2022: California Whites Act To Keep Black Neighbors From Moving Out

Ok, so I have to admit that the title is a bit misleading. If you came here looking for a Kumbaya story, you will be disappointed. Residents, in a county that voted 74% for Donald Trump, are suing the state of California to stop the state from closing the local prison, which the state does not need due to declining prison populations. It’s about money, not race; but it’s still funny.

Read the NYT article here: https://nyti.ms/34CktWI

It tells the story of a town in northeast California called Susanville. Susanville’s residents are fighting to prevent the state from closing their local prison, which houses a population that is 72% “black” or non-white Hispanic. California has made a decision to close some of its prisons, and the local one is on the list.

The townspeople are really concerned about losing the jobs that the prison supplies. It seems that prison jobs replaced the jobs that were offered by other “dying” industries in the late 60s. When the prison closes, it is likely that the local economy will collapse.

Minority prisoners, many of whom cannot vote, are counted in the census numbers to give the “white” residents who guard them, and whose prosperity depends upon them being imprisoned, more political power and more free money from the state.

But there is more. Sunnyvale will not only lose local jobs. Because the prisoners are counted as residents in the census, Sunnyvale will lose political representation, pandemic relief funds, and even state money to fix roads. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. Minority prisoners, many of whom cannot vote, are counted in the census numbers to give the local residents who guard them, and whose prosperity depends upon them being imprisoned, more political power and more free money from the state. There is no way to make this look better. The incentives are unintentional, but perverse.

You really cannot make this stuff up!