Public corruption is one of the factors hampering social mobility in Illinois, according to a recent report. | Courtesy Washington Post
By Patrick Andriesen | Illinois Policy Institute
As if Illinois didn’t have enough issues with political corruption, now a report shows it helps keep disadvantaged Illinoisans from moving up.
Illinois’ culture of corruption has been so bad:
- It averaged one conviction a week for decades.
- The former and longest serving speaker of the Illinois House, Mike Madigan, is awaiting trial for corruption and some of his associates have already been convicted.
- Four out of 10 of the past governors went to prison.
- The state consistently ranks second-most corrupt in the nation as measured by number of federal corruption convictions.
- Chicago ranking as the most corrupt city in the country.
- Corruption cost Illinois taxpayers over $550 million a year, previous analysis calculated.
But hindering everyday Illinoisans’ efforts to pursue their version of the American Dream is an insidious cost. That’s according to an Archbridge Institute analysis of 21 countries that confirms Illinois is one of the most corrupt states in America.
It also points out how corruption hurts low-income people who most need to be empowered if they hope to climb the social ladder.
Read more here.