Florida Dreams

Everything Florida Dreamers (or the Merely Curious) Need to Know about the Sunshine Mega-State

If you're thinking about moving to Florida, or maybe you're just looking for a warm, sunny spot to get away from the ice and snow, or even if you're only curious about what's going on down here in America's only subtropical mega-state, you should read this book. It will give you an entertaining and informative explanation, from an economist's perspective, of why Florida has become the nation's 3rd most populous state, and of the challenges that lie ahead.

As a bonus, the Kindle version of Florida Dreams has been written and designed specifically for the Kindle, and is chock full of intriguing hyperlinks, shedding even more light on all things Florida.

The amazing rise of the Florida economy, and its emergence as a mega-state with the country's 4th largest economy, is the main theme of Florida Dreams.

The secret to Florida's success, besides the climate, is the limited-government, low-tax, business-friendly environment and policies that have been in effect for years under both Republican and Democratic governments. This is in sharp contrast to what has been going on in the other two high-tax, big-government mega-states, California, and New York, as is amply revealed by many interstate comparisons.

The in-migration of retirees from the north and the immigration of Hispanics from Latin America, especially Cuba, are the main source of Florida's population growth.

Retirees, Hispanics, African-Americans and Indians are all making unique contributions to the Florida economy. Florida Dreams chronicles what they're doing and how they're faring.

The state's two best known cities, Miami, and Orlando are being shaped differently by new Floridians, as well as tourists and snowbirds. Each has its own story and distinct flavor. Miami has become the unofficial capital of Latin America since the arrival of Cubans fleeing Castro. Orlando has been transformed by Disney into a giant theme park drawing tourists from all over the world. Even "The Villages," Florida's playground for seniors, has its own winning story.

The resumption of space exploration back to the moon and on to Mars from Cape Canaveral is a very exciting development for Florida. It promises to reinvigorate NASA, spark an expansion of aerospace industries on the Space Coast, and bring more tourists to the Kennedy Space Center.

The real estate meltdown from 2006-2012, which traumatized Floridians, is over and a solid recovery is in progress. Some mega-development projects, like the American Dream Mall in Miami and the Tampa Waterfront, are getting underway and will contribute greatly to a resurgence of construction.

Tourism, aviation, aeronautics and defense, financial services, real estate, construction, transportation, energy, food processing, and agriculture are the backbone of the Florida economy. Companies like Disney, Lockheed Martin, Publix, NextEra Energy, and Carnival Cruise Lines are all innovative industry leaders.

But agriculture is in decline. Oranges and citrus have been hard hit by hurricanes and citrus greening. Big Sugar is dependent on government support for its survival and is situated in an environmentally fragile zone, near what remains of the Everglades.

Environmental challenges, like the red tide, global warming, sea level rise, and hurricanes, threaten the rise of Florida. Our precious ecological treasure, the Everglades, is in the crosshairs.

The national political conundrum every election is whether Florida will be a red or a blue state. The 2018 mid-term election results provide fresh insight into this always controversial question.

If these snippets pique your Florida Dreams, you are just a click away from the full scoop.