California and Florida: How the mighty have fallen

Okay, another Forbes Magazine "top" list, this one for "America's Most Miserable Cities".

Forbes does seem to go on and on with these rankings each week, don't they?  But hey, it's gets them lots and lots of viewership and re-quoting.

First, let's point out for Tony that KANSAS CITY IS NOT ON THE LIST.  Far from it.

But what's much more important and notable is who is most prominent on the list:  that is, California and Florida.

Remember back, a decade or two ago, when these 2 states were always the "best of the best" and where everyone either wanted to live or wanted to move to or to retire in, one day, if possible?

Yeah, I remember that, too.

Not anymore.

California has more cities than any other state on the list, with 5 (Stockton, CA 1, Merced 3, Modesto 4, Sacramento 5, Vallejo 9) while Florida is number two in this bad quantity with 2 cities on the list (Miami at number 2 and West Palm Beach in the number 8 slot).

Only 3 midwestern cities--Memphis, Tennessee at number 6, Chicago, Illinois, no. 7 and Cleveland, Ohio at number 10.

It used to be thought and assumed that California was heaven on Earth and that, naturally, no one would ever want to live anywhere but there.  Florida?  Pretty much the same.  It wa the "any place with palm trees" thought, you know?  If you have to live and work somewhere, why not someplace with a mild climate (and, in the case of California, mountains and beaches and desert, etc.)

It's a topsy-turvy world we live in out there, isn't it? 

Let's hope it doesn't get any more topsy or turvy than it already is.

Have a great day out there, y'all.

Link to original story:  http://www.forbes.com/2011/02/02/stockton-miami-cleveland-business-washington-miserable-cities_slide.html?partner=yahooree