Outlandish municipal salaries have focused national attention on Bell and some neighboring cites. Possible corruption is under investigation by county, state and federal officials. But the real power in those cities may not lie in City Hall. Criminal gangs and drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia are able to operate freely, and there may or not be a connection. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, opposition to Islamic mosques is not confined to New York City. Elsewhere it's focused not on September 11 but on the Muslim religion. Are there parallels in American history? What are the consequences for the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom?
Banner image: During a news conference on July 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California Attorney General Jerry Brown says his office has issued subpoenas for hundreds of employment, salary and other records from the city of Bell, as part of an investigation into the hefty salaries being paid to top administrators and elected officials. Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images