Listen Brian, I'm there working quite a few times a year. That place is nasty man. I don't watch the news by the way FAMS.
Fair enough. I've been boots on ground in Tampa for almost 10 years now, and while government never gets everything right, the major gov't functions (hurricane response, etc) are pretty legit. CNN and Disney have combined for some PR (that's where I brought up the "news" piece) that isn't what is happening here in-state, but I'm sure it gets clicks and eyeballs. Can't even really be mad at it--just the way media is in today's world. But TPA has been working on homeless, drugs, child trafficking, etc; COVID response was universally applauded by people down here (I understand it may be different if you're on the West Coast) and bringing tons of business and population into the state. I can't speak for MIA or ORL or Tallahassee, though, and their particular issues, but the family and I are pretty good here. Aside from homeschooling, and even that's getting the good kind of attention.
Glad you and the family are thriving there. I was partially joking, but I was just there for a week in Orlando and Miami for work and heard the N word dropped 5 times by my Uber drivers to me or restaurant workers. Upon learning where I was from, I was asked twice by two different people how I deal with the liberals and the gays. This is the type of shit I’m talking about. Just like with trump, I could give a fuck about taxes and the economy….. what I do give a fuck about is racism and hatred. Won’t have anything to do with it. I’ve got the exact same vibe while in Dallas and Phoenix, I know it’s everywhere, just really get a bad vibe whenever I’m in Florida. Except while in Little Havana in Miami.
There are definitely those types out in the boonies. Tallahassee itself is left leaning and and has a large percentage of African Americans. Plus, I live in a majority black neighborhood. I don't see much of that kind of stuff fortunately. If you go into some of the small redneck towns in the country though......
Also I want to be clear, I am not condoning the Florida state government at all. Ron DiSaster and his ilk are fascist fucks. But, like anywhere else, there are good people caught in it, just living paycheck to paycheck trying to have a normal life. My immediate surroundings aren't bad though. I have good people in my life and plenty of beautiful natural areas to roam about. But the state, as a whole is getting shittier by the day.
