Well, the State of Alabama has landed on another list of states. Here's the way our state historically ranks on "lists of states": If it's a listing related to good things (income, education, well-being, etc.) we're low on the list; if it's a listing related to bad things (income, education, well-being, etc.) we're high on the list. The particular list in question has to do with the most corrupt states, so guess what we are: a high-ranking state or a low-ranking state?

You got it! We're No. 6 on the list of the 10 most corrupt states in the United States according to "Fortune" magazine.

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong and Indiana University studied more than 25,000 convictions of public officials for violation of federal corruption laws between the years 1976 and 2008 to come up with the list. They also factored in patterns in state spending and came up with a "corruption index."

Here are your Top 10 most corrupt states ranked one through 10 based on researchers' findings: Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Alaska, South Dakota, Kentucky, Florida.

A couple of things kind of jump out at me in connection with this list. First, there is way too much representation in the Top 10 by southern states. Also, thinking back on the list I saw recently of the most religious states in the U.S., I believe Mississippi topped that one too and Alabama was in the Top 10 as well. So was Louisiana, and that's just what I can remember.

Question of the day: How can so many "Jesus" states; so many "Red" family values states; so many "Stand Up for America" states, also make their way onto the list of most corrupt states? Noodle on that one. The researchers who came up with this list also said corruption on the state level costs the Americans who live in the 10 most corrupt states an average of $1,308 per year. Also, the corrupt states, rather than putting their money into things like education, hospitals and health, favor putting money into corrections and police protection, salaries, construction and borrowing.

Those of you who don't want to think about such stuff - how come we fight gambling and still end up on a list of corrupt states; how come we pray about the godly men and women we send to Montgomery and they still end up doing time; how come we ask ourselves What Would Jesus Do and we ending up doing What Jesus Wouldn't Do - well, let me anticipate your response to this conundrum: Those people in Hong Kong always slant things against us.

Bob Morgan is a retired, award-winning journalist and author.