On the surface, a C minus grade for public accountability might not look like a good score for Connecticut. But it ranks the state third in the country.
The Center for Public Integrity examined data from all 50 states to compile transparency and accountability grades. Only three states scored above a D+: Connecticut, which placed third; California, which placed second also with a C minus; and Alaska, which came in first with its C grade.
The center points out Connecticut scores well in spite of being “notorious” for its corrupt past. (The other state that shares that similarity, according to the center, is Rhode Island, which came in 5th with a D+.) The report says, “In those New England states, scandals led to significant reforms and relatively robust ethics laws, even if dubious dealings linger in the halls of government.”
The report also said the state’s score dropped because of its fight over public financing. The report added, it “is just one sign of what good-government advocates and oversight groups say is a series of recent setbacks in the state’s efforts to finally shed its well-earned nickname, ‘Corrupticut.’ ”
Connecticut ranks first in the country for its pension fund management. Not so much for its financial viability but for the transparency of its investments among other factors. The state received two Fs: for judicial accountability and public access to information.
