaders are pocketing dirty cash, making secret deals and ignoring fundamental ethics and election rules. The Silver State is living up to its historical reputation as a "rotten borough."

State Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus repeated that centuries-old phrase last week in the wake of the hand-slapping of state Controller Kathy Augustine. Augustine's use of her staff and office equipment for her 2002 campaign got her impeached by the Assembly, but the Senate voted for the reduced punishment of censure. Titus, who wanted a stiffer penalty for Augustine, told the Las Vegas Sun: "Nevada has become like a rotten borough again with so much political corruption. ... It's no wonder the public is cynical when they see elected officials getting away with things and they see them putting their own interests above the public's interest."

"Rotten borough" is of English origin. In the 16th century, representation in the House of Commons began to be highly prized, and many boroughs lobbied for membership. Some boroughs had few inhabitants and were controlled by a single individual. These "rotten boroughs" were corrupting influences in that nation's nascent democracy.

In the late 19th century, with its mining economy and population in sharp decline, Nevada was accused of being a rotten borough, and some suggested it should be stripped of statehood. As recently as the 1960s, author Gilman Ostrander wrote a book called Nevada: The Great Rotten Borough, arguing that the state did not deserve to have two votes in the U.S. Senate. Titus' reference to Nevada becoming "a rotten borough again" is not a precise parallel with the phrase's origins, but you get the point.

The details and arguments of the Augustine case have been well documented, but what Nevadans will remember is that she's the latest in a long line of politicians lacking a shred of integrity when it comes to the privilege of holding public office. And even when they are caught redhanded, they arrogantly defend their actions, more often than not on grounds that "everybody's doing it."

The G-Sting political corruption probe is the most outrageous recent case. Several current and former county commissioners were caught on tape soliciting bribes from topless club owner Mike Galardi. While the court cases haven't run their course yet, the evidence against the likes of Erin Kenny, Mary Kincaid-Chauncey and Dario Herrera is damning. And just last week, we learned that Galardi has told the feds about numerous local judges, prosecutors and police officers who used him as a human ATM, extorting money and favors in return for protection from those inclined to regulate the skin trade.

Meantime, there's Councilman Janet Moncrief, indicted on five counts of campaign fraud and facing a possible recall election this spring. Alongside her sits Councilman Michael Mack, the pawn shop owner who saw his political career as nothing more than a get-rich-quick scheme. Mack's vote has always seemed to be for sale, and he's spent considerable time defending himself against ethics charges. Last week, Mack announced he would not seek re-election. Although he said his main reason was to spend more time with his kids, he acknowledged he would face a rough campaign as opponents reminded voters of his ethical lapses. That Mack still represents Ward 6 is as baffling as the fact that Augustine will finish out the two years left in her term.

I recently completed Walter Isaacson's new biography of Benjamin Franklin, and I was struck by the fact that Franklin spent the last 50 years of his life in almost full-time public service. He played significant roles in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He secured vital loans from France to finance the Revolutionary War and negotiated the peace treaty with England. And besides those world-altering accomplishments, he organized volunteer fire departments, managed postal deliveries and invented practical devices that improved people's lives.

Franklin was no saint, but he understood the concept of the public trust. During the Constitutional Convention, he argued (unsuccessfully) that federal office holders should not be paid. His reasoning, however flawed in practical terms, held to the belief that those office holders were doing important work that should be done not for money but out of devotion to the common good.

It is probably unfair to compare most modern-day politicians to Franklin (though why our standards must be lower today is unclear). But why is it so rare these days for politicians, in Nevada and elsewhere, to consistently act in the public interest and reject the enticements and entanglements available to those in positions of power? A Nevada politician is more likely to quote the "Greed is good" line from Oliver Stone's Wall Street than any words of wisdom from the Founding Fathers.

Solutions are not easy to come by. Ethics laws are flouted routinely, and the penalties for violations don't seem to be an effective deterrent. Public shame doesn't faze most of these cretins, as Augustine's vow to run for Congress suggests. Campaign finance rules are worthwhile, but political strategists will always find loopholes.

To dispel the lingering reputation of Nevada as a rotten borough, voting corrupt politicians out of office is paramount. Fortunately, Nevadans have shown a healthy intolerance for the most egregious offenders. Voters must stay informed on the conduct of elected officials and mete out appropriate punishments at the ballot box.

--GEOFF SCHUMACHER