Florida's various rankings in US a disturbing story. Also shrinking population in South Florida.

[madfloridian]

Thanks to Ken Quinnell of the Florida Progressive Coalition for the facts and figures on this state. They really are shocking. Most Floridians either don't know these things or don't care to know.

Great News from Florida?

There are links to each topic at the website. Shocking stuff.

Florida is No. 3 is prison population, with more than 100 thousand

Florida is No. 2 in foreclosures

Florida is No. 50 for children's health care

Florida ranks last in access to emergency care

Florida ranks No. 50 in education funding

The Florida health care system ranks No. 50

Florida ranks No. 50 in high-school graduation rates

Florida ranks No. 1 in the number of convicted public officials from 1998-2007

Florida ranks No. 1 in requests for food stamps

Florida ranks No. 1 in mortgage fraud

We also find out that South Florida may be experiencing a population decrease. Too soon to know if it is caused by the recession and bad economic times....or if it is a trend for the future.

South Florida exodus appears to be picking up pace

Census data released over the summer found Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports had 14,251 fewer residents, or .8 percent less than the previous year. Palm Beach County lost 379 people, or .03 percent. New statistics analyzed by the South Florida Sun Sentinel suggest the numbers may be higher. Consider:

School enrollment dropped 6 percent in Broward and 1 percent in Palm Beach since 2005.

..."Internal Revenue Service filings show 43,371 fewer people in Broward and 11,028 fewer people in Palm Beach County since 2005.

Experts disagree on whether the new numbers show a real population decline or simply indicate shifts in the demographic mix. They aren't sure whether they're the start of a long-term decline or are just a temporary response to a bad economy. But any loss, or simply an end to growth, would have a big impact on an economy that for decades had counted on a continuing influx of people to sustain the construction industry, housing market and retail sales.

"I've been in discussions with people planning new retail centers, and clearly the lack of population growth is an issue," said Brad Hunter, South Florida director of the research firm Metrostudy. "They're reining in their plans for new centers for now. It's probably 50-50 population growth and the economy."

And even Florida's Southwest coast is feeling the economic downturn.

Southwest Florida enters 3rd recession year

What the nation will experience in the year ahead is nothing as serious as what we have been living with for over two years. To this point, the longest recession since World War II lasted 16 months from its beginning to the bottom of the trough and the start of a recovery.

On Florida's southwest coast, we are entering our third recession year. Retail sales as compared to the prior year peaked in October 2006. November and December sales tax collections are likely to show retail sales off by about 37 percent from our peak activity of two years ago. The severity of our decline suggests we must be approaching the bottom of our trough. The underpinning of our economy has been population growth -- fueled both by retirees, and by those who come to work here supporting that base. I suspect the portion of our population that is retired has grown a bit in the last two years, while a number of working families have moved out of the area for better opportunities. A pent-up demand for cars and durable goods must soon stimulate sales activity.

Icy northern winters and the pressure of baby boomers reaching retirement will soon make itself felt. In our part of paradise, we approach an uncertain new year with wariness, hope and confidence in the long-term future of Florida's southwest coast.

Our CFO finally got the attention of the Republican legislature. They are entering sessions to supposedly deal with the problems.

TALLAHASSEE — Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink suggested Friday that the state's Republican leaders are in denial about the dire economy and they should call a special legislative session now to deal with the impact on the state budget.
Sink, speaking to the Council of 100 in Palm Beach, said a possible $1-billion gap in state funding demands attention now, not later.

"I do not see any way we can afford to wait until March to deal with a potential $1-billion-plus shortfall in this budget year," Sink, the state's only elected Democratic executive, said in an interview later. "That's just an impossible situation."

Either the governor or the two leaders of the Legislature call special sessions, and so far Gov. Charlie Crist and new leaders of the House and Senate, all Republicans, are taking a wait-and-see approach. And Sink's criticism comes as Crist is reaching the midpoint of his term.

CFO Alex Sink also pointed out that ""We can't rely any more on attracting fixed-income retirees from up north and selling them cheap land.....Those days are over."

George Bush Republicans...bad for the nation.

Jeb Bush Republicans....bad for Florida.

Dear God, let's not let him be Senator Jeb.

[Kahuna]

1. But..but..but..JEB was a popular govenor...

:puke:

[madfloridian]

2. So says the media and the Bushes...

:D

[Idealism]

3. Crist still has like a 72% approval rating

Or so the Palm Beach Post said a few days ago.

[Kahuna]

4. Yeah. Go figure.

:shrug:

[SoCalDem]

11. People are busy and probably pay little attention to polls

and pollsters know how to cherry-pick to get the "paid-for-in-advance" results their customers want:)

The census should be interesting.. I bet a lot of the "boom" areas, aren't quite so "boom-y" these days.

[tsuki]

10. Only among the Jackals of Journalism. nt

[FarCenter]

5. Andrew Jackson's Folly

Any way we can give Florida back to Spain?

[Idealism]

12. Palm Beach county is a democratic bastion

Maybe I am a bit partial because I live there, but I don't think we need to wholesale the state off

[Iggo]

6. Ah, Bush country.

Smell the compassionate conservatism.

[INDIA]

82. Er...Florida went Obama. nt

[madfloridian]

94. But that was all, just Obama. Down ticket races failed miserably.

Still completely in GOP hands.

[Greyhound]

7. How many years has Fl been electing people to government that hate government? n/t

[Idealism]

14. Ever since Lawton Chiles, for governors

[Crunchy Frog]

8. As long as they continue voting for lunatics...

:shrug:

[louis-t]

9. Fascinating. I thought Jeb was gonna eliminate

property tax or sales tax in FL. That was the poop from repug friends with property there. Instead, property taxes skyrocketed in the last 3 years.

[Dr.Phool]

37. They ain't seen nothin' yet. Wait until they get their next electric bill.

The state is allowing a company to impose a tax on all of it's citizens.

Fascism at it's finest. Progress Energy will start imposing a 25%, thats right, a 25% surcharge on all of it's electric bills to raise money to MAYBE build two new nuclear power plants in Levy County.

We already have some of the highest rates in the country now.

[yardwork]

38. That's going to hurt as the planet warms up.

Good think global warming is just a liberal plot.

[suzie]

66. Jeb and Republicans eliminated a tax on intangible holdings like stocks, bonds.

Property taxes skyrocketed after that.

[SoCalDem]

80. States that depend on hotel occupancy taxes & tourism

INSTEAD of state income taxes, are going to really feel the pinch now..

People no longer have the expendable income to take vacations or to buy & maintain that "vacation condo/home"..

Florida will have to keep escalating the percentage from cruise lines & hotels & entertainment venues, and as THEY raise prices to cover the increases, more and more people will be priced out of the market..

and there will be job losses to go along with it, which means more demands for state-sponsored services they cannot afford to pay out..

[retread]

13. Beware Republicans entering sessions to "deal" with problems. All that means

is things WILL get worse.

[alfredo]

15. I'm from Kentucky. It's nice to have a state we can look down on.

[madfloridian]

16. That's funny.

:rofl:

Soon we will be begging for a state to look down upon.

[watrwefitinfor]

19. Well, there's always my beloved (if backward) South Carolina.

:hi:

Wat

[raccoon]

30. Whaddya mean, I was just thinking, "thank god for Florida." nt

[alfredo]

21. bush made it easy to race to the bottom. He made it a virtue.

[madfloridian]

63. Very very good point. He did make lack of virtue okay.

Even those who refuse congressional subpoenas...okay. Look at Rove. Look at the others who have been discredited. Still active in the media and in print. Still spouting their nonsense.

[L0oniX]

17. Jeb Bush's legacy and the stupid assholes who voted for him and George.

It's so bad here that even the illegal aliens are leaving.

[HockeyMom]

18. Florida can sink into the ocean for all I care

Just give me enough time to get the hell out of here.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

20. None of these things surprise me

I recently saw something that labeled Sarasota as "the epicenter of the recession," which kind of surprised me. For a minute. I knew I should've sold when our property values were going up 20-30% every month for a good while, but I couldn't figure out where the hell else to move (still working on that). I figure we've got three years to get the hell out of Dodge before we're under water anyway. Don't let the penis fool you--it's truly the armpit of America. . . the place where Grandma--and everything else--goes to die.

[leftofthedial]

22. Florida sucks

it should return to some sort of natural state, with a few natives, a bunch of warehoused old people who want to die warm, some alligators and a few of those flying cockroaches.


-yawn-

[1percenter]

23. Couldn't leave fast enough

We left almost 3 years ago. I have never met so many sleazy people, corrupt leaders and pretend Christians in my life.
Lucky for us, we timed the top of the real estate market almost to the day when we sold.
Nice being in your land of enchantment, with elbow room, a live and let live attitude and the MILKY WAY in the night sky!

[leftofthedial]

24. I'm jealous, here in grey Denver

with the only desert in my soul

[suzie]

87. You live in New Mexico and you're talking about corrupt leaders.

Really?

Last time I was in New Mexico, people were screaming about how corrupt the Governor was. Let me correct that...progressives were screaming about how corrupt the Governor was.

Which was about the same as when I lived in New Mexico some years ago.

[madfloridian]

25. 50th in education funding...and you thought this retired teacher was exaggerating

about our school system here.

50th in high school graduation rates.

[onethatcares]

28. come on now, lighten up, we just got POWERBALL

do any of you realize how that will revamp the educational funding for our state?:banghead: Plus, we're only 4 billion in the red budget wise.

aaaargh, this place makes me crazy at times.

[madfloridian]

29. Powerball, the answer to education and the economy...Florida's savior they say.

I have never seen anything like the propaganda surrounding it. It is supposed to fix everything.

Florida is falling apart, and all over the news is Powerball.

[suzie]

88. My bet is that the big push will be for casinos.

[Selatius]

47. As a Mississippian, I was frankly surprised to learn Florida occupied position 50.

Usually, Mississippi rounds out the bottom of the list as far as education goes.

[madfloridian]

53. Last time I checked we were 49th. Now 50th

I think MS and FL keep changing places. :-)

[KillCapitalism]

26. Kinda sad.

I visited South Florida (Palm Beach Co.) recently, and liked it a lot. It was great to get away from single digit temperatures for a bit. I did see some of the obvious drawbacks to living there. Housing is insanely expensive, and $10 an hour is considered "good money" down there.

[madfloridian]

27. Right to work state....not good working conditions

Yes the weather is a plus for sure, especially in the winter.

The Republicans have nearly broken this state.

[Dr.Phool]

36. Nearly?

[madfloridian]

55. Well...totally.

:hi:

[riverdale]

40. A "plus" doesn't begin to tell the importance of nice weather

I think you forgot how depressing it is to live through 5 months of winter every year. We might see the sun again, four months from now. TAKE ME TO FLORIDA NOW, I AM FRIGGIN READY!!!!!!!

[madfloridian]

44. You are right. Hubby is originally from NJ

and he swears he would never go through another winter up north. It really is a blessing to have the warm sunny days we have. Hubby says months and months of gray and cold were just so depressing.

[burythehatchet]

31. Florida = Texas + hurricanes

[madfloridian]

33. True. I think both states were used as test sites for Bush policies.

I don't know about TX but FL is suffering.

[yardwork]

39. Texas is also suffering.

[peace frog]

69. As Florida goes

so go the remaining 49 states, if the GOPers have their way. And there's not much stopping them, is there.

[spinbaby]

34. That's not fair

Texas has hurricanes, too.

[madfloridian]

64. That's for sure.

Many of them. :hi:

[Javaman]

32. and pappy wants moron* #2 to be prez. nt

[JCMach1]

35. thank you JEBtm

and the asshats who enabled him...

Under JEB, Florida became a solely-owned subsidiary of the Business lobby (this includes the Dems who are elected to office). One of the biggest eye-openers when I ran for the Florida legislature in 2002 was the interview with the business lobby. These were conducted in a 5-star hotel... each candidate did their time literally under the kleig lights of interrogation as 15 or so of the top lobbyists grilled you on policy positions. The whole time they were professionally taping the sessions. Lobbyists got DVD copies of the interviews on the way home. There was little doubt that these were job interviews... those who walked out with support could count on the $500,000 dollars or so that it would take to win election. Anyone else simply didn't matter...

I was a long-shot candidate running against an incumbent Republican, so naturally I didn't receive cash just the shmooze to insure I would be their boy if by accident I was elected.

I was shocked and horrified... To win a freakin' legislative seat in Florida costs $500,000! Developers and the business lobby had the money, so they control the state and the nightmare I was fighting against has only gotten worse.

[madfloridian]

54. To be honest, JC, you had to fight your own party as well as theirs.

It was a horrible situation. It really opened my eyes to the chumminess between the parties here.

[JCMach1]

57. Hence subsidiaries of the business lobby...

In the same district I ran for, the incumbent Repug was term-limited this year... The Democrat who tried to succeed him lost by less than 1% of the vote.

However, it was a Hobson's choice... she WAS/IS as big a Republican as the Republican in the race. She was pure pro-business and development.

I did a happy dance when she lost spending several hundred thousand of her own money.

At lease the Repug who won was a novice who at least admitted he was a Republican.

Live in Florida long enough and your standards will begin to drop.

The scary part is that everything I was warning about in my campaign has come to pass. The state has been all but destroyed by 'developer' and business politics. If there is one tiny bright spot in the downturn, I hope it bankrupts many of those bastards!

[blue_onyx]

41. Hopefully our country is done with the Bushes

Michigan had a "Bush Republican" governor for 12 years (a guy who was supposedly on Bush's short list for VP in 2000). That, followed by 8 years of President Bush led to 8 years of recession here. I hope Jeb doesn't become Florida's Senator either. Hasn't that family done enough to this country?

[csziggy]

42. A legacy we can pin on Jeb. Thanks, madfloridian!

[Realityhack]

43. A couple of those are misleading. They should be translated to per-capita.

2nd in foreclosures for example is meaningless. Where do they rank per/home per/mortgage per/capita?

I am sure it still isn't good but it is just bad/abusive statistics to throw it out there like it is a direct comparison.

[madfloridian]

45. Here is the original source inside all the links. I did NOT just THROW it out there.

I am not a statistician, but I quoted a business site from Dec. 11. I did not just throw something out there. I am sure statistics differ from week to week and month to month.

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/12/08/daily26.html

"Thursday, December 11, 2008
Florida still second in foreclosuresJacksonville Business Journal
Print Email Reprints RSS Feeds Add to Del.icio.us Digg This Comments

Florida remains No. 2 in foreclosures, but the pace has slowed, according to figures from RealtyTrac. With more than 49,000 properties in some form of foreclosure in November, Florida trailed only California, which had more than 60,000.

Florida’s rate of one foreclosure for every 173 properties was also second, trailing Nevada’s rate of one for every 76 properties.

The number of foreclosures in Florida fell 9.5 percent from October, though it was up 68 percent from November of last year."

[Realityhack]

46. As I said...

The rate is more important than the number in terms of how bad things are in the state. You can see how CA drops from first when you look at the rate per property rather than just the total.
Florida happens to still be quite bad off but my point stands. Many of the statistics may even be worse when translated to a better form for comparison but saying "US has the most X" is retarded if you are just comparing the quantity of X to say European countries a fraction the size.
If we are going to Florida bash let's at least do it with solid numbers.

[retread]

48. "...Florida bash..." If you want to see Florida bashing just wait for the legislature to convene.

[Realityhack]

49. LOL... poor floridians. n/t

[madfloridian]

51. I don't know what game you are playing....but I will do what I should have done.

Bye now.

[madfloridian]

50. I don't do statistics. Why don't you look it all up and enlighten us.

I posted what a business journal said as it is out of my field.

You sound very knowledgeable....so help us all out here and post the proper statistics.

BTW Florida's politicians have run it into the ground, and I will speak up.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

52. Also #2 in highest pedestrian fatalities and #1 in fatalities due to lightning.

http://www.tampabayinjurylawyerblog.com/florida-ranks-number-two-in-pedestrian-fatalities/
http://weather.about.com/od/thunderstormsandlightning/tp/lightningstates.htm

Of course the lightning thing cannot be helped, but the pedestrian fatalities could be.

[madfloridian]

56. I sure believe it about the lightning. Our thunderstorms are terrifying.

Some just go on for hours.

[scrinmaster]

58. Well

Florida's the fourth largest state, population wise, so it should be near the top when it comes to absolute numbers.


http://www.theledger.com/article/20090107/NEWS/901070336/1005/NEWS02?Title=Fla__Ranked_No__10_in_Education

[madfloridian]

59. We got a big laugh out of that one today.

"Florida ranks No. 10 among states in education quality, according to the latest annual report card from the highly regarded Education Week newspaper."

Education Week is making that assessment. There is no way in hell Florida schools are 10th.

I wish they were, maybe once they were, but not now.

Art and music are suffering, teachers are stressed. Maybe once, but not now.

[Stardust]

60. Well, at least it has a helluva fine football team. GO GATORS!!!!!

[madfloridian]

61. Oh, yeh we sure have them gators.

How about that?

[lib2DaBone]

62. Florida is loaded with Fundy Fucks... Both Stupid AND Old.....

But it won't last. Florida has some of the most beautiful landscape in the country. And the best climate.


JEB trial-floated his Senate bid. What he found out is how hated the Bush name is.

Florida will shake off the Bushes and the Republicans and will again be a great place to live.

[Ken Burch]

65. So, with all that, why hasn't the Florida GOP cratered in voter support?

What, exactly, seems to make them exempt from unpopularity?

Did they even lose seats in the state legislature last year?

Christ on a biscuit...are there there that many people down there that think that abortion and "stopping the gays" are more important than everything else?

[peace frog]

70. Democrats are coming back, but it's slow

Never forget that Florida is populated by retirees, southerners and latinos who all trend Republican. We did go for Obama which is promising, but the margin was quite narrow. It will take years to build the Democratic party back to its previously strong standing in this state, and still may not come back as strong as it once was. Pity, but there it is. Living in Florida is not for the faint of heart.

[Ken Burch]

83. I thought among Florida latinos that it was only the Cubans that were right-wing

In fact, i'm fairly sure that during the Elian Gonzalez fiasco, other latino groups were demonstrating against the Miami Cubans.

Still, you've given me some more information.

And you'd think that Bush's attempt to gut Social Security would've hurt the GOP among retirees.

[peace frog]

85. The younger latinos

are more open to progressive ideas and to voting Democratic; their parents and grandparents are still decidedly Republican. And regardless of W's Social Security policy, retirees are relatively conservative and tend to vote Republican. No need to address the southerners in this state; we know all too well how eager they are to vote against their own interests. Still, I've seen signs that change is coming, albeit slowly. Obama has captured a lot of interest in this state - if he does well in his first term of office, who knows...Florida may go deep blue in 2010 and 2012.

[suzie]

89. The Obama campaign figured out how many votes it

needed from each section of the state, and worked at turning them out.

The last democrat to run for governor who did that was Lawton Chiles.

[Ken Burch]

97. You'd think everybody would pretty much stay with that stategy

Especially since it actually got ol' Lawton elected.

[closeupready]

67. Florida never appealed to me. Sure, on vacations, but

to live? No way. Too humid for me. And I have friends from high school who told me some really scary stories about life there. If I want year-round warmth, I'd prefer the Southwest.

[lostnfound]

68. The silver lining to that cloud..

would be if decreasing population puts decreasing pressre on Florida's stunning natural environment.

Madfloridian, I am always so glad to read your threads as you know it's near and dear to my heart.

[pattmarty]

71. Been there a few times and wasn't too impressed OVERALL.................

.............The summers are hot & humid (like a fucking jungle) the bugs there are like giant mutations, and a lot of the interior of the state is a trailer home shithole. And, when it rains down there it's... I can't even describe it.

The beaches are nice though.:sarcasm:

[dysfunctional press]

72. i'll NEVER understand why anyone would choose to live in that hellhole.

florida state seal

[SteppingRazor]

76. Oh, yeah. It's just awful down here. Such a hell hole.

Just.



Plain.



Awful.




By the way, it's about 65 degrees right now. How you doin'?

[dysfunctional press]

81. how can you build a snowman when it's 65?

:shrug:

or toboggan down a hill?

[SteppingRazor]

90. Or die of frostbite?

:P

[dysfunctional press]

92. i've never tried that one...

is it anything like sunstroke or severe sunburn...? :shrug:

[SteppingRazor]

93. I've lived in the Midwest. Don't try to pretend we get worse summers here than there.

The only difference is Florida gets mild winters. In the Midwest, you get freezing winters, boiling summers, and a few weeks of pleasantness in between.

And in any case, this isn't about which one is more awful. This is about the fact that Florida is, contrary to your original post, not a hell hole. I love this state. It's got areas of natural beauty unlike any other place in the country -- or the Western hemisphere, for that matter -- along with urban centers that offer all the nightlife and culture a body could want. Yes, it's also got staggeringly corrupt politicians, shady characters of all types, and a certain penchant for weirdness. It's also got hurricanes, granted. For all that, I'll take my Ten Thousand Islands, my Miami Beach, my Florida Keys and I'll live with the bad times. I love Florida.

[dysfunctional press]

95. hellholes need love too...

and if flat bug-infested swamps and decay are your idea of natural beauty, i suppose then that you're right at home.
if i wanted to live in a tropical paradise, with actual natural splendor and incredibly friendly and generally progressive people, i'd go back to hawaii- and some day i probably will- but for now i'm quite happy enjoying the grandeur of all four seasons, and getting the most from each one. i've spent enough time in florida to know that imo it's not all that nice a place to visit, and living there wouldn't even be a consideration.
but i am glad that there's a place for the kind of people who would enjoy living in a place like florida to live- so that i don't have to be around them on a day-to-day basis.

[SteppingRazor]

96. OK then. Well, this line...

"i am glad that there's a place for the kind of people who would enjoy living in a place like florida to live- so that i don't have to be around them on a day-to-day basis." basically says you couldn't stand to be around me or anybody like me (I wonder, then, what your idea of "progressive people is, but never mind that), which means you're not worth talking to anymore. Goodbye.

[dysfunctional press]

98. oh dear- now how will i ever sleep tonite...?

:eyes:

[catzies]

84. Thank you. This Florida native chooses to remember my home state that way

My parents are still there and I visit when I can, and Florida-bashing angers me. It has its problems for sure, but it holds a chunk of my soul nonetheless. :hi:

[SteppingRazor]

91. Given your profile info, we appear to have switched places.

I spent the first 16 years of my life in Ventura Co. :hi:

[catzies]

99. Hilarious!!! The only two places I've ever lived were Miami FL and Ventura Co. CA

So :hi: right back atcha!!

[SteppingRazor]

100. I grew up in Ventura Co. ...

did four years a piece in Colorado and Missouri, and then moved to South Florida. Never quite got used to the whole "winter" thing. ;)

[sinkingfeeling]

73. I'm sure that both the state and a lot of Florida cities are busy right now putting in their

requests to get their 'share' of Obama's stimulus package. Just read this morning that my university signed a proposal, with more than 40 others, to have universities included.

[happygoluckytoyou]

74. JOKE JOKE JOKE.....--->

REPORTER "YOU SAY YOUR SON JEB SHOULD RUN FOR PRESIDENT, WHY DID HE NOT RUN IN 2008" ?

BUSH SR "IT ISN'T THE RIGHT TIME FOR JEB"

REPORTER "WHEN WILL IT BE THE RIGHT TIME FOR JEB"

BUSH SR "EIGHT YEARS AGO"

[L0oniX]

75. Prime example of republican control indeed. n/t

[waiting for hope]

77. This is certainly true:

"CFO Alex Sink also pointed out that ""We can't rely any more on attracting fixed-income retirees from up north and selling them cheap land.....Those days are over.""

They are all coming to North and South Carolina.

[Skarbrowe]

78. Hey! Way down here! I lost 3 good neighbors here in Broward

who left because of Hurricane Wilma. Two other neighbors gone due to foreclosures. I don't think most people think about how these horrible hurricanes have made many people who had nice homes and no financial problems and who loved the area simply decide enough is enough and get out. The three neighbors that I know left because of Wilma left before the housing bubble burst and they got great prices for their homes. They personally told me they just could not handle the verocity of these new super hurricanes.

I don't think people are leaving because of crime. People in Florida learn how to deal with that somehow. My personal believe that along with the obvious disastrous housing crisis, a good chunk of people on the Florida coastlines want away from hurricanes. There might be some small "white flight" from Broward, but I'm not really sensing that. It is still wonderful beyond belief down here from late October until March. The snowbirds appear to be down here from Canada, but I can tell that there aren't as many vehicles crammed together down here like there was a few years ago - before Wilma and the crashed economy.

When I drive around this area I don't see it as permanent. That's what hurricane fear has done to me. I see everything possibly blown to pieces. We've been lucky since Wilma, but dang, we are sitting ducks here. I'm hopefully getting out of here this summer. I do know that disastrous weather of some kind can happen anywhere. Believe me, there is a different feel to knowing you have six months of total disaster possibly coming your way every year.

[madfloridian]

79. That's kind of sad.

I think you will learn that those kind of things are happening in coastal areas all around the state. Even inland areas are suffering because of the overbuilding.

After the 3 hurricanes in 2004, we have never gotten back to feeling confident again. The hunting for ice, the effort to find a station that would clue us in to what stores were open. All canned radio stuff. Pathetic.

It was an awful time.

[Swagman]

86. is there a Bush in history who has actually done a good job ???