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Florida Economy Gone South; Residents Go North
• Have elected officials in Florida sold us out?
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Saturday,
September 5, 2009
South Florida isn't in the headlines as of late for sun, fun, bikinis, Florida stone crab and clear blue sea, but rather for record foreclosures, unemployment and what could amount to the Sunshine State’s worse economic problem in decades: Population out-migration.
Little more than three years ago, CNNmoney crowned Florida the biggest net gainer in Sun Belt population. But just last week, the New York Times pointed to population decline in the Sunshine State for the first time since WWII. Long-time Florida residents are moving to Tennessee, Kentucky and the western Carolinas, say reports, because it’s safer, cheaper and less crowded.
According to the U.S. Census, South Florida’s Tri-County area (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) lost about 27,000 residents in 2008-2009. Although barely a thumbprint on a state of 18 million, out-migration is a significant economic barrier when planning for sustained growth, prosperity and fiscal well-being.
Why are people leaving?
Reports indicate that South Florida residents are disenchanted with local and state leaders who have been unable to reign in skyrocketing property taxes and runaway insurance premiums.
At taxpayer's expense, elected officials have pushed Floridians further toward the breadline this year. Home phone service was deregulated, so AT&T could raise rates by as much as 10 percent a year without state oversight. Citizen’s insurance, Florida’s homeowner’s insurance company of last resort, was granted permission to raise premiums ten percent a year for the next five years and, on the education front, Bright Future Scholarship awards were significantly reduced while college tuition across the state increased between 8 and 15 percent.
While thousands of newly unemployed Floridians pay outrageous premiums to COBRA to insure their families, Florida Governor, Charlie Crist used their tax dollars to cover the increased cost of insurance for state employees participating in the Florida’s State Group Health Insurance Program.
“Recognizing the tough financial times each employee faces," Crist said, "I have proposed that this entire increase be paid by the State.”
The state’s newly-revised seat belt law, compliments of Florida lawmakers, imposes up to a $100 fine and more for not wearing your seat belt. Conversely, motorcyclists traveling at top speed aren’t required by law to wear helmets, many of whom are firefighters and policeman whose insurance premiums are paid by taxpayers.
Notwithstanding the fact that most Floridian’s aren’t addicted to painkillers or smoking, state lawmakers took time this year to cackle over regulating pain clinics and to implement a $1 cigarette tax, because, in building the budget, said the Governor, “My paramount concern was continuing to provide critical services to the most vulnerable Floridians.”
Vulnerable Floridians? Is this why Crist expanded gambling in the state? – to provide “vulnerable Floridians” with critical services?
The 2010 election is just around the corner and Florida voters have some tough choices to make. Voters who have weathered the storms for years, raised families, paid taxes, open and sold businesses and gone to the polls with the hopes of casting the right vote (the ‘right vote’ in Florida sometimes amounts to a lesser of two evils).
Don’t let party lines get in the way in 2010. Consider the damage re-electing career politicians has done to our state and think twice about voting seasoned attorney’s into office – lawyers who craft clever laws with gaping loopholes that enable lobbyists to prey on tax dollars like desperate wolves on a barren carcass in winter.
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Copyright © Cassius Group Inc. 2009
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