On Sunday, we published an article concerning a report by a nationwide website--based on their set of criteria and indicators -- that Fort Smith and the Fort Smith metro-area is one of the "Fifty Worst Places To Live " in the United States.
The article had originally been published a week ago and Fort Smith wasn't on the list. They people who publish the website came back on Saturday and said an error in their methodology and tabulations had resulted in Las Vegas being removed from the list and Fort Smith getting bumped up from the 51st spot.
To determine America’s 50 worst cities to live in, 24/7 Wall St. considered the roughly 600 cities that the U.S. Census Bureau reported as having populations of more than 50,000 in 2016. Data was collected in nine major categories: crime, demography, economy, education, environment, health, housing, infrastructure, and leisure.
The bottom line? I've been to Las Vegas. Nice place to visit in three day increments but I would much rather live in Fort Smith than there. And the criteria used by the website kind of pounds every round peg out there into a square hole. One man's feast is another man's famine.
You can't argue the statistics. Our poverty and crime rates are above the norm. Because of years of being a manufacturing oasis in the middle of basically nowhere we may have downplayed the importance of all that "book learning" for a while. We don't have the option of running out every week to varied and exciting entertainment options outside of the "local" music scene or an occasional routed date by a national act
But I beg to differ that Fort Smith and the surrounding area is a "bad place" to live. Other than a two year stay in Kibler and a year-long stay in Greenwood after a tornado I have lived within six miles of where I am sitting my entire life. By choice.
I've had opportunities. Both in newspaper and radio work as well as for a marketing firm. I'm not here because I have to be. I'm here because I want to be. I didn't "have" to relocate here because of a job. My kids are all up and out of the house and I'm essentially retired.
So what keeps me here? Simple. I love Fort Smith. I want it to grow and thrive and become an even better place to live, work and raise a family. Fifty years from now when I'm dead and gone, I want my great-great-grandchildren to love and cherish this place as much a I do.
Does that mean this area is without flaws? Of course not. But for the most part those flaws have been created and facilitated by short-sighted and often misguided citizens who have allowed a small group of "civic leaders" to dictate every move the city has made, usually based on the economic impact on those aforementioned civic leaders.
It's been going on forever. I can only speak to the last forty years, but I can tell you there has been a consistent string of "community leaders" that have controlled every element of our government and civic growth.
The same thoughts and policies that dictated the "way we were" dictates "the way we are" and too often, the names of the people or the businesses those policies represent have stayed the same over the years. Just throw a "Jr." or "II" on the end of the name and keep on keeping on.
It's not just here. It's everywhere. Small towns have one or two families that rule the roost. Medium size cities like us are under the thumb of six or seven individuals or entities. Large cities may bow to the wishes of 20 or more "civic leaders". Sort of like the Mafia without all the good Italian food.
But don't be deceived. Your choices, your freedoms and your happiness are all based upon that bastardization of the Golden Rule..."He who has the gold makes the rules".
The thing that just appalls me is the unwillingness for the public to enact change. The people in charge are motivated to get out and vote, support candidates and engage in political skullduggery because they are motivated to protect their fiefdom. It's like George Soros has mini-me's making decisions for Fort Smith.
And the rest of just keep baying at the moon on social media, falling for their nonsense and allowing them to dictate to us who we are, how we will live and whether or not we will like it.
I can't be like other "news people" I can't go along to get along. I know it's hurt my potential revenue from advertising. I have turned down ads (and "donations") from entities trying to "control" me. I hear about the organized efforts to discourage support of this project.
That's okay. Like Mary Tyler Moore I'll just throw my that into the air and keep going. Because we're going to make it. After all.
I can name a lot of places worse than Fort Smith to live well beyond the list of forty-nine that was highlighted in that internet story. I can also name a lot of places that may be a better place to live.
But none of them--on either side of the debate -- are home.
Fort Smith is home. We can make it better based upon our morals and ideals or we can give in and let the carpetbaggers have their way.
I've made my choice. You have to make yours.