Corruption poll 2010

[Hauldren Collider]

Really? Maybe you have sources I haven't seen.



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-12-10-corruptstates_N.htm

1. Ted Stevens was not actually convicted. His case was thrown out. Still, I'm glad he isn't in the Senate anymore.
2. I didn't know about North Dakota.
3. Yeah, Louisiana is pretty bad.
4. Didn't Sarah Palin run on an anti-corruption platform when she ran for governor?
5. The article points out that this only shows convictions, so what about states where they just never get tried?

[DaShi]

4. Didn't Sarah Palin run on an anti-corruption platform when she ran for governor?

Didn't George Bush run as a uniter?

5. The article points out that this only shows convictions, so what about states where they just never get tried?

I'd imagine that data is far more difficult to obtain, while also being less reliable. And while that is a valid criticism, have you come across any studies that better represent statewide corruption? Like the one that makes you believe that Illinois is among the worst if not the worst.

[Hauldren Collider]

I'd imagine that data is far more difficult to obtain, while also being less reliable. And while that is a valid criticism, have you come across any studies that better represent statewide corruption? Like the one that makes you believe that Illinois is among the worst if not the worst.

I was under the impression Illinois was one of the most corrupt states. Maybe I was wrong, but it doesn't matter. I'm sure you wouldn't dispute the fact that its government is fairly corrupt. Whether it is the most corrupt is not the point, the point was that the corruption varies tremendously by state, with some states having very little and others having a lot.

[DaShi]

I'd say the Illinois may have more high profile cases, but that doesn't make it the most corrupt. According to the USA Today article, it's not even in the top 10.

[Al B. Sure!]

Most bribes in the US are legal, and they're called campaign contributions. Corruption at the state level varies dramatically by state, with Illinois being among the worst if not the worst. Corruption in the police and bureaucracy is fairly rare especially compared to the rest of the world.

Come to Philly, HC!

During the re-election campaign against Sam Katz, the FBI acknowledged that it had placed listening devices in the Mayor's office as part of a sweeping investigation of municipal corruption.

The FBI's investigation uncovered a corruption scheme led by Street's friend and fund raiser Ron White, who died before going to trial.Former city treasurer Corey Kemp, a member of Street's administration, was sentenced to 10 years in jail after being found guilty on 27 corruption-related charges in May 2005.[17] One Additional prosecution of members of Street's administration took place in the wake of the Kemp conviction and resulted in an acquittal of Mayoral Aide John D. Christmas.

In September 2005, a prominent Muslim clergyman, Shamsud-din Ali, in Philadelphia was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on racketeering and other charges. Prosecutors said the cleric, who was once a member of Mayor John F. Street's transition team, used his political connections to obtain dubious loans, donations and city contracts. Mr. Ali was sentenced to 87 months in prison.[18] His conviction was affirmed on July 18, 2007, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (493 F.3d 387).

Leonard Ross, a lawyer and close advisor of Mayor Street, who led a committee trying to develop a crucial piece of city-owned property, was charged with fraud and conspiracy in December 2005, and later pled guilty to the charges.

The race was captured in the documentary film "The Shame of a City," directed by Tigre Hill, which gave viewers an inside look at the campaign.
It should be noted that Street has never been formally charged with any crime, nor has he ever been identified as having been a target of the long-standing federal investigation.

In November 2006, federal authorities charged that T. Milton Street, older brother of John F. Street, traded on his last name to obtain lucrative city contracts and failed to pay taxes on more than $2 million in income.

It was alleged that soon after Mayor Street took office in 2000, Milton Street began hiring himself out as consultant to companies that thought he could help them get city contracts. One company paid Milton Street, who is a hot dog vendor, $30,000 a month consulting fee.

[Al B. Sure!]

1. Ted Stevens was not actually convicted. His case was thrown out. Still, I'm glad he isn't in the Senate anymore.

I'm glad he isn't in the Senate, as well... especially since he died in August

[Elok]

South Korea listed, North Korea not.

I'm sure NK would be listed if it were possible for outsiders to learn anything at all about how the country is run.

[DanS]

The only corruption that I've heard of from my large family is in Chicago. My dad was a truck driver and "paid the dinner" of a cop who caught him with an oversized and overweight load on a street where he wasn't permitted to drive. It was more like payment for services rendered, however, because the cop was able to direct him through traffic to where he needed to go.

In the US, the figure has to be way, way lower than 6%.

[DanS]

Guess that's not so. The US was at 5%. Seems awful high.

See page 46.

http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/gcb/2010/results

[Hauldren Collider]

One thing is for sure--corruption used to be a lot worse. My grandfather tells me about how when he worked in his father's grocery store (a LONG time ago), it was just expected that you would give the cops free stuff whenever they walked in. He says no one even gave it a second thought.

[C0ckney]

i am very surprised that brasil is less than 6%. that doesn't tally with what i've hard anecdotally, but i guess it's good news.

[-Jrabbit]

I was going to post the same. In my corporate life, Brazil was legendary for requiring bribes for any imports to clear customs. Our distributor there said it was totally normal and actually part of their cost calculations in determining landed pricing.

[SlowwHand]

Which shows to go you that "corruption" is a relative term, like most things. To the USA, for instance, Brazil is corrupt. In Brazil, the USA is made up of fools.

[Barnabas]

In Argentina we give free stuff to the cops and to the garbage truck guys, and the bombers, and once a year you have to "collaborate with them", in the case of the garbage truck guys it gets me quite angry since they earn a lot of money for working class third worlders, almost 2000 dollars per month + 2 1000 dollars bonuses before wintern and summer vacations.

And if a cop wants to fine, you can always ask him if he doesn't prefer a Diego instead (10 pesos, 10 in spanish is DIEz) most often he accepts

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Guess that's not so. The US was at 5%. Seems awful high.

See page 46.

http://www.transparency.org/policy_r...b/2010/results

that's a good reason for 6% treshold ...

5% does not seem that high to me, as I am pretty certain that concept of bribery is well defined... 9% for Austria - less than Bulgaria or China?!? that one is weird, and certainly a lot is at stake in the cultural understanding what bribery is.