How local governments profit from poverty.

Years ago Walter Williams wrote a book called "The State Against Blacks" and that could easily have been the title of this amazing Radley Balko piece. If you want to see what local governments do to poor, mostly black, folks in St. Louis County just read this (it's LONG). It's terrifying. This, for me, is also some evidence of why I worry about decentralized government (even as I generally think it's a good idea). Here you have dozens of horrific fiefdoms, where the KC suburbs, with their larger municipalities, have much fewer problems. Interesting to ponder.

"Bolden or Morgan don’t advocate violence. But they understand the anger behind it. “Nobody knows what happened that day with Michael Brown and that officer,” Bolden says. But she draws a sharp distinction between outright brutality, which says is rare, and the every day harassment and degradation. “What happens every day around here is worse. It doesn’t matter if you’re walking or driving. You’re a target. Rioting isn’t right. But they just want people to know what’s happening.”"