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The 10 most corrupt states in the U.S.
Fortune.com ^ | June 10, 2014 | Chris Matthews

Posted on 07/05/2014 7:59:38 PM PDT by deport

New research takes a look at decades of corruption convictions to find the crookedest states in the union.

When we think of government corruption (as one tends to do), our biased minds often gravitate to thoughts of military juntas and third world governments. But, of course, corruption is everywhere, in one form or another. And it’s costing U.S. citizens big time.

A new study from researchers at the University of Hong Kong and Indiana University estimates that corruption on the state level is costing Americans in the 10 most corrupt states an average of $1,308 per year, or 5.2% of those states’ average expenditures per year.

  
 1. Mississippi 
2. Louisiana
3. Tennessee
4. Illinois
5. Pennsylvania
6. Alabama
7. Alaska
8. South Dakota
9. Kentucky
10. Florida

(Excerpt) Read more at fortune.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; US: Alabama; US: Alaska; US: Florida; US: Illinois; US: Kentucky; US: Louisiana; US: Mississippi; US: Pennsylvania; US: South Dakota; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: alabama; alaska; corruption; florida; illinois; kentucky; louisiana; mississippi; pennsylvania; southdakota; states; tennessee
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To: deport

bs - new york isn’t on it.


61 posted on 07/05/2014 9:56:52 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Sparklite; All

Decided to check the article. A long and informative one. New Jersey rates about 20th for most corruption, based on number of convictions for corrupt behavior between the study years examined from 1997-2008.


62 posted on 07/05/2014 10:00:08 PM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: deport
The researchers studied more than 25,000 convictions of public officials for violation of federal corruption laws between 1976 and 2008 as well as patterns in state spending to develop a corruption index that estimates the most and least corrupt states in the union.

Normally, I'd post a long list of HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW, HAW!!! etc., but this is too stupid for words. It discounts States that are too corrupt to get a conviction for corruption.

63 posted on 07/05/2014 10:00:40 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (ObamaCare IS Medicaid: They'll pull a sheet over your head and send you the bill.)
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To: gleeaikin

Looking at the number of convictions for corruption might not be the best measure. Corruption convictions would tend to be lower in states less prone to pursuing it.


64 posted on 07/05/2014 10:02:25 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: Vermont Lt

They hold bonds. If I were dumping bonds, I would want to know which ones to dump first.

Whether they are buying or selling, they are still in the market.


65 posted on 07/05/2014 10:20:28 PM PDT by seowulf (Cogito cogito, ergo cogito sum. Cogito.---Ambrose Bierce)
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To: Sparklite

“The most corrupt states will be the ones most heavily unionized, not a list of cheap shots at the South.”

These type lists always take cheap shots at southern states. The most livable, the smartest, the best this, the best that etc...


66 posted on 07/05/2014 10:22:07 PM PDT by Figment
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Any list where Illinois isn’t #1? And where NY and CA aren’t listed? Probably compiled to service an agenda.


67 posted on 07/05/2014 10:22:10 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: All

Yep, any “study” that doesn’t have California in the top 10 is suspect. (Leland Yee, Ron Calderon, Rod Wright, DeLeon, etc, etc..)


68 posted on 07/05/2014 10:29:09 PM PDT by Drago
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To: Cold Heat

“the overall extent of corruption will be higher in states with higher numbers of convictions of public officials.”
**************************
Right! Seems most of the comments on this thread don’t take that into account.

That’s why MN, CA, MI, MA, CT, NJ, HW, NY, VA, and so many other States with high public officials’ corruption don’t appear on the list; it’s because they DON’T convict the criminals for corruption as much as those on this top 10 list do.


69 posted on 07/05/2014 11:14:32 PM PDT by octex
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To: molson209

Nevada exports their Corruption to the United States Senate.


70 posted on 07/05/2014 11:27:49 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (THEY LIVE, and we're the only ones wearing the Sunglasses...)
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To: Viennacon; WKB; Black Agnes

Yippee for Missippy!

At least we prosecute our corrupt people.

I’m somewhat surprised the IL made the list, but they have so much to work with.


71 posted on 07/05/2014 11:34:52 PM PDT by dixiechick2000
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To: octex

BTTT

It seems to me that there are a lot of folks who don’t read the links.


72 posted on 07/05/2014 11:37:32 PM PDT by dixiechick2000
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To: Nifster

I most certainly did....this story is about official corruption...not morally bankrupt politically motivated sociopaths.


73 posted on 07/05/2014 11:40:50 PM PDT by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (This town needs an enema)
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To: deport

!


74 posted on 07/05/2014 11:43:58 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a weapon...0'Jihadist/"Rustler" Reid? d8-)
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To: Nifster

“Even Mississippi? Really with the Cochran shenanigans?”
___________________________________________________
We;;, I am not a Mississipian/ I am a Tennessean.
It was after my house burned down that I was offered a stay in some city (Memphis) friends country home that was only a mile south of the boarder.
I am now an expat, watching the Obamination from afar.


75 posted on 07/06/2014 12:02:16 AM PDT by AlexW
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To: Viennacon; Black Agnes

Mississippi corruption is multi layered

Tort law exploitation and corrupted paid off mostly black juries...worst in US

The GOPe.....nuff said...worse than I had reckoned

All urban areas of consequence outside Tupelo and the Coast are black Dem run

The black counties of the Delta are black run

They want to get paid......

Its a mess

The rural black church going folks and the regular white majority are very socially conservative.....likely most so in the nation

The corruption is a perfect storm

When I was a boy there corruption was Louisiana or the Coast....murder...gambling.....Carlos Marcello and Frank Costello and Owney Madden

And they were always the highway commissioners.....


76 posted on 07/06/2014 12:12:34 AM PDT by wardaddy (we will not take back our way of life through peaceful means.....i have 5 kids....i fear for them)
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To: deport

Maryland is so corrupt it kept its name off the list. It’s where DC went to take corruption lessons (Annapolis). When the gubernatorial election was stolen from Sauerbray (sp?) by Glendenning’s bunch, I thought they had reached their zenith, but the beat goes on...


77 posted on 07/06/2014 12:16:44 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig
These are the states who prosecute corrupt persons.....the most corrupt states don’t prosecute

Check. No Massachusetts, no New Jersey? Sorry, hard to believe.

78 posted on 07/06/2014 1:06:15 AM PDT by TheMole
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To: deport

Per the article...

“Our corruption index is based on the number of public officials who were convicted for violations of federal corruption laws (more than 25,000 convictions are included in our panel). The Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice has published the conviction numbers on a consistent basis. In contrast to other subjective, perception-oriented indexes of corruption, our corruption variable is concrete, objective, and consistent.”

So it is a direct measure, being federal corruption convictions.

Of course, if the federal government is corrupt, then they may not have brought charges against their favorite politicians in their favorite states. So the data may be a bit skewed by the political leanings of the federal officers doing the indicting and the convicting.

Also, since this is about convictions, some corrupt states may just be better at hiding it.


79 posted on 07/06/2014 1:12:00 AM PDT by Freedom_Is_Not_Free (Free goodies for all -- Freedom for none.)
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To: The KG9 Kid

Where’s New Jersey?


80 posted on 07/06/2014 3:00:32 AM PDT by PhiloBedo (You gotta roll with the punches and get with what's real.)
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