As soon as my kids graduate High school--- I'm out of Central Florida.

[trumad]

There is always some crazy ass event that happens Florida---most notably Central Florida.

I live 5 miles from Sanford--- 10 from Orlando.

We just got over the freak show that was Caley Anthony...

and now--- our national embarrassment continues with the Trayvon Martin case.

Hanging chads, Terry Shiavo-- and on and on....

I use to get a little offended about Florida bashing-- Born and raised in Miami--- but not anymore.

It simply is one God Damn freaky state.

[liberal N proud]

1. It must be the sunshine, salt air and alligators

I would blame Disney, but the freakshows do happen all over the state.

I love to visit Florida for the beaches, warm sunny weather and other little oddities that make Florida great but you are correct there are a lot of freaks in the state.

[1monster]

23. No. It's all the crazy people coming from out of state to Florida. This used

to be paradise...

And beware. It isn't just happening here. Did you hear about this one?

Mock Raid At Glad Tidings Assembly Of God Church Leaves Teen Traumatized

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002477565

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/26/mock-raid-church-teen-traumatized_n_1381156.html?ref=religion&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk3%26pLid%3D146779

[Baitball Blogger]

36. It's a mix.

You have corrupt people coming in from all over. They have turned everything upside down because rules don't mean anything to them. They become part of the Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club or co-opt any other group which presides over the welfare of many people and eventually take over the city. The lawyers have yielded to them a long time ago. They're the ones with the money.

If you want to turn it around, you start with the lawyer. We need something better than the Florida Bar to clean up our ethics problem in this State. It begins there. Once you corral the lawyer's ethics, you can control the trickle down corruption. Once the corruption is put under control people will realize that there is a right and a wrong. The old way of breaking the rules to benefit the cronies will also make people think twice about expressing prejudices which in the past was used to get a leg up in the social networks.

[MoonRiver]

2. Elian Gonzalez happened in Miami, but still in freaky FL.

Too bad you need to move, but I can relate. Escaped TX 21 years ago and never looked back.

[HockeyMom]

3. Cops tasering 5 year old girls

has to be right up there too. The corrupt Alien from Space, and his hand picked crew, only feeds the insanity.

[trumad]

5. The redistricting of the state will soon be here...

Problem with Florida is the outlying areas are vast and loaded with knuckledragging Tea Bagging, Morans.

[Baitball Blogger]

37. It didn't help Central Florida that Crist's special corruption unit

drew a line just below Tampa. It was just meant to clean up South Florida. And where is Crist now? in a lawfirm that has a strong presence in both Tampa and Orlando.

[zipplewrath]

4. Statistical reality

It's one of the 4 largest states in the nation. More stuff is gonna happen here.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

40. Exactly.

People pile on Florida because of all the crazy stuff that happens here, but when more people live in one given place, the greater the chance you'll run across a nut or two thousand.

California is the largest state population-wise in the country, and last I checked it is far from being exempt from some very crazy stories itself.

[TBF]

6. I can relate

I am on-line so much because we moved to Texas for my husband's job. I don't mind the climate and it's a good job but I really don't have much in common with the gun-toting soccer moms (nope, not joking). Neither of us have ever lived on the west coast but we both really like the Bay area and would love a chance to move there. His company does have an office there so it's not out of the realm of possibility ... really hoping we can move at some point.

[Ecumenist]

8. We would love to have you! I'm about 100 miles northeast of The City

Really live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Don't know about Texas BUT I have to go to Arizona regularly for medical reasons and let me tell you, ( and please pardon my vernacular)- I have never seen such a f*cked up mean spirited, nutty and flat out crazy state in my life, so help me God.

[lunatica]

17. I live in Oakland and work in UC Berkeley

The Bay Area is great! Pricey, but great. I love it here and would only consider moving to New York City.

[Ecumenist]

24. Oh no, LOL!! I thought you were in another state.. I'm talking about THE CITY

SAN FRANCISCO!! I'm in the Capitol LOL!! You lucky dog.. LOVE THE BAY!!

[TBF]

26. We have old friends (and also some DU friends) who live in Oakland. I also love the ocean in CA

it's much prettier than the muddy water down here (well, they claim it's mud but with all the refineries lined up along shore it's a hard one for me to believe) ...

[TBF]

32. It sounds like Arizona is very much like Texas

not really interested in seeing it

But I am interested in seeing Santa Fe, NM - I've heard it is pricey but great to see the galleries, etc

[AlbertCat]

33. not really interested in seeing it

You don't wanna see the Grand Canyon?

I do.... but I'm waiting til Az returns to Earth.

[TBF]

44. Well that's an excellent point -

I would like to see that

[Starry Messenger]

18. I hope you do too!

We are crazy out here too, but in our own special way.

[TBF]

28. We almost went to Seattle last year -

but I'm holding out for better weather Hubby has an old friend in Oakland, and nearly all his college roommates are in CA.

[Mariana]

19. I just recently escaped from Texas.

I was in Tarrant County, about as red a place as you can find. For example, Grapevine was one of the ten cities in which Sarah Palin's "documentary", The Undefeated (LOL), opened. I was in the same position as you - husband's great job, nothing in common with the locals - most of them didn't want to have anything to do with me once they found out I didn't go to church and wasn't about to start.

I lived in Austin in the 1990's and I liked it pretty well.

[TBF]

31. Congrats! Austin isn't so bad - very pretty town.

I totally understand the church thing - I just tell everyone I'm Methodist (it is my family's faith) and that's usually enough to calm them down without getting invites to their own personal churches.

[Cirque du So-What]

7. Every state has its problems

but I understand how you feel. Having lived in ten different states in my adult lifetime, I advise doing some serious homework before making The Big Move. You may find that you're merely trading in one set of problems for another.

[rfranklin]

9. NJ has a BIG problem!

It's name is Chris Christie (R-Loudmouth).

[Cirque du So-What]

20. NJ and a slew of other states in the northern tier

Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania - all of which comprise my 'stomping grounds'

[snooper2]

30. And from my co-workers up there, yes- it does smell

[mick063]

10. I once started a thread

It was titled "All progressives move out of the South"

I took a severe beating on DU for it.

Sometimes it goes beyond politics and is a matter of life and death.

A hybrid of the movies "Mississippi Burning" and "Groundhog Day" come to mind.

People heading down to protest.......Be careful!

[AlbertCat]

34. "All progressives move out of the South"

I'm not. I love NC.
Less probs than PA! (IMHO)

That might change tho' if this Repug Legislature sticks around much longer.

[trof]

11. You would enjoy Tim Dorsey's books.

He's like Carl Hiassen on steroids.
Gonzo at its finest.
I'm reading 'Pineapple Grenade' now.

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. Not to knock FL, but what's going on down there?

Man, there's some crazy stuff happening in your part of the world.

Good luck.

[Baitball Blogger]

38. We have no legal authorities here.

Everything is controlled by politics. And the biggies in the Democratic and Republican side compromise in unethical manners. Conflicts of interests are common among lawyers so it's a waste of time and money to hire them--even if you had the money. The legal authorities are only interested in the high visibility crimes, which is why the rest of us are perpetual victims.

That's why Trayvon Martin must be given every benefit of the law. Otherwise, his death will become an open door for similar circumstances.

[Auggie]

13. West Coast, trumad

I hardly ever leave California because I love it so.

[trumad]

16. <ived in San Fran for years...

How I ended up here is beyond me--- ok---not really beyond me.

I took a job here in Orlando and it was the same time my kids were entering Elementary school.

I didn't want to move them out of their schools from friends, etc.

so---I got stuck here.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

41. Hate to break it to you, but....

California is hardly an example of a state free from crazy people and crazy news stories.

More people in a state= More crazy people in a state.

[madokie]

14. Move to Oklahoma

We could sure use some trumad help here with our crazies

[sarge43]

15. My best friend is fifth generation Floridian and

Last edited Tue Mar 27, 2012, 09:53 AM - Edit history (1)

she's retiring from the unspooling school system this June. She told me she and her husband are out of there as soon as they put their house on the market.

[handmade34]

21. hmmmm

I'm being sent there to work for a couple month (May/June)... I'll survive (maybe), but I hear ya!


I'm settling in southern Vermont as soon as I find the right property... would love to start a cooperative

[Marrah_G]

22. Honestly I don't blame you one bit

My parents live there half the year and I have no desire to go visit them while they are there. Things seem to be getting more and more bizarre down there. It has to be tough to be a liberal there these days.

[trumad]

25. One event after another....

The Anthony case was a bizarre circus that lasted an eternity.

Just a couple of months later---Trayvon.

What's next...

[tavalon]

27. Grew up in Summerfield, outside of Belleview and Ocala

I would rather gnaw my hands and feet off than ever move back to central Florida. I spent most of my adult life in central and south Texas and I would rather gnaw my hands and feet off than ever move back to Texas. I am grateful to live in the Seattle Washington area now, and I find the urge to consume my hands and feet has finally abated.

I'm staying.

[snooper2]

29. I don't understand why we can't just cut it off...

Literally, just start with some backhoes and cut the whole fucking state off. It look like a growth anyway LOL..

Then once we have a swath of water the size of the Mississippi right through the top, we can give it to Cuba or something. Anybody that doens't like Cuba can move there and call it whatever they want

[Baitball Blogger]

39. News flash. You are no longer in the U.S.A. when you move into Florida.

You don't realize it right away. But it soon becomes evident that everybody else is playing from a different playbook.

[Baitball Blogger]

35. Not going to argue with you on that point.

I don't know if it's possible to find a place which is more duplicitous. But that's how a strategy can be born to turn things around.

Check out my website: www.keystoneworksite.com

[Waiting For Everyman]

42. I can recommend a little-known pocket of sanity called Maryland.

I've spent time in all of the mainland states and I wouldn't live anywhere else. MD has something for anyone's taste, the various regions are very different from each other. It's reliably blue, and doesn't have economic ups and downs much at all, and our current governor is tops in my book (Martin O'Malley). So is our long-time Senator, Barbara Mikulski - she's helped my family in a big way several times in my life.

I agree with you about Florida. As of a long time ago, there's no way I will even visit that cesspool. (That goes for TX, OK, AZ, and some others too.) The last time I was there was the late 80s, and that was enough for me.

A friend from here who moved there offered to give me a very nice 100% free house to live in as long as I liked, but even if I was in really, really dire straits I'd seriously rather live under a bridge in MD, if it came to that, than ever go there. (Fortunately I'm doing ok, but there's nothing in the world that could ever induce me to live there.)

In general, places that people are flocking to are not good choices, imo. I hope you find somewhere to go that you really like.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

45. I moved from Maryland to Florida.

For the climate, not the politics.

Don't forsee myself ever moving back, but Maryland certainly has an edge politics wise, that's for sure. Any way we can trade governors?

[Odin2005]

43. I have a friend who used to teach in Ocala.

She got out of there because it was full of racists and sociopaths and her principle sexually harassed her.

[greytdemocrat]

46. Cool.

More room for the non-whiners.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

47. Don't leave we need your vote

You are not alone.
Hey at least you don't live in Sanford like I do. An OK town getting a bad rap, really this is a pretty tame area ,( I mean was).