Today’s Hartford
Courant includes a deep dive into instances of steering committee members getting
grants and changing policies to benefit their interests. Unfortunately SIM
falls into a loophole
in CT law that exempts its members from the state Code
of Ethics for Public Officials. A bill to close that loophole cruised
through legislative committees but died in the Senate this year. As the article
points out, not only are grants not going to the best organizations and are going
to wealthy, large health care organizations that don’t need the help, but it
also creates a chilling effect on health care reform progress in Connecticut.
Outsiders have no reason to make an effort because they will not benefit; insiders
also don’t have to perform, they can feel confident that they will continue to
get grants and beneficial policy decisions.
