Marvallo is not a safe place to live

It only seems less dangerous because the only time Bern's spent in Marvallo has been in the good neighborhoods, protected by badass former gang leader Polly. But it's not like Marvallo doesn't have villains. There's just no reason they'd appear out of nowhere. Bern would have to actually go to a ghetto before we'd see the true reality of Marvallo. And that might not even happen. But the ghettos are implied to be lawless lands of complete anarchy where anything goes. Which is why she wouldn't go back there barring the plot demanding it. Polly even gave a speech about how she became an Enforcer exactly [i]because[/i] the place is implied to be rife with crime and villainy.

There's also the fact that Iscariot has real freedom and personal responsibility, in contrast to the deluded Marvallians enslaved to paying dues out of fear who like to brag about freedom they don't actually have. The price of freedom is, of course, that the land is slightly more dangerous. However, had Solstice accepted the Phalanx, the collar would've been neutralized from the get-go. And both Clairen and Bloody Mary just happened to be in Iscariot, because that's where the comic was set at the time. Bonespiria is crazy and misguided, but not a villain, and like the previous two, her status as an outcast is nothing more than the product of the rogue god-tier sorcerer known as the Thin Man. In that regard, it's the Thin Man who's dangerous, and not Iscariot as a whole. As for Danzig, he's also a case of the Thin Man just happening to be in Iscariot. Noventia's villainy taking place in Iscariot is also a matter of the comic's setting, since laws against violence wouldn't have stopped the clearly psychotic housewife from killing Seraph, who wasn't even "dangerous" or a villain to begin with.

The point is, the enemies in Iscariot weren't a direct result of its culture or law, while Ron Paul refusing to help Grant is, in fact, a direct result of Marvallo enforcing a "money or else, Enforcers or chaos" way of living. In Marvallo, it's the fundamentals of their economy that are dangerous to everyone, and not just some random thug. Which should be even more worrying to any objective reader. The people paying dues in Marvallo attain safety and happiness at the cost of sacrificing their freedom and propping up an oppressive regime geared towards making the wealthy wealthier while condemning the poor to rot away and die in "bad neighborhoods". At least in Iscariot, people don't have to fear that certain death isn't one missed paycheck away. That in and of itself makes Marvallo a far more risky and dangerous place to live, unless you're a wealthy entrepreneur providing an invaluable service like healing. But then again, since you don't have government subsidized sorcerers around to keep the peace, some thug like Bern can still rush in and mess everything up. The peace in Marvallo is...well, it's nothing more than an illusion that's easily shattered the moment a one of the main characters dares to draw a weapon. Marvallo is a lie.

That's why it really is a wonder that people stay there, pay their dues, and risk living a safe, happy life in a land where not being able to make money might as well be a death sentence, unless you risk your life to become a thug by joining a gang, risk your life to become an Enforcer so that you get paid for oppressing others or leave Marvallo for Iscariot, where the Phalanx and the local state subsidized law enforcement agency will have your back, as well as any good samaritans who, by virtue of living in glorious Iscariot, will have the luxury of assisting you without having to use your predicament as a means of extorting money out of you.

Two of those scenarios endanger the person's life, while the last is still a demanding feat if you're already a broke and destitute person who's hit rock bottom. I mean, it's not like Iscariot is an fortress state whose border you can't sneak across. And they're not a heartless, xenophobic bunch dedicated to deporting all the Marvallians. At least, the comic hasn't shown it to be that kind of place. It's also not an ocean away. With as much success as Bern and Clairen had after leaving Marvallo, and the ensuing conflicts being avoidable if it weren't for the cast's chronic hero syndrome, why would anyone who wants a safe and happy life live in Marvallo? Except for the wealthy, the Enforcers, and the criminals, of course, since they only make up a portion of Marvallians and luck, courage and a love of lawlessness aren't things a person can just learn. But the only good reason to live in Marvallo is if you're a lucky SOB, a badass warrior or a violent criminal. But since the ghettos have no laws, there's still no guarantee they'd be havens for criminals since a Phalanx or Enforcer could come in and kill everyone without consequence. In that context, it's not even a good place to be for violent anarchists, as they'd have no protection from government goon squads.

There being no reason to live in Marvallo is especially true for those in the ghettos that can't afford Enforcer protection, like Bern and Clairen. Oh wait, they did leave Marvallo, and didn't go back even after becoming badass swordswomen. Why don't the rest of the poor Marvallians do the same? Unless they already did, and there's nobody left in the ghettos except scum and villains.

Suffice it to say, Marvallians aren't exactly the most sensible bunch, if they prefer a risky way of living that's the exact opposite of the beliefs they claim to hold.