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By what standard does Florida have a nice quality of life? That's one I've never heard before! Everyone I know who has moved to Florida has come running back as soon as they could. My sister-in-law is a teacher and was shocked at how far behind their schools are when she was living near Orlando. Kids told her straight out "Miss, we don't work that hard down here", when they weren't cursing her out.
Their housing crash was worse than RI's, and their unemployment is only a little better than here - helped greatly by the fact that the state is so heavily populated by retirees not seeing employment, no doubt. They do have the advantage of low taxes, but that's what attracts all those retirees who don't put anything back into the state.
But they also have guys who eat people's faces off for kicks, gators who would gladly eat those guys, insects larger than my head and sinkholes that would swallow my car. The horrendous humidity is broken up only by the occasional devastating hurricane and their crime rate exceeds RI's in every category but car theft - and that's just by a hair. Your likelihood of being a victim of violent crime in Florida - 1 in 194 - is way higher than RI's 1 in 404.
Now if you had said Charleston, SC - great city - you might have a point, but Florida?? Do we really rate LCOL above our safety, our education or our access to culture?
I'll give you one thing. Florida sports teams must be pretty great, because New Englanders go all the way down there to watch their games. Oh, wait...
Totally agree with you on that Sands. I mentioned it because it is on that published list of places with highest migration TO, 8.8% on that linked list. Bugs and humidity galore ! But many retirees love it. e.g., The Villages .... gag.
8. Better, more modern government offering the piece of mind that more of your tax dollars go back to YOU (schools, roads, etc.) as opposed to bloated pensions and overly generous welfare programs.
It's too bad because RI has a lot to offer and could offer more if it really wanted to. It can't replicate some things like weather and cheap energy, but it can make itself more competitive in other ways. It could do a much better job at catering to working families, and not encouraging the bad behavior like it does. Instead of being a magnet for those that would improve the state, it is one for layabout losers from states to the immediate south. It's no accident that their choice for relocation is RI (and MA) as opposed to NH or VA. Just sayin...
While the state itself cannot change the angry and stressful vibe existing here, improving on some of those other things would make things a heck of a lot better for the working folk living here. A better future will diffuse some of the negativity, better roads will quell some of the road rage, and having less of one's paycheck confiscated to support the bad habits of those not even from here will help the morale and put a few more smiles on people's faces.
The interesting thing about that is that most of those states are 'taker' states, taking far more from federal tax dollars than they give - and mostly because they're crushingly poor. The ones doing the giving are the ones on the emigration list. I wish Southerners would back up their talk. They don't hate welfare. They just hate welfare that they pay for. They're fine with the welfare we pay for. Blue state, red face: Guess who benefits more from your taxes?
Here's a list of free lunch eligibility by state. Anything jump out at you there? If these southern states are so great, why is the poverty so crushing?
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Most taxed states:Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Per capita.
The link with "Free Lunch"etc. is "Free Lunch Eligible". Not $ spent . It is obvious; the results are based on the size and population numbers of the state, thus: California #1, Texas #2, etc.
Most taxed states:Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Per capita.
The link with "Free Lunch"etc. is "Free Lunch Eligible". Not $ spent . It is obvious; the results are based on the size and population numbers of the state, thus: California #1, Texas #2, etc.
You need to click on "per capita". #1 is Mississippi with 0.951 per 10 people eligible, then Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, California, Alabama, Arkansas, DC, Georgia....
RI is 27.
No comment on the other link and the "taker" states?
The interesting thing about that is that most of those states are 'taker' states, taking far more from federal tax dollars than they give - and mostly because they're crushingly poor. The ones doing the giving are the ones on the emigration list. I wish Southerners would back up their talk. They don't hate welfare. They just hate welfare that they pay for. They're fine with the welfare we pay for. Blue state, red face: Guess who benefits more from your taxes?
Here's a list of free lunch eligibility by state. Anything jump out at you there? If these southern states are so great, why is the poverty so crushing?
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
It is no secret that the southern states have higher poverty and plenty of their own issues. No one is denying that. It is a fact however, that states like RI have much higher spending per capita on entitlement programs (to the detriment of the taxpayers).
As far as the "taking far more from federal tax dollars than they give", well that is partially skewed by other factors. NC for an example has a very high military presence, so of course there is a lot of federal money coming in. FL (with all the retirees) receives a very high flow of Medicare dollars. TN, AL (home of the TVA). It's not so simple.
1. A chance for younger middle class families to own a decent home in a non-ghetto area.
I do.
Do you have kids? Are you in a condo or SF? What do you consider "decent"? Are both you and your wife earning decent incomes? Do you have much student loan debt? All I can say is that a typical salary of 40-60k (on its own) will not buy much of a home (figuring $150,000 tops).
2. Mild winters.
In other words painful summers.
True, but everything is AC down there. Your AC bill in the summer will be much lower that an oil bill for winters up here. Some people hate snow too.
3. Job opportunities and a brighter overall future.
I'm fine, thanks. Right to Work states can suck it.
I could care less about the state's labor laws. The thing to look at is current opportunities, how far you salary will go, and future career/earning potential.
4. Nicer folk
You're kidding, right? The intolerant yahoos aren't all that kind.
No I'm not. Ironically I have met far more "intolerant yahoos" up here than in TN where I spent part of a year. Far more integration down there (Nashville area), and folks don't generally rush to judge the way they do up here. The absolute worst seem to be the NE liberal closet racist types (and reverse racism).
5. Cheaper taxes, health care, gas, energy costs, insurance and most other things.
In other words: Less of a safety net and a more "you're on your own and if you screw up too bad" mentality. Also my healthcare and insurance here happen to be way cheaper.
What are you talking about? They have unemployment benefits in all states.
6. Roads that won't destroy your front end in the first 30,000 miles of ownership.
Car's on 55,000, still A-OK but thanks for your concern.
I'm happy for you. Get back to me when you hit 90k or 100k.
7. Southern cooking (although I'd miss the good seafood and Italian).
Restaurants here are waaaaay better than the mostly chains and crap they have down there.
Nashville has plenty of unique local restaurants. Coastal NC same thing. (areas I know) N.O. is world famous for its cuisine. TX has amazing food. Like I said, Italian and seafood I will give to RI.
8. Better, more modern government offering the piece of mind that more of your tax dollars go back to YOU (schools, roads, etc.) as opposed to bloated pensions and overly generous welfare programs.
HAHAHAAHAHAHAHA! Sorry, that really doesn't even need a rebuttal.
No sir. Tell me why the taxes are so high while the roads and schools are so crappy.
9. The women! (and most of my female friends seem to have a weakness for southern gentlemen and their accents and all).
Met my wife up here after 25 years in Florida. But maybe you have a fetish.
Or maybe you just had to lower you standards after all those years.
10. Less provincialism (at least in the city areas).
That is a MAJOR caveat when discussing the South.
Again, what are you talking about?
Please stop generalizing the entire SE based on your experience in the Tampa Bay area, a place that is only really half Southern.
Last edited by massnative71; 05-08-2013 at 09:56 PM..
You need to click on "per capita". #1 is Mississippi with 0.951 per 10 people eligible, then Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, California, Alabama, Arkansas, DC, Georgia....
RI is 27.
No comment on the other link and the "taker" states?
You have to basically know the makeup of may of the other states above. Mississippi is the poorest state in the nation, followed by Louisiana. If you have ever visited there you would readily see that poverty abounds. Both states by the way, have a big gambling presence; LA hasn't recovered from Hurricane Katrina either; but both are depressed states. Both states also have a military presence, as well as undocumented homeless numbers.
Statistics can be skewed to the purpose of the survey and the numbers "sampled" as well. And there are as many "surveys" as there are subjects to survey. As election "result" surveys prove.
Cost of living however, does not correlate to quality of life.
What on earth does this have to do with outward migration?
If you are willing to go through the other posts on here that have absolutely nothing to do with outward migration (in fact one person espousing that argument then contradictingly claims tons of degenerates are actually move in here), I'll be willing to take you a little more seriously.
By what standard does Florida have a nice quality of life? That's one I've never heard before! Everyone I know who has moved to Florida has come running back as soon as they could. My sister-in-law is a teacher and was shocked at how far behind their schools are when she was living near Orlando. Kids told her straight out "Miss, we don't work that hard down here", when they weren't cursing her out.
Their housing crash was worse than RI's, and their unemployment is only a little better than here - helped greatly by the fact that the state is so heavily populated by retirees not seeing employment, no doubt. They do have the advantage of low taxes, but that's what attracts all those retirees who don't put anything back into the state.
But they also have guys who eat people's faces off for kicks, gators who would gladly eat those guys, insects larger than my head and sinkholes that would swallow my car. The horrendous humidity is broken up only by the occasional devastating hurricane and their crime rate exceeds RI's in every category but car theft - and that's just by a hair. Your likelihood of being a victim of violent crime in Florida - 1 in 194 - is way higher than RI's 1 in 404.
Now if you had said Charleston, SC - great city - you might have a point, but Florida?? Do we really rate LCOL above our safety, our education or our access to culture?
I'll give you one thing. Florida sports teams must be pretty great, because New Englanders go all the way down there to watch their games. Oh, wait...
Sandsonik is dead on here. Lived in Florida for 25 years and am sooooo glad I made it up to New England. I even like the weather better!
It is no secret that the southern states have higher poverty and plenty of their own issues. No one is denying that. It is a fact however, that states like RI have much higher spending per capita on entitlement programs (to the detriment of the taxpayers).
So "entitlement programs" (which are actually being CUT) BAD. Crushing poverty, less bad! Got it.
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By what standard does Florida have a nice quality of life? That's one I've never heard before! Everyone I know who has moved to Florida has come running back as soon as they could. My sister-in-law is a teacher and was shocked at how far behind their schools are when she was living near Orlando. Kids told her straight out "Miss, we don't work that hard down here", when they weren't cursing her out.
Do we really rate LCOL above our safety, our education or our access to culture?
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