Utica Is Number One!

This seems to be the year that Utica will once again take it's rightful place as one of the top cities in the state. Since January 1st of this year we've already racked up some impressive numbers: 11 unsolved shootings, 5 unsolved murders, and an arson rate that's still hovering over fifty percent.

Now comes word, via the Times-Union of Albany, that Utica has managed to clinch another top spot by having the lowest level of consumer confidence in the state:

Siena has found consumer confidence generally going down in New York since it peaked in the first quarter of 2007. The Albany region has mostly followed the trend except for a slight bump up last fall. The most upbeat area appears to be New York City; the least is Utica. The Binghamton area has the biggest decline; Rochester fell the least.

That's what happens when people are paying a significant percentage of their home's value in property taxes every year.

Update: In response to a question, I'm basing the number of unsolved murders on the city's own records- 4 victims in the April Fools Day arson fire and the fatal shooting of Richard Savage over the weekend.