[dasho]

I hear so many things about the snowbird/transplant relocating to Lee County.
I have done my research to the best of my ability. I have to look at the cons instead of the general "What I want." Forgive me if names/locations are spelled incorrectly.

Home prices have gone out of control. Homes that were 150k just a few years ago are 500k and have been "reduced" to 450k.

The ecology has been impacted so the river that used to be teeming is a wasteland, compared to what it should/used to be. I read that the Caloosahatchee (sp?) is number 7 on Americas Most Endangered Rivers.
Not just because of releases, but the oil from the roads that runs off into it when it rains. Regardless, all a product of population.

Home insurance has gone up drastically from so many people moving there, there are so many more homes to be covered after a major storm.

That many things arent "like they do back home." (although Im certain most people in Florida are from "back home", one way or the other)

Folks recklessly feed wildlife ignoring the "fed gator is a dead gator" mentality then complain about nuisance wildlife. Thinking, what could one marshmallow hurt. I understand that they are then destroyed due to the expense of relocation. Thats a selfish human act that doesnt surprise me. Even if there are alot, its still a shame our 2 minutes of fun = dead animals. And in all fairness, they were here millions of years before us

The area is much dirtier than it used to be because of the huge influx of people.

Homes are built on key ecological areas such as the one that will be built at the head of the Six Mile Slough, choking off the nature preserve there. Isnt that one reason people move to Florida, the LACK of homes destroying the beautiful landscape and wildlife habitat? I guess money talks, not flora/fauna.

The melting pot of drivers ( the slower paced midwesterners and retirees/still-caught-in-the-rat-race-North Easterners/the people that live there just trying to get to work) make for a terrible day on any road. And no one knowing their way around very good.

Terrible schools. And why would people keep moving there that have children if the schools are so bad? They cant be THAT terrible from the growth I have read about taking place in Florida in the last 8-9-10 years.

The more people I talk to FROM Florida or that have been there many years, seem not too fond of any more people making the state into what millions of others are trying to escape from.

Ive looked at the annual weather charts. Doesnt seems like a Sunshine State to me. Is the draw to live in Florida simply the weather? Or is it to escape the big, dirty towns some of us come from?
Geez, maybe we should stop ruining their homes so we can leave what we've ruined back at ours...or better yet, not ruin their native home so we can enjoy a few months of great weather. Vacation is always good LOL.

[tallrick]

In general I think that the transplants have hurt Florida. If they wanted an easy-going Florida life why did they bring their Northeast mentality and bulldoze this place and put up Mc Mansions? Nothing that has been done lately is of any real value, so long time residents are understandably upset. When you are born and raised in this state and do business or work here it's a constant battle to stay afloat. When business goes well expenses grow at least twice as fast, and there's no sense of community when no one living here was born here. Since no one knows how it was, they don't know what they lost. What really gets me is how people come here to escape then push hard to make this like what they left. Florida is a state with little or no natural resources like minerals, or energy. It's only resource is land which has been harvested at an unbelievable rate. Of course this is a very vulnerable state, it doesn't have enough water for full development and eventually gets a slap every now and then from a powerful hurricane. This is not a scenic state and in it's natural form isn't very hospitable for residents. Artificial living with air conditioning and filled in swamps full of cookie-cutter homes is today's norm. If it was up to me I would live in the 1,000 sq foot shack surrounded by oaks, pines or even sawgrass and endure the insects and wildlife. 99.99% of transplants refuse to do that so we all have to suffer the environmental consequences of their "new urbanism" mentality. Not to mention the unnecessary stress and headaches they brought here.

[Edvard]

Remember when rent-a-cars had license plates designated "LEASE"?

Any guess as to why the DHSMV puts regular tags on those cars now?

[sharon2329]

tallrick,
Join the club!!!!!!!!!! Nothing else is going to change. This is still the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. NOT FLORIDA NOT NEW JERSEY.
It's sooooooooooooooooooooooo easy to blame the Northeast mentality for everything that goes wrong in Florida. I am so tired of hearing that the Northeasterners are like the plague coming to ruin everything. (Sorry to use you as a scapegoat but there are several forums out there that are always mentioning the Northeasterners for ruining everything) WE are people too looking for a place that we can raise our families. Read posts from other "popular states" like New Jersey, California, New York, Massachusetts and North Carolina. Lots of natives from those states, myself a Jersey born and bred, are getting driven out by people with more money not necessarily from Northeasterners. The same things that you complain about what outsiders have done to Florida has been done elsewhere hence the join the club comment. If I had a choice I would stay here, not become it's utopia but because I was born here and I hate that I don't have the opportunities to buy my house because I need to put in $80,000. to start so I can get a decent mortgage payment and pay $10,000 in property taxes a year!!!!!!!!! But unfortunately, I want to be close to my family and they have ALL moved to Florida for cheaper cost of living. It's unfair that i am being driven out by others too and I am a Northeasterner. Cut us a brake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you think Florida is expensive try New Jersey.

[firemed]

Did transplants hurt Florida, you tell me. Florida has always been an ecologically sensitive area. For most of the people who live here now if I ask where are the everglades the answer would be the same. South of Miami or south of Naples depending on which coast your on. In case you didn't know it lake okechobee sits in what used to be part of the everglades. As a matter of fact if you live south of Tampa you live where the everglades once were. Hard to believe isn't it? Ok. sit back kiddies cause your ganna learn some history. Florida was known as the devils land because of the rough terrain and the complexity of the everglades. The only people living in the area were the caloosa indians who made thier home in what is now Lee county. Pine Island still has the mounds the indians built. The Caloosa indians lived in harmony with the everglades. Unfortunately the Caloosa indians were slaughtered by the spanish for no apparent reason. The spanish did not want the land and termed it "the devils land". Ironically today we think of it as paradise. But the one thing that is upsetting is the first settlers did not want to be here. Most were runaway slaves looking for a place to hide. Florida was perfect because no-one in thier right mind would venture into the everglades. The Seminole indian tribe were driven from Georgia into the everglades when thier land was taken. They learned more about the area than probably anyone else before them. They had respect for the land and the beauty of the everglades. Unfortunately as developement started the everglades got smaller. Developers decided to drain the everglades and utilize it for farming, so in came the Army corp of engineers and dug a series of canals which is now contributing to the demise of the everglades. Zero lot line housing, concrete seawalls and the lack of respect has reduced the everglades tremendously. Rainfall during rainy season would be absorbed into the ground and flowed gradually south to Lake Okachobee which is the seventh largest body of water outside the great lakes. Unfortunately concrete and asphalt causes the rainwater to flow into our waterways and is continuosly contaminating the sheetflow from developement today. This is very upsetting knowing greed has caused an irreversable effect. Make it a point to visit the remainder of the everglades and take some pictures for your grandchildren who may never get to see it. So did transplants hurt Florida, YES! But what is a transplant.

[Floridamex]

The everglades are a mess, Its a shame .

[tallrick]

The sugar indusrty has done a lot to ruin the everglades, even more than development. But don't worry, water shortages will bring awareness to the problems here. Florida is surrounded by salt water, so all of it's water comes from rain. We can go 6 months witl almost no rain so without the Everglades south Florida is toast.

[tallrick]

By the way if all the Northeasterners are leaving, who is replacing them? With outsourcing hopefully some of the companies paying huge salaries will cut back, stemming the tide of money that keeps the bubble inflated in the Northeast.

[bamboosmom]

Yea, with all their grumpy faces! Why are they all so grumpy? They don't know how to smile or even be polite. Alot of them are here in SW Florida.
The rude snowbirds (Q tips) as the younger crowd calls them. The northeasterners are at least ALIVE!!!!!!!

Blame the politicians here in Florida for the mess the state is in.

Go and read the papers and see what the commissioners are doing to the cities here. They are dumb and aren't going to get any better.

Don't go and follow family that moved down here, because they probably won't be staying here. After a few years in Florida US transplants want out!!!

This state needs a wake up call.

It's like the Hatfields and McCoys.

"If yer gonna get loud with me, I'll call them there cops!"

"Give me a freakin' break already, why don't ya forgettaboutit!!!!!"

Too many people from all over down here with nothing in common.
Geez, I can't wait to go home~!

[Floridamex]

Too many people from all over down here with nothing in common.
Geez, I can't wait to go home~!

Money or the lack of is what they have in common. I say keep them comming but bring your checkbook cause the sunshine cost money.