Who’d a thunk it: New Jersey is the least corruptible state in America. Well, according to three “good government” groups, anyway.
A new study by the Center for Public Integrity, Public Radio International and Global Integrity on the “corruptibility” of state governments gives Jersey a score of 87, a “B+,” the highest of any state. New York got a 65, a “D,” lower than 35 other states.
Well, much mischief can be hidden behind letter grades. But the report is interesting nevertheless.
How’d the Garden State rate so high? Its famously high conviction volume worked in its favor: It may be one of the most politically corrupt states, but at least it’s trying.
“States with histories of corruption tend to have more recent and robust laws,” the groups explained. Scandals promote “improved transparency and accountability.”
So Trenton now has “some of the toughest anti-corruption laws in the nation.”
New York scores poorly when it comes to “transparency” and “accountability.” In other words, it’s harder to catch the footpads prowling the Capitol calling themselves “lawmakers.”
Even so, from 1999 to 2010, some 17 of these lawmakers did leave office in handcuffs or under an ethical cloud — almost three per election cycle, on average. (And that doesn’t count David Paterson, who was hit with a $62,000 ethics fine, or Eliot Spitzer, who quit after being caught with his, um, socks on.)
But here’s some ironically good news: The pace of scandals in New York has been soaring; more than three times as many corrupt pols were ousted in the last six years as in the previous six — 13 versus 4.
Who knows? Keep that up, and soon the Empire State will be right up there with . . . Jersey.