When David Ralston was elected by his colleagues last year to the powerful George 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 to fall from grace.

In a story run in the AJC Metro section last Sunday it doesn’t look 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 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 enjoying the scenery and the ocean breezes. It would be 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."

If the speaker and his colleagues really wanted to work on ethics, they should agree to take no money from lobbyists or any other group. 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 plan to do to make Georgia a state that shows sorely needed progress in business and in education.