Brad Hollerbach is the Director of Information Technology for the Southeast Missourian. His opinions are his own and do not reflect those of the newspaper or its editorial board. He writes this blog primarily for his own amusement and to parody the absurdities of the world we live in. He lives with his wife and two cats that don't really care for one another in Cape.

Money Magazine List
Jackson is Number 59, Cape a 'Contender'

Posted Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at 1:00 AM

Apparently, I don't see eye-to-eye with Money.

No, I'm not talking about the almighty dollar. I'm referring to the magazine and its companion website.

It's a known fact that magazine publishers love lists and Money is no exception. Readers like lists. We like to see who is number 1 on a list -- any list really, the topic doesn't matter -- and either applaud the reasoning or dismiss it as being the biggest hunk of drivel we've ever read.

Publishers like lists because it gives them the opportunity to sell advertising to businesses and organizations that would not normally have any reason to buy advertising in their particular publication. Lists can also boost circulation.

While surfing yesterday, I stumbled upon the 2009 version of Money's list of "Best Places to Live." That's a pretty wide proclamation. Actually, the publication's story is far narrower than that. When you read beyond the raw listings, Money's article is about "Best Places to Live in the United States With Populations Less Than 50,000."

But that's kind of wordy, so some smart editor sliced it down to just "Best Places to Live."

That's what I didn't see eye-to-eye with.

I initially scanned the list and did not find Asheville, North Carolina anywhere on it. As I recounted in a blog from last week, my wife and I just returned from a vacation in that gorgeous part of North Carolina. I didn't understand how it could not make the list. Great weather. Dynamic downtown. A very scenic area as a whole. Where was Asheville in Money's article?

That's when I figured out that the list was limited to cities of less than 50,000. Asheville has about 74,000 according to the 2007 census estimates.

But that's also when I discovered that Jackson made the list.

Yes, Jackson, Missouri.

The city that attempted to ban fireworks and apparently has a fringe Taliban-like group in control of part of its government made the Money magazine list of "Best Places to Live."

Jackson was number 59 out of 100. Cape didn't make the list, but we are shown as a "contender." I guess that means we're a runner up. I suppose being a contender is not a bad thing. Marlon Brando's character in the movie "On the Waterfront" regretted the fact that "he coulda been a contender" so while Cape may not have made The List at least we were considered.

I guess the thing that gripes me about Jackson making the list instead of Cape is that many of the glowing attributes mentioned in the description are NOT actually in Jackson.

The article says that Jackson has a "diversified economy anchored by Procter & Gamble, Southeastern Missouri State University, and two large hospitals."

Let's see. The University and the two large hospitals are all in Cape. If you have a medical emergency and you're in Jackson be prepared for a drive. Or I suppose you can try your chances at the animal hospital in Jackson. I've heard it is very nice.

Procter & Gamble is located in neither Cape nor Jackson, but is in the Greater Neely's Landing Metropolitan Area. I feel sorry for the folks from Neely's Landing. Money didn't even consider them as a "contender."

I think that Money should be heaping praise upon the entire Jackson / Cape Girardeau / Greater Neely's Landing Metropolitan Area rather than focusing specifically on just Jackson. Of course, by recognizing the entire area we would exceed the population restriction that the magazine was using as one of its criteria.

I say to heck with it! We should all share in this impressive honor from the editors at Money Magazine.

In my book, we are all 59th.

Thanks to JS for the geography lesson.

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I take all of these lists with a grain of salt.

The authors of the descriptions are often basing their write-ups on statistics and photos. If they've actually been to a given town, I would be surprised. And we all know that 8 out of 10 statistics are just a bunch of bull.

All kidding aside, I've read on more than one occasion where police departments don't always share ALL of their crime statistics or downgrade their classification of a crime. For instance, a felony burglary might be classified as a lesser charge for a report being sent to the Federal or State government.

That's not to say that Jackson is doing that, but I do have to question the validity of Money's stat on Jackson regarding "personal crime incident per 1000." They report it as 1. They don't have a lot of documentation on the website, but 1 per 1000 seems kind of low.

Thanks for reading and remember...

We're ALL 59!!!!!!!!

-- Posted by Brad_Hollerbach on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 8:40 AM
I would not put Cape or Jackson in the top 500.

It's a actually depressing that Jackson was even in the top 100.

Nothing but strip malls and fast food outlets in either town. Lingering racism. Closed minds to progress of any type. Southeast Missouri is a cultural void.

-- Posted by FriendO on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 9:46 AM
I have only lived in the area for a year, yes I'm a newbie, and am wondering where the lingering racism and closed minds to progress of any type are located? I'm not seeing it.

-- Posted by TheArmySarge on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 12:39 PM
Sarge,

Don't mind FiendO. He thinks that anyone who critisizes his beloved SuperPrez, and / or government socialism is a cross burning, card carrying member of the KKK and chronic Holocaust denier.

It sounds like Chaffee meets all the criteria to be number one town under 50,000 people in the entire USA. We have a hospital, theater, a train depot, three grocery stores, several resturaunts, beautiful churches, well kept homes, maintained sidewalks through every neighborhood, a wonderful school system, a municiple band, several private practice doctors, two dentists, an optomitrist, an ice cream shoppe, three drugstores, two large industries, two lumberyards, two hardware stores, several department stores, a newspaper, several service shops, a furniture store, two clothing retailers, etc, etc.

-- Posted by Lumpy on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 1:23 PM
and am wondering where the lingering racism and closed minds to progress of any type are located? I'm not seeing it.

-- Posted by TheArmySarge on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 12:39 PM

Just take a look up at the first person to post, Mega hates ANY kind of progress, and judging by his comments about the Islam Center several months back is also a bigot. Oh... and since you are a 'newbie' he hates you too

-- Posted by Producer1 on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 1:34 PM
ArmySarge - we had a black family move into our then all-white street - several neighbors mentioned to me how it was time to "move out" before the neighborhood "went to hell."

That's pretty much the Cape mentality in a nutshell.

As for progress -

Paducah embraced a culture of arts, defining their downtown as a destination center. People around here?

A) wouldn't even have considered the idea, because who needs "art" and

B) it would cost money, which no one wants to spend.

Cape/Jackson haven't changed in twenty years. It will still be the same in another twenty. Backwards folk suspicious of anything that doesn't resemble the status quo but get excited over a White Castle coming to town.

-- Posted by FriendO on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 3:54 PM
Being a newbie to this area, I try and understand the sacrifices and hard work by the long time citizens of this city to try and make it a nice community to live and work in. I try to contribute to the betterment of the area. I'm a "God, Country, Family" type of guy and I've never had any problems with the locals. As far as the islam issue, I have a "live and let live" policy. My opinion is this, after you take your last breath on this earth, then you'll know if what you had was the real deal.

-- Posted by TheArmySarge on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 4:52 PM
FriendO I like culture. I enjoy going to concerts, events, plays, galleries and museums. I haven't made it to Paducah yet, but I definitely want to check that out. I was thinking to myself that same thing about more arts coming to the downtown area here. The race issue is a little more dicey for me and I'll tell you why. I lived for a year in a majority black area of town, and it wasn't fun. To me it's not your color or culture, it's your character and conduct. There is a certain feeling of safety and security in living around people who share the same values, morals and beliefs that you have. It's comforting to know that you can count on your neighbor to watch out for your property when you are gone. To me, I figure if a black family can afford where I live, then they must be doing something right too. I guess my question is why should a white person be ridiculed for having concerns about a black family moving in? After all, the stereotypes that feed their fears are real to them. How is your old neighborhood these days? I hope all is well.

-- Posted by TheArmySarge on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 5:32 PM
ArmySarge -

I wish you well...good luck finding very many cultural events of value in this area. I guess you can be glad you are only a short drive from St. Louis, which actually offers those things you mentioned.

My old neighborhood is just fine...I now live in a neighborhood with blacks, whites, Asian immigrants, people of all faiths...and it's just fine too. Everyone knows each other, and there are no whispered rumors. Of course, I don't live in Cape anymore, either.

In Cape, it's just assumed that if you're non-white or non-Christian, there must be something wrong...well, you got the point. The constant small-town rumor mill is a grind.

Enjoy your time in Cape...

-- Posted by FriendO on Tue, Jul 14, 2009, at 7:00 PM
Man, reading all of your posts really makes me want to move back to the SEMO area. NOT!!!!

Why don't you kids just try to get along and quit your griping? With sincere respect, most if not all SeMissourian blogs' comments are full of rantin' and ravin' and carryin' on....gossip and backbiting...

Whether you all are moaning about Joshua getting too much coverage to the local government, fast food, racism, bigotry. I'm sure the Cape C of C just loves it here on these blogs. Quit your gripin' already!!!

It's one of the reasons I got the h--- out of there as soon as I graduated over 30 years ago.

I say this in love, "Grow Up"!

-- Posted by semotexex on Fri, Jul 17, 2009, at 2:56 PM

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Money Magazine List Jackson is Number 59, Cape a 'Contender'

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Money Magazine List
Jackson is Number 59, Cape a 'Contender'