[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Siberiaboy

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ource=facebook

Everyone wants the humidity and they don’t like hills and history. Just go drive in the sprawl of cypress garbage dumps, track hurricanes,

Eat at Olive Garden instead of Basta Trattoria

Applebee’s instead of Abigail’s

Red Lobster instead of Chowderhouse

And get used to fewer mainstreets and more of interstate driving with Texaco Olive Garden BK and Taco Bell and Walmart at exits everywhere you look and they need more roads to keep up with all the people moving down

Adjust and leave CT

Florida has long been the "promised land" for retirees. Long ago they smartly developed thousands of communities geared to lure wealthy and not-so-wealthy retirees to their state. The promise of year-round warm weather and activities for older folks seem promising to many. You can't deny that the state has some very beautiful beaches and a lot of things to do BUT they have over-developed much of their coastline and bulldozed much of their history and charm in the process. Personally I do not care for it as a p;ace to live but we do vacation there. Jay

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Florida has long been the "promised land" for retirees. Long ago they smartly developed thousands of communities geared to lure wealthy and not-so-wealthy retirees to their state. The promise of year-round warm weather and activities for older folks seem promising to many. You can't deny that the state has some very beautiful beaches and a lot of things to do BUT they have over-developed much of their coastline and bulldozed much of their history and charm in the process. Personally I do not care for it as a p;ace to live but we do vacation there. Jay

I would not like to live in Florida. I prefer living in Connecticut.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by Siberiaboy

Agreed, but why Florida? My sunbelt place of choice would be Austin,TX or Frisco.

Or otherwise why not Colorado topography or Oregon or Arizona. Anywhere with real natural landscape besides flat manmade

Some people want to get away from the cold. I can't see Frisco as a place to go, if you mean San Francisco. Only the richest can live there; otherwise they'll be living in a tent in the street.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by JayCT

The posters that have pride in our state were driven away by the many naysayers who constantly attacked them when they did say positive things about our state. If you remember we had a LOT of naysayers a couple years back and I finally banned a number of them (with the consent and guidance of the Senior Moderator). I can't tell you how many posters reached out to me and said they had enough with the naysaying and constant negative comments. I tried to get them to stay, but they said it was just not worth it. A few come back now and then but still we have some naysayers that never have ANYTHING good say and are quick to relish any bad news. I think people know exactly who we are talking about. You do too. JayCT, Moderator

I think Connecticut has historically been a great state and it has a lot of attributes going for it. So I don't believe in bashing it. But I do think we need to honestly confront the state's issues if we want to make it as good as it can be for the future. I do worry about the trajectory of things in this state, and wonder where it will be in 10 or 20 years if we continue on the same path.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

I think it's an overall quality of life issue. Taxes and cost of living are getting so high here that many people face the choice between a more limited standard of living and moving. Some can't afford to stay at all without seriously downgrading their standard of living. I could eventually be forced out of Connecticut too. The state has been getting steadily worse since I moved here nearly 24 years ago. It's a shame, but where I came from (New York) is even worse.

Excellent, spot on post.

No matter where you go, I wish you well, and understand your POV.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by Bbobsully94

90% of people who move to Florida are seniors and/or conservatives I could see a greater case for younger/liberal people moving out West. Either way, it hurts this state when people move out.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

I think Connecticut has historically been a great state and it has a lot of attributes going for it. So I don't believe in bashing it. But I do think we need to honestly confront the state's issues if we want to make it as good as it can be for the future. I do worry about the trajectory of things in this state, and wonder where it will be in 10 or 20 years if we continue on the same path.

Very true. I also think with proper, Business Friendly leadership, and state government cost control, we can improve the future here. Perhaps it occurs in the post Lamont era.

I'd like to see a governor attending many meetings or events with various Chamber of Commerce orgs, reading every CBIA article, as business drives every economy of every state and city nationally. We need to treat them as if they matter to us.

[JD_MD]

The last few posts and quotes state the situation and solution perfectly. There is no reason that a state with such great people, amazing combination of coastline and countryside, amenities, and close enough proximity to so many other desirable areas in NE should be so mismanaged financially and on a continuous course of increase taxation without solving the real issues and an increase in wasteful and useless spending. I love CT for the people, food, great variety of things to do but we should be knocking it out of the park with businesses wanting to come here and good, contributing (not living off the system) people staying here or trying to move here, not the other way around. The governor and legislature need to tackle the issues like a smart CEO and CFO would in a company facing equivalent problems as has worked in other states, rather than doing the opposite, which has been proven to fail in other states. No reason not to think CT will ultimately suffer the same outcome in loss of business and at least a partial loss in once-loyal residents otherwise.

[Socrates32Hart]

Originally Posted by Beeker2211

I'm almost certain CT is the state shape that gets tattooed most... I've never seen a MA, GA, IL, NC, or CA tatt haha.

Maybe Texas... but still...

Your kidding right? I've never seen someone with a CT tattoo. I dont think i see people getting tattoos of states in general. Maybe cities, you'd see a lot of Boston or NYC pride, more so with sports teams. Same with Chicago. I dont think people get prideful over a state, more like a city.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Florida has long been the "promised land" for retirees. Long ago they smartly developed thousands of communities geared to lure wealthy and not-so-wealthy retirees to their state. The promise of year-round warm weather and activities for older folks seem promising to many. You can't deny that the state has some very beautiful beaches and a lot of things to do BUT they have over-developed much of their coastline and bulldozed much of their history and charm in the process. Personally I do not care for it as a p;ace to live but we do vacation there. Jay

And for many, it is. That’s why FL is one of the fastest growing states in the nation (TX is another - but no thanks).

Lately, I have been doing a lot of research on FL and am liking what I read. South FL is far from retirees (quite young, actually), and within south FL, Palm Beach County is politically progressive and fiscally prudent. The same can be said for Broward. They have politicians who actively recruit businesses, and successfully at that, from the Midwest and northeast.

I agree that the development and sprawl has gotten insane, especially on the east coast of FL. But at the same time, the majority of people buying those homes are from the DC to Boston corridor - bringing with them the mindset of quality education. I was pleasantly surprised to see how FL is moving up in the rankings and recently ranked as having some of the most quality higher education in the country overall. Not bad.

A college friend of mine just relocated to Wellington, FL from NJ. He said it’s a breath of fresh air to live in a state not riddled with fiscal issues and threats of massive tax hikes like he saw in NJ. So far, he likes what he sees with the public schools, too.