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David Seifman of the New York Post obtained city records to show that “more city workers are commuting in their government-owned cars, despite Mayor Bloomberg’s boast that his administration is slashing spending while maintaining services.” The number of civilian NYC employees who commuted in their city-provided cars increased 11 percent from 2003, even as the…
Read MoreJerry Mitchell of The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger reports that the Hinds County judicial system “at times resembles an elephant balancing on toothpicks. A yearlong investigation by The Clarion-Ledger has uncovered many long-term problems that have not been addressed.” The county had fewer prosecutors and fewer indictments in 2004 than similar-sized cities. “Between 1998 and 2003, the…
Read MoreJ.M. Kalil of the Las Vegas Review-Journal used local property records to find that the grandson of a former Las Vegas mayor has been able to quickly profit from land deals that may have involved inaccurate appraisals. Scott Gragson “has obtained a total of 104 parcels in 20 land exchanges with the county. In each…
Read MoreDave McKinney of the Chicago Sun-Times obtained a list of state politicians who have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the top-ranked University of Illinois basketball team’s games at face value. “As demand for Illini tickets has rocketed off the charts, the university has dispersed more than 2,000 tickets to its trustees, dozens of state…
Read MoreJim Schoettler of The Florida Times-Union used state records to show that auto repair shops in Northeast Florida were the subject of nearly 600 complaints since 1999. “Hundreds more are fielded by local agencies and the courts, while countless others are reported to the shops. No one knows how many people who suspect they’ve been…
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