Florida's Economy Is Going To Crumble After This Storm

[stopbush]

Tourism will take a major hit. No one likes vacationing in a war zone.

Worse, Florida's orange crop has been severely damaged (it's a $9-billion industry in Fl). OJ sales were already down 17% this year due to low-carb lifestyles. If the crop is badly damaged, OJ prices will skyrocket. Imagine OJ at $4.50 - 5.50 for 1/2 gallon (it's already $3.79 a 1/2 gal here in Vegas). High prices will cause many to seek alternatives - cranberry juice, etc. - further hurting their economy.

I imagine bushco will do a massive bailout of certain industries to prop up Jeb.

Your thoughts?

[The empressof all]

1. I don't think tourism will be impacted much

The theme parks are already up and running.

[trotsky]

2. Bush* will throw billions at FL.

He needs FL to win, and so watch them get full FEMA service plus extra billions in economic aid. Not to say they don't need it, but if were a stronghold Dem state I doubt they would see as much.

[Webster Green]

8. The Bush crime family will figure out how to make billions.......

off of this disaster. That is what they are all about.

[Peregrine]

13. * and Rove were probably dancing in the Oval Office

when Charley hit cat 4. This gives * a chance to appear presidential in Florida while throwing billions of dollars into the state.

[Florida_Geek]

3. Construction will do OK for sometime

but you are right on the others......

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. Your thoughts?

I am sure the cane isn't none too pretty either.

I think they are saying that the ins. won't double AGAIN as it did for me while I was there... but I doubt it.

There is no way the ins. cos won't put it to them... I mean.. they will have to... there is no way around it.... and it already is much higher than most people want to pay....

Yes... the citrus... the cane... the tourism... not looking good at all.

I am sure they will have to institute a state tax... I don't believe they yet have one.... but I bet they will in the next year or so.

[deminflorida]

6. A state Tax is political suicide here....so don't count on it....

Republicans nor Democrats will touch that one....

They'll just let our Disaster Prepardness Systems continue to crumble, while the elderly and poor continue to perish in storms.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

10. state tax is political suicide here

How many more terms can Jeb have? I spose he could get a state tax set up before he heads out for greener pastures.

[graywarrior]

9. ALL the money made here in Florida is during the winter

Yup, between Jan and April. There is so much wealth here, its unbelievable. The building going on on every goddamn corner is rampant. It's either a new development, an Ekerds Drugstore, a new restaurant, new strip malls. Developers have been raping Florida land for decades now.
And the new developments are being built with $350,000 homes right smack dab against one another, maybe 5 feet of space in between structures.
It's becoming more expensive to live here, just like it is in North Conway NH where the rich want the working class to move to Berlin so they don't have to look at them. Only problem here is that the working class are forced to live in substandard housing so they can provide services for the wealthy retirement community who simply MUST go golfing everday, have their early bird martini dinners and catch the act at the Opera House before retiring to the mint on their pillows at nightynight time.

[gmoney]

5. As long as the taxpayer gets to bail out private enterprise

...the Bushes will spread the money around nice and thick.

[Vitruvius]

7. The FL drug trade will not be affected -- and it's almost as big as

tourism; FL is a conduit for much of the US drug trade...

b/t/w, the illegal drug trade nationwide is bigger than the telecommunications industry. Somebody's being paid well to look the other way; there's no way an illegal industry this size could exist without crooked cops & crooked feds...

[Zorra]

11. Bailout? As in welfare? I thought Bu$h was in favor of privatization of

"charity"?

Oh, yeah...I forgot. It is only poor and middle class people that should not get government help when faced with disaster.

In Bu$hworld, all corporations are entitled to government welfare payments.

[amazona]

12. natural disasters are sorta good for the economy

You get all that new construction -- billions of dollars worth. Rebuilding after major disasters like Andrew actually show as positive events in the GNP. As far as citrus, it's always something with citrus.

[WMliberal]

14. i doubt there will be high OJ prices

with sales down, they're more likely to have a surplus. OJ should be cheaper. Man I can't wait for winter. My grandparents live there in Indian Rievr County. They have Blood Orange trees in their backyard. Those babies get bigger than grapefruit. When I try to buy them at the local grocery store, they're as small as limes.

[barb162]

15. what I can't figure

is 1 million people still without power in that oppressive heat. It is mind-boggling. No TV, phones, a/c, lights, etc. No houses or water! Your furniture gone. And so many of these are really old people with not a lot of money. The trauma these people must be going through....

[Elwood P Dowd]

16. Bushit will promise them billions

He will finally have a major press conference, and it will be about Florida. Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Rielly, and the gang will praise their brave tearur presdent for taking time away from war strategy to provide the helpless in Florida dozens of billions of dollars in aid. There will be a massive outpouring of support and promises. A few million bucks will be released immediately. More to come. President Gump to the rescue. As soon as November rolls around, it will be, "Well, we have this hare littul thang called the defasut, and we ant gots the money cause'o the war on tearur. Sorry Floradur, but I thank you anyway. Now, bring it on!"