Miami, You’re The Worst!

Dear Miami,

You’re the worst. Every morning I ask myself why I thought it was a good idea for me to come back to you. It wasn’t because I’ve always loved you. That’s not to say that I don’t– I just think we have the kind of relationship where no matter how hard I try to love you, I just end up trying to change you.

        For the longest time, I thought I was alone in this. However, it turns out that I’m not the only one who thinks you’re the worst. Last year, USA Today alongside 24/7 Wall Street, ranked you as the #1 Worst City to live in America.

I know that Miamians like to be better than everyone, but this is taking it too far. I mean, come on, you beat Flint, Michigan!

The ranking  takes into consideration the factors mentioned above, as well as violence and a high poverty rate. The Economic Policy Institute stated that the top 1% of the population makes an average of $2 Million annually, which is 45 time higher than the average income of the other 99%.

        I can’t say that I’m surprised or that I digress. Between the insatiable traffic, contaminated beach water, lack of jobs, and inhumane rent prices, it has become nearly impossible to live here.

Here’s the picture in numbers:

•         Population: 2.6 Million (Miami-Dade County only)
•         Poverty Rate: 26.2% (About 1 in 4 people)
•         Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
•         Average time spent in traffic: 1-2 hours (morning/afternoon totaling about 4 hours in traffic each day).

        Still, I think there may be hope for you, Miami. When I came back to you two years ago, I told myself that I couldn’t complain about you unless I at least tried to help you change. So, in the next couple of weeks I’ll be exploring some of your terrible qualities, and seeing how we can make some changes at a cellular level. 

Maybe then I’ll find it in me to truly love you.

Dale,

-Karla

As the first series of this blog, we will be exploring factors which affect Miami, and can be changed to improve the daily life of Miami citizens. We will submerge into factors such as traffic, education, the environment, and the job market among others. Stick around and subscribe so you don’t miss a single article!