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All the southern states have Yankee enclaves where the professionals live. I spend a lot of time in the affluent suburbs north of Atlanta where all their high tech is located. You don't see rednecks and Confederate flags. I can point to a long list of towns in rural upstate NY that are far more socially conservative.
i'm not referring to "rednecks and confederate flags", but rather political policies issued by state government. anything from medicare/medicaid, obamacare to religious freedom laws, to the recent LGBT bathroom situation.
i'm not referring to "rednecks and confederate flags", but rather political policies issued by state government. anything from medicare/medicaid, obamacare to religious freedom laws, to the recent LGBT bathroom situation.
Medicare is Federal. In a retiree forum, Medicaid and ACA don't particularly matter. I didn't get a sex change operation. Why should I care about Fox News lunatic fringe social policy law? It doesn't impact me or pretty much anyone on this message board unless they're glued to Fox News and Rush getting all worked up about things that don't matter. What I care about is my neighbors in the community where I live. I'm an affluent professional. I can find towns stuffed full of those anywhere in the country.
Medicare is Federal. In a retiree forum, Medicaid and ACA don't particularly matter. I didn't get a sex change operation. Why should I care about Fox News lunatic fringe social policy law? It doesn't impact me or pretty much anyone on this message board unless they're glued to Fox News and Rush getting all worked up about things that don't matter. What I care about is my neighbors in the community where I live. I'm an affluent professional. I can find towns stuffed full of those anywhere in the country.
it matters alot because there are plenty of retirees who don't qualify for social programs like medicare, like retired farmers who rely on obamacare marketplace for health insurance cost assistance. research states with and without expanded medicaid or medicare assistance. there are some southern states about to expand. i can't think of a bigger potential cost in one's retirement years than healthcare.
Last edited by ControlJohnsons; 05-26-2016 at 12:18 PM..
i'm not referring to "rednecks and confederate flags", but rather political policies issued by state government. anything from medicare/medicaid, obamacare to religious freedom laws, to the recent LGBT bathroom situation.
Thanks. I get what you are saying. Hubbie isn't too keen on the "south" just for those reasons. We are one step away from the tree hugger types (and may agree with them most times).
That was why we were considering Florida as opposed to other southern states. There are more northern transplants down there, that I hope round out the political issues.
As for the northern enclaves- we don't want that for 2 reasons: 1- most of these enclaves means expensive. I'm amazed at the prices of some of the houses down there, but-2- more importantly- isn't an enclave a sort of segregation?
I want to fit in with the "natives". I want friends that at rich, poor, catholic, jewish, protestant, black, white, gay, straight (hate that word), etc. We don't want to be with others just like us. I want to laugh over the southern drawl while they make fun of my Bronx (don't live there now) accent, dropping the Rs and THs and Gs.
Anyway, thanks to all that answered. Always happy to get more responses.
Oh and by the way- we do know ppl who are gay and who others who are transgender. They are friends (gay couple), co workers (transgender) and acquaintances (another transgender). We strongly believe in their rights. We didn't have a gender change either but for those who did or feel they must do it, we back them up 100%.
countrykaren, Perhaps while researching FL look into the Sarasota/St Pete/Tampa area, which tends to trend "blue" in its support of social policies that end up on the ballot. Most of the southwest part of FL, which is affordable, tends to vote "red."
Where I live (Palm Beach Country) the municipalities are tolerant and flexible, but we still have a rigid governor who is absolutely hostile to most priorities that middle-class or working-class retirees might care about.
Florida was "blue" when I moved here in the late 1980s and went "red" about 15 years later. Now it's trending back to democratic: President Obama won the state in 2008 and 2012. FL today could be called "purple," I guess--or a patchwork, as people are as polarized here as anywhere else about political priorities. So county by county, quite a bit will be different in terms of taxes. Counties are stronger in FL than individual cities.
I think you mentioned Mount Dora as a possibility--and just anecdotally, that area might be more conservative socially than you'd like. The anecdote I'm thinking of was on local TV--there was a doctor there who cancelled any of his patients who voted Democrat in the last election.
ETA: I know a young person who is transgender and has suffered so much from backlash.
countrykaren, Perhaps while researching FL look into the Sarasota/St Pete/Tampa area, which tends to trend "blue" in its support of social policies that end up on the ballot. Most of the southwest part of FL, which is affordable, tends to vote "red."
Where I live (Palm Beach Country) the municipalities are tolerant and flexible, but we still have a rigid governor who is absolutely hostile to most priorities that middle-class or working-class retirees might care about.
Florida was "blue" when I moved here in the late 1980s and went "red" about 15 years later. Now it's trending back to democratic: President Obama won the state in 2008 and 2012. FL today could be called "purple," I guess--or a patchwork, as people are as polarized here as anywhere else about political priorities. So county by county, quite a bit will be different in terms of taxes. Counties are stronger in FL than individual cities.
I think you mentioned Mount Dora as a possibility--and just anecdotally, that area might be more conservative socially than you'd like. The anecdote I'm thinking of was on local TV--there was a doctor there who cancelled any of his patients who voted Democrat in the last election.
ETA: I know a young person who is transgender and has suffered so much from backlash.
Thank you LadyAlice... The Clearwater/ St Pete/Dunedin area was the place we were going to concentrate on, so it's funny you said that. Don't know if we can find something in our price range and I heard the traffic is horrible, but then again we originally came from Long Island. However we are open to other areas, and will be down there in July to also "check out the heat."
countrykaren, Perhaps while researching FL look into the Sarasota/St Pete/Tampa area, which tends to trend "blue" in its support of social policies that end up on the ballot. Most of the southwest part of FL, which is affordable, tends to vote "red."
Where I live (Palm Beach Country) the municipalities are tolerant and flexible, but we still have a rigid governor who is absolutely hostile to most priorities that middle-class or working-class retirees might care about.
Florida was "blue" when I moved here in the late 1980s and went "red" about 15 years later. Now it's trending back to democratic: President Obama won the state in 2008 and 2012. FL today could be called "purple," I guess--or a patchwork, as people are as polarized here as anywhere else about political priorities. So county by county, quite a bit will be different in terms of taxes. Counties are stronger in FL than individual cities.
I think you mentioned Mount Dora as a possibility--and just anecdotally, that area might be more conservative socially than you'd like. The anecdote I'm thinking of was on local TV--there was a doctor there who cancelled any of his patients who voted Democrat in the last election.
ETA: I know a young person who is transgender and has suffered so much from backlash.
BTW LadyAlice... do you know of any counties that are a little cheaper tax-wise- or the most expensive? That would narrow our "search". and oh yeah- Scott gives me nightmares, but the way I see it he was elected in, he can be elected out by someone else. Thanks.
it matters alot because there are retirees who don't qualify for social programs like medicare, like retired farmers who rely on obamacare marketplace for health insurance cost assistance. research states with and without expanded medicaid or medicare assistance.
Since when don't farmers qualify for Medicare?? All of the farmers EXCEPT those who opt out and who are 65 and over both qualify and participate. The folks who opt out are Amish farmers who do not participate in any social insurance schemes.
I think you're in Bristol. I'm 15 miles east of you and maybe 10 minutes farther to Providence. My math is similar to yours. Housing prices where I am are a bit lower. The property tax rate is a bit lower. No state income tax on Social Security but the state income tax rate on the rest is a bit higher.
My stepmother lives in a condo on Longboat Key. $612/month condo fee plus occasional special assessments because owners of Florida retirement condos rarely opt for a well-funded capital reserve fund. She became a full-timer about 15 years ago so the property taxes are locked in at that valuation. She has a stiff insurance bill. My total housing costs if I outsourced the exterior maintenance would be roughly half hers.
Yes I am in Bristol, and I think you are in Padanaram figuring that by reading a number of your posts. If so I am shocked housing prices there are lower than in Bristol since South Dartmouth in general is quite affluent.
As they say, the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and if it is it is probably because the other side is paying for expensive lawn maintenance
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