Guv to privateers: avoid conflicts

After weekend stories pointing out state contracts and campaign donations involving members of Gov. Tom Corbett's new privatization panel, his press office fired off this release this afternoon:

Members of the new Governor’s Advisory Council on Privatization and Innovation are being instructed to abstain from any decisions from which they have a personal or financial interest, Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration said today.

Corbett created the panel Sept. 29 to explore if any functions now performed by state government might be better and more cost-effectively performed by the private sector.

Commission members are being advised that, under the Governor’s Code of Conduct and the State Adverse Interest Act, they should abstain from any council business in which they have any financial or personal interest, or if they anticipate in the future pursuing business interests with the commonwealth relating to specific recommendations or advice that the council might make to the governor.

The 24-member council’s mission is to use innovation to achieve a combination of quality, cost savings, expertise and effectiveness. It will also examine roadblocks to sensible privatization, drawing on the experiences of past privatization efforts.

Council members will serve in a voluntary, uncompensated capacity. The council’s first meeting has not been scheduled.