The Conservative Cave

Current Events => Politics => Topic started by: formerlurker on February 17, 2011, 02:01:32 PM

Title: States to be rated in corruption index
Post by: formerlurker on February 17, 2011, 02:01:32 PM

Quote

MASS. TO BE RATED IN CORRUPTION INDEX
The spike in public corruption in Massachusetts has garnered headlines for months now and stirred the Legislature to pass reforms in the areas of ethics, campaign finance, lobbying and pension laws. Both the corruption itself - the indictments of the last three House speakers for instance - and the public policy responses will be weighed in an upcoming risk analysis of corruption in all 50 state governments in the United States. The Washington D.C-based Center for Public Integrity announced Thursday that it plans to hire part-time reporters in every state capitol to help them rank the states for susceptibility to corruption. The State Accountability Project will be paid for with a $1 million grant from the philanthropic investment firm Omidyar Network and $500,000 from the New Jersey-based Rita Allen Foundation. The grants were received by the Center for Public Integrity, Public Radio International and Global Integrity. According to the center, the journalists will assess the existence and effectiveness of anti-corruption and government transparency measures, including political financing, civil service management and state budget processes. The project will feature online data and reporting. Public Radio International plans to use its 880 partner stations and social media to spread the word about the project and its results. "If we hope to stop corruption, people need to be invested and involved," Michael Skoler, PRI's vice president of interactive media. "We live in a new media world where people, not simply reporters, can and must be watchdogs for honest government."

http://66.105.150.70/cgi/as_web.exe?REV2011+D+1924247


This should be good.