Jim Johnson (@MoreJimJohnson)

I don't doubt these stats, but I'm not willing to believe race is the reason. For decades there has been a recognized connection between poverty and crime, and I blame Democrat run inner city slums and a welfare state that gives the poor so much they have no incentive to be productive - and a disproportionate % of the poor are black. Case in point; food stamps. Showing my age, I guess - now it's called 'EBT.' Back when they were paper stamps when you were paying others in line knew you were poor. Now it's a card to swipe like any other. And you can use them for what I would call 'discretionary' items like chips, soda, steak, etc. The solution is to go back to paper coupons, and restrict what can be bought to necessary staples like bread, milk, cheese, etc. - like the WIC program does. The left likely thinks this "keeps them on the Democrat Plantation," and might even openly admit welfare pays people to not commit crimes, but you know what they say about "idle hands..."