Letters: Louisiana not bad for retirees

A news item with a link on The Advocate’s web page lists the 10 worst states to retire in. The list includes Louisiana and several other beautiful states in the Southeast. The originators of the story rated states according to the life expectancy of people in the state, crime rate and rate of poverty.

The rating was obviously skewed to bring a preordained conclusion. Surely I’m with the majority in putting weather and cost of living as two of the most-important factors. Crime rate would be important also, but life expectancy is mostly a matter of personal choices which retirees have already made, and poverty rate has little to do with how I live or my own income. According to the story, I would be better off to leave my home in Watson and move to downtown Chicago for retirement!

Doug Johnson

retired engineer

Denham Springs

Comments

1) Comment by Chucky - 04/09/2012

Utah, on the Green River naked.

2) Comment by Bighug - 04/09/2012

The study listed the 6 best places to retire, in order, as Connecticut, Hawaii, Utah, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Iowa! Hawaii maybe, if you can afford it, but I think no one who lives in the southeast even needs comments on the other 5.

3) Comment by timesright - 04/09/2012

Pretty cold in the winter in Chicago! Might be confined for days because of cold or snow. Well, we have the hurricanes here that can do the same.

4) Comment by ex-louisianian - 04/09/2012

If I had the ideal place to retire, it would be to France.

5) Comment by DMJ - 04/09/2012

I wonder...was the % of private doctors who accept Medicare a factor? What about the state's contributions to Medicare? Not all states treat Medicare equally after all...

6) Comment by ScotB - 03/09/2012

Rating a whole state is an obviously dubious task. There is a substantial difference just within a city, as in the quality of life in north Baton Rouge vs south Baton Rouge. Access to quality medical care, road conditions, schools, etc. What is the difference in quality of life of Zachary vs Baker? Any reasonable person knows that quality of life ratings for cities has more meaning than a state rating and a neighborhood rating even more so. That said, Louisiana as a state does have much work to do in road conditions, traffic solutions, mass transit, quality health care availability, quality of schools, reducing poverty, and reducing crime. The leadership of the state cannot take much credit for the weather.