Better Government Association

Report gives grim picture of integrity in our home state

By: Ken Larive
Originally published August 2, 2007

While traveling, I find that nearly everyone around the country looks at Louisiana as a joke when it comes to political assessment. Why?

In 2002, Chicago's Better Government Association released what it called "the first independent, comprehensive report on integrity in 50 states." Integrity here refers to an administration's ability to promote honesty in the operation of state government and affairs, and the actual strength of the legal system to bring justice and accountability to government officials.

At the time of this publication, a fellow by the name of Terrance A. Norton was the executive director of the association.

He is quoted in a report released by the Corporate Crime Reporter, Jan. 16, 2004, National Press Club, Washington, D.C., as saying: "In light of the recent scandals that have engulfed many institutions in the United States, one lesson has been drawn clearly. Loose standards, secretiveness and lack of accountability are a recipe for disaster. We wanted to determine which states are best prepared to fight corruption and which are vulnerable."

In the process of determining just what may be lacking in a state where corruption is rampant, five factors were revealed: one, freedom-of-information laws; two, whistleblower-protective laws; three, campaign-finance laws governing such as things as gifts and promotions from special-interest groups; fourth, monitoring of travel and "honoraria;" and fifth, conflict-of-interest laws.

According to a CCR survey of the United States, Louisiana is considered to be one of the four most corrupt states in the nation, along with Illinois, Rhode Island and New Jersey. The Justice Department's Public Integrity Section publishes an annual report that gives the number of actual prosecutions as well as convictions by federal investigative means. (Report to Congress on Activities and Operations of Public Integrity Section for 2002).

With corruption as the baseline, Louisiana comes in third with a CCR rating of 7.05. Mississippi comes in first with a 7.48, and North Dakota second with a 7.09. The least corrupt states in the nation were: Nebraska with 0.05, Oregon with 0.059 and New Hampshire with 0.86.

Should we be ashamed of Louisiana politics? You'll have to answer that. It's not so much that we're a national joke, but that we continue to put up with it. Collectively, Louisiana voters are in the proverbial Twilight Zone. Would you like to know how we rank in illiteracy? Could there indeed be a correlation? Only Mississ-ippi beats us there. Wow! We do shine!

Ken Larive worked in the oilfield here and abroad before he retired to run LeMarche' Antiques with his wife.