[CollegeGuy9]

I hear all these people begging for an income tax so the government can get more money during economic downturns. But I say rubbish.

I think the state is doing an excellent job of living within its means. Budget cuts of these non-essential services should be seen as pruning. When we do emerge from the recession, we're gonna be stronger and better than ever.

The public school system in Florida has been a joke for a long time. There are a few good schools, but the majority are failures. I don't know how you would solve this problem, but I doubt throwing more money at it will fix the problem. Let's assume for a minute that more money would equate to world class education. In that case I agree with the teachers that we should instate a one or two cent sales tax to be used directly for classroom education. But I will fight till my last breath if anyone ever tries to install an income tax in the state.

It's the lack of income taxes which makes this state desirable to so many wealthy individuals. Who in turn bring tons of money into the state and pump up the economy and tax revenues. As Maryland has learned the hard way ( Maryland plan to tax millionaires backfires -- baltimoresun.com ), millionaires are smart and will simply relocate to more tax friendly states. When the millionaires leave, it directly and indirectly affects the local economy.

I don't want to see Florida end up like Maryland, California or other states which simply believe that increasing income taxes will solve their problems and equal a better quality of life. Increasing income taxes only accomplish the exact opposite of its intentions.

My rant for today!

[linc]

I agree. Government will never fix your problems. You have to fix your problems. The people who sit around griping about the economy waiting for government to help them are going to be disappointed for a long time. The people who realize that, then go out and make a living for themselves are going to do very well.

I hope this recession is going to teach people that, then this country will become a lot better.

[Scientifical Madness]

I think Florida is doing great in the economic downturn when compared to others


^^^ You live here?

[TriMT7]

Florida is doing better than some states in the economic downturn, but we've been walloped by the "real estate and construction" elements of the downturn, which is multi-faceted.

I agree though that "higher taxes" isn't going to help anything. Spending during the boom years outstripped the pace of inflation. Anyone who suggests Florida follow the model of "California" is ridiculous. With all the fees, income taxes, and sales taxes.... for a place with supposedly "perfect" weather and "robust" economy, people (and businesses) sure are bailing out of CA like crazy. Florida has unique problems, and its problems need to be dealt with in a unique fashion.

Texas seems to be weathering the downturn well (so far). THEY never suffered a real estate bubble, however, because they don't have what we have in Florida known as "environmental protections" and "growth management," meaning construction and housing hummed (and hums. for now.) along, keeping prices down (although Texas has property taxes on par with Florida's).

[ACTS Mom]

Originally Posted by linc

I agree. Government will never fix your problems. You have to fix your problems. The people who sit around griping about the economy waiting for government to help them are going to be disappointed for a long time. The people who realize that, then go out and make a living for themselves are going to do very well.

I hope this recession is going to teach people that, then this country will become a lot better.

But is our government going to learn anything? They spent like crazy during the good times and apparently didn't save anything for rainy days. And it's fine with the state leaders if they cut education, medical, social services to kids and mentally ill, that doesn't touch them. So when is the state (or local gov'ts for that matter) going to start cutting some of those 6 figure salaries, especially those who are double dipping, instead of laying off some clerk or parks dept. staff who make a whopping $12/hr.?

Before this recession is over, we'll have higher taxes and additional fees to pay than we did when things were coming up roses.

[grapico]

nice post , as education, when it was seeming to start to shoot for par, gets slashed allover the state....

[Scientifical Madness]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Florida is doing better than some states in the economic downturn, but we've been walloped by the "real estate and construction" elements of the downturn, which is multi-faceted.

I agree though that "higher taxes" isn't going to help anything. Spending during the boom years outstripped the pace of inflation. Anyone who suggests Florida follow the model of "California" is ridiculous. With all the fees, income taxes, and sales taxes.... for a place with supposedly "perfect" weather and "robust" economy, people (and businesses) sure are bailing out of CA like crazy. Florida has unique problems, and its problems need to be dealt with in a unique fashion.

Texas seems to be weathering the downturn well (so far). THEY never suffered a real estate bubble, however, because they don't have what we have in Florida known as "environmental protections" and "growth management," meaning construction and housing hummed (and hums. for now.) along, keeping prices down (although Texas has property taxes on par with Florida's).

Yes. Texas, with Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin all seem to be weathering this depression quite well actually. As are places like Raleigh (especially), Greenville SC, Salt Lake City, Seattle, etc...

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Scientifical Madness

Yes. Texas, with Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin all seem to be weathering this depression quite well actually. As are places like Raleigh (especially), Greenville SC, Salt Lake City, Seattle, etc...

Raleigh's unemployment rate is .2 less than Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. (8.3 vs. 8.5) - as of April, 2009.

Greenville, SC's unemployment rate is 9.6. Charleston, SC is 8.7

North Carolina's unemployment rate as a whole is now almost 11%!!! South Carolina is inching towards 12%.

The brightest spot in Florida for unemployment numbers is Tallahassee, at 6.4% For all the doom and gloom in Florida, only one of its many metropolitan areas crack the "worst 30" in the country according to the government, and that is the Palm Coast area.

Really, I'm not that impressed.


Don't know what's going on in Dallas, but I have an uncle who is a contractor who has been laid off for over a year, and a cousin near Dallas who is a laid off auto mechanic. None of my Florida relatives have been laid off (knock on wood).

[Scientifical Madness]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Raleigh's unemployment rate is .2 less than Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. (8.3 vs. 8.5) - as of April, 2009.

Greenville, SC's unemployment rate is 9.6. Charleston, SC is 8.7

North Carolina's unemployment rate as a whole is now almost 11%!!! South Carolina is inching towards 12%.

The brightest spot in Florida for unemployment numbers is Tallahassee, at 6.4% For all the doom and gloom in Florida, only one of its many metropolitan areas crack the "worst 30" in the country according to the government, and that is the Palm Coast area.

Really, I'm not that impressed.


Don't know what's going on in Dallas, but I have an uncle who is a contractor who has been laid off for over a year, and a cousin near Dallas who is a laid off auto mechanic. None of my Florida relatives have been laid off (knock on wood).

Umm... PSL? Ft Myers?

I didnt say the state of NC or the state of SC, I said Greenville and Raleigh are good places to weather the downturn... Greenville is a far cry from the problems SC (the state has). SC has poverty problems, crime problems, and education problems, all pretty much stemming from the high amount of AA's (lets be honest) in the low-lying areas of SC and in the middle of the state. Greenville is much more like a Raleigh or smaller version of Seattle than "typical" SC. I dont really like SC other than Charleston and that area, and the Upstate (Greenville). But Miami cannot compete with Raleigh in terms of quality of life, REAL diversity, and education.


Forbes says Greenville SC - an Affordable Place To Weather Downturn .
Tale of Two Main Streets: One Community Struggles, Another Holds Its Own - ABC News

The others holding steady or improving include Austin, Texas; Houston; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas; San Jose, Calif.; Raleigh, N.C.; Salt Lake City; and Seattle
America's Recession-Proof Cities - Forbes.com

Raleigh's unemployment rate is 8.3%; Greenville's is 9.6%, and the national average is 9.4% I believe. Not too bad.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by Scientifical Madness

As are places like Raleigh (especially), Greenville SC, Salt Lake City, Seattle, etc...

Agree with the latter two but Raleigh isn't doing that well, independent of real estate, and Greenville is so insulated that it's fairly mediocre progress is considered great on a CURRENT national scale. Underemployment was ALWAYS a problem in SC and it just hasn't gotten much worse since the recession. The unemployment rate in Raleigh area is below average but pretty similar to, say, Miami-Dade County or Broward County, which both keep on hovering in 8% range (Miami-Dade acutally in the 7s). Of course, the real estate market anywhere in FL is dead, while Raleigh is holding fairly well in that category. Economic growth rates are also similar. I think that Texas and maybe some western cities are really the only places that you could consider to be holding all around well.