What's wrong with Rhode Island?

Operation Clean Government held a forum last Saturday where a panel attempted to diagnose what is wrong with Rhode Island. Everyone kept beating around the bush. No one mentioned voter apathy--and no one mentioned corruption (which I think leads to voter apathy). Why does corruption lead to voter apathy? Voters who constantly believe that nothing they do will make a difference will feel hopeless about changing anything and then just give up and become apathetic.