Bad Examples

February 27, 1991

Having just completed its usual rugged General Assembly session, Virginia pauses to catch its breath and await the next tussle, redistricting, which is scheduled for April. At this juncture, it's a good time to reflect on the monument to stability and integrity that Virginia's government is. The legislators may have their differences, but the system works. Not all states have it so lucky.

In South Carolina two state legislators went on trial this week in connection with an FBI sting aptly titled ``Operation Lost Trust.'' Reps. Larry Blanding, vice chairman of the House Ethics Committee, and B. J. Gordon are accused of bribery. Twelve other current or former members of the Legislature, four lobbyists and a member of the state Highway Commission were also indicted after a phony company set up by the FBI offered bribes to legislators for their support of a bill to legalize betting on horse and dog racing. Seven of the defendants have pleaded guilty and one has been convicted. It is likely to be a long time before South Carolinians can again have any faith in their elected state officials.

In Arizona - the state that impeached a governor in 1988, is home to two of the ``Keating Five'' and forged a reputation for not giving Martin Luther King Jr. his due last fall - an investigation called ``Azscam'' recently led to the indictments of seven state legislators and 11 lobbyists and political activists on charges of bribery and money laundering. The case involves allegations that the legislators accepted money in exchange for promising to vote for legalized casino gambling.

What the state seems to need is leadership, and it has had a hard time getting that. No one could capture a majority of the vote to become governor in last fall's race so a run-off had to be held Tuesday. The two candidates enlivened the campaign by accusing each other of assorted financial improprieties.

If there's a common thread between South Carolina and Arizona, it seems to be gambling. In Virginia the lottery has done well, without a whiff of scandal. Let us hope the state's tradition of honest, competent government continues as efforts to set up horse racing and pari-mutuel betting inch forward.

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