Florida living overrated?

[callahanjulie10]

I have to say- this is certainly a HOT topic! I have lived in Florida since I was 9 and there are things I don't like and there are things I love.
Education system- Just as in any state- there are great schools and inner city schools- great teachers and horrible teachers, students who want to be there and students who do not, parents who are involved in their children's lives and parents who aren't. The school system in my district is wonderful. We have no F schools and maybe 1 D school. Considering that EVERY town has a wrong side of the tracks, this isn't too bad! The things I listed above are what make schools what they are. Bad neighborhoods will probably have bad schools. My parents actually live on the 2nd highest point in Florida- looking out their backdoor- you see nothing but rolling hills! Of course- this is not the norm- but hey- we have beautiful WHITE sandy beaches on the gulf with amazing blue/green water! We have lakes, rivers, creeks, and quite a few retention ponds!!! It is HOT as all heck about 3 1/2 months out of the year. It is cold for maybe 1 1/2 months- but never for longer than a week or two at a time. We do have hurricanes- but at least we have time to prepare! Tornados just happen. Snow storms that knock out power for days just happen! I the town I live in- which is a tourist beach- the only crime that happens here is when tourists come and get stupid! It is a fact. We leave our doors unlocked when we go to town or work. I do lock up at night, but have never had a reason too, I just do it. My car has never been broken into, stolen, or even hit in a parking lot.
Many of the things you point out are in every state, not just Florida. The thing about rednecks and crackers- whatever. Most people around are good, decent, hardworking people. Live and let live.
The low paying jobs are in tourist areas. These jobs are usually held by kids, retired folks who want to be productive, or people who move around quite a bit. We have wonderful military bases all around Florida, no state income tax, decent property tax, and a swimming pool that I can almost use year round! My life isn't too bad living in Florida

 

[Conversationist]

I have enjoyed the responses so far!

I still stand by my comments about Florida and especially the ones about Florida Crackers and Rednecks.

Has anyone heard John Anderson, the Country Singer from Florida. He looks like alot of the Florida Crackers you see walking up and down the street. Except John has money.

The thing I find funny about Florida was the State was poverty stricken before the Northerners came south in the 1960s to add some culture to the place. Most of the nicer towns in Florida are pleasant because of Yankee money and culture.

Anyone remember Orlando before Disney. It was ugly.

I stand by my comments about Florida!

 

[C.Ann]

I have enjoyed the responses so far!

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I'm sure you have.. But if you really want something to complain about, come live in New York state.. The only things I truly love about it are the mountains where I have my summer place and the fact that my family is here..

I'd love to live somewhere else year round.. New York just doesn't do it for me..

 

[brerrabbit]

Thank you so much for your comments and you insulting manner of pointing out all the people you call Crakers and Rednecks. I'm from Texas and all the arguements your using to bash Florida are the same ones people have used to Bash my home for years. Here is our standard replies.

If you don't like the Crakers and Rednecks thats fine we don't like you either so go home!

If you don't like the place, stay home!

Wherever your from no matter where it is has it's warts so knock off the negative comments.

As far as the poverty stricken thing get real, for the past thirty years tons of economic growth have occured in the South and I can guarentee you that it did not all come from the north.

In most of the South you and your attitude would be considered that of a Carpetbagger and we sure as hxxx wouldn't want you here.

I share many of the same living conditions as my Floriada cousins, hot, humid, traffic, etc but I'm sure they would agree with me when I say if you don't like it, tough we do, nuff said.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I have enjoyed the responses so far!

I still stand by my comments about Florida and especially the ones about Florida Crackers and Rednecks.

Has anyone heard John Anderson, the Country Singer from Florida. He looks like alot of the Florida Crackers you see walking up and down the street. Except John has money.

The thing I find funny about Florida was the State was poverty stricken before the Northerners came south in the 1960s to add some culture to the place. Most of the nicer towns in Florida are pleasant because of Yankee money and culture.

Anyone remember Orlando before Disney. It was ugly.


I stand by my comments about Florida!

i think you like to start trouble

 

[lillygator]

I have enjoyed the responses so far!

I still stand by my comments about Florida and especially the ones about Florida Crackers and Rednecks.

Has anyone heard John Anderson, the Country Singer from Florida. He looks like alot of the Florida Crackers you see walking up and down the street. Except John has money.

The thing I find funny about Florida was the State was poverty stricken before the Northerners came south in the 1960s to add some culture to the place. Most of the nicer towns in Florida are pleasant because of Yankee money and culture.

Anyone remember Orlando before Disney. It was ugly.

I stand by my comments about Florida!

it's pretty obvious what you "are" although I can't post the word on the DIS...and funny how you won't say where you live....

 

[Disneyrsh]

I have to point out that the definition of a cracker or a redneck is an uneducated, uncultured, bigoted, poor caucasian, and none of us on here qualify.

You all go to Disney, you all own computers, and I bet you all are all sorts of different colors! None of you are crackers. None of you are rednecks.

None of the above definitions are anything any of us would want to strive towards. Why romanticize them? Jeff Foxworthy is a romanticized, Hollywood version of a cracker. You might be a redneck, yeah, right.

So why defend an element of our society, located in all 50 states, that we could just as well do without?

In Georgia the 'crackers' are responsible for the majority of the methamphetamine laboratories here. We have trailer parks blowing up left and right because of those idiots.

I'm not defending the OP by any means. S/he states that some singer looks like a cracker but is rich, well, then, he's NOT a cracker. Jeez.

 

[disneymom3]

I have to say I have never heard the term cracker and am wondering how one knows that someone is a cracker when they are walking down the street? If the only thing that sets a cracker apart is that they don't have money, how do you know that by the way they look? No one would ever guess that my parents were multimillionaires by looking--my mom was the lady taking the hotel toilet paper and kleenex boxes as well as the Sweet N Low and jelly packets at the restaurant. Looks can be deceiving.

ANd I still want to know where the OP lives. Utopia, I guess.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

From Dictionary.com:

Cracker:

Offensive.
1 - Used as a disparaging term for a poor white person of the rural, especially southeast United States.
2 - Used as a disparaging term for a white person.

So, not a very nice thing to be calling anyone from the South.

 

[palmtreegirl]

From Dictionary.com:

Cracker:

Offensive.
1 - Used as a disparaging term for a poor white person of the rural, especially southeast United States.
2 - Used as a disparaging term for a white person.

So, not a very nice thing to be calling anyone from the South.

Yep, I'm actually surprised this term is being allowed on the Dis boards.

 

[greenyskp]

Hi.

I live 10 minutes from the some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

I live 2 hours from my favorite place in the world (WDW)

I live one hour from a major international airport that could take me anywhere in the world.

Yes its hot. Yes there are hurricanes. Yes there is traffic, and yes a lot of the towns in florida are touristy. But I love it. I was born here (rare, people tell me) There are a lot of places in the world I'd love to live. But i'd miss the beach, and I'd miss being able to go to Disney on a date, or on a whim. I couldnt deal with the snow, quite frankly.

Nope, im a Florida girl, even thought im whiter than some northerners. And im not a 'cracker' (though i do enjoy eating at Cracker Barrel ) And im no redneck (hello, confederate flag? the south lost..) I just like the sunshine, palm trees, smell of the ocean, and Disney World in my backyard.

 

[brerrabbit]

Actually the term Redneck originated in Scotland and has religious connotations. When the Church of England was formed a Presbitarian (I think) minister was so opposed to it that he and numerous others signed a pact to continue to practice their faith. They were so serious about it that they signed with their own blood. They then wore pieces of cloth around their necks that had been collored with the blood, hence the derivation of the term Redneck. When many Scots immigrated to America they settled in the rural areas of the South and the name stuck. I have been accused of being a Redneck my whole life. I grew up in Texas, listen to Country Music, drink beer, hunt, fish, and spend a lot of time outdoors. I own some cattle, some land, and have been know to dip a little Skoal. I fit a lot of the Redneck sterotype. I also however, am an individual with two graduate degrees in a professional job who sings in a Church Chior, volenteers for numerous youth activities, coached basketball, soccer, and baseball. I am a Little League District Administrator and the Father of two great kids and husband to a wonderful wife. Here in Texas most of my "Redneck" friends are the best, hardest working decent people you would ever want to meet. They would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it and not think twice about it. While some see the term as derogitory, we just take it with a grain of salt and laugh. Yeah so we may be a little Redneck, its no big deal to us and you sure ain't saying anything bad if you call me a Redneck.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

the op seems to start weird threads

The OP type of person is also the reason for my number 1 favorite bumper sticker:

"If it's tourist season, why can't I shoot one?"

 

[Mom2Ashli]

The OP type of person is also the reason for my number 1 favorite bumper sticker:

"If it's tourist season, why can't I shoot one?"

I love living in Florida. Born and raised here. I also love the 1-1/2 drive to WDW. Days trips when I feel the need. I love the beach and the sun.
If Florida were such a bad place than why do some many people retire here?

NC, AL, and Virginia took hits from Hurricane in the past.

Crime is everywhere you turn. Not just Florida.

I love being able to wear shorts in the winter months. Opening the windows and letting the fresh air flow thru.

We have allot of traffic because so many people want to visit here.

I am not sure I could handle digging my car out of the snow, but that doesn't mean I think anyone that does that day in and day out in the winter is Stupid for living there.

To each his own.

I think the term Cracker and redneck is downright RUDE.

 

[LIDisneyFan]

Hot - only June through Aug (and no worse than NY where I came from) - the rest of the year is incredible

Flat - ??

Economically challenged - Where? Not in the SE, orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville? I live outside of Sarasota, and the average house in my neighborhood is over $1Million -

Full of low paying service jobs - again ??? Pay in the citites is equivalent to other mid-size cities

Overpopulated (ever drive from Tampa to Naples?) - Daily. I drive frmo Tampa to Sarasota. There is no traffic.

Full of crackers and rednecks - So, you'er a bigot

Has lots of crime - No, not anymore thasn anywhere else

Generally Poor schools - Our public school is about the same as my kids public schools on Long Island in NY

Unresponsive government - ??

Tons of traffic - Name a city where there isn't



Quite frankly, don't move here - that will help on the overcrowding

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

All the cool people live there Seriously, just last night we were talking about how different it is here than in other parts of FL. For one thing, I don't see the thunderstorms that everyone talks about. The weather here is no different that it was in MA in the summer. The schools here are good, and the attitude here seems pretty liberal/laid-back. Love it!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The OP forgot to list in the first post the elderly drivers who insist on driving in the left hand lane going 10 mph BELOW the posted speed limit during the morning commute (or any other time, actually).

Really I can't wait to get out, and I think I live in a nice part of Florida. And yes I know about the University of Florida. I graduated from there. GO GATORS. UF and WDW are really the only worthwhile things in this state (oh and maybe Key West).

Did not know that---I graduated from there as well!!

 

[C.Ann]

I stand by my comments about Florida!

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You know, the more I think about your comments, the more I wonder if perhaps you already live in Florida and are simply trying to discourage more people from moving there - or - perhaps you're really a "Florida wanna be" that can't afford to move there..

Either way, your comments are pretty rude and for the most part, inaccurate.. It's not hard to be inaccurate though when you don't have an awful lot of knowledge in regards to the subject at hand..

 

[lillygator]

Sarasota here!!
and my there are quite a few UF alumni - anyone have season tickets? I do and I can't wait 'til 9/3/05 -opening game!! I miss Spurrier though!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I haven't been to a Gator Football game since I moved back down here. I am fan, but I guess not a big enough one to drive three hours each way. Plus DH isn't into college football. He'll watch the games on TV with me, but I can't talk him into a game. And then when I really start thinking about it, I remember how many times I had almost passed out in the Swamp from the heat and all the crammed in bodies. So not a lot of incentive to go.

As for Spurrier, I hope we kick his tail when we go up to USC.