Worst Run Cities and Missouri Takes a Hit

There's another one of those "Best in America" and "Worst in America" lists out on the interwebs this week and once again, Missouri takes a hit. Here you go.

Worst-run cities in America

To start, neighbor Topeka is on the list at 48.

The bad news? Kansas City, Missouri is on the list. The good news? It’s in the bottom half at 42

KCK, however, is in the top half and very nearly in the top 10 at 13.

And side note, once again, they show a picture of KCMO when trying to represent the cities.

Makes one wonder about the scale they use.

Anyway, other rather comparable notables from here in the Midwest:

Indianapolis #46
Nashville 43
KCMO 42
Wichita 38
Tulsa 34
Ft Smith and Little Rock, 30 & 29, respectively
Chicago 25
Memphis 9
Toledo 8
Gary IN 7
Flint MI 5

But dang.

St. Louis.

What a ranking. 

Check this out.

2nd worst in the nation at number 2 for worst run city. 

 Ow.

Worst----Detroit. Not a shock.

The flip side?

Best-run cities in America

Las Vegas 47
Washington DC 46
Denver 44
Minneapolis 40
Des Moines 39
St Paul 37
Cedar Rapids 23

New York 16

Lincoln NE 14

Number one belongs to Huntington Beach, CA, which is outrageously unfair. Mountains, ocean, beaches, great weather, all that and well run, too.

Disgusting.

One of Missouri's Biggest Cities Takes a Hit

An article hit the interwebs early yesterday.

These 5 Cities Have Lost Half or More of Their Populations Since 1950

And sure, I figured Buffalo, New York might be on there.

And Pittsburgh.

And Cleveland.

And very likely Detroit, and maybe it at number one.

But check out what major American city was, in fact, in the number one spot on this list and has lost half or more than half of its population since 1950

What the report had to say--

1. St. Louis

> Decline from 1950 decade peak: -64.7%
> 1950 population: 856,796
> 2018 population: 302,838

With a population of 856,796, St. Louis was the eighth largest city in the country in 1950. The city’s population has steadily declined since then to just over 300,000 in 2018, ranking as only the 64th largest city in the United States. Like other cities with long-term population declines, adverse socioeconomic conditions are prevalent in parts of St. Louis. East St. Louis, for example, is far and away the most dangerous city in Illinois and one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Also, one in four people living in St. Louis live in poverty, well above the national poverty rate of 14.6%.

While St. Louis may not be booming, certain aspects of the city do show signs of renewed prosperity. Relatively high immigration from Asia has helped offset some of the out-migration. The city’s sports teams, the Cardinals and the Blues, do very well, which can help support population and economic growth. And, plenty of universities and large companies still operate and thrive in the city.

That’s depressing.

And sure, it's not Kansas City but hey, it's Missouri. It still hurts.

Entertainment Overnight -- Heatwave

Notes on "America's Most Dangerous Cities"

The online blog site, 24/7 came out with their annual list of "America's Most Dangerous Cities" at the end of last month, and it's pretty interesting. Their data is compiled from the FBIs own list. There some interesting points in and on it, worth noting.

Let's start with a bit of their overall data:

24/7 Wall St. reviewed violent crime rates in major U.S. cities from the FBI’s 2015 Uniform Crime Report. Violent crime includes all offenses involving force or threat of force and are broken into four categories: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. For every 100,000 U.S. residents, 372 of these crimes were committed in 2015.
Then, some notes.

First, unfortunately---and no surprise, really---Kansas City is on it. Second thing to note about it, we were in the top ten, too.

10. Kansas City, Missouri
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,417.3
> 2015 murders: 109
> Poverty rate: 19.4%
> Unemployment rate: 5.5%

While the nationwide violent crime rate rose by 3.9% in 2015, the increase in Kansas City was far more dramatic. With homicide and aggravated assault rates surging, the city reported a 14.4% spike in violent crime last year. Crime in the city is up even more from five years ago. The city’s violent crime rate increased by 21.2% from 2011 through 2015, even as the nationwide rate declined by 0.7% over that period.

Not good.

In fact, we, Kansas City, were worse on this list than Washington, DC (15), Indianapolis, Indiana (13) and Stockton, California (12).  That hurts.

Next thing to note about the list is that Missouri gets hit pretty hard. We are on the list three different times.

Then on to this note from the list, our own Springfield, Missouri, "Queen City of the Ozarks", followed as close as could be at number 11 on the list.

11. Springfield, Missouri
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,355.6
> 2015 murders: 10
> Poverty rate: 26.4%
> Unemployment rate: 4.3%

Crime rates tend to be higher in economically depressed areas where opportunities are scarce. In Springfield, Missouri, more than one-quarter of area residents live in poverty, one of the highest poverty rates in the country. After spiking by 73.2% over the five years through 2015 — the second highest increase of any major U.S. city — Springfield’s violent crime rate is the 11th highest in the country. In 2015, there were 179 rapes for every 100,000 residents, the highest incidence of rape in the country.

In fact, along with Missouri's Springfield, there were two more on the list. Springfields Illinois, at number 23 and Massachussetts at 21. I guess that all comes from it being such a common name in this country, maybe.

Next note, right next door in Arkansas, little old Little Rock comes in at number 9, higher and so, worse than Kansas City. Who'd have guessed?

Which brings us to our last point (points?) and the highest, worst ranking of all the most dangerous cities in America this year, at this time.  It ain't good, Missouri.

1. St. Louis, Missouri
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,817.1
> 2015 murders: 188
> Poverty rate: 27.8%
> Unemployment rate: 6.1%

Including 188 homicides, there were 5,762 violent crimes in St. Louis in 2015. Adjusting for population, the city’s murder and violent crime rates, at 59 murders and 1,817 per 100,000 city residents, are each the highest in the country. The number of violent crimes reported in St. Louis increased by 7.7% last year, faster than the national uptick of 3.9%. Over the last five years, however, the incidence of violent crime is down by 3.2%.

Yes sir, good ol' St. Lou.  

Not Detroit. Heck, not even Chicago.  In fact, check out the list, folks. Chicago isn't even on the list (it's too large a city for this study).

It's not looking good for us, danger-wise, Missourians. Heck, remember this study, that came out in 2012?

Missouri: 

Ranked one of the "Most Depressing States"

We have to work on our safety and image, folks. These are some pretty awful lists.

You Didn't Make the List, Kansas City!

Congratulations, Kansas City!  You didn't make the list!

America's Most Segregated Cities

I thought sure we'd be on here but we're not, thank goodness. Segregated and separated as we are, and by law, at the time, we aren't one of the worst.

As it turns out, however, St. Louis is, so Missouri didn't get left out. And the statistics are pretty brutal.

6. St. Louis, MO-IL
> Black ppl. in black neighborhoods: 42.2%
> Black population: 18.2%
> Black poverty rate: 29.7%
> White poverty rate: 9.0%

The St. Louis region earned a national spotlight in the summer of 2015 when Michael Brown, a black teenager, was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, sparking protests across the nation. Ferguson is a predominantly black neighborhood — and Brown’s death is inseparable from racial segregation in the area. One of the most damaging effects of residential segregation is funding disparities between neighboring school districts. Because property taxes play such a large role in school funding, well-off communities often
have an interest in keeping poor areas separate.

Instead of one, St. Louis has 24, quite disparate school districts. This August, water fountains in 30 predominantly black St. Louis public schools were shut down due to lead contamination. Some of the area’s wealthiest communities with some of the best-funded schools are less than 20 miles away, and with state-of-art facilities, have reliable clean water.

As is common in large metro areas — not just the most segregated — the poverty rate among black St. Louis residents, at nearly 30%, is approximately three times the poverty rate among the area’s white residents.

The St. Louis region earned a national spotlight in the summer of 2015 when Michael Brown, a black teenager, was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, sparking protests across the nation. Ferguson is a predominantly black neighborhood — and Brown’s death is inseparable from racial segregation in the area. One of the most damaging effects of residential segregation is funding disparities between neighboring school districts. Because property taxes play such a large role in school funding, well-off communities often have an interest in keeping poor areas separate.

Instead of one, St. Louis has 24, quite disparate school districts. This August, water fountains in 30 predominantly black St. Louis public schools were shut down due to lead contamination. Some of the area’s wealthiest communities with some of the best funded schools are less than 20 miles away, and with state-of-art facilities, have reliable clean water.

As is common in large metro areas — not just the most segregated — the poverty rate among black St. Louis residents, at nearly 30%, is approximately three times the poverty rate among the area’s white residents.

So you see, it's not just about people of different colors being separated. It's about opportunities and jobs and education, right on down to wealth, certainly. Segregation becomes about perpetuating both wealth and poverty.

And that's just wrong. 

Links:

How segregation creates chronic unemployment, 

poverty traps, and crime

The Effect of Segregation on Crime Rates

Poverty and Crime: Breaking a Vicious Cycle of Discrimination

Lead In Water: What Are The Health Effects And Dangers?

Why lead is so dangerous for children

Kansas City Makes an Ugly List

I found this floating around on Facebook today. I was stunned. Definitely a horrible list to be on, if true. And frankly, I assume it is.

Michael Jackson -- Gone Too Soon

Michael Jackson -- born this day, 1958. Rest in peace.

Entertainment Overnight -- RIP Michael

The Ted Nugent Countdown Clock

 

On April 12th, 2012, Ted Nugent, the Motor City Meathead promised us: ”If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will be either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”

 

You can go here and see a countdown clock for Mr. Nugent:

Ted Nugent being dead or in jail Countdown Clock | CountingDownTo.com

 

What'll it be, Ted?

Detroit does what Kansas City should (on light rail)

So many people have left and are leaving Detroit, they're having to bulldoze whole blocks of homes that have been abandoned yet they have the fortitude and vision to still look forward:

Detroit Gets $25M In Federal Funding For Woodward Light Rail

From the article:

 

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - The U.S. government plans to spend $25 million on a light-rail system through the heart of Detroit, a development federal, state and local leaders said Friday will finally allow the city to join the many other major urban centers that have had mass transit operations for decades.

“We’re the only place that didn’t have this,” Gov. Rick Snyder said at a morning news event, adding that 24 attempts have been made over the past 40 years to develop a modern public transit system in Detroit.

No, Governor Snyder.  Not the only place.

KCMO: Sweet 16 on "25 Most Dangerous Cities"

I've always appreciated the fact that, when a list of the top 10 most dangerous cities was released, Kansas City wasn't on it.

So far, anyway.

But expand that list to 25 and we just can't miss, dangit. It happens to be one of the top stories on Yahoo! News right now.

From the FBI's compilation of crime statistics in the nation:

16. Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas City reported 1,200 violent crimes per 100,000.

The city also reported 57.4 forcible rapes per 100,000, more than twice the national average of 26.8 forcible rapes per 100,000 people.

At least we're not St. Louis (number 3) or, heaven forbid, Detroit and its environs (numbers 1 and 2 when you take in top-ranked, nearby Flint, Michigan).

Link: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-25-most-dangerous-cities-in-america.html

The State of the Union

And it will stay this way--if not get worse--until we tamp down the NRA, folks.

Once again, Kansas City, thank our stars we aren't Detroit

From the news online:

Enter At Your Own Risk: Police Union Says ‘War-Like’ Detroit Is Unsafe For Visitors

From the story:

DETROIT (WWJ) – The men and women of the Detroit Police Department believe the city is too dangerous to enter, and they want citizens to know it.

Detroit Police Officer Association (DPOA) Attorney Donato Iorio said officers are holding the “Enter At Your Own Risk” rally at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in front of Comerica Park to remind the public that the officers are overworked, understaffed, and at times, fearful for their lives.

That bad. It's that bad.

Chicago's murder rate is through the roof, St. Louis has far worse crime than us and now this--the Detroit Police Department's Union doesn't recommend you go into the city.

I gotta' say, I'm feeling much better now.

Link: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/10/06/enter-at-your-own-risk-police-union-says-war-like-detroit-is-unsafe-for-visitors/

Poor Detroit (literally and figuratively)

Thank goodness, Kansas City, we're not Detroit, Michigan, in so many ways.

The latest way is in their schools. This, yesterday, from NPR:

Detroit Teachers Mull Strike Over Imposed Contract

"The existing contract for Detroit teachers was ripped up and chucked into the trash by the school district's emergency financial manager. The teachers' union is angry and making noise about a possible strike."

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Public school teachers in Detroit have a new contract, one they didn't bargain for and didn't sign. It was imposed by the state-appointed official in charge of the district. And now, two months before the start of the school year, the teacher's union is considering going on strike.

This happened here in Kansas City, as I recall, a few years ago, under one of the Superintendents--John Covington, I believe, but would have to verify.

Anyway, there's the Detroit school district--broke, in debt--deep, deep debt and needing solutions so they tore up the old teachers contracts and want to start all over.

Wow.

The city's in trouble, financial and otherwise, and this, too, at the same time.

Then there's this:

Quinn Klinefelter (reporter, interviewer): "Decades of mismanagement and internal squabbles left Detroit schools hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. The state appointed an emergency manager to take over the finances in 2009 with the power to make sweeping changes. This year, emergency manager Roy Roberts is closing 15 schools. And with the state ending requirements that teachers be hired based on seniority, Roberts handed all 4,100 Detroit public school teachers a pink slip, told them to reapply for a job and says 800 of them will not be hired back."

That's tough.

And it stinks.

It seems to me Detroit is like this tiny, isolated country between Canada and the United States no one wants much, if anything, to do with and no one wants to help.

There's so much to this story, too. I want to be for the schools but they have to address their expenses, without doubt.

I want to be for the teacher's union because--well, just because.

I'm certainly for the teachers, sure, but cuts have to come from somewhere.

And you have to be for the kids, the students, whatever has to happen.

They have, apparently, far too many teachers and have to reduce the quantity somehow.

And you know that's not going to be pretty.

Whatever was bad about KCMO School District Superintendent John Covington's leaving us, at least he took care of the debt before it got any worse.

And before he dumped us.

Hey, at least we're not Detroit.

Link: http://www.npr.org/2012/07/16/156869052/detroit-teachers-mull-strike-over-imposed-contract

Congratulations, Kansas City!!

You're not on the FBI's "Most Dangerous Cities in America." (But St. Louis, is. See links, below).

So... what, if anything, do these "top ten" cities have in common?

Anything?

Bueller?

(Side note: We have also, it's been decided and declared, been listed as the nation's 20th "Most Manly City." Wth? See link below for this, too).

Links: http://realestate.yahoo.com/news/most-dangerous-cities-in-america.html


http://247wallst.com/2012/06/11/the-most-dangerous-cities-in-america-2/

http://www.pitch.com/plog/archives/2012/06/13/kansas-city-is-americas-20th-manliest-city

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oklahoma-city-claims-title-of-americas-manliest-city-158474215.html

Sociological work that needs to be done

There seems to me to be a great deal of people in the nation--whites, mostly, if not exclusively--who have come to the conclusion that black Americans are violent, culturally, rather intrinsically, and that there is really nothing anyone can do about it.

I see and read it all the time.

Sure, it's by people who aren't sociologists or doctors or professionals in any way but it's not only a deeply held belief but it's a widespread one, too.

I see it online, written in comments sections, I see it over in the comments on Tony's Kansas City blog, I see it on Facebook. It seems to be a fairly ubiquitous opionion.

And every time some new article or news story comes out about black on black crime, the opinion gets made stronger.

This is only the latest such article:

Two former Auburn players killed, one player injured in shooting

"The Auburn community is mourning after former Auburn football players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips were shot and killed during an off-campus party Saturday night. Offensive lineman Eric Mack also was injured in the shooting, but his injuries are not considered life-threatening. A third person, who was not a football player, also died in the shooting."

The people with these opinions point to cities like Detroit, St. Louis, now Chicago and--yes--Kansas City, sadly.

So I think it's important that someone, somewhere do some in-depth research on this topic so we can put this idea and assumption to rest. And the sooner, the better.

Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/two-former-auburn-players-killed-one-player-injured-211745842--ncaaf.html

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/11/12166475-chicagos-bloody-weekend-8-dead-40-plus-wounded?lite?ocid=twitter

On Mitt Romney: Let's stop asking the obvious

Could we please stop asking whether Mitt Romney is a flip-flopper? Please? I mean, come on. Go to YouTube and watch any number of videos, showing him giving his stand at the time it was recorded. We can hear him, time and again, saying he's for this, then later, against it. Let's put that to rest. Either you're for him (mistakenly, I believe) or you're not, that's all there is to it.

Take heart, Kansas City!

As we keep saying, we could be Detroit. Or St. Louis. Or, in this case, Chicago: Chicago bloodbath: 6-year-old among those killed. It seems, over the weekend, 41 people in Chicago were shot, ten of them died. One was a 6 year old girl who was killed in a drive-by shooting. Of course, we don't have Chicago's population size but still, they have, clearly, a big, big problem. I'm still hoping this mayor, this police chief and all the civic and church leaders in town can and will finally, finally, get a hold of and solutions to this problem. It's so sick. And so unnecessary. Links: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/19/10758488-chicago-bloodbath-6-year-old-among-those-killed; http://ebonymompolitics.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/chicagos-bloody-weekend-41-people-shot-where-is-the-outrage/

Mitt Romney: Mr. Sincerity

Oh, yeah. Mitt Romney really "gets it." He's definitely "one of the people." He just oozes sincerity. Absolutely.

"Recent history" lesson: George W. Bush started Detroit's bailout

Okay, here it is, your "recent history" history lesson. News out today shows: Bush would "do it again" on auto bailouts Former pres. tells dealers it prevented “21% unemployment.” He started it. Now-former President George W. Bush began the Detroit auto company bailouts, okay? And he did it because adding all those millions of people to the unemployment lines would have been horrible--really bad--for the entire country. Added to that, we likely would have lost those industries and all that production and not gotten them back, once gone. So let's have no more of that nonsense about this current president being the one who started this big spending spree and that he's a Socialist, trying to take over and/or buy everything up by the government. It's nonsense. It didn't happen. It isn't happening. It's unfair. It's patently wrong and untrue. Could we move on now? To other problems we need to solve? Please? Link: http://autos.yahoo.com/news/bush-would-do-it-again-on-auto-bailouts.html