CA: 8 Cities in Top 10 Unemployed

John Seiler:

What economic recovery?

Of the Top 10 worst cities for unemployment in the United States, eight were in California:

El Centro, Calif. 26.8 percent unemployed
Yuma, Ariz. 23.1
Merced, Calif. 18.7
Yuba City, Calif. 18.1
Visalia-Porterville, Calif. 16.2
Fresno, Calif. 16.2
Modesto, Calif. 16.1
Stockton, Calif. 15.9
Hanford-Corcoran, Calif. 15.3
Ocean City, N.J. 15.1

How depressing. Gov. Jerry Brown keeps yapping about raising our taxes and building a Moonbeam-worthy bullet train to nowhere. Meanwhile, back here on earth — specifically, Taxifornia — our people are suffering from among the highest tax rates, and definitely the most constricting regulations and worst government among the 50 states.

Here are the cities with the least unemployment:

Bismarck, N.D. 3.2 percent unemployed
Lincoln, Neb. 3.6
Fargo, N.D. 3.7
Burlington, Vt. 3.8
Logan, Utah 3.9
Midland, Texas 3.9
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, La. 4.3
Sioux Falls, S.D. 4.3
Ames, Iowa 4.3
Iowa City, Iowa 4.3

All of those are in relatively low-tax states. Sure, North Dakota is enjoying a petroleum-based boom. But California could, as well, if our enviro-crazies would let us drill more, especially offshore.

But we’re too good for that. “Dirty” jobs in mining and manufacturing are evil, especially in the above cities with the worst employment rates. We only want nice, clean jobs like those in Silicon Valley. If you’re not a millionaire at Facebook, or Apple, or Google, then get lost. Or stay here and go on employment and welfare, and get an EBT card.

— Feb. 1, 2012