Huckleberries Online

Posts tagged: 'Scam Capital'

Forbes: Spokane Is US ‘Scam Capital’

Posted by DFO

May 7, 2009 2:32 p.m. • 13 comments

And Forbes magazine, apparently unimpressed with the official “Near nature, near perfect” city slogan in Spokane, today pronounced the Lilac City the “Scam Capital of America.” From writer William Barrett’s story: Welcome to Spokane, Wash., a metropolitan object lesson in what can befall the unwary when rugged individualism is revered and consumers unsuspecting. The story paints the city as a sort of freewheeling frontier town. And I suspect it has city leaders doubling up on their blood-pressure medication this morning/Rich Roesler, Eye On Olympia.

Question: OK, those of us who live on the North Idaho side of the state line know that our communities are nicer than Spokane. But … “Scam Capital of America”? C’mon. What do you think Spokane should be known for?

About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.