People wonder why our city keeps behind when other areas are growing. I say look at the headlines of our newspapers on any given day.

Yes, there are the happy-go-lucky stories about Joe Smith working his family farm for 50 years. Maybe there is also a happy picture from the Salute to Freedom.

Aside from the niceties sprinkled throughout, where’s the positive news? I keep seeing negative all over the place. It’s absolutely horrible.

Unfortunately, when you live in a poverty-ridden locale with an extremely high crime rate, this is what you get.  Even our county sheriff describes us as the “…worst crime rate south of I-70.” How lucky is that?

Yeah, I’m being captain negativity here, but how can we expect a quality employer to locate here when odds are that they will see such horrible stories on any given day?

Oh, and don’t forget the abundance of payday loan and instant credit shops in town. Those greatly add to the quality of a city and put forth an awesome image.

I didn’t create this shitty environment, but I am working to improve it. Are the city leaders and other citizens doing the same? Think hard.