▁of ▁East ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Illinois ▁as ▁America ' s ▁least ▁liv able ▁city . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁episode , ▁Com ic ▁Book ▁Guy ▁announ ces ▁that ▁Spring field ▁is ▁ 2 9 9 th ▁on ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ' ▁ 3 0 0 ▁most ▁liv able ▁cities . ▁ ▁East ▁St . ▁Louis ▁is ▁in ▁last ▁place . ▁ ▁A ▁journalist ▁for ▁a ▁" local ▁East ▁St ▁Louis ▁[ news ] paper " ▁noticed ▁this , ▁and ▁called ▁writer ▁Matt ▁Sel man ▁to ▁ask ▁him ▁why ▁they ▁were ▁" t aking ▁a ▁shot ▁at ▁East ▁St ▁Louis ." ▁ ▁Sel man ▁j ok ingly ▁replied : ▁" because ▁it ' s ▁a ▁crack - rid den ▁sl um ." ▁ ▁The ▁Sim ps ons ▁staff ▁received ▁several ▁angry ▁letters ▁from ▁East ▁St ▁Louis ' ▁residents , ▁demand ing ▁an ▁ap ology . ▁ ▁Career ▁S per ling ▁founded ▁Data cc ount ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁a ▁company ▁special izing ▁in ▁model - specific ▁software ▁for ▁the ▁emer ging ▁laptop ▁market . ▁ ▁For ▁example , ▁he ▁entered ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Tax ▁Code ▁into ▁program m able ▁calcul ators , ▁which ▁were ▁then ▁used ▁by ▁tax ▁profession als ▁for ▁estate ▁planning . ▁ ▁S per ling ▁was ▁quoted ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁May ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁issue ▁of ▁Info World ▁magazine ▁for ▁this ▁expert ise ▁on ▁port able ▁computer ▁programming . ▁ ▁Info World ▁also ▁turned ▁to ▁S