The majority of Iowa’s public officials, whether Democrats or Republicans or those elected in non-partisan elections, are honest and trustworthy individuals committed to serving the greater good. We believe this not through optimistic naïveté, but because of the evidence provided by the many programs they have shepherded that have strengthened and improved our cities, counties, schools, state and nation.

That said, the scandal surrounding the exorbitant salaries and bonuses – $1.8 million over 30 months – paid to the top executives of the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium, a non-profit agency leveraging state and federal money and charged with helping some of the area’s most vulnerable citizens find meaningful jobs, has revealed that our trust is not always well placed. It tests our faith in all governmental bodies and the non-profit agencies they fund, and it’s up to the officials involved in the debacle to begin to set things right.

Des Moines City Councilman Archie Brooks took a small step toward that by resigning from the CIETC board, of which he was chairman and as such, had sole responsibility for approving the executives’ pay. He took another step by resigning from the Metropolitan Planning Organization, a multi-jurisdictional agency charged with doling out millions of dollars in road money to area governments.

Brooks has admitted he bumbled in the CIETC affair and is guilty of complacency. He’s said a stroke left him partially disabled. He’s said he “did not do the due diligence [he] should have and [he’s] ashamed by that.” Such admissions hardly inspire confidence among voters. Rather, they raise serious questions about his ability to lead.

Once betrayed, public trust is enormously difficult to restore. It will take more than Brooks – certainly not the only public official mired in the CIETC mess, but clearly one of the most visible – stepping down from a couple of boards and apologizing. He needs to go the distance. He should resign from the City Council immediately. His mere presence on the council hinders its ability to tackle serious issues facing the capital city and calls into question the integrity of all decisions of which he is a part.

A politician would cling desperately to his power base. A statesman would do the right thing and resign. Des Moines citizens should accept nothing less from Brooks.