A new wave of scandals at the national, state and regional levels gives the impression of widespread corruption and abuse of power. Of course, most politicians don't sell favors for money and not every public servant is self-serving — it just looks like that sometimes.

In recent weeks and months the news has featured:

An 8-term California congressman tearfully announced his resignation, while admitting that he took cash bribes and other gifts valued at over $1 million from defense contractors in exchange for his steering lucrative military contracts their way. The California Republican was a decorated Vietnam veteran.

A Washington lobbyist, whose firm charged $80 million while playing two Indian tribes against each other over competing casino projects, is being investigated for allegedly giving more than $800,000 cash, plus gifts and trips to more than 30 politicians to gain their support.

Harrisburg lawmakers gave themselves a major pay raise, with no advance notice or public debate in a vote at 2 a.m. on July 7. The pay raise was recently repealed, but the public outrage has been great and might have implications in coming elections.

The Allegheny County sheriff's department is under investigation by federal authorities for allegedly pressuring deputies and staff members to contribute to the sheriff's political campaigns. It also has been alleged that sheriff deputies were allowed to use county-owned vehicles for personal use and while on leave.

The board of directors of the Pennsylvania's student-loan agency has been criticized for spending $885,000 over five years for retreats at luxury resorts around the country — including Napa Valley, California and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in southwestern Pennsylvania. The 20-member board of directors of the non-profit PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) includes 16 state lawmakers and critics argue the $885,000 would be better spent on helping more students attend college.

A common theme in the current crop of scandals is that most of those involved operated as if they owned a private business, despite the fact that taxpayers paid their salaries and placed them in their positions of power.

In the case of the apparent abuses by the lobbyist, it's the recurring issue of mixing money and politics.

In all of these cases, the people involved seem to have lost whatever sense of right and wrong they presumably once possessed. For a disturbing number of public officials, though probably no higher a percentage in any other profession, the moral compass is jettisoned when opportunities for personal enrichment are presented.

Dishonest and unethical behavior is a fact of life, but in recent months and weeks, the recent reports paint a discouraging picture of public figures behaving unethically or illegally.

Despite the arrogance displayed by many lawmakers in Harrisburg in the controversial pay-raise affair, not all state legislators are more interested in serving themselves than serving their constituents.

Even though U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham has admitted taking bribes, most members of Congress are honest.

And not all lobbyists in Washington are corrupt, despite the expanding scandal surrounding super-lobbyist and major GOP giver, Jack Abramoff.

Though this current crop of scandals tends to taint all public officials, there can be a silver lining to these ethical outrages if the publicity — and legal consequences — shake up other officials, reminding them to maintain appropriate ethical standards and never forget that their job is to serve the public, not themselves.