[CJFlorida]

Originally Posted by cil

Tell that to my neighbor whose roof fell in when the March blizzard of 2003 happened. Then there was the old elm tree that toppled onto my other neighbor's truck. Blizzards are usually not the catastrophe that hurricanes are, but if you are a rancher who loses thousands upon thousands of cattle, it is a disaster.
It is all relative.
It's just that some disasters make more dramatic copy than others.

And remember, houses built after hurricane Andrew have different codes. The roofs do not blow off, except maybe some shingles. And they do not blow down either.

It is easy to protect yourself from a hurricane. Don't buy right next to the coast. Buy a CBS house with a roof built according to code and automatic hurricane shutters.. Put in a whole house generator. Stock some food and water. Life goes on.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by CJFlorida

It is easy to protect yourself from a hurricane. Don't buy right next to the coast. Buy a CBS house with a roof built according to code and automatic hurricane shutters.. Put in a whole house generator. Stock some food and water. Life goes on.

I don't even lose power out here in Weston. It's seriously no big deal when you are under a category 3, at least you can plan for one. Anything above, however, is devastating, but how rare are those?

[thebigr]

I would rather be without power after a hurricane than a winter storm. And I say that from experiance.

[picsesmauve957]

I totally agree, Florida is way overrated.

[Retiredcoach]

Let me first say that when a typical northerner thinks of Florida, he/she envisions a sunny paradise where dreams can come true... a utopia of sorts. We visit your beautiful state and maintain this very skewed view. We go to the beaches, visit Disney, stay in the finest hotels, but never see the totality of Florida during our two week stay. The state of Florida benefited from our "blinders" as we wanted to assume that living in Florida would be a 52 week vacation... 24/7 and never ending. Your housing prices jumped to unimaginable levels, and the paradise sought dwindled in affordability. Your state grew exponentially, as who wouldn't want to live in our perceived heaven on earth? The hurricanes came and further blemished our "paradise". Much of what we read about Florida, when we return home, is often worse than where we now live.

As much as I hope that your state returns to its former stature as the location where everyone wishes to be, I do not believe any state can live up to that kind of hype. People will not move to Florida because of its beauty alone, they will move because of the opportunities it provides. Until these opportunities of affordability, meaningful employment, better education and a safe/secure environment are more readily evident to the relocating masses, the large inventory of unsold overpriced houses will be sustained.

[HockeyMom72]

Originally Posted by thebigr

I would rather be without power after a hurricane than a winter storm. And I say that from experiance.

Including the one of 1977. The buses couldn't run so I walked a mile and a half in it to my house. I couldn't get in. My neighbor game me a shovel and I shoveled out the front door. I walked in the middle of Woodhaven Blvd. to go to the store. I couldn't get my car out for days, so I just plain WALKED everywhere I had to go.

This was during the John Lindsay era. Our streets weren't plowed. The homeowners on my street pooled their money and hired a contractor to plow the street.

We survived, less the money for the plowing. No damages to our BRICK homes. There were many others but none was as severe. Actually, I never even lost power in any of them. When my kids were young, they loved it actually. SNOW DAYS. They played in the snow instead of going to school.

[Alphaman]

Don`t forget hurricanes can hit all the way up in the north east I know I lived in Rhode Island. So Northerners are not immune to crap weather.

Also had a tornado go up my driveway in Rhode Island.

[NYNewbie]

Originally Posted by verobeach

The midwest is under ice. Parts of Oklahoma will be without electricity for 10 days. But the focus of America will never be what it is when Florida gets hit. Why?? News about Florida touches everyone. Who hasn't been to Disney? Who doesn't have a grandma down here? Who hasn't vacationed here? If Florida is hurting then it is world news. Blizzards in the north, shootings in Colorado, fires in California, but Americans can't forget the back to back storms of 2004. I'm tired of hearing about the housing crisis in Florida like this is the only place it's happening. I'm tired of hearing about hurricanes, humidity, or whatever the peril of the week is. The world is a dangerous place in general. Florida is NOT the gate to hell.

I've written this elsewhere, and I believe it even more strongly today. Florida is the most rotten place I've ever lived, and I've lived in Illinois, California, Oklahoma, Florida, and New York. Florida isn't the gate to hell, as I know of no state worse than it.

Let's lay this out. First, its politics set it up for disaster, as there is no solid constituency in place to advocate for the middle class. Instead you have these corporate sycophants who use religious distractions to keep people from thinking about bread and butter issues. For example, the seniors, whose money is a major factor in Florida's smoke-and-mirrors economy, are there to proctect their nest eggs. So, they fight any tax increase that exists. Still, they strain public services by demanding things - as they did during the McBride v Reno Dem. primary. They backed Reno who supported those issues (Prescription drugs). McBride split the party by supporting schools - parents' issues. Meanwhile, Jeb talked about Jesus, Terry Schiavo, and lied about increased contributions to schools (a bizarre thing to brag about considering Florida schools rank among the worst in the country - the very bottom. Also interesting considering Jeb's efforts to crush the class-size amendment).

Second, I can empathize with the greed of seniors when compared with the mega-rich people who live in Florida to shelter their wealth in their homes (Florida protects home owners from losing their homes in the event of bankruptcy or seizure). Florida has some of the richest zip codes in the United States (and some of the worst schools, bottom three for teacher-pay).

Third, Florida is a right-to-work state. So, they are structured to protect the rich from paying fair wages to middle-class honest workers.

Fourth, Florida's schools are absolutely rotten. And, their new plan to reward top teachers in districts will absolutely transfer money from poorer schools to richer schools.

Fifth, in a further attempt to destroy the public schools, Jeb Bush put together a state-sponsored plan to build an endowment to fund vouchers to send kids to private schools.

Sixth, the state is destroying the natural resources that made it a natural wonderland.

Seventh, Senator Martinez has begun to soften on whether to allow off-shore drilling. Of course, we know he is taking oil money. So, this will be his return to them. I bet the investment pays off for Exxon and the rest.

Eighth, state commitments to save the Everglades have been intentionally tripped up by Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist.

Ninth, the Citizen's Insurance program (state sponsored welfare insurance) is being subsidized by middle and lower class home owners on the mainland in order to make insurance more affordable for mega-rich homeowners on the barrier islands. It is argued that Florida's economy relies on the homes on these islands. Evidently, that means that rich people must be subsidized by everyone else (sounds like Jeb, doesn't it?).

Tenth, it has some of the most dangerous roads in the country. Ranks highest among states for pedestrian deaths, and has two of the top five worst stretches of expressway in the country. It had the money, but refused to put dividers along I4. Still doesn't have them along most of I10.

I just left Florida because I couldn't stand it. I lived there for 5 years. You are right, it isn't the gate to hell. Compared with other states, it is hell. And it doesn't need to be. It just needs to be responsive to the people who live there - not the corporations who pay for campaigns. If you want to know what Florida looks like at its "best," drive through Deltona in Volusia County. If hell doesn't look like Deltona, I don't know what does. And it doesn't have to be this way considering Florida has the third largest treasury in the US. Florida is an absolute embarrasment.

[NYNewbie]

Originally Posted by thebigr

I would rather be without power after a hurricane than a winter storm. And I say that from experiance.

I was in Lake Helen when the eye of Charlie ripped through. Electricity out. Phone dead. TVs out. Lines down in the yard. Trees devastated everywhere. Homes ripped in half. Then, the humidity of hell sets in the next day.

By the way, I loved the fact that after hurricanes FEMA brings in union electrical technicians from other states getting paid 3x their salaries to restore power. Meanwhile, Florida workers are paid no differently than before the hurricanes quite. Add to that the stories of Florida power techs getting fired because they had to take care of their families and homes following hurricanes - with no recourse, as they had no unions.

I've only heard of snow (ice really) dropping lines in the rarest of circumstances. I lost my electricity in Florida at least one a week - no kidding. The power supply was dirty and messy. So, I didn't even have to wait for storms to corrupt the electricity. But when it went off, you lost your air conditioning. Up north, if you lose your power, your heat still works.

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by NYNewbie

I've written this elsewhere, and I believe it even more strongly today. Florida is the most rotten place I've ever lived, and I've lived in Illinois, California, Oklahoma, Florida, and New York. Florida isn't the gate to hell, as I know of no state worse than it.

Let's lay this out. First, its politics set it up for disaster, as there is no solid constituency in place to advocate for the middle class. Instead you have these corporate sycophants who use religious distractions to keep people from thinking about bread and butter issues. For example, the seniors, whose money is a major factor in Florida's smoke-and-mirrors economy, are there to proctect their nest eggs. So, they fight any tax increase that exists. Still, they strain public services by demanding things - as they did during the McBride v Reno Dem. primary. They backed Reno who supported those issues (Prescription drugs). McBride split the party by supporting schools - parents' issues. Meanwhile, Jeb talked about Jesus, Terry Schiavo, and lied about increased contributions to schools (a bizarre thing to brag about considering Florida schools rank among the worst in the country - the very bottom. Also interesting considering Jeb's efforts to crush the class-size amendment).

Second, I can empathize with the greed of seniors when compared with the mega-rich people who live in Florida to shelter their wealth in their homes (Florida protects home owners from losing their homes in the event of bankruptcy or seizure). Florida has some of the richest zip codes in the United States (and some of the worst schools, bottom three for teacher-pay).

Third, Florida is a right-to-work state. So, they are structured to protect the rich from paying fair wages to middle-class honest workers.

Fourth, Florida's schools are absolutely rotten. And, their new plan to reward top teachers in districts will absolutely transfer money from poorer schools to richer schools.

Fifth, in a further attempt to destroy the public schools, Jeb Bush put together a state-sponsored plan to build an endowment to fund vouchers to send kids to private schools.

Sixth, the state is destroying the natural resources that made it a natural wonderland.

Seventh, Senator Martinez has begun to soften on whether to allow off-shore drilling. Of course, we know he is taking oil money. So, this will be his return to them. I bet the investment pays off for Exxon and the rest.

Eighth, state commitments to save the Everglades have been intentionally tripped up by Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist.

Ninth, the Citizen's Insurance program (state sponsored welfare insurance) is being subsidized by middle and lower class home owners on the mainland in order to make insurance more affordable for mega-rich homeowners on the barrier islands. It is argued that Florida's economy relies on the homes on these islands. Evidently, that means that rich people must be subsidized by everyone else (sounds like Jeb, doesn't it?).

Tenth, it has some of the most dangerous roads in the country. Ranks highest among states for pedestrian deaths, and has two of the top five worst stretches of expressway in the country. It had the money, but refused to put dividers along I4. Still doesn't have them along most of I10.

I just left Florida because I couldn't stand it. I lived there for 5 years. You are right, it isn't the gate to hell. Compared with other states, it is hell. And it doesn't need to be. It just needs to be responsive to the people who live there - not the corporations who pay for campaigns. If you want to know what Florida looks like at its "best," drive through Deltona in Volusia County. If hell doesn't look like Deltona, I don't know what does. And it doesn't have to be this way considering Florida has the third largest treasury in the US. Florida is an absolute embarrasment.

1. And yeah, where else isn't this true?
2. Just because it has some of the richest zip codes doesn't make it "rotten" or have any effect on the school system. As far as teacher pay, please prove it without using outdated data.http://www.aft.org/presscenter/relea...ySurvey-FL.pdf Yes, 27th. Not "bottom 3"
3. Please consult this list
The following 22 states are right-to-work states:

* Alabama
* Arizona - (established by state's Constitution, not by statute)
* Arkansas - (established by state's Constitution, not by statute)
* Florida - (established by state's Constitution, not by statute)
* Georgia
* Idaho
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Louisiana
* Mississippi
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Oklahoma - (established by state's Constitution, not by statute)
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Virginia
* Wyoming

The territory of Guam also has right-to-work laws.
Plus, we all know that the greatest economic successes in the country like Ohio and Michigan are union states.
4. Please back your statement with fact without making a blanket statement like "Florida's schools are rotten". The system overall is ranked 29th out of 50, which isn't the best, but isn't the worst. Also reference what would cause that process to happen.
5. Prove it.
6. I'm with you on this one...about 10 years ago. Everglades are already wrecked. Now they are trying to correct mistakes made.
Welcome to the official website of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
At least they didn't build a craphole over the everglades. Weston is pretty nice if you don't like crime or traffic, but you like blue ribbon (that's right, BLUE RIBBON, NATIONALLY ranked!) schools and an environmentally aware population (still used to be the everglades!)
Aside from this, please cite some other examples. The states natural marvels, like the Green Swamp, Ocala National Forest, all of it's natural springs are indeed preserved.
7. So, whats your point?
8. Prove it.
9. Prove it.
10. I'm with you on this one, but as far as having the money, prove it. What do you mean by "dividers" anyhow?

I'm not a Jeb man, but

A. Hes gone and
B. You aren't going to get anywhere by making blanket statements.