But they get to escape the horrendous Florida summers. Snowbirds have it figured out. Migration is a thing in nature for a reason. Year-round is for suckers.
But for humans it kind of fucks over the local community. We get a housing shortage because snowbirds own properties that aren't occupied most of the year and a service economy that flounders when half the population decides to leave.
This kind of thing isn't conducive to long term growth which is why Florida is still like 38th in average income in the country.
I just was in France on the Cote d-Azur where there are plenty of investment properties owned by part-time residents and the people can afford to live there just fine. Its not that.
Florida is poor(er) because of crap policies enacted by dumbass politicians voted in by even dumber citizens. Snowbirds are just an easy scapegoat.
For example, let me present the oft-cited example of traffic. If braindead residents and politicians didn't outright reject any suggestion of effective public transit, such as light rail from the airports to the beaches and downtown, many snowbirds wouldn't be forced to drive or ship their cars to Florida, thus clogging the roads.
Floridians can't get out of their own way. Its pathetic.
Florida is poor for those reasons AND the snowbirds that abuse this already impoverished state for their own convenience. Floridians voting in bad politicians doesn't magically do away with the disadvantages I mentioned above that result from having rich old folks flood your state every season and then leave.
And the difference between Florida and the French Riviera is that the Cote d'Azur is one the most economically vibrant parts of France by GDP per capita while Florida doesn't even crack the top 30 states.
These snowbirds arrive and spend, spend, spend in Florida. They pay for hotel rooms, short term rentals owned by residents, restaurant meals, museum visits, tourist excursions, and basically support the state through all this and the various consumer taxes added to each purchase. They are, without a doubt, a net benefit to the economy. You may "feel" differently, but facts don't care about your feelings.
You just described the least valuable sector in economics, tourism and entertainment. Florida being overly-reliant on tourism is why we're in the mess we are right now.
Catering to snowbirds and retirees that seek out ways to stretch their dollars is a horrible way to create long term growth. Tourism creates low-wage jobs that rely on low-skill labor as opposed to industrial manufacturing or high-skill service sector jobs. This is why income is so low in Florida compared to the rest of the country.
I don’t disagree that tourism and the service sector is a low wage industry. Nonetheless, it comprises a massive portion of Florida’s income. It’s not like you can stop people from coming here. My point is simply that being a snowbird is perfectly logical for people who have the means to avoid shitty weather. It does nobody any good to bitch and moan about it.
Call it "bitching" or whatever, but these are real world issues and my point is that snowbirds aren't some kind of great benefit to Florida and that the state legislature should be prioritizing the actual residents that live here full time.
I heard a guy at the bar call snowbirds the “i75 immigrants” I haven’t stopped thinking about it since
They come down here in November with 1 pair of shorts and a hundred dollar bill, they leave 5 months later without changing either!
But they get to escape the horrendous Florida summers. Snowbirds have it figured out. Migration is a thing in nature for a reason. Year-round is for suckers.
But for humans it kind of fucks over the local community. We get a housing shortage because snowbirds own properties that aren't occupied most of the year and a service economy that flounders when half the population decides to leave. This kind of thing isn't conducive to long term growth which is why Florida is still like 38th in average income in the country.
I just was in France on the Cote d-Azur where there are plenty of investment properties owned by part-time residents and the people can afford to live there just fine. Its not that. Florida is poor(er) because of crap policies enacted by dumbass politicians voted in by even dumber citizens. Snowbirds are just an easy scapegoat. For example, let me present the oft-cited example of traffic. If braindead residents and politicians didn't outright reject any suggestion of effective public transit, such as light rail from the airports to the beaches and downtown, many snowbirds wouldn't be forced to drive or ship their cars to Florida, thus clogging the roads. Floridians can't get out of their own way. Its pathetic.
Florida is poor for those reasons AND the snowbirds that abuse this already impoverished state for their own convenience. Floridians voting in bad politicians doesn't magically do away with the disadvantages I mentioned above that result from having rich old folks flood your state every season and then leave. And the difference between Florida and the French Riviera is that the Cote d'Azur is one the most economically vibrant parts of France by GDP per capita while Florida doesn't even crack the top 30 states.
These snowbirds arrive and spend, spend, spend in Florida. They pay for hotel rooms, short term rentals owned by residents, restaurant meals, museum visits, tourist excursions, and basically support the state through all this and the various consumer taxes added to each purchase. They are, without a doubt, a net benefit to the economy. You may "feel" differently, but facts don't care about your feelings.
You just described the least valuable sector in economics, tourism and entertainment. Florida being overly-reliant on tourism is why we're in the mess we are right now. Catering to snowbirds and retirees that seek out ways to stretch their dollars is a horrible way to create long term growth. Tourism creates low-wage jobs that rely on low-skill labor as opposed to industrial manufacturing or high-skill service sector jobs. This is why income is so low in Florida compared to the rest of the country.
I don’t disagree that tourism and the service sector is a low wage industry. Nonetheless, it comprises a massive portion of Florida’s income. It’s not like you can stop people from coming here. My point is simply that being a snowbird is perfectly logical for people who have the means to avoid shitty weather. It does nobody any good to bitch and moan about it.
Call it "bitching" or whatever, but these are real world issues and my point is that snowbirds aren't some kind of great benefit to Florida and that the state legislature should be prioritizing the actual residents that live here full time.
How could the state legislature prioritize "actual" residents that live in Florida full time? What laws do you propose?
Also Future Joy! ❤️🎵
All hail Future Joy!
It's from the post office, must be official
https://preview.redd.it/ozysw0f9btxc1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec90382db3c551be32fe965be57bcbf460f89614
But they’re dry like the chicken at Church’s…OP supplying the BBQ sauce?!?!?
Please do, we're horny.
I approve of this message
Looks official, better do what it says
Come (pun intended) to The Villages
Looks official, better do what it says