SAXTONS RIVER — Following is an open letter to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vermont):
While the debate rages over whether the U.S. legislature has the right and responsibility to impose the code of ethics that binds other government institutions on Supreme Court appointees, I have come up with a simple solution that has the privilege of being uniquely designed for the highest-court-in-the-land officers, so venerated that we appoint them for life with no legally structured accountability other than the embarrassing and energy-intensive process of impeachment.
Why not impose an oath of poverty at the time of their appointment? Such would state that in addition to their salaries (about which I am ignorant - and, I assume, the general public is as well) they shall not accept any gifts of significant monetary value, although when not in session they may feel free to supplement that amount by temporary employment, say at McDonalds or another enterprise that may hire seasonally available employees.
Such an oath would reinforce the venerable posture they have long represented in the judiciary and remove any possibility of their being distracted by debatable ethical arguments, thereby fostering the proper work environment appropriate to their exalted role in our government.