The Corruptible Seven:
Virginia, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Michigan, Maine, Georgia, Wyoming
Link here to one of the most bizarre stories of the year.
What’s behind the dismal grades? Across the board, state ethics, open records and disclosure laws lack one key feature: teeth.Tim must have missed the story about the state of North Dakota going after the oil industry for the deaths of six migratory birds. The state enforces its laws.
“It’s a terrible problem,” said Tim Potts, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Democracy Rising PA, which works to inspire citizen trust in government. “A good law isn’t worth anything if it’s not enforced.”
Some of the results of the State Integrity Investigation seem more than a little counterintuitive. New Jersey emerges at the top of the pack, a seemingly stunning ranking for a state with a reputation for dirty politics. And there are other surprises: Illinois, hardly a beacon of clean governmental in recent years, comes in at a respectable number 10. Louisiana ranks 15th.
I honestly do not recall any story coming out of Bismarck or Pierre with regard to political corruption in the last 50 years.
New Jersey at the top of the pack: the least corruptible. Okay.
Fortunately the Wall Street Journal called "them" out on this.
Haven't heard much corruption in south Dakota either
ReplyDeleteYes, note that I wrote:
DeleteI honestly do not recall any story coming out of Bismarck or Pierre with regard to political corruption in the last 50 years.
I guess I should have put South Dakota in parentheses following Pierre -- I hope I haven't got that wrong, that Pierre is the capital.