In war, there are casualties. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “war on woke” is no exception, writes Dean Obeidallah, as groups cancel gatherings in the state.
Governor DeSantis’s policies targeting the LGBTQ community, restricting academic freedom, and banning diversity programs have negatively impacted Florida’s economy. Several organizations have canceled conventions and events in Orlando due to concerns over DeSantis’s “anti-woke” agenda, resulting in an estimated $20 million loss in revenue for the state. Despite this, DeSantis’s spokesperson dismissed the economic impact as a “media-driven stunt.” However, boycotts in the past have caused enough economic pain to lead to policy changes, so organizations avoiding Florida are doing the right thing by not spending money there while these policies remain in place.
One cool thing for me (as a current FL resident) is that my cost of living has gone up so much that it’s motivated me to move to WA. I’ve been kinda lingering around Central FL for several years, not really sure where to go because everywhere else would be more expensive by comparison. Now I’ve finally found that motivation! Thanks Meatball! My homeowners insurance has gone from $900 a year to $4200, and I needed to buy a new roof to get that insurance to the tune of $10k. The old roof was only 12 years old. Insurance companies won’t cover a damn thing if your roof is > 10 years old in FL now.
If I’m going to spend all this money on living expenses I may as well do that somewhere better.
Is there anywhere specific in WA that you’re looking?
I’m a native and happy to provide any information that might help in deciding where to land in the state.
There’s a huge variance in economic, social, and political views. Finding the right one for your needs will go a long way in assuring you’re happy.
Oh, weather too. The East half of the state is a highlands desert with forests in areas. Lots of high and low temperatures depending on the season. West side is VERY temperate but summers can be tough due to the way the Puget Sound and Olympics can cause heat domes where air doesn’t circulate well. That’s less common though.
I’m a native and happy to provide any information that might help in deciding where to land in the state.
That’s awesome! Thanks for the offer!
I think I’ve mostly ruled out the east half of the state. Olympia was what I had in mind after doing about 3 minutes worth of research. My approach to moving across the country is rather clueless.
I think the primary consideration for me is going to be cost of living, so that’s likely going to rule out Seattle and the surrounding area (based on my assumptions). Maybe not though… 🤷♂️For context, the median household income where I currently live is ~ $60k. When I looked up Seattle, it’s just shy of double that.
Politically - I find the Democratic party to be a bit too conservative for my personal preferences.
I think I’ll likely be able to retain my current job (which I like) when I move, but if for some reason that goes south, I also don’t want to necessarily be a small fish in the huge pond. I work in IT, and I suspect that I’d be in the older half of the “people working in IT” population.
Yeah, I’ve heard insurance is getting hard to come by in FL. Something that maybe a governor should go about trying to address, but he can’t. No time, gotta get back out there and talk tough about slitting throats and repeating “woke” as many times per minute as possible.
The Governor even screams “woke” at the insurance companies, for raising rates, or leaving altogether. But insurance companies are about as far from woke as you get. They don’t give a shit about the latent injustice in the system. They just look at their numbers, and tweak them until they maximize their revenue vs. risk. And all the bean counters have decided that Florida is too risky.
If I’m going to spend all this money on living expenses I may as well do that somewhere better.
i did something similar between austin, texas and chicago, illinois. now my new place is 2x the size; w lots of amenities; costs less than texas; but most importantly, my new home isn’t descending into a conservative fascist hell hole while everyone just sits around and watches it happen while simultaneously ignoring the clear reasons why and how to help it. lol
CoL may be higher, but wages are usually higher as well. That was a big thing at the height of everybody working remotely. People were working for companies in high CoL areas but moving to cheaper places for the pay raise it provided.
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One cool thing for me (as a current FL resident) is that my cost of living has gone up so much that it’s motivated me to move to WA. I’ve been kinda lingering around Central FL for several years, not really sure where to go because everywhere else would be more expensive by comparison. Now I’ve finally found that motivation! Thanks Meatball! My homeowners insurance has gone from $900 a year to $4200, and I needed to buy a new roof to get that insurance to the tune of $10k. The old roof was only 12 years old. Insurance companies won’t cover a damn thing if your roof is > 10 years old in FL now.
If I’m going to spend all this money on living expenses I may as well do that somewhere better.
You’re gonna love Washington, it’s a beautiful state!
Agreed! Been here most of my life, in just about every corner.
I wouldn’t trade the PNW for anything.
Is there anywhere specific in WA that you’re looking?
I’m a native and happy to provide any information that might help in deciding where to land in the state.
There’s a huge variance in economic, social, and political views. Finding the right one for your needs will go a long way in assuring you’re happy.
Oh, weather too. The East half of the state is a highlands desert with forests in areas. Lots of high and low temperatures depending on the season. West side is VERY temperate but summers can be tough due to the way the Puget Sound and Olympics can cause heat domes where air doesn’t circulate well. That’s less common though.
That’s awesome! Thanks for the offer!
I think I’ve mostly ruled out the east half of the state. Olympia was what I had in mind after doing about 3 minutes worth of research. My approach to moving across the country is rather clueless.
I think the primary consideration for me is going to be cost of living, so that’s likely going to rule out Seattle and the surrounding area (based on my assumptions). Maybe not though… 🤷♂️For context, the median household income where I currently live is ~ $60k. When I looked up Seattle, it’s just shy of double that.
Politically - I find the Democratic party to be a bit too conservative for my personal preferences.
I think I’ll likely be able to retain my current job (which I like) when I move, but if for some reason that goes south, I also don’t want to necessarily be a small fish in the huge pond. I work in IT, and I suspect that I’d be in the older half of the “people working in IT” population.
Oooo that’s awesome! Thank you very much! I will send you a message.
Yeah, I’ve heard insurance is getting hard to come by in FL. Something that maybe a governor should go about trying to address, but he can’t. No time, gotta get back out there and talk tough about slitting throats and repeating “woke” as many times per minute as possible.
The Governor even screams “woke” at the insurance companies, for raising rates, or leaving altogether. But insurance companies are about as far from woke as you get. They don’t give a shit about the latent injustice in the system. They just look at their numbers, and tweak them until they maximize their revenue vs. risk. And all the bean counters have decided that Florida is too risky.
i did something similar between austin, texas and chicago, illinois. now my new place is 2x the size; w lots of amenities; costs less than texas; but most importantly, my new home isn’t descending into a conservative fascist hell hole while everyone just sits around and watches it happen while simultaneously ignoring the clear reasons why and how to help it. lol
CoL may be higher, but wages are usually higher as well. That was a big thing at the height of everybody working remotely. People were working for companies in high CoL areas but moving to cheaper places for the pay raise it provided.