When David Ralston was elected by his colleagues last year to the powerful Georgia House Speaker position, he promised that he would make ethics his top priority.

It was the lack of ethics that caused the previous speaker Glen Richardson’s fall from grace.

In a story run in the Atlanta Journal Constitution Metro section last Sunday, it doesn’t look like the speaker has made much progress in keeping with his promise, but he is getting to visit the hot vacation spots in the state.

Just like his predecessor, he has traveled the state and country though the generosity of lobbyists.

In the story run by the AJC, Ralston said that in spite of the ritzy accommodations he has enjoyed it was all work — not vacations. We can understand that it is tough to have to spend time on St. Simons and Amelia Island in Florida without enjoying the scenery and the ocean breezes, and it would be an equally tough for the voters of the state — if only they could afford to go.

The speaker told the AJC with all the time spent at the beach resorts he didn’t even get to the beach; it was work he said. "I only played golf a couple or three times." Well BOO HOO.

It’s surprising to us that the Georgia Chamber of commerce not only entertained the speaker but 33 others lawmakers at the expense of $14,313. This was done in spite of the fact that Georgia business is suffering its worst downturn ever.

If the speaker and his colleagues really wanted to work on ethics, they should agree to not take money from lobbyists or any other group and when they speak at conventions or other public meetings they should do so because they have been elected by the good people of Georgia to keep us informed of what they planned to do to make Georgia a state that shows progress in business in education.

A progress that is lacking at the moment.