Added to the list of wonderful accomplishments that House Speaker Jim Black credits to the short session is the ethics reform bill. Despite the huge and running list of lobbying misdeeds and campaign contributions gone wild, the General Assembly succeeded in passing an ethics reform bill of monumental arrogance.  On July 10, John Hood told the Washington Daily News “if the Legislature decides to end the session without taking substantial action … they’re going to create political liabilities for themselves.” Deciding not to take “substantial action,” the Legislature now risks harming the character of the many good and honest leaders who must now stand accountable for the whole body’s inaction. But until substantial reform is in place, government watchdog speakers like Chad Adams, who spoke to the Kiwanis club at Pullen Park, Raleigh, will always have fodder for concerned citizens.  But at least they’re trying to improve, right?  For instance, the Legislature is still concerned about runaway spending, but as John points out in the Myrtle Beach Sun News, fiscal responsibility requires a change in the system, not just nickel-and-dime cuts.