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I have several questions for all those who find fault with Florida. Of course I don't expect too many replies from those folks because they are too busy finding fault and sharing those faults with everyone
How many of you are actually in the low income situation that is the bane of many posters?
Does anyone realize that the tourist areas are limited and do not occur at all in most of the state?
In what is considered "tourist areas" there are many occupations other than the jobs that the typical 18-22 year old is going to have any interest in. Then again, perhaps the majority of the posters here fit in that bracket. I wonder if that is it?
This chart shows that there are other occupations in FL, occupations that exist virtually every where in the U.S.
I am sure that out of the 21 pages of occupations listed most of you must be qualified to perform well in at least one of the occupations that do not provide a low wage existence. Do any of you fall into that category or are you all only able to perform on a very limited basis?
The systems that allow the ticket taker at Touristland U.S.A. require service and maintenance. The ride that the minimum wage worker guides guests on and off requires maintenance and repair which is not performed by a minimum wage worker. The management of these businesses that pay so poorly are not being paid minimum wage for sure.
I truly wonder how many people who are working at minimum wage have the resources to relocate any where in the first place? If you did, how did you do it and how did it work out for you?
If you've been working for minimum wage you are not going to have the cash it takes to relocate in the first place unless of course you get on a bus with a suitcase and step off the bus at your destination with no plan on what you are going to do there or how you intend to support yourself. Apparently many of you did just that. How and why?
Let's take FL out of the equation for a moment. A person lives in Anytown U.S.A. They have been working at the local Burger King for 3 years. They have been scraping by sharing an apartment with 2 others. They have very little savings and no skills except to say "fries with that?". Is this persony going to get on a bus headed for Denver CO because they want to enjoy a change of seasons and mountains? I hardly think so, but it appears that quite a few of you expect that happens a lot especially when we substitute Denver for INSERT FLORIDA CITY HERE or have actually done it.
Anyone born with a functioning brain is not going to do what the person in Anytown USA may be thinking. Obviously that person will realize once the thought is complete that the thought is not realistic and he could not possibly take on the task. Just like the fellow in the asinine cartoon that has been posted here.
Of course it can be done. That person could walk to a wooded area, a forest or a large park, call it home and try to make a go of it by living off the land and the generosity of people by standing by a highway exit with a sign. They could apply at the local Burger King in their chosen destination, probably get the job due to experience and continue their quest for a better way of living matching or exceeding what they had back in Anytown, USA. The question is how many people do it this way? How many of you did relocate to Florida this way?
Now lets take a person who has a marketable skill and makes a plan to relocate to anywhere U.S.A. They have enough cash on hand to live 6 months to a year after clearing their moving expenses and finding housing. Aren't they in a better position to replicate or exceed his living situation anywhere he chooses to go? How many of you did that and how did it work out?
It appears from the postings here on CD and on many other web sites that the people creating the postings had nothing to begin with and expected Florida to be the answer to all their problems. Florida is a state. It is a geographical location. It is not a training ground for everyone who needs training to be able to earn a living upon arrival. It is not a magical place where "high paying, good jobs" are handed out to anyone who comes along seeking one. It is the same as anywhere else.
Granted FL has weather that a lot of people enjoy. It was an abundance of recreational activities that no other state can offer. FL is a choice place to be compared to many others. However, day to day life is just about the same as anywhere else. We get up in the morning, commute to our jobs, do our jobs, return home, have dinner, watch some TV or do whatever it is that a person does in their life.
So why do we see so many people here concentrate their efforts on consistently finding ways to discredit Florida?
Why do I see so many people complain about low wages, the weather, other residents, high cost of living, taxes, drivers, roads, the government, etc etc etc.???
Are some of you so truly unhappy with your lot in life that Florida becomes the target of your agony?
I am sure that most of you with the constant complaints and those who take the time and effort to find and post polls and newspaper magazine articles came from elsewhere. Tell us, what on earth caused you to decide to relocate to FL instead of someplace else in the first place?
Where you dreaming on laying on the beach sucking down pina coladas for the rest of your
lives never having to pay another bill and never have to work again?
Did you expect your relocation to Florida to give you skills and knowledge that you didnt have before relocating?
Did anyone consider that the closer you go to the equator the warmer the temperature is for longer periods of time?
Did it occur to you that most of Florida is in a sub-tropical zone?
Was anything that you are complaining about now evident to you then? Any of it?
It seems for a lot of you the answer to that question is no.
Were like the guy in the cartoon?
Is the only thing you thought about was beaches, warm all the time and sunshine.?
Once you made your relocation all of these issues suddenly came to light for the first time?
Most of you need to do one or more things to correct your personal mistakes. Those who are destined to complain about every thing and everybody will remain unhappy for the rest of their lives no matter where you live.
On a final note: It seems that there are many more drug dealers than there are drug users here, especially West of U.S. 19. It appears that all towns West of U.S. 19 are either huge drug supermarkets or contain huge manufacturing operations. With all the drug dealers I read about here it could only mean that these people are selling drugs to themselves or to each other as the number of them mentioned could supply most of the southern U.S. indefinitely. It would also require an amazing amount of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in these areas where any law enforcement agency would just have to sit in one place and arrest people by the busload on a daily basis wiping out the customer base for all these drug dealers in a short time or at least they would be able to obtain enough information to make huge sweeps taking down many drug dealers in one fell swoop. I am surprised that law enforcement has not contact the people here who advise everyone where all the drug dealers are so that they could simply eradicate the situation based on the reports of the posters. Plus, since everyone earns $8.00 an hour the crime rate to support these drug users would be quadrupled from what it actually is.
If you are among those who are suffering so much in life here, get off the computer, go to school, go get a part time job to make ends meet, see a doctor for medication to help you or simply do what you did in the first place - relocate to a place that meets your requirements with good jobs, high paying jobs, uncrowded roads, where the temperatures are more to your liking, where all the schools are great, taxes are low, COL is less, people drive with high performance in any and all situations, where the only drugs are at the pharmacy, were the doctors all are graduates of St. Georges, were houses are all brand new and built flawlessly, painted in the colors you approve of, where the grass is always green and does not need to be mowed and any other specifications that you require to be happy forever and ever.
Surely you will be happier, live longer and enjoy your life for a change. Dream again. Live that new dream because it is apparent that for some of you this is a total nightmare.
I got tired of reading after the first three chapters (just joshing with you, Springy). You need to stop taking this website so seriously, though. It's not good for you.
All you need to do is Google "hate Florida" and there are dozens of web sites that support people who think like you do.
I dont think is healthy for people like yourself who take a certain pride in being the first to post the smallest amount of bad news about a place they love to hate. I feel that harboring such hatred and dislike is very unhealthy. Waking up each day and saying to oneself "Another day in this hot humid God forsaken place" and ending the day with "Tomorrow is going to be worse than today". That would wear me down to the point I'd want to stick my head in a gas oven.
I wasnt ranting in my post but posing a set of questions that may provide some reasoning to all the negative postings. I am not at all surprised at a response such as yours.
I am certainly not over sensitive but curious to understand people like yourself who subject themselves to conditions not of their liking for long periods of time. But what I usually find is that none of the disenchanted ever want to explain their position and answer the "why" questions. Instead of being part of a discussion they resort to postings like your response to my posting:
"You really need to consider taking a break from C-D and these "other" websites you're talking about. I don't think it's healthy to constantly rant about people who are critical of their state for whatever reason. You are obviously over-sensitive to anyone who has something negative to say about Florida"
Posters, such are yourself prefer to complain and moan incessantly and/or search for news stories that always point out something lousy about FL. Usually things that take place all over the world, such as your posting of the school bus driver who was texting. What is the point of a posting like that? Obviously not to inform the local populace of breaking news which is going to be in the newspaper and/or on the evening news and I highly doubt that a person seeking relocation information cares much about something that takes place all over the world.
The purpose of CD is to provide solid information to people who may be considering a relocation. But instead it is used to post the most ridiculous information such as "School Bus Driver Texting" or the never ending postings about low wages, no jobs etc. Anyone with any sense is going to find that "information" useless and perhaps avoid CD because of the people who harbor all lousy thoughts thus defeating the purpose.
The credibility of a poster who consistently states "low wage" "no jobs" gets destroyed when a person who really is serious and looking at a relocation goes to a job site and finds these jobs listed in Tampa:
It's ok for people not to like a place. That's why there are umpteen places in the world.
The only people you may convince of Florida being a high wage state is the tourism board. The people who run the state know all to well that the workforce just isn't able to compete. Your governor recently sent a letter asking for business relocation. Needless to say it wasn't seriously taken by any place with advanced industry, CA or MA for instance.
Florida looked foolish quite honestly. It would have been better to ask similar states and cities like Atlanta or RTP for talent.
Part of the reason you are seeing so many people dislike Florida is because lately it has been so foolish. From the recent courtcase to the wacky stories, to the hurricanes, Florida is not thought of in general by the masses to be a great state anymore. Add to this the flood insurance debacle and the issue of significant sea level rise. And if you look through history, many people thought the locals and the area were truly as backwater. Before air conditioning it was fairly un-inhabitable to most folks. Imagine August without AC. But this is not unique to Florida, Arizona has a similar problem. However they are much more progressive and haven't built an economy based on tourism.
That perception issue has quality of life implications because so much of the state was built for retiree's. But now many retirees are looking elsewhere and many simply can't afford to retire anymore.
I posted a carefully thought out posting inquiring as to the thinking of posters but instead get an insult in return. Seems the CD community is interested more in insulting people instead of participating in meaningful discussion.
Spring, I must chime in here, objectively I see it from both sides, with that my hubby is an executive and had worked on wall street for most of his career before we left in 07..with that being said, the wages in Florida for what he does arent anything to write home about he made a nice living but not enough for the cost of living..One thing we never want to do is just Exist, and too many people in florida do just that so they can living in a beautiful place with great weather, the problem is unless you can really enjoy what florida has to offer, then that isnt enjoying Florida if that makes any sense..Also remember the middle class really doesnt exist much anymore no matter where you live so to speak as so many industries have felt the poor economy...Our biggest issue with South Florida is the cost of the living, and Crime, now we loved it there and it was home for us and is always where my heart is, however I look at it from both sides which is, The schools are good but there are better, the Cost of living in Some Parts of Florida as one can not Generalize it since certain parts are not as expensive as others, and I have to agree the professionalism is certainly lacking in Florida wages are lacking as well..The other problem is when these kids graduate from College Most of them do not stay or Return to Florida because there aren't jobs and again the Wages are very low...Anyhow the point is, times have changed and depending on that person's experience living there, they have the right to state why they "hate" Florida As I say it all the time where we live now however I just wont post it..lol, but you cant dispute how someone feels..Of course if they are bogus reasons or people are just miserable it doesnt matter where they live they are not going to be happy....If I go on and say why we didnt like Florida because blah blah blah, im Bashing it, If I say you know this is a great place and we love it blah blah blah I am either a Cheerleader or a Liar so there is no happy medium I can see why people don't like it and I can see why people love it...It becomes a personal choice and people are going to be unahppy in alot of different places..You will never run away from the problems as new ones would exist eleswhere, only those people know what is best for them...All the research in the world you can still end up very unhappy...
Florida is and always has been a low wage state, who's "fault" is that? That would be our great leaders who press tourism over quality jobs, sure tourism creates jobs, just not good ones. Might have worked great in the 60's, 70's and 80's..maybe into the 90's but since parts of Florida have saw a high increase in the COL that makes wages from tourism jobs akin to living on poverty.
Mickey Mouse and Active Adult Communities isn't going to pay for that $300K median home, $3K/year car insurance, $1200/month rent and etc...
I make good money here, but as I said before I can make a lot more elsewhere, but yet here I am...for now at least.
"Experts say Florida is poised to be a state filled with mostly low-skilled, low-wage jobs."
I find that CD forums are a pretty good indication of what to expect in the areas relative to them. Ive lived in five states in just the past twelve years alone, and visited many more, and to me, the overall tone of those states forums posters are close to what you get in real life. The contentious and antagonistic tone of the Florida forums is exactly what we suffered there. All people have their place, if you like Florida, great for you, but the florida forum watchdog/bullies simply cannot understand that some people dont share their enthusiasm for a variety of reasons. Even stating your personal, real life experiences will get an overwhelmingly negative response from the regulars, who are always ready to pounce. Although their posts are ponderous, predictable and a violation of CD's "No negative post" rules, they do do a service. An aware individual will be able to see what might await them in a lot of areas in FL. The OP makes this point better than anything an anti-Florida person could write
So, OP, you are talking to all of the people on this board who don't like Florida as if they moved here. That is not always the case. I was born and raised in Florida. I truly hate this state and am here through no fault of my own.
You say to those that don't like living here that they should just move away. I have actually tried this on three occasions (well, two honest attempts. The first time I really only have ass-ed the attempt to move away so I just consider it a long vacation). When the economy crashed pretty much if anyone didn't like where they lived then tough luck because they are gonna get stuck there for a long long time. Especially young adults without well developed job skills. I really went all out on my moving attempts. I found cheap places to live on craigslist, threw all my belongings into my car and just left. Unfortunately, I couldn't find work where I moved to and when my funds were exhausted I had to come back.
So long story short, just up and moving isn't exactly an easy and simple solution. Not in this economy at least.
Yes, its fine for people not to like a place, but if you dont like licorice, you spit it out, no?
I am not saying FL is a high wage state. What I am saying is there are more than minimum wage and/or low paying jobs here as some wish everyone to believe.
Don't tell me I am unable to compete. I am part of the workforce here. Most of the people I know here are able to compete as well and do so on a daily basis. Please dont insult the entire population of Florida because of some misconceived notion that people who live in Florida are not capable to be a part of the workforce.
Sorry to disagree, but I do not believe the masses feel Florida is not well thought of. Tell that to the bio-tech industry which has been and continues to bring their business to Florida. Recent court case? Zimmerman? The man killed in self defense. Anyone in his situation would have done the same instead of incurring further injury. Easy to say he was wrong when you weren't involved. New York State also advertises for new business. Governor Cuomo Announces Launch of Statewide Business Ad Campaign | Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
When you have 20 million people you're going to find whacky stories. I'd rather have whacky stories rather than the most vile stories that happen in Chicago or New York City on a daily basis such as a toddler shot to death in his stroller due to gang violence or the local police selling accident reports to insurance scammers or local police exporting heavy duty weapons to another country or a man attacked and ultimately killed because he was white.
The hoopla over flood insurance is outlandishly over stated. It will affect those who live close to water.
Makes sense that those folks should pay higher rates because the risk to the insurance carrier is greater than someone who lives in Ocala. The highest ranked natural disaster in the United States, according to FEMA, is flooding. About 270,000 Florida properties face flood insurance rate hikes. The investor-owned homes will loose subsidies they had for decades. Lots of investors in places like Sanibel Island are going to see big time increases. Its time they pay the piper. Perception is not reality.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kg[pqp
It's ok for people not to like a place. That's why there are umpteen places in the world.
The only people you may convince of Florida being a high wage state is the tourism board. The people who run the state know all to well that the workforce just isn't able to compete. Your governor recently sent a letter asking for business relocation. Needless to say it wasn't seriously taken by any place with advanced industry, CA or MA for instance.
Florida looked foolish quite honestly. It would have been better to ask similar states and cities like Atlanta or RTP for talent.
Part of the reason you are seeing so many people dislike Florida is because lately it has been so foolish. From the recent courtcase to the wacky stories, to the hurricanes, Florida is not thought of in general by the masses to be a great state anymore. Add to this the flood insurance debacle and the issue of significant sea level rise.
That perception issue has quality of life implications because so much of the state was built for retiree's. But now many retirees are looking elsewhere and many simply can't afford to retire anymore.
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