While we've been digesting the dueling banjos style competition for a Board of Supes Code of Conduct, we were left pickin' our skulls as to why the Supes don't already have a code of conduct? Seriously, right? The progressive bubble of San Francisco doesn't have a code of conduct for its Board of Supervisors, while such luminary cities as Simi Valley, Pismo Beach, Goleta and Fresno do? Sounds Crazy, right?

Well, not so much. Lost in the shuffle between Chris Daly and Michela Alioto-Pier ("MAP") dueling codes of conduct is that San Francisco is already policed by, not just one, but two different organizations dedicated to protecting citizens from actual ethics violations. The first is the state's Fair Political Practices Commission ("FPPC") while the second is the San Francisco Ethics Commission. Both organizations overlook officials conduct and, in particular, deal with conflict of interest, disclosure, campaign finance issues, and post-state employment.

One would think, with the wealth of potential ethics-enforcers and ethics-violaters running around that somebody would have been slapped by now, right? But neither organization is really tasked with the oversight of officials "conduct." Instead, most elected legislative bodies, including the Board of Supervisors, are self-regulating in this regard and have the ability to censure their members. MAP's current ethics charge would basically extend the existing mechanisms and take, from the Board President, some enforcement powers, and place them in the greater body

In all honestly, we're just glad that so much time and energy is being spent on this issue. Not only are both Chris Daly's and MAP's office working on this right now, but so is the Office of the Legislative Analyst. This is fine, since, as we all know, San Francisco is a perfect city with no real problems. At All. Since fighting over whether restating allegations of cocaine use or adultery is "ethically worse" (which is basically what they are doing) is really helping us solve broad daylight shootings, issues with affordable housing, or any of the other issues this city has.

Picture taken from St. Stephen's Primary School