SE Florida/SW Florida

[jiacinto]

Why are they both politically opposed to each other? Why is SW Florida so conservative and Republican?

[Democrats unite]

1. I live in Fort Myers Florida

Money. Naples (Collier County) has more millionaires per capita than anyohter place in the U.S. Is that a big enough clue?

edit spelling

[jiacinto]

2. Yeah

but Broward and Palm Beach counties are wealthy too. So it has to be more than just money.

[ShaneGR]

10. Check the religious background of those in Palm Beach

And you'll have your answer.

[jiacinto]

12. There are a lot of Jewish voters in Palm Beach

nt

[carpetbagger]

3. I-95 vs. I-75

I-95 funnels old Yankees to the east coast.
I-75 funnels old people from the midwest to the west coast.

Beyond that, SW Florida is a bit "newer", thus attracting a more affluent group of retirees, and certainly the ones who are into white flight. The Jewish population is centered in South Florida, and more blacks live in South Florida.

If you imagine the places without retirees, South Florida is urban and SW Florida is rural. Having gone to public school in both places, I can say that SW Florida has a greater affiliation with redneckness than does South Florida. When I was in HS in Collier Co. in the 1980's, most of the native Floridians there spoke with southern accents, chewed tobacco, played with guns, drove pickup trucks if they could afford one, listened to country, etc. In Dade Co., no one did these things.

[Democrats unite]

4. I graduated Lely 1982.

Nice to hear from someone else from S.W. Florida.

[carpetbagger]

6. I went to Lely in 1984/1985

Strangest time of my life. It was like living with Beavis and Butthead.

[Democrats unite]

7. I feel your pain

I did not fit in very well.

[carpetbagger]

8. Actually, I had a great time.

On the other hand, I cannot imagine what it would be like growing up gay in East Naples or Marco Island.

At any rate, I'm off to bed, since I grew up to have a family and a real job, unlike a majority of the people I hung out with down there.

I'll have to greet another day as a 700 Club member.

[jiacinto]

9. ok

nt

[jiacinto]

5. Ok

Anyway I liked Naples a lot. It sounds so beautiful.

[davsand]

11. Wasn't there a construction freeze in Naples?

Didn't Naples put a freeze on building new homes for a while? We were down there a couple years ago, and one of the guys I was taking to told me that Naples had put a freeze on new building permits for a time to allow the town time to bring sewers and the water system up to date. I wondered how that turned out and how long it was in place...

Just to illustrate the average old age of the population in that part of the state, our duaghter got sick while we were down there and I needed to find a Doctor. I called all over Ft. Myers to try and find either a Family Practice Doc or a Pediatric Doc. I finally found a "Family Practice" Doc who said he'd see her.

When we went in to the office, the lady on the reception desk made the comment that she couldn't remember the last time they'd had a kid in there! The Doc was a nice guy, but it really didn't inspire a lot of confidence when he asked me what antibiotic was "popular" for kids...

Laura