Your son comes to you asking for a loan to help his struggling company. The company has been successful in the past, but due to the current economy, no bank is willing to loan him the necessary funds.  So, he now pleads his case with you in an effort to help him return to stability while the economy recovers. While...

There’s been a lot of talk in the news lately about Joe the plumber. His name is Joe Wurzelbacher, and last week he stopped Senator Obama to complain about taxes.  Apparently, he doesn’t seem to care much for Mr. Obama’s tax plan.  Needless to say, this worked in favor of Senator McCain. In fact, both candidates mentioned Joe the plumber...

“The contractors are making a killing.  The lobbyists are getting their fees… Everybody is making money here — except us.” So said Army Space and Missile Defense engineer Michael Cantrell when speaking about his kickback scheme from vendors who do business with the government. The New York Times reported (Oct. 12) that Cantrell “…along with his deputy, Doug Ennis, had...

Dear Hank: I know you and your staff at Treasury are busy managing the $700 billion bailout of the financial sector, but when you have a chance could you, or someone in your office, take a closer look at what they’re doing at A.I.G.? A.I.G., they’re the ones that we gave the $85 billion bailout “loan” to not long ago...

Drugstore giant CVS Caremark has an ethics policy that prevents gifts, travel or entertainment to executives.  The obvious purpose is to stop influence peddling. But CVS has found away around the rule:  “The CVS Caremark Charity Classic”… a golf tournament. The Wall Street Journal reported (Sept. 24) “Access to company decision-makers is a hallmark of the [tournament] which, this year...

Amid the anxiety and chaos on Wall Street today, I thought it would be interesting to revisit an old question. The following comes from a radio commentary delivered in October, 1997 by my own ethics teacher, Michael Josephson.   I believe it’s a message we need to remember in these difficult times. “‘Good ethics is good business.’  ‘Honesty is the best...

“Abramoff Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Corruption” “Two Brokers Accused of Securities Fraud” “Former KBR Executive Pleads Guilty to Bribery” “Detroit Mayor Pleads Guilty, Resigns” All four of these stories appeared in yesterday’s (Sept. 4) Washington Post and New York Times. Whenever we read stories like these, it’s hard to avoid becoming cynical.  And whenever stories like these...

Watching the Discovery Channel the other night, I got hooked on another episode of “Deadliest Catch.” Long considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, these crab fisherman risk the treacherous Bering Sea for the boat-load of money they can catch in a short season – as much as $60,000 – $70,000 per deck-hand.  The crews are a...

It’s 1938 and the darling of the British stage, Julia Lambert, has just finished another sterling performance.  The next morning, she throws another sterling tantrum. I was thinking about the Annette Bening movie, “Being Julia” when I read that the Boston Red Sox had traded their “sterling” left field slugger, Manny Ramírez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The last several...

Does a corporation have a responsibility to be ethical beyond its employees and shareholders? Whenever this question has been asked in surveys, an overwhelming majority of people answer, “Yes!” Here’s what one corporate chairman said about ethics in a memo: “Employees of the Company are charged with conducting their business affairs in accordance with the highest ethical standards. An employee shall...