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View Full Version : We win again!


piece-itpete
03-03-2010, 01:20 PM
First in weather, first in misery...

http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/11/americas-most-miserable-cities-business-beltway-miserable-cities.html

Does a guy proud, I tells ya.


Pete

BlueStreak
03-03-2010, 02:06 PM
Congratulations!

Dave

d-ray657
03-03-2010, 02:12 PM
You're gonna make Grumpy jealous. Detroit only came in fourth. I tell ya, all those Michigan and Ohio cities on the list makes the Ohio State Michigan game a real grudge match. Overall, there was not much love at all for cities in the Rust Belt. Being in a state on the Great Lakes was not a good deal either. Kind of interesting that no place in the deep south made the list (considering Miami as as much East as South). Forbes must have taken anti-labor sentiment as a positive.

On a per capita basis, I guess that Missouri "held it's own" by putting two cities on the list. The Royals and Chiefs boosted KC up the list. The school system is in the process of dumping half of their schools, the mayor is a joke, and greed has screwed up the attempt to revitalize downtown.

In contrast, the KC suburb we live in, Overland Park, was rated a few years ago as the number one place in the country to raise a family. The Shawnee Mission school system is still good, but is struggling to overcome the effects of the religious right taking over too many spots on the state and local school boards. I don't think they ever gave in and taught "creation science." Housing prices have been very affordable, but have not been immune from becoming a bit too affordable if you are trying to sell or refinance.

Regards,

D-Ray

Boreas
03-03-2010, 02:23 PM
Kind of interesting that no place in the deep south made the list (considering Miami as as much East as South). Forbes must have taken anti-labor sentiment as a positive.

I'm thinking unions and taxes were factored in disproportionately as negatives. We are dealing with "Mr. Flat Tax" after all.

John

Boreas
03-03-2010, 02:27 PM
The Royals and Chiefs boosted KC up the list.

But the Indians, Browns and Cavs weren't even a factor for Cleveland? If lackluster teams like the Royals and Chiefs can help KC, why don't Cleveland's teams help it, don't even get an "honorable mention"?

John

Fast_Eddie
03-03-2010, 02:55 PM
I lived in Memphis TN for a year and a half. If it's only #2 I never want to visit #1. That is the most miserable hell hole I can imagine. Great experience for a kid at his first full time job. I really appreciate a place like Denver after that. Love it here.

finnbow
03-03-2010, 02:59 PM
I'm generally no fan of such lists, but reluctantly admit that quite a few of the listed cities are pretty lackluster locales (as are plenty others). I do like KC and Chicago though. I guess Memphis is the only southern city to make the list (other than Miami). It richly deserves this distinction IMHO.

piece-itpete
03-03-2010, 03:13 PM
Thanks Dave! WE'RE NUMBER ONE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE! Lol.

You're gonna make Grumpy jealous. Detroit only came in fourth. I tell ya, all those Michigan and Ohio cities on the list makes the Ohio State Michigan game a real grudge match. Overall, there was not much love at all for cities in the Rust Belt. Being in a state on the Great Lakes was not a good deal either. Kind of interesting that no place in the deep south made the list (considering Miami as as much East as South). Forbes must have taken anti-labor sentiment as a positive.

On a per capita basis, I guess that Missouri "held it's own" by putting two cities on the list. The Royals and Chiefs boosted KC up the list. The school system is in the process of dumping half of their schools, the mayor is a joke, and greed has screwed up the attempt to revitalize downtown.

In contrast, the KC suburb we live in, Overland Park, was rated a few years ago as the number one place in the country to raise a family. The Shawnee Mission school system is still good, but is struggling to overcome the effects of the religious right taking over too many spots on the state and local school boards. I don't think they ever gave in and taught "creation science." Housing prices have been very affordable, but have not been immune from becoming a bit too affordable if you are trying to sell or refinance.

Regards,

D-Ray

I was in KS for 2 weeks as a teen, worked landscaping while I was there. Seemed really nice. I don't remember the suburb I cut grass in but it looked like old money, street names embedded in the sidewalks at intersections etc.

I'm thinking unions and taxes were factored in disproportionately as negatives. We are dealing with "Mr. Flat Tax" after all.

John

But the Indians, Browns and Cavs weren't even a factor for Cleveland? If lackluster teams like the Royals and Chiefs can help KC, why don't Cleveland's teams help it, don't even get an "honorable mention"?

John

If you mean, if unions and taxes drove up production costs so high all the companies left town, which caused all these acres of empty buildings with no jobs and half the housing stock falling down in the city, then yes, they were a factor :)

The Cav are doing alright, but the Browns still cause a huge negative that, like the black hole of hope, suck all the happiness right out of you and leave a grey cold overcast feeling. Like our winters.

I lived in Memphis TN for a year and a half. If it's only #2 I never want to visit #1. That is the most miserable hell hole I can imagine. Great experience for a kid at his first full time job. I really appreciate a place like Denver after that. Love it here.

Just rub it in :) I guess come 'fest I'll be like, 'Gosh I love Detroit' lolol.

Pete

Fast_Eddie
03-03-2010, 03:29 PM
Just rub it in :) I guess come 'fest I'll be like, 'Gosh I love Detroit' lolol.

Pete

Are you in Memphis? I didn't realize Pete. No wonder you're such a bitter right wing nut job.

My first job was at WMC. It was a great job, and I had a lot of fun in Memphis (though oddly, don't remember a lot of it). But I sure was glad to leave. I was a kid at the time. We used to grab a case of beer and go explore the abandoned buildings. There was an old building on the river that used to be a brewery. I have some pictures of us poking around in there somewhere. Neat old building.

piece-itpete
03-03-2010, 03:32 PM
No, I'm #1!! Cleveland.

We used to go into abandoned buildings too. One was a big old 12 story, to get in we had to go up the fire escape. It was terrifying, half the bolts were broken, it would bang against the brick building on the way up.

Great times :)

Pete

Fast_Eddie
03-03-2010, 03:45 PM
No, I'm #1!! Cleveland.

We used to go into abandoned buildings too. One was a big old 12 story, to get in we had to go up the fire escape. It was terrifying, half the bolts were broken, it would bang against the brick building on the way up.

Great times :)

Pete

You know I grew up in Cincinnati. Now, I've spent a little time in Cleveland. It may not be the best city on Earth, but I'd take it over Cincinnati in a heart beat. Missed moving there by just a smidge. I had a pretty dang good offer to do what I'm doing here about a year before I got this job.

d-ray657
03-03-2010, 09:20 PM
But the Indians, Browns and Cavs weren't even a factor for Cleveland? If lackluster teams like the Royals and Chiefs can help KC, why don't Cleveland's teams help it, don't even get an "honorable mention"?

John

What I meant was closer to the top of the list of worst cities, which is a bit of an oxymoron. That is one list you don't really want to move "up" on. Considering their recent history, to describe the Chiefs and Royals lackluster teams is to heap undeserved praise upon them.

David Glass, who is (was?) also CEO of Wal-Mart has turned the Royals into a team that Wal-Mart shoppers can be proud of. (They're cheap)

Regards,

D-Ray

piece-itpete
03-04-2010, 08:17 AM
You know I grew up in Cincinnati. Now, I've spent a little time in Cleveland. It may not be the best city on Earth, but I'd take it over Cincinnati in a heart beat. Missed moving there by just a smidge. I had a pretty dang good offer to do what I'm doing here about a year before I got this job.

I shouldn't delight in our misery :) It's not a bad place to live, cost of living is low, folks are ok, and perhaps now that we're on the bottom, and the entire government is about to be tossed in jail, and we just passed a major overhaul of government to boot in response, there may be a comeback for the comeback city of the 80s.

I can see the ads: 'Need inexpensive polluted land and a cheap demoralized workforce for your company? Cleveland: We're open for business!' lol.

Seriously, a few years back our line was 'New York may be the Big Apple, but Cleveland's a Plum.'

But I don't wanna be a plum!

Pete