In my younger days I was a Marine Inspector with the U.S. Coast Guard. I inspected commercial ships, especially tankers, for safety of crew, port, and environment. I had the authority to prevent a ship from transferring cargo until this or that discrepancy was addressed. As you can imagine, there was the opportunity for bribes and favoritism. I heard stories of previous inspectors who were in deep trouble for such improprieties. We were constantly cautioned against not only "impropriety," but also the "mere appearance of impropriety." In today's political terms, this would translate to a caution against not only "conflict of interest," but also the "mere appearance of conflict of interest." I wish our elected officials would take that caution to heart.
Scott Ransom
Brainerd
