‘Miserable’ writers don’t know Mercedians

Even in Mexico, I could not get away from those who heard that I lived in the third "most miserable" city in the United States, thanks to a list in Forbes magazine.

When my editor asked if I was going to write about it, I said I would rather not.

But then some nagging questions came to mind. How did they define the third most miserable city in the United States? And then what has caused the conditions? We know that we have been near the top of the list in real estate foreclosures.

Who allowed this to happen? Certainly the federal government had to be partially to blame for encouraging the bad loans. Most of them were made through Fanny Mae and Fanny Mac, both run federally.

Then there were the National Banks and mortgage companies. Those same ones which the federal government bailed out to keep in business.

Our own local banks were not bailed out.

The second factor is high unemployment. We are an agriculturally based community. We suffer higher employment than the average city, but government over-regulation has caused employers to hold off hiring because of the fear of mandatory health care.

Local factories have been shut down to competition from out of the country.

Contractors still lose work to out of town contractors because they are not unionized — or do not having the bonding ability that bigger contractors have. Much of this is federal or state mandated by legislation promoted by union bought politicians.

Our crime rate is high. But local law enforcement authorities and the District Attorney have shown a direct correlation to the amount of crime and the low employment of our people. “No jobs means more crime!”

We have heard of job improvement coming from such things as the High Speed Rail, however after being very supportive of the bond and other legislation, Merced was virtually passed over when it came to the actual plan.

With the first track being built south of Fresno, we have downgraded our chances of having Castle used as a maintenance center for the rail system. Still, they get our hopes up by describing in detail how the city's high speed rail station will look.

We have looked at the three major factors in most surveys: Housing, employment and crime.

However there is another factor which most surveys do not take into account. That is the people.

And it is the people of Merced which make all the difference.

I have long ago given up the idea of living in Merced full time. I retired and found a place where there is sun in the winter. My old bones can't take any cold anymore.

But my heart is in Merced — and with all the good people who continue to live and work in the community.

There isn’t a day in my life that I don’t actively think about the people and their struggles. I can list thousands who I know on a first name basis and even more that know me well enough to call me by my first name when I meet them in the grocery store or the Post Office.

I would not trade these associations for all the rest of the world.

And when I return home, as I do every year. These are the same people who greet me with, “So glad to see you back. How are you doing?”

I know it's hard to sum up the people factor like they do with housing, employment and crime.

However, in my mind, it's the people who place Merced at No. 1 in my books.