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 its 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 ...
bs - new york isn’t on it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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...
Any list where Illinois isn’t #1? And where NY and CA aren’t listed? Probably compiled to service an agenda.
Yep, any “study” that doesn’t have California in the top 10 is suspect. (Leland Yee, Ron Calderon, Rod Wright, DeLeon, etc, etc..)
the overall extent of corruption will be higher in states with higher numbers of convictions of public officials.
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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.
Nevada exports their Corruption to the United States Senate.
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.
BTTT
It seems to me that there are a lot of folks who don’t read the links.
I most certainly did....this story is about official corruption...not morally bankrupt politically motivated sociopaths.
!
“Even Mississippi? Really with the Cochran shenanigans?”
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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.
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.....
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...
Check. No Massachusetts, no New Jersey? Sorry, hard to believe.
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.
Where’s New Jersey?
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