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  1. #1
    Senior Member WhatMattersMost's Avatar
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    82% of Registered Voters Discontent w/Life In FLA

    Survey results reveal residents' growing discontent with life in Florida
    A survey reveals increasing dissatisfaction with life in Florida. The discontent may be an early warning sign, analysts say.

    Maya Bell | Sentinel Staff Writer
    January 14, 2008
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    Long a powerful magnet, Florida is losing some of its luster as pessimism about the quality of life in paradise grows stronger.

    Nearly half of the Floridians polled for the second-annual Sunshine State Survey say life in Florida is worse today than it was five years ago, and 37 percent think the decline will continue during the next five years. Among the chief concerns: high property taxes and homeowners insurance, so-so public schools, and ineffective growth management.

    As a result, one in three Floridians would tell a loved one or friend not to move to the once-vaunted Sunshine State, and one in five is seriously considering moving elsewhere.



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    "Think about it: Your best friend from college called you up and said, 'Hey, we're thinking about moving to Florida and you said, 'Don't come,' " said Brad Coker, managing partner for Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc., which conducted the phone survey in late November. "That's noteworthy. Ten years ago, I don't think you would have seen those kinds of numbers. Everybody was moving here. Everyone wanted to be here."

    The annual survey was established last year to identify issues of growing public concern and, when necessary, motivate policymakers to do something about them. Sponsors plan to ask the same set of core questions every year to give policymakers an accurate gauge of public opinion.

    And after just one year, the survey has pinpointed a significant shift in how Floridians feel about living here. Last year, 36 percent said life in Florida was worse than it had been five years earlier. Today, the number has jumped to 43 percent. Meanwhile, the number of people who think life in Florida is better now than five years ago fell to just 15 percent, from 18 percent a year ago.

    Putting those stats together shows that pessimists outnumbered optimists 2-to-1 last year -- and 3-to-1 this year.

    While the majority of Floridians are planning to stay put and still would urge others to come here, analysts say the increasing number of those dissatisfied with life here should be treated as an early warning signal.

    "You have to look at these things as blinking caution lights," said Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida who came up with the idea for the annual poll. "These numbers definitely warrant attention if Florida is to remain a desirable place to live, work and play."

    Conducted in late November with 1,200 randomly selected residents across the state, the survey also gives some good clues about what's bugging Floridians. Catapulting from No. 5 on last year's list of top concerns to No. 1 this year are taxes and government spending.

    More Floridians cited property taxes as the most unfair source of government revenue and the single biggest stressor on their household finances. Taxes on gas were the second-most-unpopular revenue source, and gas prices the second-most-cited financial stressor. Home insurance was third.

    Public schools also remained a top concern, dropping from No. 1 last year to No. 2 this year. Floridians gave their local public schools only marginally favorable ratings but were overwhelmingly positive about the state's universities and colleges. Increased teacher pay was cited most often as a priority for local school districts.

    On another hot-button issue, a majority of Floridians think illegal immigration is a serious problem for the state and support tough measures against illegal migrants and employers who hire them. Yet 59 percent think illegal immigrants fill jobs few others will do.

    The survey was commissioned by Leadership Florida, a leadership-training group in Tallahassee, and its partners, the Florida Philanthropic Network and The Jessie Ball duPont Fund. Participants included Floridians from every region -- 18 percent of them from the Orlando/Daytona Beach area -- and every income bracket and age range of at least 18 years.

    But unlike the population at large, the overwhelming majority of the respondents -- 82 percent -- were registered voters. They also were mostly white homeowners who have lived in Florida for at least 10 years. Almost half -- 47 percent -- have lived here for at least 20 years.

    The survey has a margin of error of 2.1 percentage points.


    Maya Bell can be reached at 305-810-5003 or mayabell@orlandosentinel.com.
    It's Time to Rescind the 14th Amendment

  2. #2
    Senior Member USPatriot's Avatar
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    A lot of Floridians are being forced out of their homes because of property tax and home owners insurance.

    My Homeowners Insurance has quadrupled in the last 3 years before that it remained stable and affordable.

    It also seems the last 3 years has seen a tremendous jump in Illegal Immigrants too.

    A lot of Floridians have moved out of the state. NC is the state who gets what is called The Half Backs.In other words they don't go all the way to where they came from when they moved to FL. they stop in NC instead.
    "A Government big enough to give you everything you want,is strong enough to take everything you have"* Thomas Jefferson

  3. #3
    rainbow13's Avatar
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    USPatriot,

    You are so right...many Floridians are leaving for NC due to property tax and homeowner's insurance costs. I'm not sure the property tax initiative that will be on the Jan. 29 ballot will ease things much. I am very fond of NC; however, that state is changing rapidly also and has a growing problem with illegal immigration-just like almost every other state; however, the cost of living is still probably lower in NC than in FL. Many of the K-12 schools and hospitals are also dealing with the growing costs of illegal immigration, and it will be interesting to see how that all plays out over the next few years...
    <div>"The making of an American begins at the point where he himself rejects all other ties, any other history, and himself adopts the vesture of his adopted land."**
    -James Baldwin, American Writer</div>

  4. #4
    Senior Member AirborneSapper7's Avatar
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    You have to see it to believe it folks... Miami is a third world country and crime is every where..... People have had it and are looking for greener pastuers... although with the Illegal Immigration problem all over America... where the hell do I move too?

    I dont even go to the other side of the state anymore because of crime and I do not speak Spanglish or Spanish.... the keys are loaded with homosexuals ....

    whodathunkit ....
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  5. #5
    Senior Member CitizenJustice's Avatar
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    "Among the chief concerns: high property taxes and homeowners insurance, so-so public schools, and ineffective growth management."

    Caused by taxpayers having to pay for benefits and education of ILLEGAL ALIENS.

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