The Clarion-Ledger's Anna Wolfe said Mississippi suffered from "tight-lipped officials and toothless watchdogs" in a report for the Center for Public Integrity. She wrote:
Beneath the soaring dome of Mississippi’s Capitol building, lights shine on a small bust of a blindfolded woman meant to portray “blind justice.” But she could just as easily represent the 3 million citizens of this deeply conservative Southern state, where transparency and accountability often seem like little more than abstract notions.
Political candidates are free to raise unlimited sums here, and can spend that money largely as they choose, even for personal use. Both the legislative and judicial branches are largely exempt from the state’s open records law. The state ethics commission rarely uses its power to investigate public officials and does not make public all of the cases it does pursue.
Ouch. That was just the prelude. More harpoons are hurled in this piece.
In light of all that, perhaps it’s not surprising that the Magnolia State earned a score of 61, or D-, in the State Integrity Investigation, a data-driven assessment of state government accountability and transparency conducted by the Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity, placing Mississippi 33rd out of 50.
She takes more officials and agencies to task in her report. Read the rest of it here.
31 comments:
Every Mississippian is well aware of the corruption in this State. How do you think Thad got into office again?
Only 3 states scored higher than D+, 11 flunked. Gives you an idea of how screwed-up the whole country is, and how screwed the citizens are.
This is shocking...NOT!
A politicized state auditor's office, a legislative oversight mechanism with no real enforcement authority other than budget threats, and an ethics commission fraught with cronyism...is anybody surprised by this??
I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you!
Spending campaign funds as you please should be an absolute NO! That could easily be stopped. Any balance left in Campaign coffers upon losing office or death or moving from state, etc. should go into a fund of some type. Maybe homeless charity. This should also include those who are term limited and leave office. Cammpaign funds are not slush funds for the candidate/official.
"Only 3 states scored higher than D+..."?
Actually what that gives us is an idea of how screwed up this goofy survey was. Liberal progressives would have us believe all we need to do to reverse the trend is elect Bernard Sanders.
And there people all over Fondren and the heavily gated Clarion Ledger building who believe it.
8:55; Are you serious? "Any balance left"? Really? Pass that and see how quickly the balance disappears. Your last sentence could not be further from the truth. That's, in fact, exactly what they are.
My only dispute is that we're ranked 33 out of 50. This is yet another survey where we should be in the bottom 3.
"Political candidates are free to raise unlimited sums here, and can spend that money largely as they choose". Isn't THIS the problem with almost ALL politics in the whole country?
Somewhere along the line we decided that 'bribe' is the same as 'free speech' and the corruption has become endemic.
Just normal every day business in our govt. The voters demand their politicians be dishonest and the politicians are very glad to comply. Ask any voter about the person they voted for. You won't find a single one that is not a fine up standing person. Now ask them about the person running against their own politician. The lowest scum on the earth.
Many of the comments would be funny if the mindsets weren't the problem!
Instead of improving government and making corruption more difficult after years of Democratic control, the Republicans decided to be even worse and enrich themselves more.
This ain't race ( save that African Americans also tried to emulate the worst of the Bubbas as well). This is about a people who are so blinded by tribalism that they refuse to accept any member of THEIR tribe could be a crooked and if they are, it's because that's the norm!
Try fixing your own " clan" before casting stones. That might actually result in improvement!
10:08; It ain't about 'clans' any more than it's about 'race'. Everybody is lumped together in this cesspool-scenario or did you fail to pick up on that?
None of this is news to longtime JJ readers.
JJ. Totally off topic. Pretty sure I heard WLBT reporter covering Jackson Christmas parade on Sat.Dec.5 15 was sponserd by Salvation Army. Is this true? If so,does any one else have a problem with this?
What problem do you have with it 3:39 PM? Start there.
I have a problem with it. Here's why: If my donations are being used to 'sponsor' a municipal Christmas parade, I now know that their stated use of funds is a lie.
How's that 4:38?
Address it with the Salvation Army. Contact them directly. Then come back here with your findings, if you dare, for independent verification.
If he addresses with the Salvation Army and contacts them directly. Then comes back here with his findings he or she doesn't need independent verification does he ? And what does " if you dare " mean ?
Maybe the Salvation Army will sponsor the flowood parade next year.
WJTV says the Salvation Army is short of funds to help senior citizens. I think that's why people give money. Not to sponsor a parade!
Slopjar
the small busted woman that's blindfolded needs augmentation
Hats off to Feel, Feelip, and Tater for all their work to make the Executive and Legislative branches more transparent. If they keep up the good work, we might make an F+ next year.
The watchdog of Govt starts with the media. The media has failed at every level in this state. Rarely do they do investigative work, only reporting after an official announcement has been made. KF is the only outlet that is serious about investigation.
That goofy lookin' rotund man in the train conductor's outfit who runs the Salvation Army in the metro....he is always smiling when he talks. Whether he's talking about a disaster or the need for funds, smile, smile, smile.
I don't trust a man in a funny hat who is always smiling and never quite seems serious. And if he authorized Salvation Army funds to 'sponsor' a parade, I damned sure don't trust him.
Three blind mice.........Feel, Feelip, and Tater
10:29 am My argument is that everyone in this State is complicit.
Your " clan" is your group identifications and if a politician supports your group interests, you don't seem to care or notice if your politician's life style doesn't seem to match his income. You accept any excuses he or she makes.
When it comes to spending limited revenues in MS, you want to benefit regardless of what is needed to better the State as a whole. You are willing for dollars to go where they aren't as needed as long as they go to your county or your business interest or your alma mater, etc.
The bad mouthing Mississippians do about other Mississippians is bad publicity for the State but that never occurs to anyone. You make others not want to come here to visit and spend money or to invest in the State and then wonder why you can't generate more revenues within the confines of the State.
Your children leave for Nashville or Charlotte because there are not sufficient opportunities as you can't grow jobs if replacing people in existing jobs is what you are doing. Or, if new business is growing as the expense of old business, you are shifting jobs not creating new jobs.
You are not noticing that national business/professional entities are buying up local professional/ business entities and not the other way around.
You will hire a less qualified Mississippian over an outsider who might bring new ideas and new ways of doing things.
You hate change and fear change. You defend the past, glory in the past and then wonder why things don't get better. You do things the way you've always done them and think you're going to get a different outcome.
That's tribalism at work, buddy.
7:38 ...Professional educator? ...or arm-chair?
10:29 am My argument is that everyone in this State is complicit.
Everyone knows this, or should. They just think they are special and do not have to follow the rules they demand others live by. Maybe it is the lack of education, maybe it is the criminal mind set of people born and raised in Ms. Maybe it is the way parents raise their children. Maybe the lack of parents. Way too many people with their hand out not caring who has to suffer to give them a living.
I've got an even bigger story of corruption going on in State Gov't... too bad it likely won't see the light of day...
I still don't get the excitement over campaign funds.. Uh those aren't tax dollars, my friend. That's money from friends and relatives and/or those who wish to "be somebody" in state government (ie: Frontier Strategies). I personally don't care what Phil plans to do with the $1 million left in his fund after the next four years (as long as he pays taxes). That's on him and his financial supporters.
Campaign funds may not be tax dollars but politicians can't seem to be able to stop with stealing when they start, and they all start before being elected.
Post a Comment