Boston a more powerful global city than L.A.? Really?

I normally don't pay much attention to city or state rankings, but a compilation prepared by Richard Florida for The Atlantic website caught my eye. It's a list of America's most powerful global cities, based on economic output, innovation, and financial strength. NY is on top, of course, but L.A., which ranks second in economic output, wages and salaries, and population, is only fifth most powerful, behind Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston. No offense to Boston, but global clout? L.A.'s shipping activity alone would seem to trump any other American city, except NY. What's also strange is that in a separate list of the 10 most economically powerful cities in the world, L.A. places ninth (between Shanghai and Zurich) and Boston doesn't show up at all. It's another reminder that these lists are only as good - or as bad - as the methodology on which they're based.

Rank Economic Output (billions)
1 New York $1,276.0 (1)
2 Chicago $529.3 (3)
3 Washington, D.C. $420.7 (4)
4 Boston $311.5 (9)
5 Los Angeles $734.8 (2)
6 San Francisco $322.7 (8)
7 Houston $375.5 (5)
8 Dallas $364.7 (6)
9 Philadelphia $345.2 (7)
10 Miami $256.6 (11)