Charlotte Makes It Big

Charlotte finally made the big time. We are #9 on a Forbes list! That's right. Charlotte is the place to be if you like...to be miserable! Charlotte is ranked 9th worst in misery in U.S. out of 150 metro areas. We are below Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and L.A., but we are above Atlanta, Cleveland, Baltimore, Boston, New Orleans, and any city you pick from New Jersey! It was based on Commute times, Weather, Unemployment, Superfund sites, Income tax rates, and Violent criume. Of course Charlotte disputes the violent crime rate used. Forbes took the figure from the FBI files' 2005 data where Charlotte has 838 violent crimes per 100,00 people and that that figure included the entire metro area-Anson County, Cabarrus County, Gaston County, Union County as well as Mecklenburg County. The leaders said that they should have used the figures from 2007 (which are not out from the FBI) which the Charlotte police department released last week showing a rate of 960 violent crimes per 100,000 people! Does that mean we would jump into the top 5? Is this the recognition as a "World Class City" that Charlotte is looking for?
Look at the income tax rates for Charlotte as well. The average per pays $2409 in local government taxes each year-the most of any city in the state, and yet we have the worst roads, leadership, school system (it has been ordered by the court system to provide better education for the children), and sprawl. We certainly get our money's worth.
Superfund sites include 8 of the 30 statewide sites, but the EPA has listed all but one of those as "under control." Makes me feel better and I can sleep like a baby knowing that EPA is on the job. I remeber when I lived in Raleigh that the EPA had abandon its office in the Research Triangle Park due to asbestos in the construction.
Congratulations Charlotte, you finally made the big time, and I am sure the way our leaders are taking us, we will easily be number 1 before the decade is over!