Bethel, Alaska

A town of about 8,000 in the southwest part of the state that consists of more taxis than privately owned vehicles. The atmosphere of the town is one of despair, hopelessness, and general filth. The residents are mostly Yupik natives, Albanians, Koreans, and displaced, hapless, middle-class white people that work mainly as pilots of small aircraft, in health care, and the school system. Few, if any of the public buildings, hotels, shopping areas, and restaurants are rarely, if ever cleaned. A can of soup at the AC Store runs for about $5 and a meal of hamburger and french fries runs for about $15. No recreation center or indoor pool for the kids to ease their boredom.