Chris Bell, "Don't Mess With Ethics"

One of the themes Chris Bell has been hitting from the beginning is that ethics laws are no longer enforced. He does it again with his speech today, "Don't Mess With Ethics":

The problem with the culture both in Washington and Texas is an excessive tolerance for corruption. Whether it involves one's self or somebody else, everyone just wants to look the other way. There is an unofficial "don't mess with ethics" policy around here, and as often as not - whether it's taking millions of dollars before vetoing legislation or the results of the recent state audit of the comptroller's office - what they do that's illegal isn't as bad as what they do that's legal.
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And I think the ethics reform goes to the heart of what I believe about the new mainstream. I sincerely worry about how Texas is heading towards class warfare, with the little people defending themselves from the big people. If we can make our campaigns and our state government more transparent and more accountable, then our capitol can be a place that brings us all together instead of creating winners and losers based on who has the best lobbyist and the biggest checks.

I recommend reading the whole thing and you can find the entire 8 point ethics reform package here.