The State of.... South Florida??

[MsFoxyLoxy77]

I'm a 3rd generation South Floridian (my great grandmother moved hear in 1923) and I think there needs to be some kind of legislation that makes English the official language. People who work in customer service should be able to speak at least functional English but other than that I love South Florida. We've go great beaches, great weather, fresh air, art, music, culture, intelligent mostly liberal inhabitants, and diversity (which contrary to some of your statments is a good thing). However, compare that with our poor public education system, high homeowners insurance, and more impoverished areas and it's clear that we're getting the short end of the stick.

I've lived in North Florida (Tallahassee) and their concerns are NOT our concerns. WE make the money from tourism, large airports, & sales taxes, etc. and Republicans from areas like Apopka, Immokalee, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and even some Miami representatives (misinformed Cuban Americans who vote against their own best interests) vote against OUR interests. You North Florida inhabitants think you're so Southern. News flash The heart of Dixie doesn't accept you and they never will. If you want to be a rebel move your azzes up to Alabama or South Carolina.

[starang21]

Originally Posted by MsFoxyLoxy77

I'm a 3rd generation South Floridian (my great grandmother moved hear in 1923) and I think there needs to be some kind of legislation that makes English the official language. People who work in customer service should be able to speak at least functional English but other than that I love South Florida. We've go great beaches, great weather, fresh air, art, music, culture, intelligent mostly liberal inhabitants, and diversity (which contrary to some of your statments is a good thing). However, compare that with our poor public education system, high homeowners insurance, and more impoverished areas and it's clear that we're getting the short end of the stick.

I've lived in North Florida (Tallahassee) and their concerns are NOT our concerns. WE make the money from tourism, large airports, & sales taxes, etc. and Republicans from areas like Apopka, Immokalee, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and even some Miami representatives (misinformed Cuban Americans who vote against their own best interests) vote against OUR interests. You North Florida inhabitants think you're so Southern. News flash The heart of Dixie doesn't accept you and they never will. If you want to be a rebel move your azzes up to Alabama or South Carolina.

intelligent? LOL. please. miami is one of the dumbest cities in the union.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

Like we've been saying-if we could keep our money here-we could GREATLY improve our educational and poverty situations. That would highly increase the levels of those who perform better in schools.

Also, don't tell me there aren't kids in backwoods everywhere in your beloved "South" who can't tell a text book from a Bible and can read neither.

[Thetagirl218]

Originally Posted by MsFoxyLoxy77

I'm a 3rd generation South Floridian (my great grandmother moved hear in 1923) and I think there needs to be some kind of legislation that makes English the official language. People who work in customer service should be able to speak at least functional English but other than that I love South Florida. We've go great beaches, great weather, fresh air, art, music, culture, intelligent mostly liberal inhabitants, and diversity (which contrary to some of your statments is a good thing). However, compare that with our poor public education system, high homeowners insurance, and more impoverished areas and it's clear that we're getting the short end of the stick.

I've lived in North Florida (Tallahassee) and their concerns are NOT our concerns. WE make the money from tourism, large airports, & sales taxes, etc. and Republicans from areas like Apopka, Immokalee, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and even some Miami representatives (misinformed Cuban Americans who vote against their own best interests) vote against OUR interests. You North Florida inhabitants think you're so Southern. News flash The heart of Dixie doesn't accept you and they never will. If you want to be a rebel move your azzes up to Alabama or South Carolina.

While I agree about North Florida(Tallahassee & Jacksonville) taking a lot of the tax revenue, I believe that Central Florida (Orlando, Daytona, and Tampa Bay) equal just as much tourism money as South Florida makes.

On the other side though Jacksonville doesn't like the fact that Miami wants to set up a pipe line to bring water from the North Florida aquirfier to down south.

I am honestly suprised this last state session ended without an increase in the state sales tax or a proposal for a state income tax(though I don't think this will happen as long as the Republicans control Tallahassee)

I am also not a big fan of Gov. Crist and where he pulled all the decifict money from...

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by MsFoxyLoxy77

I've lived in North Florida (Tallahassee) and their concerns are NOT our concerns. WE make the money from tourism, large airports, & sales taxes, etc. and Republicans from areas like Apopka, Immokalee, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and even some Miami representatives (misinformed Cuban Americans who vote against their own best interests) vote against OUR interests. You North Florida inhabitants think you're so Southern. News flash The heart of Dixie doesn't accept you and they never will. If you want to be a rebel move your azzes up to Alabama or South Carolina.

Oh, North Florida does make a good chunk of our money from tourism--ever heard of the Emerald Coast? Also, we have the largest military installation in the free world, the economy in the area has done quite well in part because of the defense contracting, the intellectual muscle of the state is in the North, and the public school systems in North Florida could run circles around those in the South. I could go on and say that the subprime crisis in Florida has been triggered by greed in the South of the state, or that North Floridians know how to respect their natural resources. But, I'll stop there.

South Florida is a drain on the rest of the state.

But, I do agree that English needs to be the state's official language. But, luckily, the Northern section of the state hasn't really taken on Spanish that readily.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

You know what I'm noticing? That a lot of the Floridians don't seem to spend a lot of effort spending time in the "other half" of the state. I haven't spent time anywhere north of here in this state outside of Central Florida (mainly Disney).

For example, you were talking about the "Emerald Coast". I will honestly admit that I don't exactly know what specific area that term is refering to. (I'm going to go look it up right now though! ETA: So yes, I am familiar with those cities, but just not that particular name. I am also aware of their popularity. I have been wanting to visit Destin to see what all the fuss is about!) I also didn't want to attend school upstate at FSU or UF because "who knew what was up there?"

Many don't travel within our own state and enjoy a lot of what it has to offer. I have been trying to get my bf to take a road trip for a week or so and roam around. I am proud to be a Floridian and want to learn much more. You always hear so much about the other half, but most people don't usually go.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

Okay-Sweetwater and Dolphin Mall , Hialeah, etc. area are bad. Yes, there are a lot of Spanish people who don't speak English, but that is slowly dying out. I used to go into stores and get ignored because I'm obviously black and therefore assumed not to speak Spanish, but that is happening less and less and LESS. BTW-How did you come to buy a house in that area? Didn't you notice that prior? LOL!

I just want people to understand that I was born here, and I live here, I have a nice life here, and just like you love wherever it is you come from despite all it's faults, I love South Florida. It is not at all what you make it out to be. Visiting, you can only see a certain side and it doesn't accurately display how we live collectively. I would never imply that somewhere should go join another country because of it's racial/ethnic makeup. I find it highly offensive. We are and have been and will continue to be a part of the U.S.

The problem was NOT initiated as a racial one but as a financial/political one. But every SINGLE time this topic has been discussed ANYWHERE online it immediately turns into a hispanic/socio-economic bash fest. I find that highly insulting for various reasons. There is nothing wrong with being different, every region is different for its reasons. I would never insult the states that have a heavy Norweigan culture or Italian culture, or Asian culture, or Mexican culture, or German culture (and all of these exist all over the U.S.) because that is apart of the state and who they are and who lives there. Nor would I suggest that they should split from the U.S. because "I don't like how they live/their local culture" (which is basically what a lot of you are saying in a nutshell). It just is what it is.

And maybe we wouldn't have so many "slums" that you swear we do if we could get back our damn tax money from the state! Things might actually improve.

Originally Posted by MsFoxyLoxy77

I'm a 3rd generation South Floridian (my great grandmother moved hear in 1923) and I think there needs to be some kind of legislation that makes English the official language. People who work in customer service should be able to speak at least functional English but other than that I love South Florida. We've go great beaches, great weather, fresh air, art, music, culture, intelligent mostly liberal inhabitants, and diversity (which contrary to some of your statments is a good thing). However, compare that with our poor public education system, high homeowners insurance, and more impoverished areas and it's clear that we're getting the short end of the stick.

I've lived in North Florida (Tallahassee) and their concerns are NOT our concerns. WE make the money from tourism, large airports, & sales taxes, etc. and Republicans from areas like Apopka, Immokalee, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and even some Miami representatives (misinformed Cuban Americans who vote against their own best interests) vote against OUR interests. You North Florida inhabitants think you're so Southern. News flash The heart of Dixie doesn't accept you and they never will. If you want to be a rebel move your azzes up to Alabama or South Carolina.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by PANTHERTEKE

Although I agree that S.Fla has a higher population of democrats than anywhere else in Florida, its not completely liberal. Actually, it's pretty split up in Dade.

Not to mention that Cuban-Americans, that seem to be the topic of discussion whenever this is brought up, are far more Republican than their hispanic counterparts. (e.g. Marco Rubio the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Mel Martinez in the Senate, Carlos Gutierrez the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in House of Representatives, etc)

Last presidential election Dade county was 46.6% Republican and 52.9% Democrat. Not all that liberal.

Broward County is more liberal than Dade by a long shot. 64% Dem vs 34% Rep last election. And, it's important to add, that hispanics only make up 22% of Broward's population.

Jewish people are a lot more liberal than hispanics. For the record, Martinez lived in Orlando and went to FSU... he's ours when y'all secede.

[MsFoxyLoxy77]

Originally Posted by starang21

intelligent? LOL. please. miami is one of the dumbest cities in the union.

*Hijack*
The Union? Are we in the 1800s. You're talking about education? As far as I know the South lost and as far as I still know the entire state of Florida is not considered apart of the old South and rarely categorized as the deep south.

PhiGam
starang21

I reckon y'all should go on over yonder to that there library and get y'all selves sumthin to read. One of them new fangled Yankee history books should set ya up jus' right. Go on an' grab them bulls by the horns and go on an open one of those there books. Y'all are sum real good ole boys. It's either that or head on over to Alabama or Mississippi where the South shall rise again! Thank ya kindly and bless your hearts.
*End Hijack*

Now tuning in to our regularly scheduled program. Thanks to everyone else who responded. There are obviously some points that North & South Florida can learn about each other, i.e. Emerald coast & which industries & locations contribute what to state revenue.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by MsFoxyLoxy77

*Hijack*
The Union? Are we in the 1800s.

So I guess the President and the Congress should stop calling that speech in January the State of the Union Address?

[MsFoxyLoxy77]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

So I guess the President and the Congress should stop calling that speech in January the State of the Union Address?

Yes this is exactly what I think should happen! Thanks for pointing that mind blowing fact out! I guess I shouldn't assume that you understood the context of the conversation & that starang usage of the term Union was a reference to the Civil War (i.e the opposition between mostly northern & southern states). The similarity between the Union (when referring to the Civil War) & an annual speech the president makes now is nonexistent and to pretend that the connotation means the same thing is simplistic.

The State of the Union:
For many years, the speech was referred to as "the President's Annual Message to Congress." The actual term "State of the Union" did not become widely used until after 1935 when Franklin D. Roosevelt began using the phrase.

The Union:
During the American Civil War, Union was a name used to refer to the twenty-three states of the United States which were not part of the seceding Confederacy. Although the Union states included the Western states of California, Oregon, and (after 1864) Nevada, as well as states generally considered to be part of the Midwest, the Union is also often loosely referred to as "the North", both then and now.

See the difference, now?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by MsFoxyLoxy77

See the difference, now?

No. I guess I must be dumber than a door post, because even after re-reading all of starang's posts in this thread three or four times, I still can't find any Civil War allusion in his use of the word "union."

Stupid me. It just didn't look to me like you understood that the phrase "the union" can be and is used outside the context of The Union vs. The Confederacy. I can see now that you do, though -- otherwise, why would FDR have resurrected the word to describe the State of the Union Address. (He didn't invent that title, of course; it comes from Article II, § 3, of the Constitution. But you knew that, didn't you?)

Thanks for the eduction. I feel much more smarterer now.

[starang21]

Originally Posted by MsFoxyLoxy77

I reckon y'all should go on over yonder to that there library and get y'all selves sumthin to read. One of them new fangled Yankee history books should set ya up jus' right. Go on an' grab them bulls by the horns and go on an open one of those there books. Y'all are sum real good ole boys. It's either that or head on over to Alabama or Mississippi where the South shall rise again! Thank ya kindly and bless your hearts.
*End Hijack*

uhhhh......

translation, please. what does this have to with miami as a city having less intelligent denizens than the rest of the country?

[MsFoxyLoxy77]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

No. I guess I must be dumber than a door post, because even after re-reading all of starang's posts in this thread three or four times, I still can't find any Civil War allusion in his use of the word "union."

Stupid me. It just didn't look to me like you understood that the phrase "the union" can be and is used outside the context of The Union vs. The Confederacy. I can see now that you do, though -- otherwise, why would FDR have resurrected the word to describe the State of the Union Address. (He didn't invent that title, of course; it comes from Article II, § 3, of the Constitution. But you knew that, didn't you?)

Thanks for the eduction. I feel much more smarterer now.

I'll concede this point.

Originally Posted by starang21

uhhhh......

translation, please. what does this have to with miami as a city having less intelligent denizens than the rest of the country?

I'll concede this point as well.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

What about the UP of Michigan? Do they still want to be their own state? (I think they wanted to be called "Superior").

Years ago when I was working at a TV station in Milwaukee, NBC premiered it's big election night map (and the used of the colors of red and blue at the same time).

I had to call the executive producer of election coverage at the network to tell him that the map included the UP as a part of Wisconsin instead of Michigan.

Not sure how the UP residents (or Northern Wisconsin for that matter) would have felt about that, but it cost the network a fair amount of money to fix their geographical error.