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I think it depends on which Florida we're talking about, but only to a point. Obviously, Miami isn't like Panama City isn't like Orlando. It's a state that is poorly run by almost any measurement you could find, and the people here are all pretty much from somewhere else. Look at what happened to California. What started out as a very liberal place where people could move and reinvent themselves is now a place with huge crime problems, the cost of living has skyrocketed, and unless you live in the Bay Area it's not particularly liberal anymore. They have so many laws there it's ridiculous. This may be Florida's future.
My wife's son, who lives in Hawaii, mentioned in an email that he is always shocked by the nature of the crime in Florida. It's pretty off the chart, not necessarily in the frequency but the type of crimes committed. I told him that it seems like every nut case in America eventually moves out here to act out. The justice and parole system are completely broken. I daily see people convicted of minor drug offenses get long prison terms, while dangerous criminals get off on light sentences, are paroled to their crime areas, and then forbidden to move while on long paroles. Given no retraining, no counseling, no help at all, they then commit more crimes, mostly because only the worst jobs will hire them due to their records. If they can't find work they get thrown right back into prison, so the stress level must be crazy. Very stupid system.
I've personally only lived in three Florida cities. Panama City, Orlando and now South Daytona. While they are all completely different from each other, there's a commonality amongst them that even a blind person could see. Too many right wing religious people control too many things. What I mean is, they have no business imposing religious doctrines on the workings of government. They have no business doing that in county or city governments, but they're frequently doing it. Not to bad mouth religion, because the people I'm talking about seem to have ignored its teachings, but these types are the worst examples you could find, with no compassion, and nothing but judgement against many people that have the temerity to be different from them. There's something downright mean and self righteous about them.The Florida Taliban I call them. Oh, they look OK, they don't do anything obviously evil, but when you dig deep and ignore what they say and focus on their actions it's not a good scene.
It's hard to explain. There's just something wrong with many of the people here, something missing. Maybe they brought it with them from somewhere else, but Florida is a fertile field to grow it in, apparently. Not speaking out about injustices to others is the same as complicity, and that is what I see here every day. People just ignore it. They don't want to get involved. Isn't hard to figure out why either. More than the crime and the economy and the population growth (all of which are fixable), this is what makes me unhappy and certain this place is not for us. It's not just me either, as the original poster pointed out. Some people do get it, and they figure out where to go from here. Those that don't see it, stay. There's a reason that dissatisfied people post here over and over. People aren't just making things up out of plain air, something is wrong. While I agree that America itself is going through a bad time, there are better places, and there are worse places. One person can only do so much. You have to have some like minded people to associate with because life is not a bubble, there's an interdependency to everything. You have to pick your battles and understand what is realistic for you to change, and what is not. A plant in the wrong soil will never grow strong.
This is the truth: for my wife and I, living in Florida is like living around aliens, we have so little in common with the people that we usually meet. They don't get us, and we don't get them. I've lived all over and this has never happened anywhere other than Texas and here. In the past there has always been some group, somewhere, that I connected with. Not in Florida. Its a state with quite an image problem. Every single individual that we know from the previous places that we've lived has said the same thing....I can't believe you folks moved to Florida. When I say it was mostly because Florida's warm, affordable, and there's beaches, they say "yes, but the people! Florida?"
I think it depends on which Florida we're talking about, but only to a point. Obviously, Miami isn't like Panama City isn't like Orlando. It's a state that is poorly run by almost any measurement you could find, and the people here are all pretty much from somewhere else. Look at what happened to California. What started out as a very liberal place where people could move and reinvent themselves is now a place with huge crime problems, the cost of living has skyrocketed, and unless you live in the Bay Area it's not particularly liberal anymore. They have so many laws there it's ridiculous. This may be Florida's future.
My wife's son, who lives in Hawaii, mentioned in an email that he is always shocked by the nature of the crime in Florida. It's pretty off the chart, not necessarily in the frequency but the type of crimes committed. I told him that it seems like every nut case in America eventually moves out here to act out. The justice and parole system are completely broken. I daily see people convicted of minor drug offenses get long prison terms, while dangerous criminals get off on light sentences, are paroled to their crime areas, and then forbidden to move while on long paroles. Given no retraining, no counseling, no help at all, they then commit more crimes, mostly because only the worst jobs will hire them due to their records. If they can't find work they get thrown right back into prison, so the stress level must be crazy. Very stupid system.
I've personally only lived in three Florida cities. Panama City, Orlando and now South Daytona. While they are all completely different from each other, there's a commonality amongst them that even a blind person could see. Too many right wing religious people control too many things. What I mean is, they have no business imposing religious doctrines on the workings of government. They have no business doing that in county or city governments, but they're frequently doing it. Not to bad mouth religion, because the people I'm talking about seem to have ignored its teachings, but these types are the worst examples you could find, with no compassion, and nothing but judgement against many people that have the temerity to be different from them. There's something downright mean and self righteous about them.The Florida Taliban I call them. Oh, they look OK, they don't do anything obviously evil, but when you dig deep and ignore what they say and focus on their actions it's not a good scene.
It's hard to explain. There's just something wrong with many of the people here, something missing. Maybe they brought it with them from somewhere else, but Florida is a fertile field to grow it in, apparently. Not speaking out about injustices to others is the same as complicity, and that is what I see here every day. People just ignore it. They don't want to get involved. Isn't hard to figure out why either. More than the crime and the economy and the population growth (all of which are fixable), this is what makes me unhappy and certain this place is not for us. It's not just me either, as the original poster pointed out. Some people do get it, and they figure out where to go from here. Those that don't see it, stay. There's a reason that dissatisfied people post here over and over. People aren't just making things up out of plain air, something is wrong. While I agree that America itself is going through a bad time, there are better places, and there are worse places. One person can only do so much. You have to have some like minded people to associate with because life is not a bubble, there's an interdependency to everything. You have to pick your battles and understand what is realistic for you to change, and what is not. A plant in the wrong soil will never grow strong.
This is the truth: for my wife and I, living in Florida is like living around aliens, we have so little in common with the people that we usually meet. They don't get us, and we don't get them. I've lived all over and this has never happened anywhere other than Texas and here. In the past there has always been some group, somewhere, that I connected with. Not in Florida. Its a state with quite an image problem. Every single individual that we know from the previous places that we've lived has said the same thing....I can't believe you folks moved to Florida. When I say it was mostly because Florida's warm, affordable, and there's beaches, they say "yes, but the people! Florida?"
I made a thread earlier about long post on this forum and how I usually skip them. Your long post was worth reading.
1. Florida is a sunny place for shady people! Plenty come to reinvent themselves, after all their former hometown was the problem not the person themselves! Live in your mother's basement in Staten Island, move to Flariduh and tell everyone you lived in Manhatten, lease an apartment and Lexus and you are suddenly "da South Flariduh Supastah"
2. Plenty come on vacation- Have a good time and figure lets move there because it will be so great. They all think they are going to make millions renting beach chairs/umbrellas to tourists and spend the afternoon drinking margaritas at the beach bar! Mock interview of someone who wants to move to Florida. - YouTube
I can understand where a lot of Floridians are coming from. I have lived in Dallas, TX most of my life and at this point most of the people I know are from somewhere else because of jobs. It has really changed this city - a lot - I suppose some good - some bad. Crime and drugs are everywhere. Just kind of the way it is. My husband and I are seriously planning on moving to Florida to retire. We are looking for a more laid back atmosphere, better weather (yes, we are accustomed to 110 degree heat but would like to lose the ice and snow). I hope you guys like people from Texas...
Even though Florida still has its problem, I would still prefer 2014 Florida over pre-2000 Florida. Florida's history shows that it was much more grim than now (more violence, more drug trafficking, less diversity, less resources, etc.). During the first half of the 20th century, Florida was also heavily Southern in culture and problems (above average poverty rates, segregation, hate crimes, etc.).
I disagree.
As someone who moved to Florida in the mid-90's and had been traveling to Florida bi-annually since the late 70's/early 80's prior to that, I can assure you that pre-2000 Florida was a much better place to live than 2014 Florida.
Life in Florida was just easier back then--fewer shady/deviant/bizarre/angry/hostile types, fewer rude/pushy/nasty transplants from NY/NJ/PA, fewer weird crimes (or at least fewer that you actually heard about, esp. prior to the 2000 presidential election & the Elian Gonzalez debacle also in 2000), less road-rage and aggressive/dangerous driving, less traffic, etc.
IMO, Palm Beach County, where I lived for years, peaked in the late 80's, and the Orlando area peaked in the mid-90's. By 2000, most--if not all--of the state was on the decline.
For me personally, Hurricane Wilma was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The population boom is what made the changes happen. The population has grown in leaps and bounds since WW II ended. Though in the 1985-1990 period the population growth was at the highest levels ever.
The population growth has not stopped but has barely slowed down.
You put 10 people in a room and there will be discussion and basic harmony even with those who are not the majority of the group.
You put 100 people in the same room and discussion would stop, basic harmony would disappear and
discontent will cause reactions from many in the group be disagreeable.
Now make it 1000, 10,000 in the same room and they'd be killing each other in no time.
Exactly, and chances are that the first few hundred who arrived are leading the charge "out".
While many of the populated parts of the state have devolved into angry, congested, dangerous places, there are still awesome little Florida nuggets putting along at a slow happy pace. Get out of the big cities and you can find them. I have one traffic light in the three miles between my home and office, I can't go to the grocery store or a restaurant without seeing people I know and the ocean and river are right there whenever I feel like it. Cost of living is still very reasonable. I can't speak for the other parts of Florida but I'm very satisfied with my little town. I feel certain there are plenty of others like it.
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