Trenton, New Jersey feels put-upon and unloved

The last time I passed through Trenton–which was, to be
honest, something like six years ago–their town motto was:
“Trenton Makes, The World Takes”. Isn’t that a strange
tagline for a city? It’s like they’re trying to pass themselves
off as a burly, working-class father who grudgingly allows
his sons and daughters to go off to art school. “Oh, yeah,
that’s nice San Francisco, you’ve got a great ballet there.
Yeah., you sure do. You too, Paris. Boy, I’m glad I worked
twenty-two hour days in the steel mill so that you kids could
prance around on a...what? What’s that? Nothing! I was
just talking about the steel mill again. You know me, always
going on about the steel mill when Berlin wants to talk about
his new experimental installation gallery and Miami’s got a
fashion show going on. Just ignore your old dad. All he did
was put food on your table and clothes on your back, but
that’s fine, that’s fine. Why don’t you tell us some more about
your electro-punk band, Chicago? I’m dying to hear about it...”

The sad irony, though, is that they don’t make much of any-
thing in Trenton anymore.