Updated: 02/10/09 02:16 PM
By Mark Sommer
News Staff Reporter
Buffalo ranks high on a new list compiled by Forbes, but it's not one the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau will be touting any time soon.
Buffalo was listed eighth among what Forbes calls "America's 10 Most Miserable Cities."
The "Forbes Misery Measure" evaluates nine categories: commute times, corruption, pro sports teams, Superfund sites, income tax, sales tax, unemployment, violent crime and weather.
Buffalo, which ranked between Detroit and Miami, was singled out for its snowfall and shrinking population.
"This is a statistical analysis, and statistics can be misleading," said Ed Healy, CVB spokesman. "It doesn't take into account what I think of as the quality-of-life features in Buffalo — arts and culture, recreational opportunities, our beautiful summers, close-knit communities, walkable neighborhoods and affordable real estate."
Healy said the splash Forbes gets for compiling such a list draws people to its website and publication, but serves little purpose outside of that.
The "Misery Measure" for the magazine, whose motto is "the Capitalist Tool," was also notable for leaving out a category Buffalo ranks third in — poverty.
Stockton, Calif., topped Forbes' list, followed in order by Memphis, Chicago, Cleveland, Modesto, Calif., Flint, Mich., Detroit, Buffalo, Miami and St. Louis.
Last year, New York City and Los Angeles, the nation's two largest cities often considered among the most desirable to live in, were included along with Philadelphia and Providence, R.I.
e-mail:
msommer@buffnews.com
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/575098.html?imw=Y
Buffalo among 'America's 10 Most Miserable Cities'
Linear Mode
