Tangentially related--worth the time to read it:

Mississippi is the most corrupt state, with North Dakota and Louisiana a close second and third, respectively, according to a report released Friday by a D.C.-based legal newsletter.
    The Corporate Crime Reporter based its findings on public corruption convictions per 100,000 people in the 50 states from 1993 to 2002.
    The statistics were drawn from annual reports by the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, which charts federal prosecutions and convictions of public officials nationwide.
    Public corruption takes on a range of forms, perhaps the most prominent being misuse of taxpayer money by elected officials and acceptance of bribes.
    The corruption report comes as scandals break nationwide, said Russell Mokhiber, CCR editor and the report's author.
    He cited the recent indictment of ex-Illinois Gov. George Ryan on federal racketeering, fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from accusations he took money, gifts and loans in exchange for state contracts.
    "We need not just strong economies, but strong political economies — reporters, citizen groups, prosecutors, judges, religious leaders — who are willing to speak out about the rampant corruption in our midst," Mr. Mokhiber said.

More at:  http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040118-114320-9103r.htm