A website with the illustrious name 'Roadsnacks.net' claims it used 'scientific data' to prove that these 10 cities are the worst in Louisiana.

Before I get to the list of cities, let's be clear about this 'Road Snacks' site. It's an example of the worst kind of sensationalist and one - sided 'journalism' you'll see this side of your cable news channel. The lovely people that run the site have filled it with every negative list they can imagine: worst cities, most 'ghetto' and 'white trash' cities (yep, they're racists), drunkest, poorest, gayest, and even the cities with the most Ashley Madison accounts. These people are interested only in clicks and know that negativity and half - truth always outraces and outpaces positivity and the full truth. These are Internet trolls who have built an entire site just to troll people and places they really know nothing about.

I will not link to this article, because that will give the site's creators what they desperately want: attention and clicks. You can google 'worst cities in Louisiana' and find it easily enough if you want to support this kind of site. Instead, read this analysis of RoadSnacks. 

Keep that in mind when you read this list based that these wonderful folks claim was made using 'scientific data.' These are the 'worst cities' in Louisiana according to that scientific data.

Bastrop
Bogalusa
Ville Platte
Richwood
Abbeville
Grambling
Jeanerette
Opelousas
Marksville
Hammond

Nick James, who wrote the 'article,' claims these are the criteria used to make the list, along with US Census info.

Good education
Lots of jobs
Low crime
Low poverty
Nice homes
High incomes
High population density (Lots of things to do)
Short work commutes
Health insurance

These criteria seem to make sense, but statistics can used to paint any picture a person want, just like James did when he made a dubious connection between'high population density' and 'lots of things to do.'

Mr. James is even honest about his preference for manipulating facts to arrive at sensationalist conclusions rather than doing the work required to get both sides of the story:

'According to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), there are far better options in the state for making a place home. Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and see how your city fared in 2017.'

How he 'crunched the numbers' is by using cold statistics to paint a false picture of communities as 'worst' in the state. He admits that data doesn't measure things like 'beauty' and 'friendly people,' but that's exactly why data can't be the only measure of what makes a city or town a good place to live. Beauty, friendly people, a sense of belonging, these often outweigh the factors illustrated by census information. One of the cities on his list is Abbeville. I have friends who have been victims of theft in the last few years and are concerned about the level of crime there. Did they decide to pack up leave as a result? Not at all, because the most important factors, like family and community are what really keep them there.

By the way, Nick James is a California resident who admits that he has another site that positively rates cities and towns in the US, but that it doesn't get nearly the attention Road Snacks does. He also admits that he's interested in providing 'infotainment,' not truthful reporting. Why should he, though? That takes hard work, actual research, and above all, integrity. Can't get clicks with those these days.

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