Someone Will Pay the Police

I would add that a cash economy like Mexico is a gold-plated invitation to tax avoidance. With not enough coming into the treasury, local, state or federal (and what little that comes in too often finds its way into well-connected pockets), it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to provide basic services, like paying police what they deserve. Who wants to risk his life daily for not much more than minimum wage? I have no idea how to fix this in any practical way.

Someone wrote a book many years ago about the differences between efficient and inefficient corruption. He said that there will always be corruption, and we all have to live with that. But with efficient corruption, that is corruption that is not too pervasive, government will still be able to function and provide basic services. If corruption gets too far out of hand however, then potholes go untended, police aren't paid well enough, bad things snowball and get out of control, and civic life becomes much more difficult. And that kind of corruption at the government level filters down to street level, making life even more challenging. Inefficient corruption. Seems like that fits Mexican culture pretty accurately.