CA suffers 3 of 8 “most miserable” cities

Feb. 23, 2013

By John Seiler

In Forbes’ new ranking, three of the eight “most miserable” cities in the United States are in California: Modesto (No. 5 worst), Vallejo (No. 6) and Stockton (No. 8). Cities were graded on such factors as “crime rates, foreclosures, taxes, home prices, commute times, weather and decreasing populations.”

The “most miserable” city on the list, not surprisingly, is Detroit, Mich. For 50 years it’s been run by the kind of left-wing, socialist Democrats who now run the whole state of California. Before 50 years ago, Detroit was the industrial wonder of the world, the richest city on the planet because of the auto industry — the “arsenal of democracy” during World War II.

No. 2 “most misderable” is Flint, Mich., another formerly prosperous, car-industry city ruined by left-wind Democrats.

Michigan also placed Warren on the list at No. 7.

But we shouldn’t let Republicans off the hook. Michigan produced two of the worst governors of the modern era, George Romney (1963-68), father of Mitt. Gov. George more than doubled spending in just six years while imposing the state’s first income tax. Far from “helping” poor people with all his socialist programs, his policies sparked the 1967 riots that burned down a large part of Detroit, which never recovered.

His successor was Gov. Roger Milliken (1969-1982). I remember getting out of the U.S. Army in 1982 and returning to my home town of Wayne, Mich., just outside of Detroit, and unemployment was 16 percent. There were no jobs, so I left. True, the U.S. economy was suffering then. But Milliken had made everything worse.

And California, of course, was misgoverned for seven years by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s now confirmed that he’s a cyborg sent from the future by Skynet to destroy California, and with it any hope our high-tech economy will be able to fight back.

Gov. Granholm

Back to the list:  Illinois also had two in the top eight worst: No. 3 Rockford and No. 4 Chicago.

Note that all the states with cites among the top eight “most miserable” long were run by liberal Democrats backed by powerful unions. Michigan now has a fairly conservative Republican governor and state Legislature. But for eight years (2002-2010) it was run by liberal Democrat Jennifer Granholm, who although born in Canada was raised in California’s Bay Area. She boosted Michigan taxes and increased regulations.

And she’s back here taking our money again as a “distinguished visiting professor of law and public policy” at U.C. Berkeley.

Does California really need lessons in bad governance?

For the three Golden States on the list — Modesto, Stockton and Vallejo — matters actually are worse than listed. A major factor in the list is “weather,” which is pretty good in those cities. I lived through 22 Detroit winters and there’s no way any California city is as bad. And the weather’s bad in Illinois, too.

So if weather were taken off the table, those three California cities would be pushed higher in the “most miserable” ranking.

Although at least if you’re out of work and homeless, you’re unlikely to freeze to death on the street. And your governor likes to quote classical authors and zen sayings. It’s something.