Illinois called 'petri dish' for corruption

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

A convicted former governor and scandals at Chicago City Hall earned Illinois the dubious distinction of "petri dish for corruption" at a national meeting of state prosecutors Tuesday.

The conviction last week of former Gov. George Ryan on federal racketeering and fraud charges was a backdrop for the National Association of Attorneys General's one-day summit in Chicago to talk about ways to stamp out public corruption.

"Illinois is apparently a petri dish for corruption. It is a real breeding ground," Illinois Campaign for Political Reform director Cynthia Canary told the group.

Big government means big corruption.