I think of Illinois, and the state has let the true historic city of Cairo completely die. They could’ve used some jobs, investment and state largesse, and instead it’s turned into a ghost town. ESL can probably turn around in the future because of its proximity to St. Louis, but Cairo’s loss is much worse.
Illinois is the only state that I have lived in that is more poorly run than NJ where I live now - state government is worthless and corrupt, county governments are patronage organizations with little actual power, leaving us at the mercy of the petty fiefdoms at the municipal level.