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...

No, not that Mr. Smith, the other one, Gregory W. Smith, the former program director of the “royalty-in-kind program” at the Interior Department.   Gregory Smith is one of 19 officials (about one-third of the program’s staff) who accepted gratuities from oil companies including Chevron and Shell, while conducting official business. As the New York Times reported (Sept. 11), the Interior “…department’s...

“Let me be as clear as possible.  I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people’s families are off-limits, and people’s children are especially off-limits.  This shouldn’t be part of our politics.”  That’s what Senator Barack Obama said to a group of reporters when asked for his reaction to the news that the 17-year-old, unmarried daughter of vice-presidential candidate...

The Visa party went well.  Who knew Rham Emanuel was so fluent in Kantian ethics, (and that Wolf Blitzer could devour a whole tray of crab puffs)? The media has descended upon Denver like a biblical cloud of locusts.  According to CNN, there are approximately 15,000 media to 4,367 delegates at this year’s Democratic convention.  However, thanks to my new...

It’s Sunday, and eighty-two degrees at the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi looks cool and relaxed quietly nursing a Corona at Panzano’s, the tony Italian eatery on 17th street. Most of the patrons, Nancy included, keep glancing up at the 42-inch plasma above the bar watching the final Olympic ceremonies play out.  Party Chair Howard...

Earlier this year I was invited to attend the Gala of a restored theater in the downtown area where I live. My wife has been one of many involved in a local non-profit effort to bring back a much loved landmark built in 1924.  Although we had been invited to the event, we had to pay the $70 per person...

“Removing her ex-husband from more than a decade of memories may take a lifetime for Laura Horn,” a New York Times article began.  “But removing him from a dozen years of vacation photographs took only hours…” due to the skillful help of a friend and the popular digital-editing program Photoshop. “What we’re doing,” photo-teacher Chris Johnson explained, “is fulfilling the...

Okay, boys and girls, here’s today’s ethical dilemma. You attend a Gala fundraising event for a non-profit group in your community.  While walking through the entrance your hand is stamped for what turns out to be access to an exclusive, after-event, dinner party.  You’d like to attend, but you paid $70.00 to attend the Gala and the dinner party costs...

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...