local/municipal politics....

[PostmodernProphet]

an interesting exercise....in your state please identify the three best and three worst cities.....they should have a population of at least 50,000 (adjust accordingly for our less populous states).....consider factors such as employment, crime, schools, health care facilities....I want to identify and distinguish between thriving and failing communities....

now, for each, is the local government predominantly Republican or Democrat.......

[Nukeman]

In Indiana I would say the 3 best cities would be

Evansville Mostly R (great schools, great health care)
Fort Wayne Mixed but leaning R (great schools great health care good job market)
Lafeyette Mostly R (good schools, good health care, good job market)

The Worst would be

Gary!!!! Very D (High crime, low income, high assistance, poor schools)
Indianapolis Mixed but leaning R (higher crime the the top 3)
Michigan city Very D (high crime, low income, high assistance, poor schools)

[5stringJeff]

I'm too new to analyze NY, so I'll do WA:

Three best:
1. Puyallup, City of. Nice downtown area, good development but they try to keep a nice feel to it. I think the city council is a GOP/Dem split.
2. Dupont. Nice area, new construction but they are working to keep the sprawl down. Again, a GOP/Dem split.
3. Bonney Lake. Ditto from #2. Run by GOP mayor/council.

Three worst:
1. Seattle. Sucks a big one. Run by Dems for the last... 20+ years, at least.
2. King County. Ditto.
3. Tacoma. Although they have instituted a downtown revitalization program recently, there's too much trash and crime in the city. Again, run by Dems.

[PostmodernProphet]

for the three worst in Michigan I would nominate
Detroit- simply cannot survive without state subsidy....city records are in such disarray they send out teams to demolish houses they don't even own.....Democrat
Flint - employment is virtually nonexistent....Democrat
Benton Harbor - I believe they hold the honor of being the first municipal government to ever go bankrupt.....Democrat

for best...they have always called it the Golden Triangle of Michigan

Grand Rapids.....now the largest city in Michigan, having passed Detroit in 2005
Ottawa County (Holland and related towns with combined population of about 250,000) and
Kalamazoo.......all Republican

[PostmodernProphet]

anyone anywhere have a candidate for a thriving, Democratically controlled municipality?