Ethic panel nixes freebies, but so what?

The 4-1 vote that would bar high-level officials from receiving free tickets from anyone with pending business before the city only takes effect if the City Council signs off on the recommendation. And guess what? The City Council doesn't like taking orders from the Ethics Commission. Today's vote comes after the mayor's admission some months back that he attended dozens of events for free without reporting them as gifts. From the LAT:

Since he took office in 2005, Villaraigosa has received free entry to games and concerts from companies seeking a specific decision from the city, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns Staples Center and L.A. Live. AEG has sought approval of tax breaks and new billboards in recent years, while the owners of the Dodgers have met with city officials over development plans, shuttle buses and the route for the Los Angeles Marathon.

Not everyone thinks this is a big deal. My friend (and former Ethics Commissioner) Bill Boyarsky says it's much ado about not much, and Commissioner Nedra Jenkins, who cast the lone vote against the proposal, says elected officials attending concerts and other events can be a plus for the city. "It's as if we believe everybody's corrupt, and I just don't think everybody's corrupt and everybody's subject to undue influence," she said. Strange logic, no?