"... So I'll just say this: Any developer worth their salt could find a job within 24 hours of being in this city. ..."
By ascribing success to meritocracy, you also by definition ascribe failure to lack of merit or application. This is platently false. The failure here is to not recognise that merit isn't the only reason for being employed, unempolyed and underemployed. [0]
[0] "A kinder, gentler philosophy of success": http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_ph...