Illinois Most Corrupt State? Not Even Close.

[Prof.]

It's North Dakota.

WASHINGTON — Its largest city is legendary for machine-style politics and its elected leaders have been under investigation for years, but by one measure, Illinois is not even close to the nation's most-corrupt state.

North Dakota, it turns out, may hold that distinction instead.

Federal authorities arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday after a wiretap allegedly recorded him scheming to make money on his appointment to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama. Blagojevich, a Democrat, ran for election in part on cleaning up after his predecessor, Republican George Ryan, who was convicted in 2006 of racketeering, bribery and extortion

LINK (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-12-10-corruptstates_N.htm?se=yahoorefer)

[SilentPanda]

That seems like a weird way to determine corruption... per 100,000 people? Why wouldn't they do something such as a percentage of total government officials? Maybe with some ranking giving more weight to higher ranking people...

Might as well go per 10,000 household pets or something.

[Counterfit]

Well, if it's by corruption per 100k people (what and odd unit...), instead of corruption per square mile (another odd one), RI shouldn't fare too poorly. ;)

[iShater]

Our governor is a scum bag. Glad they finally got him.

[leekohler]

Our governor is a scum bag. Glad they finally got him.

Yes, thank Patrick Fitzgerald. Please get Daley and Stroger now! :) I know I keep saying it. I can hope, can't I? ;)

[Prof.]

Yes, thank Patrick Fitzgerald. Please get Daley and Stroger now! :) I know I keep saying it. I can hope, can't I? ;)
:eek: What is wrong with Daley??? I thought ppl loved that man. Especially the gays since he is making chicago a gay-friendly city.

[leekohler]

:eek: What is wrong with Daley??? I thought ppl loved that man. Especially the gays since he is making chicago a gay-friendly city.

The list is as long as my arm, Prof. Just because he's gay friendly doesn't mean he's a good guy. He's been mayor since I moved here. I suspect that's because everyone is afraid to run against him. The only reason he keeps getting voted in is because there's never a viable alternative during the election. A lot of people refuse to vote for mayor at all. Voter turnout for the mayoral election has always been really low during his reign. He thinks he's king of this town and does what he wants. That's definitely not a good thing.

[Prof.]

Well I guess I don't know the real Daley then considering I don't live in the city.

[iShater]

Since Daley bulldozed Megs Field (spelling?) he showed he thinks he owns the place. And Stroger? the whole Cook County board are crooks. :eek:

[CalBoy]

That's a very weird way of measuring corruption.

It also doesn't seem to take all of history into account. Let's not forget that Chicago, as nice of a city as it is, gave us Al Capone, Richard Daley, and now this wonderful governor.

The Illinois Legislature was also known for corruption throughout the first half of the 20th Century. I think I'll keep it at the top of my list for now. ;)

TThe only reason he keeps getting voted in is because there's never a viable alternative during the election. A lot of people refuse to vote for mayor at all. Voter turnout for the mayoral election has always been really low during his reign. He thinks he's king of this town and does what he wants. That's definitely not a good thing.

Interestingly we were learning about this in one of my classes this semester.

The Chicago mayoral election is non-partisan, which does two things: 1) helps the incumbent, and 2) lowers turnout. Daley benefits from both, so it makes sense that he wanted both to be implemented when he first got elected.

Can you imagine what it would have been like to live under the old Daley Lee? Who knows the kinds of things you would have been saying then!

[mysterytramp]

If anyone's keeping score, Maryland convicted back-to-back governors in both major parties. (Agnew and Mandel)

Granted, the Republican was vice president at the time (but the deeds were while he was governor) and the Democrat had his crimes commuted, so he's just a former felon.

Arizona had a couple of bad ones, but there was one in the middle who turned out to be honest (or at least better at hiding her crimes).

mt