Only those (like me) with a close interest in the US economic scene will want to read all of this piece by Daniel Gross on the travails of SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt But this quote should interest everybody.

Pitt lacks the attribute most beneficial to a businessperson turned government official: go-to-hell money. In the private sector, having enough cash in the bank tends to liberate you to speak your mind. …. Sure, Pitt may have made $3 million a year as a partner at his old law firm. But that’s not big money. (Emphasis added)

A society where $3 million a year is ‘not big money’ is one where corruption among public officials is more-or-less inevitable.