'Who is the same as they were 2 decades ago?'

That is the question that Daryl Atkinson voiced when I interviewed him for my new Christian Science Monitor cover story, out last week on the fines and fees that strip already economically marginalized people of money. There is so much talk about wealth inequality, and I’m all for visionary conversations about reparations, guaranteed income, and other long overdue, paradigm-shifting policies, but also, can we just stop screwing people over?

There is a growing movement, in part led by those who have been directly impacted, such as Mr. Atkinson, that is fighting for what might be thought of as “fine print justice” – the repeal of government policies that, sometimes in hidden ways, ask the least financially secure Americans to subsidize government budgets.

Here’s an excerpt from the piece:

San Francisco became a critical testing ground for these insider repeal efforts on a wide range of topics. The city has eliminated administrative fees charged to people exiting jail and the criminal legal system, eliminated overdue library fines and cleared $1.5 million in outstanding debt from these fines, and eliminated San Francisco Public Utilities Commission fees to restore service for people who have had their water shut off – among so much else. 

The playbook is basically this: Talk to those most directly impacted by fines and fees, who can pinpoint which ones are giving them the most trouble. Follow the money (namely: What is the collection rate? And what does it cost the government to get that money?). Paint a picture of why fines and fees are a lose-lose so that both government insiders and sympathetic outsiders, like public interest lawyers, community organizers, nonprofit leaders working on immigration or incarceration, etc., understand. Finally, in coalition, push hard for reform. And once you get it at the local level, aim for state reform.  

Ms. Anne Stuhldreher began to get inquiries from government advocates around the country who wanted to replicate what she and her team were doing in San Francisco. That’s how the Cities and Counties for Fine and Fee Justice Bootcamp was born (virtually) in May 2020.

Read the rest here. And please let me and The Christian Science Monitor know what you think.

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And speaking of generational perspective, don’t miss last week’s Slate How To! episode where we kicked off a whole month of episodes about friendship—one of my favorite topics on earth. I got to launch it all with a discussion of intergenerational friendship. And this week’s episode is a really beautiful, brave exploration about how we can intentionally reimagine our friendships over time with Rhaina Cohen, author of The Other Significant Others. I can’t wait to hear what you think! Look out for a Q&A Friday with Rhaina…

And remember, if you have a question we can help out with send us a note at HowTo@Slate.com or leave us a voicemail at (646) 495-4001.

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Finally, for those of you who enjoyed the Q&A with journalist Nick Romeo in last week’s Examined Family, here is a listen. I interviewed him for City Arts & Lectures and we had a wide-ranging 30-minute conversation.