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Corruption is a tough one - the day you play ball is the day you become part of "the system". Thing is as Cynthetiq said, sometimes the system works when it comes to financial success and just putting food on peoples' table.
So what do you do? If you feel horribly uncomfortable offering a bribe, you're probably a bit of an outsider. Main problem with being an outsider is knowledge - you don't know what you're getting into. That $500 could be as high as the stakes get or it could end up like some terrible mafia movie. Don't go into anything if you feel worried about your prospects for getting out without too much fuss.
Poke around, try to talk to some friendly who seems to succeed in the business. Learn and get curious without looking like you're snooping around. Go at the issue from three angles; the legal/bureaucratic, the political and the social. At some point those angles meet - that point is usually where the money is.
Sorry if that's a bit vague but you have to figure out each industry in each area like it's a damn rubics cube. What works in Sydney may not work in California. Lasty, don't tape anybody without their knowledge unless you're watertight legally (unlikely). Going to the press with a recording could open you up to litigation.
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