Florida's population is surging – again!
The Sunshine State is on a path to push past New York and become the third most-populous state in the nation, according to the the U.S. Census.
About 60 percent of the new residents are from other U.S. states, and 40 percent are from abroad, according to University of Florida researchers.
Is this a good trend for Florida, its economy and future? What do you think?
According to the U.S. Census: "Florida's total population growth of 219,000 during 2010–2011 ranked third behind Texas (421,215, 1st) and California (353,714, 2nd) in the United States. Florida remains the fourth largest state in the country. The data also reveal that if Florida maintains this growth rate and if New York maintains its current growth rate, Florida will surpass New York as the third most populated state in the country sometime in the 2013–2014 timeframe."
Some see it as bragging rights.
Others heave a collective sigh and envision bigger traffic jams, longer waits and over-crowded schools.
Is there room and resources for everyone, or do you want to close the doors to new growth in Florida? Let us know in the comments below!
Yes, Florida is too crowded and the environment is going to hell because if it. But greed and the Almighty Dollar rules, so enjoy it while you can, I guess. (the drinking water here is some of the worst I've ever tasted .. I would describe it as a mix of "alligator pee" and dirty goldfish bowl water)
the Largo area. Mass transit has to brought into the next century. 1-1/2 hour from Largo, Fl to St Pete by the PSTA bus system is horse and buggy days. Sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks need to be upgraded. No longer able to driause of age, and moving here almost two years ago from a large city, the everyday feeling i have when I leave my house is that Florida is waving a big flag tjhat rreads "if you do not drive, you are not welcome. Shopping malls, street crossings are geard for cars and trucks only, and not for pedestreian traffic. In many cases getting from point A to Point B on foot is like having a death wish.
And our beaches, well Clearwater Beach USED to be beautiful, now its just a lot of concrete and parking lots, not so nice. And congested, I haven't been there in years, why bother. And our eco systems and wildlife are "dead" more deer are killed every day and why. Our water stinks. I have never seen such a poor excuse for water and we get charged a lot of money for this crappy liquid. I think the beauty of Florida is gone-too much development and no thought as to how it will affect the area. There are more shopping centers and office buildings sitting empty yet still new ones are bring built on once pristine land...why?? Its getting close to time to move...BUT where????Florida is NOT what it used to be and never will be again. To you newbees who come here and think everything is wonderful, well guess again, its not.......Have a wonderful day
Seeing that there are some BIG problems in Florida is NOT the same as being in a negative state of mind .. on the contrary, pretending that everything is "perfect" is why Florida is suffering today. Please listen to those like Walt Mickler .. people who have seen the "Florida of Yesterday" know the REAL story about the damage over population has caused. (as for the quality of water here .. just try tasting it. I never bought bottled water until I moved to Florida (never had to).
Water has been an issue, especially with the droughting in the North Central Florida area. Population isn't the cause, just weather paterns. There are many areas of Florida that are not as densely populated as our area here. But in the areas of mass density it is bad. I am a native of Florida, but a transplant to this area (since 2002).
Also Paul...I know the owners pay taxes, but the renters seem to use more services, like our school system, county medical services etc. etc. and thats what taxes are for...maybe I'm taking it too far but sometimes it just feels that way and if someone doesn't like what I've said ......Read the First Amendment Sorry Folks I just call 'em as I see 'em.. :) i
between Clearwater and St Petersburg, Fl. From the above comments, it appears the entire state of Florida is in disarray. And as to the water quality, I use approx 20 pounds of salt per week in my watering system to keep the water drinakable and soft to keep appliances in working order. Then, where are our elected officials ? Are the blind to these problems. Try crossing a six lane highway at an intersection with the traffic signal allowing 30 seconds to cross. Try doing that using a walker. There things the government can do, but probably won't or can't because of money Shovel ready was what i heard several years ago, Now they just get rustry.
Though I think rail if done properly would be great for the area. But the rail deal he shot down was an extremely poorly made piece of legislation. And it should have been shot down.
Like Jennifer S. we moved here from out of state, but just because we pay taxes, as does every other resident (either directly or indirectly), that does not mean that we, or any future new Florida citizens, has a right to demand more and more growth. And as for the understandable few who say, "let's get back to the way we were", that doesn't happen anywhere, but nobody should be suggesting to those good folk that they should move to Alaska. Ironically, I have been following a proposed development project in my old neighborhood up north, and many of my former neighbors are saying things like "let's get back to the farming community we were before all of the housing developments changed the tone of the community." Sadly, those folks don't seem to realize that even for creation of farmland there had to be a big change from the forests and scrub brush land that those farm plots were, before they became plots for the 1/2 acre houses. The challenge, and it is an important challenge, is to make sure that growth is limited so that we don't create a civic and ecological monstrosity, and that is just as true in Florida as it is in any state up through the mid-west or the eastern seaboard. It also means that smart growth principles need to be followed, and that redevelopment of underutilized, or abandoned, sites needs to be the priority over the destruction of habitat and watershed virgin land.
Well Said and Thank you!