If Apathy Wins in Corruption Fight, We All Lose

So much for masses with pitchforks storming the Broward Governmental Center and screaming, "We're as mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore."

To get a sense of the apathy that has allowed corruption to flourish across South Florida, all you needed to do was count the audience at the latest meeting of the Broward Ethics Commission on Wednesday.

It only took one hand.

Just four members of the public turned out, and that's including the executive director of the Broward Workshop, a business group that's been monitoring the proceedings.

The temporary ethics panel, approved by voters last year, is crafting new guidelines for county government. Its recommendations will be sent to the County Commission in March. If the County Commission doesn't enact them voters will get final say in the fall.

Only two citizens spoke on Wednesday. One was from Palm Beach County.

The sole Broward resident to give his two cents -- Jim Weldon, 74, of Fort Lauderdale, a retired union official who has lived in South Florida since 1957.

"There ought to be more people here," Weldon said afterward. "This goes to the heart of faith in government."

"We have a public corruption crisis in the state," said Latour Lafferty, an attorney from Tampa and former Florida Ethics Commissioner who wants to see stronger state ethics rules. "I think people are fed up. They're ready to say we want more and we expect more."

But judging by the empty seats and chirping crickets at county hall on Wednesday, don't be surprised if we get more of the same.

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If Apathy Wins in Corruption Fight, We'll All Lose