01:00 AM EST on Thursday, February 26, 2004

Governor Carcieri's proposed budget makes it clear he isn't putting his money on the state Ethics Commission to solve the government's ethics problems.

Carcieri's proposal would give the commission an increase of only $7,734 for next fiscal year, less than a 1-percent increase over this fiscal year's $942,594 budget.

After disclosures of alleged ethical lapses by powerful state legislators, Carcieri began pushing for a separate "Select Commission on Public Integrity" to examine the state's ethics system and climate.

The public seems to be siding with Carcieri. A Brown University opinion poll earlier this month found that Rhode Islanders overwhelmingly believe that government corruption is "common." A huge majority, 84 percent, liked the governor's idea of creating a new commission, with subpoena powers, to investigate the state ethics system rather than relying on the existing Ethics Commission.

Carcieri's refusal to beef up the Ethics Commission budget sets up a possible collision between the Republican governor and the heavily Democratic General Assembly, whose leadership has indicated it favors giving the Ethics Commission more money.

-- BRUCE LANDIS