No Surprise Here
Marginal Revolution links to a list of the most corrupt states, measured by the number of government corruption convictions per capita. I bet you can come pretty close to the top three without even looking. Here they are:
- Alaska. For all those who want to believe that pork is unrelated to corruption, look no further than the king of pork itself, Alaska, which also turns out to be the king of government corruption. Kudos to Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake, who is about the only one brave enough in that lost and floundering body to connect the dots between Abramoff, cash-filled tuperware, corruption and pork.
- Mississippi. Who would have ever thought the state best known for being the #1 home of jackpot torts and the home state of the Senator who claims to be above the law would be a hotbed of corruption?
- Louisiana. Probably the only surprise on the list, since one would expect the home state of Huey Long to be in first rather than third. Heck, in 1991 the state got to choose between a wanna-be Nazi Klansman and a serially corrupt felon for Governor. And God only knows where the money that should have been spent on building levees actually went.
