'Deathfest' Convenes Reps of Fastest-Dying Cities

There was no joy in Mudville, or most of Ohio, in 2008 when Forbes magazine ran an article to out "America's Fasting-Dying Cities."

But representatives from the ten named cities are meeting this week in Dayton, Ohio (one of the ten), for a symposium on "Ten Living Cities." Skeptics are calling it (more accurately, no doubt) a "Deathfest."

What got the cities on the list was a flight of jobs joined by a flight of residents, all resulting in cities decaying both physically and economically.

Four of the ten are in Ohio--Cleveland, Dayton, Canton and Youngstown--and two in Michigan--Detroit and Flint. The others are Scranton, Pa.; Springfield, Mass.; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Charleston, W.Va.

As usual, local observers were able to cut to the quick of the matter in rapid order.

Said student Joe Sack, 22: "It's like a gambling addict [trying] to help an alcoholic. It's hard to see what they can learn from each other."

I'll drink to that.