Guest Editorial: Weather, attractions make Florida special
To our friends at the Hartford Courant: We feel your pain. We often disagree with Gov. Rick Scott. But we can’t fault him for selling Florida to Nutmeggers, even though we have more than enough residents and wouldn’t mind sending a few your way.
Florida isn’t a perfect state. Our public education system is in shambles and we have our share of crime. We might even take the criticism in stride if it came from, say, the Los Angeles Times or Chicago Tribune.
But Connecticut? Isn’t that just one large suburb of New York? And we haven’t heard much about Hartford since you lost your only professional sports team 20 years a ago.
Instead of Connecticut bashing, let’s take a look at what makes Florida a fantastic Gov. Rick Scott’s state. We won’t say it’s the effort to lure jobs from greatest state in the union, but Connecticut prompted it’s up there. some Florida bashing.
It starts with our international flavor. Florida is the The Sunshine State nation’s gateway to South isn’t perfect, but our America, which has helped weather, nature, turn the Miami area into one of diversity and attractions the world’s top destinations. make Florida special. But it’s become more than just playground for wealthy foreigners. Miami in the last decade has turned into a cultural hub. For years, locals left South Florida. Now, people want to move to Miami. The traffic can be a nightmare and affordable housing is a crisis, but those who live in the city boundaries enjoy a unique place full of world-class restaurants, art and music. Miami’s skyline has exploded.
Florida has something for everyone. You can live a quiet country life, have an urban existence or become a beach bum in one of Florida’s many coastal communities. The state has four major metropolitan areas — Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville — with four very different characters. And don’t forget Key West, which is practically an autonomous nation. The Conch Republic seamlessly blends the Florida Keys with New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. What else could you ask for?
How about sports? Florida has nine teams in the four major professional sports leagues — second behind only California. Some of them actually win every now and then. The Miami Heat won back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013. The Miami Marlins won two World Series in their first decade, although they also fleeced the county government into building a stadium that will cost taxpayers an estimated $2.4 billion in interest payments. We never said we have the most honorable politicians.
There’s the outdoors, where Florida beats almost any other state. It’s 80 degrees in the winter and water sports exist year-round. The Everglades is a unique system — unlike the world’s other wetlands, it derives its water from rainfall, not river flooding. The Everglades features plants and animal species not found anywhere else on the planet. Add in the beach and Central Florida's many lakes and Florida is truly an outdoor paradise.
While theme parks aren’t for everyone, and might keep some wouldbe Floridians out of the state, the fact is millions of people enjoy them every year and Florida has some of the world’s best. If you live here, you don’t have to pay for flights and hotels — you can even bring the kids for the day and save thousands of dollars. You’ll still spends hundreds on admission and overpriced food, but it beats taking out a second mortgage for a Disney excursion.
How about our cuisine? We’re surrounded by water on three sides which means yellowfin tuna, dolphin and snapper. Apparently our stone crabs makes it as far north as Connecticut, but it’s called a Florida stone crab for a reason. Our land food is arguably better. Spend a day on Little Havana’s Calle Ocho for ropa vieja, medianoche sandwiches and flan (Connecticut readers instantly visit Google translate).
From our melting pot of cultures to providing the nation with oranges, from our position as leaders in the space industry to glitz and glamour, Florida’s a fabulous place to live. Miami or Hartford? You decide.