Should South Florida become its own state?

[larrysofla]

The main point of this post and its basis was the way our region gets treated in the legislature. We pay more in taxes to the state than we actually get back in the form of services. The legislature short changes our schools (they AGAIN cut funding for Broward and Miami-Dade schools, Palm Beach fared a little better but not by much), and is WAY out of touch with the majority of the voters down here. That is my point. And as far as Miami-Dade being Republican, I can only say two things: One, Miami-Dade is still a majority Democratic, and Two a Miami-Dade Republican isn't exactly the same thing as being a North Florida Republican. Most Republicans favor tight immigration control, English only laws, and other such measures that most Cubans are opposed to. It is interesting to note that the Miami-Dade Republican who was to become President of the Florida Senate in '08, was recently sabotaged by his fellow Republicans, and replaced by a white non-Hispanic.

On another note entirely, it has been very fun and interesting to see the comments posted here as a result of this topic. I have enjoyed reading everyone's opinions.

[FLAplaya]

yeah well in the strong Republican Okaloosa County...Jeb and Co. cut our school funding in half (AGAIN) which made it hard for the 5 highschools to grow and expand. Two HS that are across town from each other, share the same football field. He gave a little more headway for developers in "protected" forests and he cut some MAJOR road and infrastructure improvement funding too (after the HWY 98 water fencing is done with). The six military bases in this area, however, got a big boost..go figure. Its not just South Florida thats gets short changed. The whole state is being lead by a one party system and there is no checks and balances ANYWHERE.

That can all change in November of 2006...SO GET OUT AND VOTE.

[EbonyGardens]

Pigs will fly before South Florida becomes it's own state.

[csmurphy8885]

LOL

[gjoseph]

Everyone always forgets about Tampa Metro and Orlando's metro I mean when some of you guys said from South Florida Up it's all hicktown I would say from Tampa and Orlando up excluding Jax....I bet 20-50 yrs Tampa and Orlando, is gonna be one MAJOR metro

But I do agree Tampa and Orlando have more ties to South Florida than Tally or Jax

I also have a question why is the University of South Florida, in Tampa? I'm from Tampa, but a-lot of ppl don't even consider Tampa in Central or South Florida so is it in Southwest FLA?

[cameronm]

Everyone always forgets about Tampa Metro and Orlando's metro I mean when some of you guys said from South Florida Up it's all hicktown I would say from Tampa and Orlando up excluding Jax....I bet 20-50 yrs Tampa and Orlando, is gonna be one MAJOR metro

But I do agree Tampa and Orlando have more ties to South Florida than Tally or Jax

I also have a question why is the University of South Florida, in Tampa? I'm from Tampa, but a-lot of ppl don't even consider Tampa in Central or South Florida so is it in Southwest FLA?

Who ever said Orlando and Tampa are hicktowns?

[Newnan]

here's a question for those of you who are familiar with the show the Golden girls, where are some good guesses of where they lived in the area. Their area seems to not be very ethnic but still be close to Miami.

[KendallKid]

here's a question for those of you who are familiar with the show the Golden girls, where are some good guesses of where they lived in the area. Their area seems to not be very ethnic but still be close to Miami.

Oy. News flash Miami isnt Atlanta. All of dade county is pretty ethnic in that it is very integrated and diverse. Kendall for example is a suburb with a high concentration of hispanic people but its not an "ethnic" nieghborhood in fact it looks no diffrent from any suburb anywhere else. There are very few "enclaves." Additionally the line "close to Miami" makes it seem as if they didnt live in Miami. Like I said there arnt any exurbs here so they lived in a "ethnic" area I can assure you. That said there area isnt really modeled after what Miami really is, its more Boca Ratonish than anything else. Not an accurate depiction in the slightest.

Golden Girls isnt Miami any more than Matlock is Atlanta

Edited April 15, 2006 by KendallKid

[bobdreamz]

here's a question for those of you who are familiar with the show the Golden girls, where are some good guesses of where they lived in the area. Their area seems to not be very ethnic but still be close to Miami.

actually the house they showed in the opening resembles many houses in the Pinecrest/ S. Miami area.

[jpl02]

here's a question for those of you who are familiar with the show the Golden girls, where are some good guesses of where they lived in the area. Their area seems to not be very ethnic but still be close to Miami.

I always thought the Girls to live in North Miami Beach or somewhere around there. This was 15 years ago, and back then the area was far "whiter" than it is now. Either that or they lived in south Broward........in east Pines or something. They do make a few references to Biscayne Blvd in the show, and Rose even mentions 135th Street in one episode.

Their address was fictional of course, and so were a lot of the places, road names and geographical figures. There is no Highway 12 for Blanche to get cut off on, there is no Sunset Beach to get stuck with Mel Bushman, and nor is there a Richmond Street where the Girls lived.

The poster is right about the house resembling many of those in Pinecrest. As a matter of fact, funny thing happened back in December. I was driving a friend of mine to the house of another friend of mine who lives in Palmetto Bay. The first thing he says when we pull up to their house....."she lives in a Golden Girls house".

Edited April 18, 2006 by jpl02

[facilities man]

Actually the golden girls house was a fake set up on the back lot at Disneys MGM studios in Orlando. I'm sure many of you already knew that tough. It's been torn down and replaced with a pretty good stunt driving show.

[Newnan]

Oy. News flash Miami isnt Atlanta. All of dade county is pretty ethnic in that it is very integrated and diverse. Kendall for example is a suburb with a high concentration of hispanic people but its not an "ethnic" nieghborhood in fact it looks no diffrent from any suburb anywhere else. There are very few "enclaves." Additionally the line "close to Miami" makes it seem as if they didnt live in Miami. Like I said there arnt any exurbs here so they lived in a "ethnic" area I can assure you. That said there area isnt really modeled after what Miami really is, its more Boca Ratonish than anything else. Not an accurate depiction in the slightest.

Golden Girls isnt Miami any more than Matlock is Atlanta

See, in Atlanta if you're in an ethnic neighborhood, you'll know it. If you're in a white neighborhood you'll know it. There's a big difference. If Miami is as integrated as you say then I definitely commend your area. Atlanta has a history of being segregated however this is starting to change inside 285 (Beltway) Many upper class whites are starting to move into traditionally black neighborhoods and in Gwinnett county all different kinds of races and ethnic groups are starting to intertwine together, it's cool. Anyway, Miami and south Florida is a really cool place with a culture all its own but I don't think it should become it's own state; it's not necessary. In the Atlanta forum we had a discussion about whether metro Atlanta should become it's own state because it's different from teh rest of Georgia and it didn't make sense to me at all. Just stick together!

[DaiDreamer5]

I don't mean to dig up a dead topic but I figured I should throw in my two cents.

I was born in raised in the Palm Beach County Area. I attended college at FSU in Tallahassee. So I have seen both sides of the issue.

I think that it is less that South Florida -Central Florida also- is very different that Tallahassee, but that Tallahassee is very different that the rest of the state. Compared to the rest of the Florida, Tallahassee is very isolated.

Most of the people in the south go from major metro to major metro with out any thought. For example, when I lived in West Palm Beach, I attended a concert in Ft. Lauderdale. There was no major planning involved; you just have to leave a bit earlier. I believe it is a similar thing with Tampa/Orlando.

In Tallahassee, the closest major metro is about 3 hours away. Visiting Pensacola/Jacksonville is a major undertaking that takes all day. Also, there is little or no urban development between Tallahasse and the other major metros. Just a whole crap load of trees. In addition, I also noticed that many Tallahassee residents visit other states when they go on vacation. They rarely if ever go futher south than Disney World (this is from what I have seen. take it as you will).

Basically, many people in Tallahassee don't experience the rest of Florida. You would think that the elected representatives from the South and Central Florida would help with the gap between the capital and the rest of the state, but I don't see that happening.

Things are changing though. If you look at the Tallahassee forum, you see a lot of new projects and ideas coming to fruitation. However you also see many of the posters frustrated by backwards local governments and NIMBY residents.

The idea of making South Florida it's own state is a nice idea, but that would be like cutting off your face because your nose is stuffed up. I think the rest of Florida just needs to poke at the capital a bit and try to work together. I think it would work much better than everyone trading names with each other.

That was alot more than two cents. Hopefully I didn't piss anyone off.

[Florida]

^ That was actually a decent piece of writing above DD5. I understand your point and I share a somewhat different view, at least as far as those in North Florida, specifically the Tallahassee area is concerned.

Historically, when we talk Tallahassee, we're talking a very unique place that is strategically isolated for various reasons. The isolation grew out of the desire to protect the Seat of the State Government from attack, and quickly became a mechanism to control growth. The modern era paints a much different view point, but one that cannot ignore the consequences of the past.

The biggest obstacle to overcome with Tallahassee's isolation from the rest of the state are Florida's transportation networks (roads, trains, boats and planes) which become limited as one nears the Capital City. I-10 provides adequate East west access to the City but linkage from central and South Florida could be improved is US 27 were a limited access roadway.

Trains no longer carry the amount of passengers they used to, yet if the state succeeds at building the high-speed bullet train that was approved by voters during the John Ellis Bush era the Capital city should be made a priority.

It is also possible to access Tallahassee via boat yet few people know how. St. Marks, at Port Leon, just 25 miles south of Tallahassee has historically been the way Tallahassee has sent and received freight from ships with a little Rail Road assistance. To moderize this access method, we merely need to convince the good folks who write Sovereignty Submerged lands leases to permit a few large marinas in Wakulla county that visitors could use for mooring their vessels and take a 30 minute train, taxi, bus, car ride up to Tallahassee.

Then of course there's the issue of planes. Today an advance notice ticket to Tallahassee on major carrier Delta from Miami would probably cost north of $400-$500. No wise spender would pay that type of money unless he or she is extraordinarily rich. However, this was not always the case. A few years ago (2002-2005), the same round trip ticket from Miami to Tallahassee was $89. Of course that was when AirTran was still serving the Tallahassee market which it no longer does. Another discount carrier such as Southwest Airlines flying in and out of the Capital city might make for a better connection to the rest of the state as well. Until then there's always DayJet the Air taxi.

Thanks was more than $.02 also. But the facts were too blatant to ignore.

[tombarnes]

The idea of South Florida becoming its own state is faintly ridiculous, however one feels about the identities of the two disparate halves of the state. It's not going to happen, so why worry about it? Tallahassee certainly seems a long way from Miami or Fort Lauderdale in many ways, but to separate them politically is an impossibility. The point you have raised about airfares is an interesting one, but not insurmountable. If Southwest or another low cost carrier like JetBlue could be enticed there, airfares would drop commensurately. The major carriers like Delta and USAirways are unlikely to enact fare reductions unless prodded to do so by the prospect of competition.

[Florida]

You're precisely correct Tom, as we have found this to be true over the years.

[AlienCity]

I think California an Texas should work on splitting before Florida ever considers it. These two states seem more like countries than states, with about 37M and 25M people respectively. Plus they are geographically huge, while Florida is just a long, rotated "L" shape. Florida is still under 20M. I think that's when a state stops being a state and starts holding power equivalent to a country within a country (actually states were meant to be more like countries in the beginning of the Union, but that's besides the point). I mean governors of Texas and California have been far more likely to catapult to president than those of other states. Reagan, Nixon, and GW Bush, etc all came from these two states. Plus they have electoral pull that really needs subdividing.

[HeartofFlorida]

I think California an Texas should work on splitting before Florida ever considers it. These two states seem more like countries than states, with about 37M and 25M people respectively. Plus they are geographically huge, while Florida is just a long, rotated "L" shape. Florida is still under 20M. I think that's when a state stops being a state and starts holding power equivalent to a country within a country (actually states were meant to be more like countries in the beginning of the Union, but that's besides the point). I mean governors of Texas and California have been far more likely to catapult to president than those of other states. Reagan, Nixon, and GW Bush, etc all came from these two states. Plus they have electoral pull that really needs subdividing.

No longer a poll.

http://cbs4.com/local/North.Lauderda....2.716727.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...0,622463.story

http://www.miamiherald.com/577/story/523383.html

[USF_Rockstar]

I'm in favor of Florida splitting into two states. It's not fair that the major metropolitan areas are underrepresented in politics and give more then they get in taxes.

[tombarnes]

This situation isn't unique to Florida. How do you think most people in upstate New York feel? Should the rest of Nevada secede from the state because Las Vegas gets most of the money? I understand how South Florida might feel distant from tallahassee in many ways, but dividing the state does not make sense. Thus divided, Florida would lose stature.

[poonther]

I completely agree w/tombarnes on this subject. Having lived in all 3 distinct regions of FL (South, Central and North) I appreciate Florida and love it for its diversity. Also having traveled to other states w/this diversity like CA, NV and NY, I prefer this situation much better than the "City-States" like Mass/Boston and GA/ATL.

I must respectfully disagree w/your statement USF about under representation of the Big 4 Metros. This may have been true up to the 70's during the Pork-Chop Gang's domination, but it no longer holds true. For example my district here in Tally runs from here to the western burbs of Jax down to Ocala and Inverness. Central Tally has nothing in common w/these other areas. In most of the high density areas in FL, you can almost see from one end of the district to the other. Also don't blame those in the P'handle and North FL for the wacky things the Legislature does. Many of those wild ideas originate from elected officials along the I-4 corridor and SW FL....Paula Dockery (Lakeland) and Alan Hays (Umatilla) to name a few.

As for spending, while Miami-Dade pays the most, it also takes the most.

What Florida should do is concentrate on a better Florida in the form or better roads, schools and attracting high paying jobs. While tourism is great, we rely too heavily on it and our reps tend to pander to the AARP crowd who won't be here in 20 years while neglecting Florida's future...our kids!

[dgreco]

I completely agree w/tombarnes on this subject. Having lived in all 3 distinct regions of FL (South, Central and North) I appreciate Florida and love it for its diversity. Also having traveled to other states w/this diversity like CA, NV and NY, I prefer this situation much better than the "City-States" like Mass/Boston and GA/ATL.

I must respectfully disagree w/your statement USF about under representation of the Big 4 Metros. This may have been true up to the 70's during the Pork-Chop Gang's domination, but it no longer holds true. For example my district here in Tally runs from here to the western burbs of Jax down to Ocala and Inverness. Central Tally has nothing in common w/these other areas. In most of the high density areas in FL, you can almost see from one end of the district to the other. Also don't blame those in the P'handle and North FL for the wacky things the Legislature does. Many of those wild ideas originate from elected officials along the I-4 corridor and SW FL....Paula Dockery (Lakeland) and Alan Hays (Umatilla) to name a few.

As for spending, while Miami-Dade pays the most, it also takes the most.

What Florida should do is concentrate on a better Florida in the form or better roads, schools and attracting high paying jobs. While tourism is great, we rely too heavily on it and our reps tend to pander to the AARP crowd who won't be here in 20 years while neglecting Florida's future...our kids!

Excellent post I wish we had rep point. I do not know much about FL, but I know about the City -States and lack of diversity. Leadership is key in keeping a state at the top.

[EngineerNole]

This thread is ridiculous. It DOES NOT MATTER that the capital is in Tallahassee. Miami has REPRESENTATIVES IN TALLAHASSEE. It's not like a bunch of local Tallahasseeans sit around and decide what happens in South Florida. Some people here really need to take a US Government course. Also, the name calling here is very immature. North Florida and South Florida have "rednecks". However, this name "redneck" in itself is very inflammatory and unnecessary. Florida is very different from north to south. I see this as a good thing. It makes the state diverse. Some people here are very close minded. Yet, they call themselves "liberal". Yeah, I'm talkin to you Larry.

[Waffle]

South Florida should be its own state, in my opinion.

[RedStar25]

Just move the capital to Orlando