LTE: Perceptions are stubborn things
Canton Rep — …Many of these amendments passed. Still, senators rejected one important amendment that they should reconsider.
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon have proposed that senators be forbidden from owning individual stocks unless they put them in a blind trust; otherwise, they could own only mutual funds.
The Plain Dealer said an aide to Brown confirmed that he now has sold all of the individual stocks he owned. Every member of Congress should follow this example.
It’s not enough to avoid actual conflicts such as legislators’ holding stock in companies that are affected by bills they write. As much as possible, they should avoid perceptions of conflict, too.
