When we were asked last month to comment on a news story regarding Senator Casey Cagle, candidate for Lieutenant Governor (click here to see story), it got us to thinking on the question of how and when we need to guide the behavior of our part-time politicians. The vast majority of elected offices in Georgia are part time jobs. We have ingrained in our culture the concept that we are better off being governed by people who are not professional politicians, but citizens like ourselves who take time out of their lives to serve the people while continuing to pursue their own professions and business interests.

In a perfect world, these two lives would be separate, but of course they never are. Farmers help determine state policy on agriculture, insurance people determine insurance legislation, and so on. Georgia law tells state legislators to recuse themselves when they are too close to a situation. But in reality, those who are knowledgeable on certain aspects are often key players in determining policy that influences their lives outside the legislature. The same thing occurs in City Councils and County Commissions throughout the state.

In Cagle's case, the reporter told us that Cagle had owned a tuxedo rental business when he first came to the Legislature in 1991. In 1999, the same year he became a member of the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, Cagle helped found a community bank in Hall County which later merged with a larger bank. As a result, Cagle is a much wealthier man today than he was when he entered public office. He continues to sit on key banking committees in the Georgia Senate.

Cagle's story is not that unusual. Public service has no doubt helped many individuals improve their chances at success in life. Is there anything wrong with this? To what extent was Cagle's success in his private life tied to his role as a public servant?

While not begrudging anyone's rise to prosperity, we ask the question as to what limits should be in place to insure that public service is not improperly exploited for private gain?