The Country's Shittiest City Is.....

[Johnny Running Shoes]

Add high rates of violent crime and unemployment to income taxes, commute times, weather and pollution and what do you get? Detroit.

By Kurt Badenhausen, Forbes.com
Imagine living in a city with the country's highest violent-crime rate and second-highest unemployment rate. As an added kicker, you need more Superfund dollars allocated to your city to clean up toxic-waste sites than just about any other metropolitan area.

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.

Measures of misery

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 seven-to-nine range for most of the past decade, but peaked over 20 in 1980.

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 in 2007, thanks to a top tax rate of 51% on personal incomes and 45% for employer Social Security.

But aren't there other things that cause Americans misery? Of course. So we decided to expand on the Misery Index and the Misery Score to create our very own Forbes Misery Measure. We're sticking with unemployment and personal tax rates, but we are adding four more factors that can make people miserable: commute times, weather, crime and that toxic waste dump in your backyard.


We looked at only the 150 largest metropolitan areas, which meant a minimum population of 371,000. We ranked the cities on the six criteria above and added their ranks to establish the Misery Measure. The data used in the rankings came from Portland, Ore., researcher Bert Sperling, who last year published the second edition of “Cities Ranked & Rated,” along with Peter Sander. Economic research firm Economy.com, which is owned by Moody's, also supplied some data.

And the, ahem, winner is …

Detroit in the top spot, with its sister city Flint ranked third, is probably not a great shock. "If Detroit were a baseball team, we'd say they are mired in a slump," says Sperling. Both Detroit and Flint have suffered tremendously from the auto industry downturn. Flint's plight was immortalized in the Michael Moore movie “Roger & Me,” which chronicles Moore's attempts to meet with then-General Motors Chief Executive Roger Smith.



Crime and unemployment are closely linked, according to Sperling. Our three most miserable places bear that out (Stockton, Calif., ranks second). All three are among the eight worst cities in terms of both unemployment and violent crime.

The United States' two biggest cities both induce a ton of misery. New York was the fourth-most-miserable city by our count, while Los Angeles clocked in at sixth. The Big Apple has the longest commute times (36.2 minutes) and the highest tax rates (10.5%) in the country. As the financial capital of the world and home to write-down kings Merrill Lynch and Citigroup, New York appears poised for more misery in 2008.

The people of La-La Land have some of the best weather in the U.S. (it's ranked seventh) but scored poorly when it came to commute times, Superfund sites and taxes. And we did not even factor in air quality, where Los Angeles is the worst in the nation by far, according to Sperling.

The 5 most miserable cities in the U.S.

Rank
City
Misery Measure*

1
Detroit
696

2
Stockton, Calif.
689

3
Flint, Mich.
675

4
New York
668

5
Philadelphia
648



*Misery Measures are derived at by ranking the 150 largest metropolitan areas on six criteria -- income tax, violent crime, Superfund sites, commutes, weather and unemployment – and then adding their ranks. For example, New York ranked worst (150th) for commutes, 150th for income tax, 99th for unemployment, 78th for number of Superfund sites, 105th for violent crime and 86th for weather, which add up to its Misery Measure of 668.


An ugly surprise

The biggest surprise on the list is Charlotte, N.C., which is ranked ninth. Charlotte has undergone tremendous economic growth the past decade, while the population has soared 32%. But the current picture isn't as bright. Employment growth has not kept up with population growth, meaning unemployment rates are up more than 50% compared with 10 years ago. Charlotte scored in the bottom half of all six categories we examined and ranked 140th for violent crime.

So take heart, Detroit, you are not alone. After all, misery loves company.

[codebluecary]

You forgot St.Louis,Missery,we lead the nation in murder,and meth!!!

[thebigother]

I wonder what Canada's list would be. Winnipeg would have to be number one. That place is a frozen shit hole.

[ChrisJones]

New Orleans must be in the top 10.

[little-kitty-kat]

Yeah yeah yeah.

Detroit's an easy fucking target. Fucked over by industry and politics, left half abandoned, burnt, cold and hungry. Not a job to hold, let alone find.

Need proof that the system doesn't work? Pay us a visit.

[xdipsomaniacx]

Not even God goes to Detroit on Sundays.

[batter10456]

Yeah yeah yeah.

Detroit's an easy fucking target. Fucked over by industry and politics, left half abandoned, burnt, cold and hungry. Not a job to hold, let alone find.

Need proof that the system doesn't work? Pay us a visit.

You mean, fucked over by competition from the Asian markets and American manufacturers not being able to compete on price.

[thebigother]

If only Henry Ford had clipped more coupons!

[batter10456]

If only Henry Ford had clipped more coupons!

If only they weren't "union shops," American auto manufacturers might be able to compete with the foreign cars. Most of the foreign cars are made on U.S. soil, yet they can make them for cheaper... hmm... and most of the foreign car shops aren't unionized. Go figure.

[xdipsomaniacx]

If only they weren't "union shops," American auto manufacturers might be able to compete with the foreign cars. Most of the foreign cars are made on U.S. soil, yet they can make them for cheaper... hmm... and most of the foreign car shops aren't unionized. Go figure.

Yeah, damn those Americans for not being willing to work for sub-minimum wage! If only Americans would be willing to work in sweatshops too, send their children even. Then everything would be better here!

[batter10456]

Yeah, damn those Americans for not being willing to work for sub-minimum wage! If only Americans would be willing to work in sweatshops too, send their children even. Then everything would be better here!

It is theory why the AMERICAN auto manufacturers. I believe CBS news did a story about how the American auto manufacturers cannot afford to meet pension requirements. Also, like I said, a lot of the foreign manufacturers have shops/factories in the U.S. that are not unionized. They can manufacture cars for cheaper than their counterparts. Also, they have a better quality product. Nice try to discredit what I said, but you are COMPLETELY off base.

[xdipsomaniacx]

It is theory why the AMERICAN auto manufacturers. I believe CBS news did a story about how the American auto manufacturers cannot afford to meet pension requirements. Also, like I said, a lot of the foreign manufacturers have shops/factories in the U.S. that are not unionized. They can manufacture cars for cheaper than their counterparts. Also, they have a better quality product. Nice try to discredit what I said, but you are COMPLETELY off base.

In following all of your posts, I now get that you want Americans to join the military to pay for college, cross their fingers that they live through the war, and then go on to work in non union jobs where they get no pension. Gee, I can't figure out yet why you don't rule the world.

[batter10456]

In following all of your posts, I now get that you want Americans to join the military to pay for college, cross their fingers that they live through the war, and then go on to work in non union jobs where they get no pension. Gee, I can't figure out yet why you don't rule the world.

Well, I am assuming you do not know anything about pensions, so I am going to have to educate you. Nothing new. See there are two different types of plans, defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans. The auto manufacturers, until recently used defined benefit plans, taking the whole cost of the pension for the employees. With a defined contribution plan, employees set aside a certain amount and the company matches. Also, you have to basically sign up... before they were giving it to everyone and was costing them too much. Especially since they cannot sell enough cars to justify the benefits they once gave. Go ahead, make another "smartass" remark. It just shows that you can't actually go after the substance.

[xdipsomaniacx]

Well, I am assuming you do not know anything about pensions, so I am going to have to educate you. Nothing new. See there are two different types of plans, defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans. The auto manufacturers, until recently used defined benefit plans, taking the whole cost of the pension for the employees. With a defined contribution plan, employees set aside a certain amount and the company matches. Also, you have to basically sign up... before they were giving it to everyone and was costing them too much. Especially since they cannot sell enough cars to justify the benefits they once gave. Go ahead, make another "smartass" remark. It just shows that you can't actually go after the substance.

Yup. I am a smartass. But then, you know what they say about smartasses....When cars sells for anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 and their manufacturers profit anywhere from $250 million to $900 million per quarter, and their CEO's make salaries that are in the triple digit millions.....well, at that point it's hard for me to understand why they can't pay a pension plan with or without the employees contribution.

[Alex666]

Yeah, damn those Americans for not being willing to work for sub-minimum wage! If only Americans would be willing to work in sweatshops too, send their children even. Then everything would be better here!

Of Course! Its all so simple.

[thebigother]

If only they weren't "union shops," American auto manufacturers might be able to compete with the foreign cars. Most of the foreign cars are made on U.S. soil, yet they can make them for cheaper... hmm... and most of the foreign car shops aren't unionized. Go figure.
Or you know, they could just produce quality products, they might also be able to compete. It's not the unions fault that nobody wants to buy crappy American cars anymore.

[batter10456]

Or you know, they could just produce quality products, they might also be able to compete. It's not the unions fault that nobody wants to buy crappy American cars anymore.

If you read further down, I did mention quality as well. I think the cost has something to do with as well. American cars are generally (depending on model/brand) much more expensive and have not even close to the same quality as foreign cars (that are made in the U.S.).

[batter10456]

Yup. I am a smartass. But then, you know what they say about smartasses....When cars sells for anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 and their manufacturers profit anywhere from $250 million to $900 million per quarter, and their CEO's make salaries that are in the triple digit millions.....well, at that point it's hard for me to understand why they can't pay a pension plan with or without the employees contribution.

I am glad they make so much. It really helps the shareholders! You are make quite large claims here.. especially with the CEO's make so much money. Are they actually making that or are there stock options as well? Also, how many employees does a major auto manufacturer have? Tens of thousands at least. Those are a lot of pensions... and pensions, in FOR profit are paid in years of making money... unless you can show me that they actually make what you claim, I don't believe it.

[thebigother]

If you don't believe that the CEO's of auto companies are making obcene amounts of money, then I have some magic beans to sell you.

[jonhomeowner]

Man, Detroit is the shittiest city in America?

Did they do a scientific study for that? Because I'm pretty sure they could've paid me 1/10th of the money they spent on it and I could have told you that.

[Johnny Running Shoes]

Man, Detroit is the shittiest city in America?

Did they do a scientific study for that? Because I'm pretty sure they could've paid me 1/10th of the money they spent on it and I could have told you that.

Well that study is over but...I'm going to send you to Akron Ohio to be our chief correspondent...bring back some rubber products.

[batter10456]

If you don't believe that the CEO's of auto companies are making obcene amounts of money, then I have some magic beans to sell you.

I want to see the data to support it... that is all.

[jonhomeowner]

Batter, ever hear of google? Because I did.

And guess what? I typed in "Ford", "ceo", "makes", and "money."

Guess what the second result was?

http://www.thetorquereport.com/2007/04/new_ford_ceo_pockets_28_millio.html

[batter10456]

Batter, ever hear of google? Because I did.

And guess what? I typed in "Ford", "ceo", "makes", and "money."

Guess what the second result was?

http://www.thetorquereport.com/2007/04/new_ford_ceo_pockets_28_millio.html

I shouldn't have to do the research when someone makes a claim.

Also, it doesn't look like triple digit millions that was claimed. When I am off this awful computer, I will look at the site.

[xdipsomaniacx]

I am glad they make so much. It really helps the shareholders! You are make quite large claims here.. especially with the CEO's make so much money. Are they actually making that or are there stock options as well? Also, how many employees does a major auto manufacturer have? Tens of thousands at least. Those are a lot of pensions... and pensions, in FOR profit are paid in years of making money... unless you can show me that they actually make what you claim, I don't believe it.

They have this new fangled thing. It's called google. You should check it out sometime. And let me tell you, I went all out. You can goggle everything from Ford quarter profits to Ford CEO salary. I feel like a damn genius! I even went so far as to do the same for other companies such as Honda & Toyota to compare. I wish reports were this easy when I was in school.

[thebigother]

I shouldn't have to do the research when someone makes a claim.

Also, it doesn't look like triple digit millions that was claimed. When I am off this awful computer, I will look at the site.
You also shouldn't have to do the research because it's COMMON FUCKING KNOWLEDGE that the CEOs of auto manufacturers make millions upon millions of dollars.

[batter10456]

You also shouldn't have to do the research because it's COMMON FUCKING KNOWLEDGE that the CEOs of auto manufacturers make millions upon millions of dollars.

He is an executive, he should be compensated as such... we have already had this conversation.

Also, as I read the article, he didn't really get all $28 million... he got $17 million. He got $11 million to get out of the Boeing contract.

[ChrisJones]

He is an executive, he should be compensated as such...

Yes and he should get a raise if he can figure out a way to get rid of those pesky unions, pay all workers minimum wage, get rid of those damn workplace safety regulations, the losers in human resources, and of course those darn benefits packages. By saving millions they can use that money to get himself another raise!

Hell, if the CEO from Cigna health care gets a private jet that costs 2 million per year to maintain and a 100M benefit package for laying off 65,000 people and moving their jobs to India, auto companies can too!

[ChrisJones]

Man, Detroit is the shittiest city in America?

Did they do a scientific study for that? Because I'm pretty sure they could've paid me 1/10th of the money they spent on it and I could have told you that.

So now the Homies and members of the "hip-hop" culture are wearing Detroit baseball hats because it makes them HARDCORE.

Need I say more?

[ChrisJones]

You also shouldn't have to do the research because it's COMMON FUCKING KNOWLEDGE that the CEOs of auto manufacturers make millions upon millions of dollars.


Daimler Chrysler:

Split up 3 billion dollars amongst 12 people.(ceo's)

Just one of those people(the highest paid and you can look him up easy) makes more money(about 400M per year) in wages than the COMBINED TOTAL OF ALL the workers below CEO level in the entire company. In fact, just one tier below CEO are Divisional Vice Presidents who yank in a measly 300,000 per year. Just below that are the scientists plant supervisors. One worker makes hundreds of thousands times the average of the company. Bad form indeed.

And that's just normal for companies operating in America.

Don't you people know this stuff?

[thebigother]

He is an executive, he should be compensated as such... we have already had this conversation.

Also, as I read the article, he didn't really get all $28 million... he got $17 million. He got $11 million to get out of the Boeing contract.

And you still have yet to explain what sort and how much work one should have to do earn such outrageous sums of money. Just like how you have yet to answer may other direct questions.

[xdipsomaniacx]

And you still have yet to explain what sort and how much work one should have to do earn such outrageous sums of money. Just like how you have yet to answer may other direct questions.

oh you mean like how he goes to school for free? Because ANYONE can do it. But he's not saying how. Not unless you pay $19.95 for his seminar :|

[batter10456]

oh you mean like how he goes to school for free? Because ANYONE can do it. But he's not saying how. Not unless you pay $19.95 for his seminar :|

Did I say anyone could go to school for free? Please point me to that... I said with hard work you can accomplish things. If you are going to try to inform people what I said, you should at least get it right.

[batter10456]

And you still have yet to explain what sort and how much work one should have to do earn such outrageous sums of money. Just like how you have yet to answer may other direct questions.

Does anyone really know how much work a CEO does? No... I am guessing not. They do have a lot of responsibilities, but you don't take that into account, I presume. Also, I am betting he works many of long hours, phone calls in the middle of the night etc. It comes with the territory. Also, he is liable for any lawsuit that comes up... and you know how great lawsuits are getting (torts).

[ChrisJones]

Does anyone really know how much work a CEO does? No... I am guessing not. They do have a lot of responsibilities, but you don't take that into account, I presume. Also, I am betting he works many of long hours, phone calls in the middle of the night etc. It comes with the territory. Also, he is liable for any lawsuit that comes up... and you know how great lawsuits are getting (torts).

Did a Billionaire suck your dick in a past life?

[batter10456]

Did a Billionaire suck your dick in a past life?

Like I said before... I believe that people should be able to keep the money that they earn. I sure as hell do not like when the government takes my money, why should they take more from people who make more? They work too, you know...

[Nips]

Does anyone really know how much work a CEO does? No... I am guessing not. They do have a lot of responsibilities, but you don't take that into account, I presume. Also, I am betting he works many of long hours, phone calls in the middle of the night etc. It comes with the territory. Also, he is liable for any lawsuit that comes up... and you know how great lawsuits are getting (torts).


much less responsibility than, say, a doctor. the only difference is that they arent incharge of peoples lives, theyre incharge of vast sums of money.

hardly seems like an ethical distrobution of wealth. hardly seems like theyre 'erning' it.

[batter10456]

much less responsibility than, say, a doctor. the only difference is that they arent incharge of peoples lives, theyre incharge of vast sums of money.

hardly seems like an ethical distrobution of wealth. hardly seems like theyre 'erning' it.

Why isn't an ethical distribution of wealth? If one of those major companies goes down, what happens in the short term? I wouldn't be surprised if most mutual funds have some sort of automotive company in there (to diversify). It was the same thing with Bear Sterns... they were too big to let fail. Therefore, they get paid large sums of money to make sure that they provide for their institutional investors, and that people earn an acceptable return for their pension.

Also, if you fail a company, you can be sued for it. Remember Enron? How many legal proceedings did the executives of Enron have to go through? Not all of them were criminal either...

[ChrisJones]

Their responsibility is to society to provide decent paying jobs and goods and services that people can use at a decent price.(assuming the workforce is paid enough to afford them, which, in the USA it isn't)

[ChrisJones]

Like I said before... I believe that people should be able to keep the money that they earn. I sure as hell do not like when the government takes my money, why should they take more from people who make more? They work too, you know...

The tax system is a two tiered system you know. The fact is, corporate lobby groups have fucked us considerably and continue to do so in the name of "free market" which isn't free when the system is rigged towards certain industries and economies. It certainly isn't much of a market when nobody can afford to buy anything.

There is the Priveleged Person's tax law and the Common Person's tax law. You can easily tell the two apart. When the wealthy and asset owners are asked to pay taxes it's labeled Class Warfare and when tax burden is put upon the non-rich it's called tax reform. Funny how the media spins all of this.

Taxes aren't so bad as long as everybody is paying equally. But unfortunately they are not and you and me are getting broker while a select few are getting richer.

Student loans, low income housing, the FUCKING GI BILL,(which led to the greatest economy the world had ever seen...and gasp...80 percent of workers were UNIONIZED!...), national parks, environmental protections, civic groups and clubs...all the product of taxes.

Again it seems rich people don't care about:
Ending child poverty, widening access to education, universal health care, affordable housing, basic workers rights...

Just look at the activities of these two groups I can name off of the top of my head and info I found on them that's publicly available for all to see:

Americans for Tax Reform(Americans for Tax Reform was originally founded inside the Reagan White House and later became officially independent. === ATR, in 1999, received major donations from Phillip Morris, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (a group represented by the controversial lobbyist Jack Abramoff), Microsoft, Time Warner, and Pfizer. Phillip Morris contributed $685,000, and the Choctaw Indians, $360,000. )

Citizens for a Sound Economy
(they lied to the public about having 250,000 donating members when it was discovered generously funded by a select few for-profit corporations in large chunks)

These are the voices of the very people that hike up your bills and lower your wages. Guess which part they funded, and you would never believe how much just those two have given...Instilling their selfish humanity-deprived values on our country and culture.

All to fight the EVILS OF TAXATION. Gimme a fuckin break. It's a joke. "Cheating the system" is turning your back on the very country that is giving you consumers, products, a $7trillion market, and patent protection laws.

Again, rich people have you for a sucker.

[little-kitty-kat]

It has to do with a lot more than just the auto companies.

It has to do with the fact that the entire city of Detroit was designed during it's largest growth period on the whims of Henry Ford. For instance: public transportation? Nope. Our train station, used primarily for industry, a beautiful twenty-seven story building with a lobby to rival Grand Central Station, has stood abandoned for twenty years. Why? Henry Ford wanted cars. There are no accesible trains or buses from the suburbs into the city because everyone was expected to have a car. And NO ONE could have predicted the sudden growth of the suburbs after the riots that burned a good portion of our blockage.

As a result we have the shittiest city in the nation and roughly eight miles down Detroit's main boulevard, good old Woodward, we have one of the richest and whitest suburbs in the nation: Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, and West Bloomfield. Everywhere in between the inner-city, the sorrounding ghetto(s) and the outlying ghettos are working-class suburbs.

Detroit was supposed to be a city where everything would feed itself. The workers would be fat and happy, with big wages, big benefits, and days off to spend their surplus cash. Cars would be cheap. Every worker would drive his to the factory. Gasoline was cheap (Thank you World War II). There were now free weekends. The city planners designed our city based on what best facilitated the industry.

It could have been any damn industry. What happened? Global competition. What happens with global competition? Somebody wins. Everybody else looses. Detroit was one of the loosers. What is created is one prosporous market and a whole hell hole of devastated ones.

So we started off with big booming industry, everyone was happy, it was great. Now? We have two of every five buildings in the city abandoned (I wouldn't be suprised if that number is higher now). We have the highest violent crime rate in the nation. One of the worst economies in the nation. Certainly one of the ugliest cities in the nation that was once the most beautiful. Increadible architecture is falling down, being knocked down, or being burnt down by citizens who don't want abandoned houses in their neighborhood turning into crack houses or hubs for gangs.

Yeah, sure, the auto industry in American made bad moves. But that isn't what created the Detroit we know now.

What created the Detroit that I live in today was the notion of building a city on industry while at the same time facilitating world trade on the federal level.