I had made a silly mistake in my comment over at Kevin's blog. This issue was from 1991 (I believe March), not 2001 (obviously). Perhaps I'm in denial about how many years have passed...
Clearly, you didn't read the article closely. I'm the author, and I can assure you that not only have I "set foot in the area," my family and I have lived here for eight years. I'm the Executive Editor of Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, which is published here in Rockford.
I love my town, but that doesn't change the facts of the situation. We spent 12 years under a desegregation lawsuit that cost the 150,000 residents of Rockford a third of a billion dollars; we've lost 20 percent of our manufacturing jobs in the past three years; and our local governments--city and county--run roughshod over property rights and have destroyed many of the most beautiful buildings in this city. I don't know what your background is or where you live, but you might want to think twice--and RTFA--before you make such remarks.