Dear Detroit,
I just wanted to let you know that I still love you. Even if Forbes does have this to say about you:
“Imagine living in a city with the country’s highest rate for violent crime and the second-highest unemployment rate. As an added kicker you need more Superfund dollars allocated to your city to clean up contaminated toxic waste sites than just about any other metro.
Unfortunately, this nightmare is a reality for the residents of Detroit. The Motor City grabs the top spot on Forbes’ inaugural list of America’s Most Miserable Cities.”
Sure, it’s true that maybe you don’t always have the safest neighborhoods. And sure, it’s harder than the dickens to find a job within your city limits. Certainly the abandoned buildings, boarded up houses, and empty plots filled with discarded mattresses and car tires aren’t the most visually appealing landscapes. But Detroit, oh Detroit, I’ve been all over your neighborhoods (safe and unsafe alike) and I’ve seen the tenacity, work ethic, determination, strength of the people living in your homes. I’ve marveled at the beauty in the eyes of those people as well as the groomed and ungroomed landscapes. And so, dear Detroit, while you may unwaveringly continue to top so many unsavory lists, I will stand by you and love you still.
Love always,
Elizabeth
dihard says:
Forbes’ Misery Measure determines the most miserable cities in the US. They are
- Detroit, Michigan
- Stockton, California
- Flint, Michigan
- New York, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Chicago, Illinois
- Los Angeles, California
- Modesto, California
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Providence, Rhode Island
The Misery Measure is a combination of the Misery Index, which is unemployment rate + inflation rate and the Misery Score, which is the sum of corporate, personal, employer and sales taxes. Then Forbes adds in other factors like “commute times, weather, crime and that toxic waste dump in your backyard.”
Mind you, Forbes only looked at only the 150 largest metropolitan areas (min population of 371,000).
