[Joey Falcon]

Orlando, FL

[artisan4]

Originally Posted by jzcrandall

Virginia is blue, but just barely. The liberal parts of Virginia include Northern Virginia, Richmond, and a few areas of Tidewater. There are still parts of Virginia that are very deep red, and you don't have to travel far to see a paradigm shift. For example, the city of Richmond is very blue, but once you cross the Chippenham Parkway into Chesterfield County you begin to see Confederate flags and Tea party supporters.

Similarly, the densely populated areas south of Orlando are liberal, as are Gainesville and Tallahassee. There are many places in Florida that are very red. I saw this driving up US 19 from Tampa. I saw the derogatory anti-Obama signs and biblical quotes littering the road, especially when I got past Crystal River. This is why I think Florida is more like Virginia, and is nowhere close to California or Massachusetts.

RIck Scott is still governor too, and it's hard to get more right-wing than him. No, FL is definitely not at all like CA and MA. I guess 'data mining' is in order, such as somehow finding out where the Bernie Sanders supporters in FL are most numerous. Demographics are fascinating.

[craigiri]

The Sarasota area is quite purple -based on a number of things

The Arts and Music
The Food (always a good indicator)
The Wealth (can be a somewhat decent indicator, as blue states lean wealthy and they retire or move).

I've lived all over - from the deep south to WV to Philadelphia to New England...even a stint in Florida.
Although I do love some of the liberal areas I've resided in, all in all I enjoy the diversity of a slightly more purple area. I'd rather not be surrounded by white kids with dreads if you know what I mean!
And, I should note, I'm a radical/liberal from the 60's - just a logical, reasonable hard working one!

So, my suggestion is Sarasota. It's more purple but also more "come as you are" as the Amish, Menonites, wealthy, poor, right wingers, left wingers and blue blooders all mix it up.

You can find a few enclaves which are more "liberal" in a "college town liberal" fashion - but they aren't real in the same way SRQ is.

Of course, this can vary by neighborhood also.

I know a liberal who moved to somewhat down near SRQ and he created a new persona when he realized that the people he was hanging with didn't have a similar history! I guess that's the key.....to get along with others, not judge others and at the same time seek out like minds through work, volunteering, social events, sports, etc.

[craigiri]

Originally Posted by StreetSmarts

FL was a red state but now I see it as a blue state from here on out. I'm a Republican, but I try to look at both sides. I dont see how FL becoming the next high-tax, nanny state like CA or Mass is a good thing though.

If you want to look at both sides I'd suggest carefully studying two things.

1. The actual numbers
2. The value - in other words what you get for your taxes.

You mentioned MA - where I lived for 10 years (of my 60).....

Right now it generally falls right in the middle of states when it comes to overall business climate and taxes. Are you suprised?

The "personal" tax rate is slightly higher than the norm....
It is 10.3% average compared to a national 9.8% average.

That means you get to keep 50 cents less out of your $100.

i think we can agree that 1/2 of a percent is not a big difference - making one or another state "high tax" as compared to another or average.

But the bigger picture may be this. What do you (florida, ma residents, etc.) get for your taxes?

In general, MA has the best education system in the USA (look it up).

We use among the least energy per capita (better building codes - and less energy used can be a benefit in a future where energy could be tight and expensive).

MA has the best - or among the best - healthcare in the USA...as evidenced by a longer life and lower infant mortality.

There are many other such numbers.

The real point here is what some others have mentioned. Florida is one giant corrupt corporation which is designed to protect those who want to take all our money before we pass on. It is corrupt to the very core...development, industrial polluters, etc. etc.

It's not the taxes themselves which are the problem - it's what they give us.

Sarasota (where we have a place) gives us some great trash services - amazing actually. When you receive such services, paying is a little easier.

If Florida had better trains and better schools and better regional planning I'd feel better with higher taxes. But as it stands....the entire state will probably just turn into a big trash bin due to overdevelopment.

The only redeeming factor is that the climate and other factors will allow it all to revert back to nature once we have all gone too far. Then we can develop it again and make more money.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by craigiri

The Sarasota area is quite purple -based on a number of things

The Arts and Music
The Food (always a good indicator)
The Wealth (can be a somewhat decent indicator, as blue states lean wealthy and they retire or move).

I've lived all over - from the deep south to WV to Philadelphia to New England...even a stint in Florida.
Although I do love some of the liberal areas I've resided in, all in all I enjoy the diversity of a slightly more purple area. I'd rather not be surrounded by white kids with dreads if you know what I mean!
And, I should note, I'm a radical/liberal from the 60's - just a logical, reasonable hard working one!

So, my suggestion is Sarasota. It's more purple but also more "come as you are" as the Amish, Menonites, wealthy, poor, right wingers, left wingers and blue blooders all mix it up.

You can find a few enclaves which are more "liberal" in a "college town liberal" fashion - but they aren't real in the same way SRQ is.

Of course, this can vary by neighborhood also.

I know a liberal who moved to somewhat down near SRQ and he created a new persona when he realized that the people he was hanging with didn't have a similar history! I guess that's the key.....to get along with others, not judge others and at the same time seek out like minds through work, volunteering, social events, sports, etc.

This is how I feel about Sarasota, and why I enjoy living here (although technically I am on the north end in Manatee)

In addition to what you mentioned, we also have the quirky circus history and tons of artists, alternative healers and new-age everything here. I love how it all co-exists together, and pretty much everyone gets along. From downtown and going north, I consider it the "bohemian" area, with all the museums, colleges and funkiness. To the east is the Amish/ Mennonite, the keys the uber wealthy and conservative (mostly) and to the south more whitebread. In my own neighborhood (Whitfield Estates near the bay) we have both wealthy and poor retiress, gays, lesbians, artists, wealthy doctors and attorneys, middle class, blue collar, etc. etc. and everyone actually is friendly with everyone! It's amazing actually. Best place I ever lived, and far more tolerant than extreme "liberal" or "conservative" type places. Right in my sweet spot!

[New Horizons]

Enjoyed reading your post. Sorry I ragged on Florida. My mind was in a different place back then.

Originally Posted by SDPMiami

Well I'm from Los Angeles who moved to Miami Beach, FL. Couldn't love it more, but I don't think I'd move to any other area of Florida but Miami. Everything else seems to be suburban sprawl, retirees from the midwest, and grumpy southerners at their state being overtaken.

Arizona on the other hand, I'd probably never move to. I used to have a girlfriend from Phoenix, and I'd make the 5 hour commute from California to see her parents. The only benefit of Phoenix is the cheapness and proximity to California (and I guess good Mexican food). Everything else, the lack of the ocean, the browns, the extreme heat, gets to me.

The Pacific Northwest I could move to, but the weather is not my cup of tea tbh.

[artisan4]

Having lived in Europe, I am unsettled by the uncivilised level of the United States and how it has devolved into a plutocracy since 1980 through the election of Republicons and DINOs, so maybe I shouldn't have put 'liberal' in this thread since that means 'slightly less conservative' in the U.S. In my Florida travels, I haven't found a progressive part of Florida. Sarasota strikes me as pretty right-wing. I don't think there are areas like that. Craigiri mentioned Massachusetts, which has been recommended to me in the past and may be the closest thing to Sweden in this country. It seems like MA and CA are leading the country and the rest of it is rocketing towards anarchy and poverty and general suicide. Would like to think differently, but having followed American politics since 1978, things just keep getting worse. Hard to see it crumble. President Carter must be as appalled as I am.

[BBMW]

If you want to live in Sweden, move there, and stop bothering the rest of us (although I hear that all the Muslims they let in are turning there socialist paradise to $hit). Most American don't want to turn America into Europe.

Originally Posted by artisan4

Having lived in Europe, I am unsettled by the uncivilised level of the United States and how it has devolved into a plutocracy since 1980 through the election of Republicons and DINOs, so maybe I shouldn't have put 'liberal' in this thread since that means 'slightly less conservative' in the U.S. In my Florida travels, I haven't found a progressive part of Florida. Sarasota strikes me as pretty right-wing. I don't think there are areas like that. Craigiri mentioned Massachusetts, which has been recommended to me in the past and may be the closest thing to Sweden in this country. It seems like MA and CA are leading the country and the rest of it is rocketing towards anarchy and poverty and general suicide. Would like to think differently, but having followed American politics since 1978, things just keep getting worse. Hard to see it crumble. President Carter must be as appalled as I am.

[artisan4]

Oh no, are ya bothered? Maybe you could survive this personal holocaust by not reading the thread. The thread btw is about progressive/liberal areas of Florida-I get the impression you are not progressive/liberal and thus would not know too much about progressive/liberal areas of Florida or maybe just cop an attitude about it, so why don't you get back into your F-150 with your American flags flying from the bed and Trump sticker and ride old ladies' bumpers? Don't ferget to send some hate energy to all those liberals who are working to make life better for you, and some love energy to all those corrupt Republicons working to take away any benefits from you and your loved ones.

[Fredesch]

You might like Hawaii. Hawaii is the most liberal state and culture in the US. With Florida you will need to work to make it into a reliably blue state. Many folks here are ignorant of what having a good health system and decent safety net for citizens is like. They have never experienced it and some are fearful of the unknown.