AMERICUS — Which state scores as most corrupt?

A recent study identified the most corrupt states in this country. Guess who is right down there at the bottom of the list with the worst score for government corruption of all the states. Do I need to tell you which one it is?

You'll find the information in the March 22 edition of the publication 24/7 Wall Street. Web address: http://247wallst.com/2012/03/22/americas-most-corrupt-states/3/

After running down a list of the worst states, the authors conclude as follows.

1. Georgia

Overall grade: F (49%)

Public access to information: F

Legislative accountability: F

Political financing: F

Ethics enforcement agencies: F

They write: "Georgia has the worst levels of corruption risk and lack of accountability of any state in the country. The state scored a D or worse in 12 of the 14 categories. The state’s biggest problem is the absence of a strong ethics enforcement agency. Republican governor Sonny Perdue managed to get an ethics bill through the legislature, but by the time it passed, his proposals to ban gifts to state workers and clearly define appropriate campaign spending had been stripped out.

"According to State Integrity reporter Jim Walls, while Georgia has provisions to prevent certain kinds of corruption in campaign finance and lobbying, the state is full of unaddressed loopholes and lax enforcement. About 2,000 Georgia officials, including one in five sitting legislators, have failed to pay penalties for filing their disclosures late, or not at all.”

Does anyone beside me think there might be a trickle down effect from the state level to the localities? Or should that be "trickle up?" Corruption is contagious. Fortunately, so is the opposite force. When high ethical standards are found at the state level it's because they are the norm in home towns and counties.

Business people tend to play it safe in public utterances, sticking to positive accomplishments, avoiding unpleasant realities. But outsiders looking at our state and our counties as possible business locations are not naive. They read. They are well informed.

If the 24/7 Wall Street article is a reliable source, Georgia has some serious house cleaning to do.

Michael Dixon

Americus



Lots of meanness in our nation today

I have been watching T.V. and reading the papers. There is so much meaness going on in our country today. No one has any respect for themselves or others. People are killing each other even killing and abusing little babies. All this is done and they are blaming it on parents. All I ever did bad, I didn’t want my parents to find out. When our government started telling us how we could raise our children and took the Bible out of our schools, this is the result. We all need to get on our knees and pray to God for His help. If we don’t get God back into our lives, we are doomed. Please get the Bible, read from Genisis through Leviticus, see how God has punished people for their evil ways. Then look at the world today. We have wild animals in our back yards; we have insects eating up our crops; we are experincing more and bigger floods. More and more storms and tornadoes are destroying lives and homes.

Don’t you think people should try to live as they should? Christ hung on the cross and shed His blood so everyone can get forgiveness for their sins. He’s only a prayer away, so why not talk to Him?

It seems we are experiencing more and more incurable diseases, too. Why not humble ourselves and ask Christ into our lives? He died so all sinners could be saved. Not just those who were already saved.

May God bless us and keep us.

James L. Wiggins

Americus