As Maryland legislators mull government ethics reform bills before the General Assembly session draws to a close, a new poll shows residents from around the state and in Baltimore specifically are concerned about corruption.
The data, gathered by the University of Maryland and The Washington Post, shows nearly three in five Baltimore residents feel corruption is a “big problem” among Baltimore officials. By comparison, only nine percent of Montgomery County residents felt that way about their government.
Marylanders: How big a problem is corruption in your county government?https://t.co/3f7tvMMlgg pic.twitter.com/u6pTSmHcLe
— Post Polls (@PostPolls) March 24, 2017
In state government, about a third of all Marylanders feel corruption is a big problem, with another 44 percent saying it’s a “small problem,” according to the poll published by the Post. Only 15 percent of those surveyed said they don’t think corruption is a problem in Maryland.
The data shed new light on how well Marylanders trust their elected officials as the General Assembly considers a series of ethics reforms. Gov. Larry Hogan publicly targeted corruption at the beginning of the legislative session in January. “We cannot allow a culture of corruption to grow and take root in our state,” he said on the State House steps on Jan. 19.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Ethan McLeod over Baltimore Fishbowl