Sacramento's sorry rating on Forbes magazine index adds to region's misery (POd at Forbes)

Sacramento Bee ^ | February 10, 2011 | Anita Creamer

[Cincinatus' Wife]

When she learned that Forbes magazine last week named Sacramento fifth on its annual list of most miserable cities, Sacramento high school teacher Kari Bluff took to her blog to express her succinct reaction:

"Stuff it, Forbes," she wrote.

.....Judging from the insulted tone of online comments, blog posts, Facebook updates and letters to the editor, the Forbes list has hit a nerve with local residents.

"I hate to say it, but misery has a direct correlation to money," said Tim Hinsche, a 64-year-old real estate broker who downsized to a one-bedroom Sacramento apartment after the short sale of his Folsom home.

"I don't think Sacramento has any other drawbacks than the struggling economy."

Granted, Sacramento has taken hit after hit with high unemployment, the foreclosure crisis, furlough days, salary reductions and service cuts resulting from strapped state and local budgets.

But what seems to especially gall Sacramentans is the fact that the Forbes misery index purports to rate not only the economy but also quality of life issues like weather, crime rates and commute times.

So how could Sacramento – home of the dry heat and the relatively quick commute – possibly rank No. 5, while the magazine considers perennial problem spots like Cleveland (No. 10) and Detroit (No. 15) less miserable?

..."Quality of life is the main thing. There are a lot of people here who have their mortgages under control. Their lifestyle here is fantastic. I don't think most people in Sacramento think they're living a miserable life."

..."The whole Forbes presumption that any place in America is miserable based on economic statistics represents a bankrupt world view," said Sapunor, 30, who lives in South Land Park.

Snap! Take that, Forbes.

Sapunor even suggests the city should sue the magazine for civic slander.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

Every California city on that list, is now, always was, or has become recently, an armpit.

Fresno?
Salinas?
Stockton?
Merced?

Yuck. Those are all horrible cities. Complete armpit.

I really hate the way the liberals conquered all of the beautiful CA coastal areas where I would love to live, but can’t due to insane socialism/liberalism and over-crowding.

Coastal California must have been like heaven in the 1950s. It is virtually uninhabitable for me now.

[muleskinner]

All that maybe, but they still have Gunther’s Ice Cream on Franklin Blvd!

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

OK, I’ll give you that one. ;-)

Being serious, there are several good things about Sacramento and some of them came with the increased congestion. Better shopping. Better entertainment opportunities.

I just find the city unliveable. It went from a peaceful little non-descript cowtown with few reedeming values to a congested, rude, stressful big cowtown with few redeeming values and a LOT of downside.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

Just an observation...

30 years ago, Sacramento was a conservative government/military city and was not on any misery list.

Currently, Sacramento has never been more liberal, and is way atop the misery list.

Coincidence? I think not, Wilma. I think not.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Excellent observation!

When liberals run towns, they die a long, slow death.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Great rant....I cannot improve on it.

[SierraWasp]

"a job mowing loans"

I used ta have wunna dose, wen I was knee high to a grasshopper!!!(grin)

[SierraWasp]

Yet another great rant from the venerable, yet vulnerable... GRAMPA DAVE!!! (grin)

[tubebender]

The west side of Eureka has been been invaded by Group Homes (flop houses) for rehab of druggies plus section 8 rentals with more and more of the Oakland crowd. The older motels on 101 are drug dens with subsidized rentals via the “Welfare Dept” (Poverty Pimps). Eureka city schools have lost 30 to 40% of their students to charter schools and relocations to other areas where there is some work. They have closed 5 elementary schools and 2 Jr high schools...

[Grampa Dave]

Your area has been experiencing the dread Spotted Owl misery index for decades with the add misery index of a community opening its arms to the criminal element/druggie element and the illegal alien elements.

So the tax paying parents and worker bees take their kids out of public school and go to charter schools or move out of the area.

“The west side of Eureka has been been invaded by Group Homes (flop houses) for rehab of druggies plus section 8 rentals with more and more of the Oakland crowd. The older motels on 101 are drug dens with subsidized rentals via the “Welfare Dept” (Poverty Pimps). Eureka city schools have lost 30 to 40% of their students to charter schools and relocations to other areas where there is some work. They have closed 5 elementary schools and 2 Jr high schools...”