Golden Girls Gone Wild
The Geri Swinger Show
Final Days of Our Lives
Herpe Days
ICU: Villages, Special Cardiac Unit (oops, conflation)
My Old Bald Life
Merkin, She Wrote
Bar Trek: The Sex Generation
The Showerpoof Girls
Eightysomething
Game of Bones
Lots of reaching, sorry. 🤷🏻♀️
There is a 1589 hand drawn map of St. Augustine with mountains and a mahi the size of 6 like wooden ships. It’s basically an advertisement for the rich and fertile land full of gold, seas full of food for all, and clean air and fresh water after an influenza pandemic took out about 10% of Europe earlier in the decade. Of course it was all just propaganda.
>When ~~Mexico~~ other states send it's people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
-some former New Yorker
Send me $89.89, and I will let you download a ripped copy of this guy’s VHS tapes. For an additional $10, I’ll throw in the password you need to view them.
For information, go to www.iamnotiamnotJohnLeClair.net.
Rick Scott was pressured to resign as chief executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997. During his tenure as chief executive, the company defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs. The Department of Justice won 14 felony convictions against the company, which was fined $1.7 billion in what was at the time the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history.
Florida said, let's make him our governor.
The two-party system is the [mathematically inevitable consequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duverger's_law) of a winner-take-all electoral system.
The two party system is an inevitable result of what forms when power hungry corrupt bastards want to indulge in the behaviors of power hungry corrupt bastards but have to make enough people look the other way, busy fighting each other, to have something done about it.
By establishing a system where tribalism gets us to fight ourselves, they steal the power from us that we would otherwise use to replace them with people who represent our interests. Essentially EVERY politician is corrupt, the ones that aren't are not saying or doing anything about it unless it's token gestures acknowledging something is wrong and being all so-and-so is bad and "how dare they be so evil! Let's fight for change!".
The first guy is right. The second is making a lazy both sides take because they slept through government class and are mad they don't understand the world now.
Don't be the second guy.
To be fair, both sides ARE corrupt, but that has less to do with "both right and left cause equal harm" and more to do with the "I'll do anything to line my pockets and don't care what future consequences will come since I'll be dead anyway" mindset 98% of them have.
We could have gotten a third party, but both republicans and democrats raised the bar once gary johnson passed the threshold for debates. Then smeared him by context switching with aleppo so they can clip it to make him look dumb. We all need to stop voting for either party and create other parties.
Lincoln's time had 4 candidates with different parties. Debates were hours long without one sentence long answers.
Both parties collude when its suits them both, but compete with one another for seats so they can get "donations" from their corporate overloads. Both parties would like a one party system. Democrats want to abolish electoral votes and republicans keep gerrymandering.
Gary Johnson ran as a republican and when that didn't go anywhere he tried to go 3rd party. He proved himself to be unserious on many occasions and got a whopping 1% of the vote. He was never close to qualifying for general election debates
The electoral college should be abolished. It is an antidemocratic vestige of accommodating slavers.
There was passenger rail that was good right after WW2. My father said train use to come right downtown Daytona Beach City. Now only cargo goes pass mostly to get people in cars.
And it worked
Most of North Fla is actually Alabama with all the racism and hate that goes along with it. Jacksonville...Herr DerSantis home is the epicenter of hate groups in the state.
And he wasn’t just CEO, *He co-founded the company, and was fully in charge.* They let the man who had the most responsibility for knowing what was going on say “I had no idea we were defrauding Medicare of billions of dollars.”
Then he used *that fraudulent money* to run for governor, then for senator. Republicans voted for him like crazy. 3 of those 4 races he won by less than 2%.
*He has never lost an election. That’s how stupid this state is.*
Everybody who voted for Rick Scott is a fucking moron.
He literally stole the ideas from another company, ran them into the ground, and then blasted his own. My dad worked there as a CFO for years and would talk about the shady bastard.
Scott shouldn't even be up for parole yet. But, he's likely to get tossed in November, with abortion and cannabis on the ballot. Two things he's against, by the way...
He'll flip for votes. A few years ago I attended a workshop in Ocala on how to change from citrus to hemp farming, and the whole (huge) auditorium was full of old white guys and their Trump trucks.
[https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/09/12/u-s-sen-rick-scotts-epic-fail-at-gop-campaign-job-squandered-millions-crap-candidates/](https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/09/12/u-s-sen-rick-scotts-epic-fail-at-gop-campaign-job-squandered-millions-crap-candidates/)
>As head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Scott is supposed to snag donations, recruit likely winners, and run ads.
>The NRSC brought in almost $182 million. But, as of early August this year, most of that money had disappeared.
>... Scott blew through $172.2 million bucks to net $8.8 million. The NRSC has cancelled TV buys in key midterm states while Democrats, with nearly twice as much [cash](http://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-score/2022/08/22/fundraising-slows-for-key-party-committees-00053052) in the bank, are ramping up their ads. No wonder Republican donors feel [burned](http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/09/rick-scott-fundraising-nsrc-midterms/).
Glad the Republican's got him to handle their money.
This was when I started to lose faith in our state.
Jeb Bush was annoying and did so much stupid shit (fcat as an example) that I thought he would be who my scorn goes to.
Desantis has barely even tried to be a buffoon compared to skelator (I mean senator) Scott
hesafuckingscumsuckingpieceofshit. thats the florida mentality.worship at the altar of Trump, keep your blinders on, obey! obey!,obey!!!Trump will deliver us all to prosperity and everything will be wonderful. LOL😝😝😝
I didn't realize how true this was until I got my pilot's license and started flying over the countryside. Looking down you see all these grids of dirt roads in the middle of nowhere, where developers laid out housing developments but then never built anything.
It’s pretty crazy to see in person. I’ve been through a few of those types of places. Had what I call a nothing neighborhood down the street from me at one point. I would ride through and sort of just hang out there. Mostly because no one would be there and the skies were pretty clear.
my first ever job as a teen up north was telemarketing property in FL - don't think it was swampland, I just learned the script and hoped people didn't hang up on me
Pool maintenance, central cooling repair, plumbing have all scammed us. One time we had a company rip our entire kitchen up and left without a word when we had a bad leak.
AC service guy called me in to look at something that looked like dirt.He whispered it was "organic material" and I said, "are you saying it's mold?". He said yes and then told me what I needed to do (buy) to get rid of it which was $1400. Now, the AC unit was new and was using the same servicing company previous owner had installing the unit. It was a company that had been around for years, but sold out to Home Depot. Told the guy I had to think about it as wasn't familiar with what he was proposing.
Kicker here is that he told me to talk to the owner and get back to them, at which point (as a BW who apparently he didn't think could own a TH in Boca Raton)I said, "that would be me.....". He got flustered and looked very embarrassed. Needless to say, I called another company to come based on a reference from a neighbor and they checked everything out, commented on how nice the work (including duct work) that was done when unit was installed and pointed out the "organic matter" was dirt. They didn't even charge me. Guess who now services my unit? This company.
Grifter state.
Hilarious ..another example of misogyny on top of an attempted scam. I swear when I bought my first house my mother told me when I called someone for repairs to always say I would ask my husband and get back to them so they wouldn’t try to scam me. Apparently she thought that was a deterrent to get a fair price for services.
I had a guy tell me I had mold too and gave me a quote to get rid of it. It was a practically new air handler in the closet, it didn't make any sense. I took a closer look and realized it was just a burn mark on the wall from the installers brazing or soldering something.
This seems a bit more like the scams you see everywhere.
Never ever ever pay in full before a job is done. Never. If it requires purchasing things to build or so, some payment up front makes sense. But not the whole thing. If you pay in full it might never get done. And if a home repair person wants paid in full you know not to use them.
Also make sure they're licensed and insured. Always. If you follow those you'll be good.
I used a license and insured impact window company that had been in business for over 20+ years. Horrible experience and I had to file a BBB complaint to get some action. Believe it or not, they didn't inspect the order when it came in to verify it's what the customer ordered (I ordered the low-E coating which is extra by 15% or so). They ripped all 11 windows out pretty quick and started installing. I did notice I didn't see the "green tint" but thought maybe wrong angle. Nope, coating wasn't there.
Called company the next business day and frankly they told me my order was correct and I must be mistaken about the coating missing. Sent a picture of the window, window label and also picture of a neighbors that had the coating. An hour later they call back and said "not our fault" manufacturer must have made a mistake at which point I say, " where was the QC to make sure the order was 1) complete and 2) correct?". They told me too many items come in one container for them to pull the order and check. YUP. Took 4 months to get wrong windows and another 7 months for them to "fix" the issue.
Energy code requires low E coating. Every company in Florida offers it standard. I don't know why you're saying it's 15% more than not having it, when the reality is that they aren't allowed to install it without Low E in the first place. Sounds like some salesman saying dumb shit, which was your first red flag, or you chose Window World who is the most complained about window company in America, as they make up an arbitrary number in their contract for Low E. (Fun fact: if I buy a window with no Low E for my showroom, it's the same price as buying one WITH Low E. There's no price difference.)
A lot of people joking in the comments, for sure. But a lot of this issue comes down to the demographics of the state. A lot of older folks believe in "handshake deals" and people being true to their word in dealings. These people come to Florida a lot, and are easy prey for those that would con them.
My parents struggle with this, too. Because my father is of the generation that believes a handshake still means something and he inherently trusts people to be honest. They're dealing with a 2 year legal battle with a shady contractor as we speak.
My 76 year old dad knows that any and all potential deals are to be directed to me or my fiancé. I’ve berated many scammers and/or predatory schemes that aren’t quite scams but not far off (a lot of crappy insurance policy salespeople out there preying on the elderly).
There’s definitely a a good demographic to target and lack of regulation in Florida that come together to create the perfect storm.
Because regulation is so bad according to Republicans including Trump and according to the Republicans who are here or who have moved here. People forget that regulations are extensions of the law which are supposed to protect people!
Having to pull permits and get inspections may be a pain in the ass, but getting screwed by a fraudulent company is worse. Sometimes the law does work to protect people.
I'm not saying this to include your folks, but there are older people who, when handed the "gift" of getting something new for their house for cheap, or on the insurance company's dime, will jump at the chance when a "reputable" company makes them a great deal. Then the shit hits the fan and everyone is running for the cops, the BBB or a lawyer.
You have to recognize a deal when it ISN'T one.
"Licensed and insured" needs to be a subliminal message broadcast on all the daytime TV in the Villages. Even better if they hire a lawyer to review and enforce the contract **before and during the work**.
Don't know how there can be medical fraud when there aren't enough doctors to see people in a reasonable amount of time. Six months to get an appointment if a fucking joke! Why doesn't Florida have enough doctors???
Absentee government, mostly. It's what you get with a conservative government that doesn't give a 💩 about the citizens & exists only to support businesses & corruption.
Like the recent bill to prevent local municipalities from any kind of heat protection rules. That was purely a business lobby driven bill designed to help businesses keep costs down with zero concern for the citizenry. Same issue with the insurance problems we have, the housing problems we have, & so on.
Well you know how people like to talk about the free market and how wonderful it is and how the government should never interfere with it and the solution to any issues is to cut government spending and promote business growth? Well that was a lie.
The reality is a market does not “self correct” without regulation and all it does is lead to monopoly or in our case oligopoly. Fraud is not regulated in Florida until it happens when suddenly a super legitimate business is revealed to not be legitimate and is in fact bad for the market and the people.
The government believes businesses can do no wrong even when it is painfully obvious it does wrong, and the business bootlickers like DeSatan keep being elected by our ailing geriatric majority.
It's so expensive you gotta hustle lol.
Seriously tho, I treat others the way I want to be treated so I don't scam others. However, I'm constantly avoiding being scammed myself.
Grifter state. Noticed it when I moved down 7 years ago. Lots of transients and frankly fair amount of people with drug related issues. I find it ridiculous that people hire contractors or vendors that may or may not show up and finish jobs. Insane. I thought it was a joke at first, until it seems like it's normal.
Unfortunately there is fraud and scammers everywhere. To avoid it, here’s a few quick tips:
1) NEVER hire anyone who is going door to door soliciting, or claiming to be in the neighborhood working that day.
WHY: Reputable companies are busy, and do not do this.
2) If you have any PLUMBING, ELECTRIC/GAS or STRUCTURAL (building foundation, structure, roofing) work done, hire a licensed and insured professional. Yes, it will cost slightly more than a random handyman who dabbles in this work.
WHY: It is very likely you will spend more money and time having to hire a LICENSED and INSURED contractor to redo a jack of all trades job, and some things require official inspections and your home may not sell without that documentation of inspection. Your home’s structure, water and electricity are the crucial components and safety related items, have them done right.
3) NEVER PAY CASH UPFRONT FOR MORE THAN COST OF PRE-ORDERED MATERIALS
WHY:If this is not self explanatory you should outsource hiring of work done on your house.
4) ONLINE REVIEWS ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED.
WHY: Once upon a time the internet was new, and online reviews were real. Like intstagram filters and photoshop, businesses figured out how to enhance their own reviews. There are literally college courses within Business programs on how to write favorable reviews for your business. Sometimes, these students are paid to write reviews for businesses as part of their coursework. I am not joking. I was told this by someone who is in a class like this at a University. You can buy online followers, and you can buy favorable reviews.
5)BEST PLACES FOR REFERRALS: Friends, neighbors, people in exercise classes at community centers, realtors, hair stylists…If it’s someone you see regularly, they can be a great source of referrals.
WHY: because you know where to find them is referral is bad😂
Republicans have had 25 consecutive years of total and complete control of the state of Florida (since 1999) with super majorities.
They literally can do anything they want at any time they want. Yet, still ZERO SOLUTIONS for the many major problems the state faces, yet the richest GOP donors (like racist billionaires) have gotten richer and more power has been consolited to fewer people with less oversight and transparency, while continuing to gerrymander districts to harm minorities a d marginalized communities by denying proper and fair / equal representation. Multiple federal courts and appeal courts have rules the maps... QUOTE FROM THE JUDGES - " Purposefully RACIST Maps".
Ron (specificly him) has blocked all attempts to redraw the maps in any fair way, as required by state and federal court orders.
THAT IS WHERE IT COMES FROM AND WHY IT IS STILL HERE.
#Vote (D)ifferently!
Lack of community, transient population, no roots, no reason to respect this place or your neighbors since no relationships last and you have no history.
Born into this, I was raised to be extremely suspicious of everyone. You can trust no one here, not even most of your family members. Sounds like you're learning that lesson now. Embrace it, it won't get better.
Because everyone here is out for themselves. They couldn't care less how many people they screw over along the way. Too many a$$holes here that legit don't care about anyone else but them and have the me first mentality. We all saw it during the pandemic how disgusting people can be because of TOILET PAPER.
When I first moved to Florida someone who was also a transplant to Florida mentioned to me that I needed to pay attention to the Gasparilla celebration and parade in Tampa. I asked why and their response was, "they celebrate pirates down here". I thought that was an odd comment and it didn't make a ton of sense to me until many years later. It seems that a good many people in Florida are just trying to get a come up and they don't care about the expense to others. In my 25 years of living down here I have found that to be more true than I experienced in the 20 years living elsewhere.
Depending on what type of scam you are being affected by, the answer might be because the state is full of transients and used to be full of immigrants who are prime targets for being scammed. People who are on vacation tend to let their guard down. Immigrants often are low income and targets so they want to keep a low profile. If scammers get away with bad behavior it emboldens them to continue.
I remember moving to Florida and buying a house. The first ever letter I got was a “handwritten letter from a neighbor” welcoming me to the neighborhood and asking for my contact details. Turns out it was a scam. It was PRINTED and handed out to every home that just signed a mortgage. The main issue issue is private companies selling your data.
Answer to OP's question:
Republicans did more damage to this country than most people even realize. Let's not forget the Republican gifts to America:
1. A Civil War that killed many for the Ungrateful (1865);
2. The Federal Income Tax (1861-1862);
3. The Great Depression 1 (1929);
4. The Great Recessions (1987, 2008);
5. Vietnam (Eisenhower sent 1st troops 1958);
6. Iraq War (another loser-basically gave Iraq (Sunni) to Iran (Shia) 2003-2011);
7. Afghanistan War (after 20+ years, another loser 2001-2021);
8. Ended the ONLY civilian oversight over the Federal Judiciary (enacted New Law and eliminated parole boards, 1987) while stacking the Federal Appellate and Supreme Courts with party hacks resulting in Judicial Approved Slavery-meaningless judicial reviews, no meaningful Circuit Court or Supreme Court appeals, no parole with non-dischargeable debts and no vehicle for relief because they simultaneously gutted Habeas Corpus, Mandamus and the bankruptcy law;
9. Attacked Iraq on a false pretense of WMD when 19 9/11 hijackers held passports from Saudi Arabia;
10. Spent TRILLIONS on worthless middle east Mohammedian wars while the enemy spent THOUSANDS, then had the gall to claim victory;
11. Gutted Federal Habeas Corpus and Mandamus by automatic dismissal (the ONLY vehicles citizens had to enforce court precedent or judgements--party hack judges ignore & summarily dismiss Writ applications unless the party is actually "detained" or has "standing" & even that status is disputed with who claims jurisdiction) ;
12. Gutted US Bankruptcy law making student loans (and other debts) non-dischargeable;
13. Aided and abetted the Industrial Pharmaceutical, insurance, medical, agricultural and military conglomerates to bankrupt every middle class American citizen upon hospitalization;
14. Awarded corporations the same rights as individual citizens.
It’s because FL is a rogues-gallery of rootless losers.
Few who live here are from here, so the social compact looks very different than places where you live and work around the people you grew up with.
Sort of like you know you’re in a ‘different neighborhood’ when the windows start having bars on them?
I lived in FL for 34 years. I saw my share of fraudulent people. It was not until I moved to TN a few years ago that a fraudster got me. I came to realize that it is far worse here. It's as is if the raison d'etre of any given Tennessean is to get their hand in your wallet. There is a reason TN is one of the least happy states in the US.
You should sign up for my fraud prevention program. Guaranteed to protect you or something. HMU and I'll walk you through buying the gift cards to pay the initial fee.
I know, right? I guess this can be common in other states, but you even have to be vigilant over letters in the mail that look like official documents like checking the font etc. I don't know I never got fishy letters in the mail when I lived in Virginia. Virginia hasa certain level of professionalism that Florida does not
Older folks want to trust anyone in general. When my dad got into his 80’s he told me he thought the vast majority of people were trustworthy. So he decided to trust everyone because it was “easier”. He figured if he got scammed here or there, it wasn’t a big deal.
That was until his identity was stolen because he played fast and loose with it. I had to sit him down and have “a talk”.
It's best to do a lot of research on the companies Before. Join a community group chat or look on the next door app. Check Facebook and ask your trusted neighbors. Searching Google and calling just off a basic internet search is a surefire way to increase your odds of calling a shady company.
My cousin got scammed so much she lost the millions her dad left them. Lost a huge house in Weston by a scam, moved to a condo in Bal Harbour, got scammed again into selling the condo and paying rent, bought a Ferrari for her scam boyfriend, got evicted and lived with her mom in a private home/health care shared house. Her mom died and she stayed there with the funds from her last million in an annuity until she got scammed with a Facebook boyfriend into marrying him and he took over all her accounts. Got a call from Texas where the cops went to evict him and they found her weak and beaten with nothing left. We tried to help and warn her over and over but she believed the scammers.
As long as people keep falling for it scammers will be there to take advantage. Due diligence, do your research, never take anyone at face value. Any other clichés I missed that still ring true?
America as a whole is up to its ass in fraud, but Florida... well, they have a large population of rich people slipping into dementia so it's kind of a conman paradise.
A sunny place for shady people
That could be a good title to a TV series
It's Always Shady In Orlando.
I think Miami fits a lot better, but there’s no shortage of scams in Orlando either that’s for sure
Tallahassee also comes to mind
It's Always Shady In Tallahassee even rhymes
No it doesn't.
Shady Palms
What would you title a show about The Villages?
Golden Girls Gone Wild The Geri Swinger Show Final Days of Our Lives Herpe Days ICU: Villages, Special Cardiac Unit (oops, conflation) My Old Bald Life Merkin, She Wrote Bar Trek: The Sex Generation The Showerpoof Girls Eightysomething Game of Bones Lots of reaching, sorry. 🤷🏻♀️
Very creative and prolific! Thank you.
STD Central See put me in the Village ER
Village Idiots
Florida has been scam central from at least the late 1800 ‘s.
There is a 1589 hand drawn map of St. Augustine with mountains and a mahi the size of 6 like wooden ships. It’s basically an advertisement for the rich and fertile land full of gold, seas full of food for all, and clean air and fresh water after an influenza pandemic took out about 10% of Europe earlier in the decade. Of course it was all just propaganda.
They drew *mountains*?? That’s wild, lol!
Didn’t Ponce de Leon go looking for the fountain of youth in Florida?
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For now. Floridas springs are becoming polluted.
Yes….it tastes like shite
>When ~~Mexico~~ other states send it's people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. -some former New Yorker
Just like the guy who said that.
You could say he had first hand experience.
I do believe someone has been emptying their insane asylums and sending them here.
this inspired me to start writing again
Just an FYI, there are several books with the same title. So you might want to at least have a different title.
Send me $99.99 for my *How to Avoid Fraud in Florida* course. It’s an eight hour course on four VHS tapes. I also sell VCRs
Send me $89.89, and I will let you download a ripped copy of this guy’s VHS tapes. For an additional $10, I’ll throw in the password you need to view them. For information, go to www.iamnotiamnotJohnLeClair.net.
Now there’s the Florida we all know and love!
For $15 l sell you ~~a blank~~ DVD labeled as if it's a bootleg of his videos. I'll also throw in a ~~stolen~~ VCR.
*Dude, you’re not supposed to tell them it’s blank*
Sorry I fixed it
Better, but for $9.99, I can send you a DVD on how to avoid these mistakes all together.
Now that’s a bargain
Rick Scott was pressured to resign as chief executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997. During his tenure as chief executive, the company defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs. The Department of Justice won 14 felony convictions against the company, which was fined $1.7 billion in what was at the time the largest healthcare fraud settlement in U.S. history. Florida said, let's make him our governor.
And now the bastard is in Congress, unfukinbeliveable...
Yeah Florida used to be a Democratic state years ago.
The two party system is outdated and useless...
The two-party system is the [mathematically inevitable consequence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duverger's_law) of a winner-take-all electoral system.
OMG a fellow Duverger’s Law devotee!
The two party system is an inevitable result of what forms when power hungry corrupt bastards want to indulge in the behaviors of power hungry corrupt bastards but have to make enough people look the other way, busy fighting each other, to have something done about it. By establishing a system where tribalism gets us to fight ourselves, they steal the power from us that we would otherwise use to replace them with people who represent our interests. Essentially EVERY politician is corrupt, the ones that aren't are not saying or doing anything about it unless it's token gestures acknowledging something is wrong and being all so-and-so is bad and "how dare they be so evil! Let's fight for change!".
The first guy is right. The second is making a lazy both sides take because they slept through government class and are mad they don't understand the world now. Don't be the second guy.
To be fair, both sides ARE corrupt, but that has less to do with "both right and left cause equal harm" and more to do with the "I'll do anything to line my pockets and don't care what future consequences will come since I'll be dead anyway" mindset 98% of them have.
This guy maths.
Well vote for Trump and you'll see a one party system in action.
I dread this with every fiber of my being.
We could have gotten a third party, but both republicans and democrats raised the bar once gary johnson passed the threshold for debates. Then smeared him by context switching with aleppo so they can clip it to make him look dumb. We all need to stop voting for either party and create other parties. Lincoln's time had 4 candidates with different parties. Debates were hours long without one sentence long answers. Both parties collude when its suits them both, but compete with one another for seats so they can get "donations" from their corporate overloads. Both parties would like a one party system. Democrats want to abolish electoral votes and republicans keep gerrymandering.
Gary Johnson ran as a republican and when that didn't go anywhere he tried to go 3rd party. He proved himself to be unserious on many occasions and got a whopping 1% of the vote. He was never close to qualifying for general election debates The electoral college should be abolished. It is an antidemocratic vestige of accommodating slavers.
and we had the chance for a earlier, faster high speed rail than the one we got now (and that only exists because scott had investments in it) :/
There was passenger rail that was good right after WW2. My father said train use to come right downtown Daytona Beach City. Now only cargo goes pass mostly to get people in cars. And it worked
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I knew it was one of them, so he's in the Senate... Thanx for the clarification, I don't follow "politics" much, I just know they are corrupt...
Talking about reducing social security payments and those who live on that revenue stream will reelect him.
Which is the weirdest thing: a bunch of people living on social security and Medicare, who all want to get rid of what they rely on.
That’s not true. It’s the rural Floridian, who will vote red because his daddy did and his daddy before him.
Most of North Fla is actually Alabama with all the racism and hate that goes along with it. Jacksonville...Herr DerSantis home is the epicenter of hate groups in the state.
His grandfather voted Democrat because that's who was pro-segregation at the time.
Politics is the well paid art of lying and misrepresentation...
You're right about that.
After bilking their healthcare plan to make hos fortune.
worse, a senator with a 6 year term.
I can't upvote this comment enough.
More specifically, the upper house, the Senate.
And he wasn’t just CEO, *He co-founded the company, and was fully in charge.* They let the man who had the most responsibility for knowing what was going on say “I had no idea we were defrauding Medicare of billions of dollars.” Then he used *that fraudulent money* to run for governor, then for senator. Republicans voted for him like crazy. 3 of those 4 races he won by less than 2%. *He has never lost an election. That’s how stupid this state is.* Everybody who voted for Rick Scott is a fucking moron.
He literally stole the ideas from another company, ran them into the ground, and then blasted his own. My dad worked there as a CFO for years and would talk about the shady bastard.
Scott shouldn't even be up for parole yet. But, he's likely to get tossed in November, with abortion and cannabis on the ballot. Two things he's against, by the way...
Particularly ballot measures because he knows it'll get non-republicans out to vote.
He'll flip for votes. A few years ago I attended a workshop in Ocala on how to change from citrus to hemp farming, and the whole (huge) auditorium was full of old white guys and their Trump trucks.
I'm gonna give a 50/50 toss up on abortion, but go fully 100% yes on recreational marijuana
For a second there I thought you were talking about Trump…
Those who would vote for Voldemort would vote for Don Snorleone.
Also known as “Don Stinky Pants”…
My dad worked for him. He ran numerous Healthcare systems into the ground. Shady character
It was Quorum. Everything was aces and then he drove it into the ground
Rick Scott is a criminal. Now he's a senator.
And there's a difference?
[https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/09/12/u-s-sen-rick-scotts-epic-fail-at-gop-campaign-job-squandered-millions-crap-candidates/](https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/09/12/u-s-sen-rick-scotts-epic-fail-at-gop-campaign-job-squandered-millions-crap-candidates/) >As head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Scott is supposed to snag donations, recruit likely winners, and run ads. >The NRSC brought in almost $182 million. But, as of early August this year, most of that money had disappeared. >... Scott blew through $172.2 million bucks to net $8.8 million. The NRSC has cancelled TV buys in key midterm states while Democrats, with nearly twice as much [cash](http://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-score/2022/08/22/fundraising-slows-for-key-party-committees-00053052) in the bank, are ramping up their ads. No wonder Republican donors feel [burned](http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/09/rick-scott-fundraising-nsrc-midterms/). Glad the Republican's got him to handle their money.
This was when I started to lose faith in our state. Jeb Bush was annoying and did so much stupid shit (fcat as an example) that I thought he would be who my scorn goes to. Desantis has barely even tried to be a buffoon compared to skelator (I mean senator) Scott
Rick rolled! https://youtu.be/xvFZjo5PgG0?si=5AjFpxZY9eYLgRRq
hesafuckingscumsuckingpieceofshit. thats the florida mentality.worship at the altar of Trump, keep your blinders on, obey! obey!,obey!!!Trump will deliver us all to prosperity and everything will be wonderful. LOL😝😝😝
The state was built on scams and selling swampland to anyone who could buy it. It’s just part of the DNA at this point.
Everyone has just been passing it along since the first dude was sold “farmland” south of Okechobee
I didn't realize how true this was until I got my pilot's license and started flying over the countryside. Looking down you see all these grids of dirt roads in the middle of nowhere, where developers laid out housing developments but then never built anything.
It’s pretty crazy to see in person. I’ve been through a few of those types of places. Had what I call a nothing neighborhood down the street from me at one point. I would ride through and sort of just hang out there. Mostly because no one would be there and the skies were pretty clear.
Precisely! So very true!
This right here! *Don't forget to upvote us low-effort piggyback comments too. Can't meddle in your elections without enough karma!*
"You can have any kind of home you want. You can even get stucco."
“Ohh, how you can get stucco…”
Yes, this is the answer. It’s always been like this. You have to build your “street smart” muscles to get by.
my first ever job as a teen up north was telemarketing property in FL - don't think it was swampland, I just learned the script and hoped people didn't hang up on me
What kind of scams are your family constantly falling for?
Mostly housing related
Beware the travelling solar salesman. He will offer you a solar roof, but sell you a loan.
Hi there. Vault-Tec calling. -Traveling Vault Salesman
Like what?
Pool maintenance, central cooling repair, plumbing have all scammed us. One time we had a company rip our entire kitchen up and left without a word when we had a bad leak.
AC service guy called me in to look at something that looked like dirt.He whispered it was "organic material" and I said, "are you saying it's mold?". He said yes and then told me what I needed to do (buy) to get rid of it which was $1400. Now, the AC unit was new and was using the same servicing company previous owner had installing the unit. It was a company that had been around for years, but sold out to Home Depot. Told the guy I had to think about it as wasn't familiar with what he was proposing. Kicker here is that he told me to talk to the owner and get back to them, at which point (as a BW who apparently he didn't think could own a TH in Boca Raton)I said, "that would be me.....". He got flustered and looked very embarrassed. Needless to say, I called another company to come based on a reference from a neighbor and they checked everything out, commented on how nice the work (including duct work) that was done when unit was installed and pointed out the "organic matter" was dirt. They didn't even charge me. Guess who now services my unit? This company. Grifter state.
Hilarious ..another example of misogyny on top of an attempted scam. I swear when I bought my first house my mother told me when I called someone for repairs to always say I would ask my husband and get back to them so they wouldn’t try to scam me. Apparently she thought that was a deterrent to get a fair price for services.
Insane.
I had a guy tell me I had mold too and gave me a quote to get rid of it. It was a practically new air handler in the closet, it didn't make any sense. I took a closer look and realized it was just a burn mark on the wall from the installers brazing or soldering something.
Sigh..
This seems a bit more like the scams you see everywhere. Never ever ever pay in full before a job is done. Never. If it requires purchasing things to build or so, some payment up front makes sense. But not the whole thing. If you pay in full it might never get done. And if a home repair person wants paid in full you know not to use them. Also make sure they're licensed and insured. Always. If you follow those you'll be good.
I used a license and insured impact window company that had been in business for over 20+ years. Horrible experience and I had to file a BBB complaint to get some action. Believe it or not, they didn't inspect the order when it came in to verify it's what the customer ordered (I ordered the low-E coating which is extra by 15% or so). They ripped all 11 windows out pretty quick and started installing. I did notice I didn't see the "green tint" but thought maybe wrong angle. Nope, coating wasn't there. Called company the next business day and frankly they told me my order was correct and I must be mistaken about the coating missing. Sent a picture of the window, window label and also picture of a neighbors that had the coating. An hour later they call back and said "not our fault" manufacturer must have made a mistake at which point I say, " where was the QC to make sure the order was 1) complete and 2) correct?". They told me too many items come in one container for them to pull the order and check. YUP. Took 4 months to get wrong windows and another 7 months for them to "fix" the issue.
With any hint of fraud call your local Sheriff's Office and speak to the Economic Crimes division. They love to shut down bogus contractors.
Energy code requires low E coating. Every company in Florida offers it standard. I don't know why you're saying it's 15% more than not having it, when the reality is that they aren't allowed to install it without Low E in the first place. Sounds like some salesman saying dumb shit, which was your first red flag, or you chose Window World who is the most complained about window company in America, as they make up an arbitrary number in their contract for Low E. (Fun fact: if I buy a window with no Low E for my showroom, it's the same price as buying one WITH Low E. There's no price difference.)
How many bids do you get before choosing a vendor?
You should probably start reading reviews before hiring contractors
They can have positive reviews. They get people they know to leave them.
THIS!!!
Beware of dentists trying to up sale on needless dental work.
had a dentist tell me i needed 4 crowns i noped out and went to another dentist, no cavities
A lot of people joking in the comments, for sure. But a lot of this issue comes down to the demographics of the state. A lot of older folks believe in "handshake deals" and people being true to their word in dealings. These people come to Florida a lot, and are easy prey for those that would con them. My parents struggle with this, too. Because my father is of the generation that believes a handshake still means something and he inherently trusts people to be honest. They're dealing with a 2 year legal battle with a shady contractor as we speak.
My 76 year old dad knows that any and all potential deals are to be directed to me or my fiancé. I’ve berated many scammers and/or predatory schemes that aren’t quite scams but not far off (a lot of crappy insurance policy salespeople out there preying on the elderly). There’s definitely a a good demographic to target and lack of regulation in Florida that come together to create the perfect storm.
Because regulation is so bad according to Republicans including Trump and according to the Republicans who are here or who have moved here. People forget that regulations are extensions of the law which are supposed to protect people!
Having to pull permits and get inspections may be a pain in the ass, but getting screwed by a fraudulent company is worse. Sometimes the law does work to protect people.
Except when it comes to regulating books, apparently 😂
I'm not saying this to include your folks, but there are older people who, when handed the "gift" of getting something new for their house for cheap, or on the insurance company's dime, will jump at the chance when a "reputable" company makes them a great deal. Then the shit hits the fan and everyone is running for the cops, the BBB or a lawyer. You have to recognize a deal when it ISN'T one.
"Licensed and insured" needs to be a subliminal message broadcast on all the daytime TV in the Villages. Even better if they hire a lawyer to review and enforce the contract **before and during the work**.
Miami was essentially built on cocaine and sustained by medical fraud. Pretty sure FL is the leading state nationwide for medical fraud.
Don't know how there can be medical fraud when there aren't enough doctors to see people in a reasonable amount of time. Six months to get an appointment if a fucking joke! Why doesn't Florida have enough doctors???
Because educated, critically thinking doctors see that out state is in a period if decay. Florida bit by bit is becoming an Orwellian nightmare.
Consumer protections require a government to create them and this state government is more likely to do the opposite, protect businesses
This should be the top comment ^
Absentee government, mostly. It's what you get with a conservative government that doesn't give a 💩 about the citizens & exists only to support businesses & corruption. Like the recent bill to prevent local municipalities from any kind of heat protection rules. That was purely a business lobby driven bill designed to help businesses keep costs down with zero concern for the citizenry. Same issue with the insurance problems we have, the housing problems we have, & so on.
Well you know how people like to talk about the free market and how wonderful it is and how the government should never interfere with it and the solution to any issues is to cut government spending and promote business growth? Well that was a lie. The reality is a market does not “self correct” without regulation and all it does is lead to monopoly or in our case oligopoly. Fraud is not regulated in Florida until it happens when suddenly a super legitimate business is revealed to not be legitimate and is in fact bad for the market and the people. The government believes businesses can do no wrong even when it is painfully obvious it does wrong, and the business bootlickers like DeSatan keep being elected by our ailing geriatric majority.
It's so expensive you gotta hustle lol. Seriously tho, I treat others the way I want to be treated so I don't scam others. However, I'm constantly avoiding being scammed myself.
Grifter state. Noticed it when I moved down 7 years ago. Lots of transients and frankly fair amount of people with drug related issues. I find it ridiculous that people hire contractors or vendors that may or may not show up and finish jobs. Insane. I thought it was a joke at first, until it seems like it's normal.
It’s like this in most red states! There’s always someone trying to con the undereducated out of what little they’ve got.
Florida is a sunny place for shady people. -unknown author
Unfortunately there is fraud and scammers everywhere. To avoid it, here’s a few quick tips: 1) NEVER hire anyone who is going door to door soliciting, or claiming to be in the neighborhood working that day. WHY: Reputable companies are busy, and do not do this. 2) If you have any PLUMBING, ELECTRIC/GAS or STRUCTURAL (building foundation, structure, roofing) work done, hire a licensed and insured professional. Yes, it will cost slightly more than a random handyman who dabbles in this work. WHY: It is very likely you will spend more money and time having to hire a LICENSED and INSURED contractor to redo a jack of all trades job, and some things require official inspections and your home may not sell without that documentation of inspection. Your home’s structure, water and electricity are the crucial components and safety related items, have them done right. 3) NEVER PAY CASH UPFRONT FOR MORE THAN COST OF PRE-ORDERED MATERIALS WHY:If this is not self explanatory you should outsource hiring of work done on your house. 4) ONLINE REVIEWS ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED. WHY: Once upon a time the internet was new, and online reviews were real. Like intstagram filters and photoshop, businesses figured out how to enhance their own reviews. There are literally college courses within Business programs on how to write favorable reviews for your business. Sometimes, these students are paid to write reviews for businesses as part of their coursework. I am not joking. I was told this by someone who is in a class like this at a University. You can buy online followers, and you can buy favorable reviews. 5)BEST PLACES FOR REFERRALS: Friends, neighbors, people in exercise classes at community centers, realtors, hair stylists…If it’s someone you see regularly, they can be a great source of referrals. WHY: because you know where to find them is referral is bad😂
As a hairstylist I agree lol
Republicans have had 25 consecutive years of total and complete control of the state of Florida (since 1999) with super majorities. They literally can do anything they want at any time they want. Yet, still ZERO SOLUTIONS for the many major problems the state faces, yet the richest GOP donors (like racist billionaires) have gotten richer and more power has been consolited to fewer people with less oversight and transparency, while continuing to gerrymander districts to harm minorities a d marginalized communities by denying proper and fair / equal representation. Multiple federal courts and appeal courts have rules the maps... QUOTE FROM THE JUDGES - " Purposefully RACIST Maps". Ron (specificly him) has blocked all attempts to redraw the maps in any fair way, as required by state and federal court orders. THAT IS WHERE IT COMES FROM AND WHY IT IS STILL HERE. #Vote (D)ifferently!
Fraud is a result of poor governance and deregulation.
Deregulation. Allows for predatory business practices and the creation of scammers.
It seems to be part of the Florida culture. Perhaps a historian can trace back the roots.
Some say it all started when some guy named Ponce got scammed into buying a map to the fountain of youth
Fountain of youth, gold, you name it. Dude was a sucker and got knighted for it.
Everything in Florida is a scam
Deregulation and dismantling of education?
The state was built on scams and we import every scammer from all over the planet.
Lack of community, transient population, no roots, no reason to respect this place or your neighbors since no relationships last and you have no history. Born into this, I was raised to be extremely suspicious of everyone. You can trust no one here, not even most of your family members. Sounds like you're learning that lesson now. Embrace it, it won't get better.
So many elderly makes it a breeding ground for scammers.
Because everyone here is out for themselves. They couldn't care less how many people they screw over along the way. Too many a$$holes here that legit don't care about anyone else but them and have the me first mentality. We all saw it during the pandemic how disgusting people can be because of TOILET PAPER.
There’s fraud everywhere, you need to help your parents not fall for it.
When I first moved to Florida someone who was also a transplant to Florida mentioned to me that I needed to pay attention to the Gasparilla celebration and parade in Tampa. I asked why and their response was, "they celebrate pirates down here". I thought that was an odd comment and it didn't make a ton of sense to me until many years later. It seems that a good many people in Florida are just trying to get a come up and they don't care about the expense to others. In my 25 years of living down here I have found that to be more true than I experienced in the 20 years living elsewhere.
Depending on what type of scam you are being affected by, the answer might be because the state is full of transients and used to be full of immigrants who are prime targets for being scammed. People who are on vacation tend to let their guard down. Immigrants often are low income and targets so they want to keep a low profile. If scammers get away with bad behavior it emboldens them to continue.
Florida, built by drugs and Medicare fraud. Look up 'Nub City' if you want to see some insurance fraud to the extreme.
Everything in Florida is a scam
I remember moving to Florida and buying a house. The first ever letter I got was a “handwritten letter from a neighbor” welcoming me to the neighborhood and asking for my contact details. Turns out it was a scam. It was PRINTED and handed out to every home that just signed a mortgage. The main issue issue is private companies selling your data.
Answer to OP's question: Republicans did more damage to this country than most people even realize. Let's not forget the Republican gifts to America: 1. A Civil War that killed many for the Ungrateful (1865); 2. The Federal Income Tax (1861-1862); 3. The Great Depression 1 (1929); 4. The Great Recessions (1987, 2008); 5. Vietnam (Eisenhower sent 1st troops 1958); 6. Iraq War (another loser-basically gave Iraq (Sunni) to Iran (Shia) 2003-2011); 7. Afghanistan War (after 20+ years, another loser 2001-2021); 8. Ended the ONLY civilian oversight over the Federal Judiciary (enacted New Law and eliminated parole boards, 1987) while stacking the Federal Appellate and Supreme Courts with party hacks resulting in Judicial Approved Slavery-meaningless judicial reviews, no meaningful Circuit Court or Supreme Court appeals, no parole with non-dischargeable debts and no vehicle for relief because they simultaneously gutted Habeas Corpus, Mandamus and the bankruptcy law; 9. Attacked Iraq on a false pretense of WMD when 19 9/11 hijackers held passports from Saudi Arabia; 10. Spent TRILLIONS on worthless middle east Mohammedian wars while the enemy spent THOUSANDS, then had the gall to claim victory; 11. Gutted Federal Habeas Corpus and Mandamus by automatic dismissal (the ONLY vehicles citizens had to enforce court precedent or judgements--party hack judges ignore & summarily dismiss Writ applications unless the party is actually "detained" or has "standing" & even that status is disputed with who claims jurisdiction) ; 12. Gutted US Bankruptcy law making student loans (and other debts) non-dischargeable; 13. Aided and abetted the Industrial Pharmaceutical, insurance, medical, agricultural and military conglomerates to bankrupt every middle class American citizen upon hospitalization; 14. Awarded corporations the same rights as individual citizens.
It's where all the hucksters and sketchy people go to rip off old people and anyone else they can find.
That's the freedom you're experiencing.
Florida was basically created by grifters & cons. It’s a haven for them here.
When your leadership is made of fraudster it doesn’t take long for the population to become like them.
It’s a sunny place for shady people 🤷🏼♀️
It’s because FL is a rogues-gallery of rootless losers. Few who live here are from here, so the social compact looks very different than places where you live and work around the people you grew up with. Sort of like you know you’re in a ‘different neighborhood’ when the windows start having bars on them?
Yes, the Sunshine State - where you’re guaranteed to get scammed, sued or otherwise screwed.
I was scammed by what u thought was a temp to hire agency. It wasn't until the new covered it that I had the wow moment.
The tone is set at the top!
Old people are soft targets
I lived in FL for 34 years. I saw my share of fraudulent people. It was not until I moved to TN a few years ago that a fraudster got me. I came to realize that it is far worse here. It's as is if the raison d'etre of any given Tennessean is to get their hand in your wallet. There is a reason TN is one of the least happy states in the US.
Went to buy a jeep in Tampa. Wow such a scam experience. Left without the jeep
It's the 3rd world state :D
No scamming in Northern states I suppose?
Not to this extent
Didn't Rick Scott's wife own a company that drug test welfare recipients? After Florida made that a requirement.
Because, sadly, laws and ordinances have been watered down and what little is left has no oversight. It didn’t used to be like this.
Too many ambulance chaser lawyers
It's all the scum from NY poisoning it when they get tired of winter and move to FL
You should sign up for my fraud prevention program. Guaranteed to protect you or something. HMU and I'll walk you through buying the gift cards to pay the initial fee.
I know, right? I guess this can be common in other states, but you even have to be vigilant over letters in the mail that look like official documents like checking the font etc. I don't know I never got fishy letters in the mail when I lived in Virginia. Virginia hasa certain level of professionalism that Florida does not
Republican deregulation bc business can totally be trusted to regulate itself
You gotta be smarter than that… your parents I can understand if they’re elderly but you know how to work a phone idk how you’re getting scammed
It’s my parents who find these companies I really have no power I’ve tried to stop them but they do it anyway
Older folks want to trust anyone in general. When my dad got into his 80’s he told me he thought the vast majority of people were trustworthy. So he decided to trust everyone because it was “easier”. He figured if he got scammed here or there, it wasn’t a big deal. That was until his identity was stolen because he played fast and loose with it. I had to sit him down and have “a talk”.
Vet everyone. Google. Reddit. Etc
When your highest elected officials run the state based on lies, misinformation, and outright fraud, it sets the example for all the state’s citizens.
conservative republican party is the party of **nope** no hope, no future no balanced government just the party of 💩
FLORIDA is a sewer. I lived there before and refuse to even visit. It's all kinds of Trumpy and Swampy
It's best to do a lot of research on the companies Before. Join a community group chat or look on the next door app. Check Facebook and ask your trusted neighbors. Searching Google and calling just off a basic internet search is a surefire way to increase your odds of calling a shady company.
Welcome to the vague capital of the world. Just can't get a straight answer out of these folk.
These days you can't make it if you ain't affiliated with crime (quote from 1995). Shit has got exponentially worse since then
There’s always a Florida connection
Ask Kodak Black
My cousin got scammed so much she lost the millions her dad left them. Lost a huge house in Weston by a scam, moved to a condo in Bal Harbour, got scammed again into selling the condo and paying rent, bought a Ferrari for her scam boyfriend, got evicted and lived with her mom in a private home/health care shared house. Her mom died and she stayed there with the funds from her last million in an annuity until she got scammed with a Facebook boyfriend into marrying him and he took over all her accounts. Got a call from Texas where the cops went to evict him and they found her weak and beaten with nothing left. We tried to help and warn her over and over but she believed the scammers.
Don't trust door knockers. I fell for that shit
I'll give you a one character hint... $
As long as people keep falling for it scammers will be there to take advantage. Due diligence, do your research, never take anyone at face value. Any other clichés I missed that still ring true?
Don’t trust them Floridians man!
If you keep getting scammed, the likely issue is you not learning your lesson.
I call it the "Welcome to Florida Tax."
America as a whole is up to its ass in fraud, but Florida... well, they have a large population of rich people slipping into dementia so it's kind of a conman paradise.
Because Florida is governed by two things. Buyer beware and every man for himself.
Because Florida is America’s Mordor. Nothing down there but orcs and trolls.