Providence 10th worst? You've got to be kidding
Over at Anchor, Marc seems to have been first with the news that Forbes is calling Providence the 10th most miserable city in the United States.
Misery is defined as a state of great unhappiness and emotional distress. The economic indicator most often used to measure misery is the Misery Index. The index, created by economist Arthur Okun, adds the unemployment rate to the inflation rate. It has been in the narrow 7-to-9 range for most of the past decade, but was over 20 during the late 1970s.
There also exists a Misery Score, which is the sum of corporate, personal, employer and sales taxes in different countries. France took the top spot (or perhaps bottom is more appropriate) with a score of 166.8, thanks to a top rate of 51% on personal incomes and 45% for employer Social Security.
Back to Marc's post:
Here is the top Ten:
- Detroit, MI
- Stockton, CA
- Flint, MI
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Chicago, IL
- Los Angeles, CA
- Modesto, CA
- Charlotte, NC
- Providence, RI
This Forbes' compilation is utterly stupid. Yes, Rhode Island has dire challenges, and Providence suffers from terrible poverty, among other problems. Yet to call Providence, as well as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Charlotte, among America's most miserable cities is ridiculous.
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Move over to Prarie Ave. or Manton Ave. from your millionaire's perch on the East Side and you will see what a Third World sewer the city has been turned into by progressives. With ever higher taxes driving out the productive class all that will be left is the rich lunactic progressives and the Third World mooches.
Call it Deeeeeeee-troit East.
Hey Ian-remember your hagiography on Looney Left Liz and her miracle health plan she would be introducing in "January"? Well look at the fucking calendar. I guess that's another leftist hypocrisy we won't be seeing covered by your brand of "journalism".
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More proof that they just look for any excuse to blame poor people for their own pathological hatred of Rhode Island.
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From the Forbes article:
"Only New York City fares worst than Providence when it comes to income tax rates."
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Well that part is WRONG. Both Modesto and LA as well as Stockton have a 10.3% income tax as they are in California, the "gold medal"- we are only the silver-though that may change soon.
All in all, it is no surprise to see Providence metro ranked right along with those other progressive run, third world infested sewers like NYC, Chicago, LA, Modesto, Flint, Philly and the king-Deeeeeee-troit. The real RI Future.
Upon re-checking the figures, while California has the "gold medal" for incomes over $1 million, RI has the "honor" of that job stifling title for incomes between $336K and $1 million. So the Forbes figures are right. Congratualtions progressives!!!
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i've lived in different parts of the country and i've been in providence 24 years-i can't see it as being 10th worst-anyone been to rockford,IL or lawrence,MA recently?and the list could go on ad nauseum-however there has been a decline in some areas like chalkstone avenue since the 80's that is undeniable-and it's not just poverty-gang activity and a drug trade that's as hard to control as the flu are a big part of it-the east side and college hill is another world-they don't get it because they only see what they want to-i live in a middle class neighborhood that hasn't changed much-the complexion has changed from mostly white to mixed,but it's the same kind of people -taxpaying homeowners who are productive-ian -you and your friends like to accuse people of being mean spirited because they get sick of shelling out more taxes for less services and for the benefit of people who have better things apparently to do than work-did it ever occur to you that most middle class people have people in their own families who might need help?that the economy has affected more than just the poverty institute's noble poor people?i can never forget some years back when i worked at lincoln park,that i saw a bunch of people who had been at an ACORN demonstration run by henry shelton protesting gas prices sitting at slots still wearing their ACORN buttons-they could've saved some for the gas bill-i grew up in a poor neighborhood-blue collar all the way,but everyone had two parents and no one hung out all day waiting for a handout-how much tax does david segal pay?i'd love to see his return-what i don't need is being preached at by inherited wealth fops like sheldon whitehouse and patrick kennedy on the one hand and the professional activist/advocates like jerzyk,burdick,brewster,malcolm on the other-how about the novel idea of not living beyond one's means-abuse of credit is a personal problem that i believe is for the abuser to solve,not someone else-should we punish people who become doctors because "they make too much"?next time you're REALLY sick go have an entertainer or athlete treat you-or maybe a politician-people who do something useful deserve more than those who live as parasites-you have a problem with that?
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Note that Providence caught the national eye for its problems before the worst effects of the budget problems have been applied. How will Providence rank when the state budget deficit is $500 million (and Providence's has similarly increased)?
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Why make an honest effort to bring all parties together to solve the budget crisis? Blaming the media and progressives (who hold none of the cards in Rhode Island) is so much more con-veeeeee-ient.