[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by The b8nk

Yeah places like Lakeland and Spring Hill I can agree with that, but if you want to live anywhere that offers anytype of job prospects, you are going to face inequality, FL or not. Miami is on there I believe. I live and Tampa and see bums all the time 2 blocks from 500k houses...

Fort Myers and Melbourne are not podunk towns. Melbourne probably has more aerospace and defense-oriented engineering jobs than anywhere else in the state.

[The b8nk]

Thats the thing though, in regard to the OP how many "section 8" areas are there in Melbourne compared to a bigger city like Miami? With equality comes less options.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

No worse than what you'll find in Cali or NY, which are actually more divided from an income standpoint

That's not quite the point. FL is not a state to be in or come to if you're down on your luck.

It lacks social services that other states provide.

Look at UE benefits in FL, they max out at $275 a week, one of the lowest in the nation.

That being said IMO people shouldn't move to new state and expect a handout either.

It's one thing if someone is relocating with a job, but don't relocate and expect the govt. to pick up the tab.

[FlyMIA]

If you are SOL and in a low economic status. California. That is where you want to go. Just expensive to get there.

[GIbornNBred]

Really ??? I see ignorance and predjudice in Florida is alive and well ! Do you think that just because we are on sect8 housing we are scum and low income bums ? Really ? A car wreck a few years back took my life from me and caused me to become disabled and if you think for 1 minute I like this your sadly mistaken. Ive had to live in the shadows of this predjudice for years and its hell ! I would give anything to open my business again and work.
I spent half my life in Florida and was also thinking of coming home to retire nice to see the attitude towards those a lil less fortunate than you so welcoming, be careful someday you might be in this boat. And another thought, the OP is in Seattle a almost impossible area to live in if your lower income , only the rich survive up there.And Wa state is being hard hit by drugs . Did you ever stop to think there trying to make there lives better and survive ?? Gainsville is a college town maybe they would like to settle down and go to school and give there child a better life ? No I didn't think ya all thought of that....

[The b8nk]

Originally Posted by GIbornNBred

Really ??? I see ignorance and predjudice .

Why do libs throw these words around like they are conjunctions, lol

[HarryWho?]

Originally Posted by The b8nk

Why do libs throw these words around like they are conjunctions, lol

No worse than "class warfare" and "job creators". Getting back to the original post, Florida has advantages and disadvantages just like any other state. It would be wise to list them all for any place you would consider and compare them to the place you already inhabit. Picking one or two good points and focusing on them can lead to problems.

[The b8nk]

People are already poor in FL, just look at some of the beaters driving around here daily, Im sure youll fit right in...

[smarino]

Well, it all depends. Every place is different. A friend of ours on the Big Island of Hawaii has a disability and gets Section 8 (known as county housing over there) and it got her a big 3 bdrm, 2 bth home. However, it is way out of town. There's always a reason why places are below market rate. Keep in mind that Florida is a red state and does not have federal health subsidies for the affordable health care insurance, even the one that the feds set up here. Because my wife only works PT as a sub in the schools, she was out of luck on this, and her health insurance would have run nearly $500 a mo, about what she makes. If she had made over $11,500 a year her payments for essentially the same insurance would have run less than $60. This is a big loop hole in the coverage that nearly no one talks about.

Coming from New Mexico, I can say that the health care options in Florida are very poor unless you have expensive full coverage health insurance. In New Mexico we both qualified for free ($10 a visit max) health care due to our low income, and the quality of care was very good. Here in Volusia county, there s nothing for low income individuals! You are referred to something called The Jesus Clinic, which is full and has a 1-2 year wait to see anyone. Every day the county seems to cut more services w/ ingenious statements like "we are shifting these clients over to alternative health care providers". In other words, over to full pay clinics for people w/ full insurance. I have never seen anything like it in my life. But, that's the repups.We moved here just as the state senate was dickering over whether or not to go for the affordable health care coverage (they did not) and wrongly assumed that the feds would set up something to cover us, but the low income loop hole eliminated that possibility. While I love the beauty of the place, the warm weather, etc, the mind set here sucks. It is no fun knowing that your only option is to go to an emergency room if something happens, and you can not afford preventative health care. The schools here are a problem as well.

Some of the comments here are, sadly, what you will encounter in real life if you move here. I have run into some of the most mean spirited people you could ever find outside of Texas. I'm struggling to describe what you will run into here on a family forum, but I would describe it as willfully mean and viscous, and hey, if you don't agree w/ this mindset, then you're part of the problem and you should live somewhere else. Or, in the words of the ex mayor of Orlando "I know that the homeless have their problems.....let them have them somewhere else". No, not everyone fits that description, but plenty do. The wildlife is nice though, and has a much better attitude :}

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by chopchop0

No worse than what you'll find in Cali or NY, which are actually more divided from an income standpoint

Problem is, there are elements trying to turn Florida into CA or NY....