[Doctor Octagon]

Originally Posted by KathyA11

In response, I give you New York City, Camden and Newark, NJ -- as well as Detroit. Low crime rates in cold states? Not hardly.

My response was a joke.

Yes, NYC, and ghettos like Newark and Camden obviously have very high crime.

[airboat5]

alot of states are in the same mess right now . Iam sure it will all come out it the wash. fighting right now does not help anyone.good luck to you all.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by DailyJournalist

This is very true, I find that none of my co-workers have any desire to leave their jobs to move to Florida. Florida was the retirement destination of the past, not of today.

Oh yes. Your discrete circle of "co-workers" is sure to be a very representative sample to draw from.

Meanwhile, back where "journalists" like to use facts and figures AND analysis:

The NCCCR’s study compiled data from 2.5 percent of the population. The study used data from 2005 as it was the most recent year that data was available. According to the study, retirement migration to the ten most popular retirement states of people age 60+ looked like this:


1) Florida: 16.61%

2) Texas: 6.77%

3) Arizona: 6.60%

4) California: 5.28%

5) Georgia: 3.63%

6) North Carolina: 3.50%

7) Pennsylvania: 3.05%

8) Tennessee: 2.93%

9) Washington: 2.86%

10) New York: 2.55%

While the numbers do not lie, some people have questioned the long-term moving intentions of those surveyed. The study was conducted near the height of the real estate boom when prices in Florida, California and Arizona were spiraling upwards. The hysteria drove many retirees to consider other, more affordable places for retirement.

[...]

Now that prices have come back to reality in the popular southern retirement states such as Florida, Arizona, California and Nevada, it will be interesting to see how age 55+ homebuyers’ attitudes will change. It is our opinion that while Texas will remain a strong player in the retirement destination category, it will not remain the number two destination. When the dust settles on the turmoil created by the recent real estate downturn, we expect to see Arizona and California right where they left off – numbers two and three.

Texas: The Number Two Retirement Destination?

[Retiredcoach]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

The answer to the following question can be found in my exhaustive (and exhausting) posts to psouth, which never seem to go rebutted.

Would you like to take a gander at what percent of workers in Florida are employed in the tourist industry? What about the construction industry?

Yes, I would like to take a look at the jobs in Florida that are (or have been generated) by the tourism and construction industries directly. But please, do not stop there. I would like to see reliable numbers that are indirectly related to these industries, as well. I would like to see the true dollars generated through tourism/construction that have long benefited and sustained the Florida economy and infrastructure. By downplaying the comprehensive status of tourism & construction upon the Florida economy (as you have) is equivalent to someone from Michigan saying that the auto industry is a small tidbit in the overall scheme of that state's economic health... and that just is not so!

[KathyA11]

Originally Posted by Doctor Octagon

My response was a joke.

It obviously didn't come across that way....

[Doctor Octagon]

Then I apologize.

I would never live in a place like NY or NJ unless I had to. I get enough of that in S FL. No thanks, LOL!

Sometimes it's hard to tell what is a joke and what's not on a message board.

[airboat5]

dont worry doc its been like someone all ready kicked the hornets nest here.

[stars99]

This is very true. People who want to work in the arts go to LA or NY and can't really make it, they end up grinding it out working as waiters (or what have you), getting further and further behind.

Originally Posted by polo89

Not everyone CARES to make it in NYC or Boston. That's the problem, TOO many people on these forums assume that everyone wants to move to NYC or Boston or many other areas up there. There are plenty of dreamers in NY who think it's gonna be like an episode of Friends or something. It's not that everyone can't make it, some people just dont want to. Florida isnt by itself on many of these issuse people say on here.

[stars99]

how can we achieve world peace when everyone onteh florida forum is so mad at each other

Originally Posted by airboatbill

dont worry doc its been like someone all ready kicked the hornets nest here.

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

Yes, I would like to take a look at the jobs in Florida that are (or have been generated) by the tourism and construction industries directly. But please, do not stop there. I would like to see reliable numbers that are indirectly related to these industries, as well. I would like to see the true dollars generated through tourism/construction that have long benefited and sustained the Florida economy and infrastructure. By downplaying the comprehensive status of tourism & construction upon the Florida economy (as you have) is equivalent to someone from Michigan saying that the auto industry is a small tidbit in the overall scheme of that state's economic health... and that just is not so!

Well I'm not doing all that research for you. I HAVE provided statistics, however, showing that construction and tourism/hospitality jobs COMBINED equal less than 20% of jobs in the state. EVERY job sector, of course, directly and indirectly effects other job sectors. But to assume like you do that the state has all of its eggs in one basket is disingenuous.

In 2007, tourism represented 19% of Florida's taxable sales, returning $3.9 billion to the state in the form of sales taxes and generating $65.5 billion in direct economic impact.

Again, not insignificant, but while we now have a downturn in taxable sales from a downturn in tourism, that is not a permanent state. If you think that tourism is going to disappear forever, or become "obsolete" you are grossly mistaken. When the economy rebounds "elsewhere" it will also naturally increase tourism and vacations to Florida.

Meanwhile, the state IS trying to make strides in the right direction. Any reputable and recent economic outlook report by any Florida official or economist refers to the continued efforts to branch into different areas.