Forum: What Do You Like Most About Where You Live? What Would You Change?

Every week on Monday morning , the Council and our invited guests weigh in at the Watcher's Forum, short takes on a major issue of the day, the culture, or daily living. This week's question: What Do You Like Most About Where You Live? What Would You Change?



The Right Planet: One thing I like about living in Indiana is the people. The "folks" are pretty down to earth here--a lot of "salt of the earth" types--which I prefer. There is a very strong work ethic in this neck of the woods. I've always respected and admired that. There's more of a "get 'er done" mentality in the Midwest. Additionally, things are pretty stable here economically as well. You can buy a home for a reasonable price, among other things, unlike places like California or New York.

My only complaint is winter. I really hate winter. I, myself, do not have a love affair with the whole "change of seasons" thing. I would change that if I could. Although, admittedly, I enjoyed the climate when I lived in Los Angeles. But we dealt with smog alerts, brush fires, and earthquakes--and the resulting aftershocks that lasted for weeks or months. Yeah, I don't miss that, for sure. The other advantage is the locale. If you want a big city experience, you can head toward Chicago. If you want a small town experience ... well, they're everywhere here. If you want an "international" experience, you can head toward Canada. Being located smack dab in the middle of the country also has its advantages should a SHTF event ever occur.

Laura Rambeau Lee,Right Reason :I have lived in the Tampa Bay area for most of my life, having moved here from Pennsylvania with my family in 1970. While many people believe Florida is the state where people go when they retire, the average age here is in the low to mid 40s.

Located near the Gulf of Mexico and the beautiful beaches along the Gulf coast, it is a great place for those who love boating, scuba diving, sunbathing, or fishing. If you are into sports, we have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (football), the Tampa Bay Rays (baseball), the Lightening (ice hockey) and the New York Yankees have their spring training here.

Tampa International Airport is one of the best airports in the country and was ranked third among global airports serving between 15 and 25 million passengers a year in 2013. In 2013 it was also ranked third best airport in North America. We also have several large cruise lines leaving out of Tampa every week for voyages to the Caribbean Islands.

We are within an hour and a half drive to Orlando and Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios. Busch Gardens is right here in Tampa and visiting the Lowry Park Zoo is a great way to spend a day with the family.

MacDill Air Force Base is home to Central Command and the military makes up a lot of the residents of the Tampa Bay area, many who remain here after they retire.

With the University of South Florida and the USF Medical School, along with the Moffitt Cancer Center, medical care and facilities are state of the art.

If seeing Broadway shows is your thing, we have the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center bringing full seasons of classic Broadway and off Broadway shows.

No matter what type of food you crave, you can find it in Tampa. The Columbia Restaurant is world renowned for its Spanish and Cuban cuisine. We have major steak house chains, as well as many wonderful Thai, Indian, Korean, Brazilian, Chinese and Italian restaurants.

On the negative side, progressives are trying to force urbanization and multi-use development into the old downtown area, as are many similar sized cities. We have a large conservative presence in the Tampa Bay area and have been successful in stopping the push for increases in our sales tax to promote the building of light rail within the city with promises of jobs and economic development. We have been able to defeat these referenda in Hillsborough and surrounding counties with overwhelming opposition from voters. Even after these defeats they continue to push this agenda and we have been forced to continue to fight their efforts. It would be nice if our trusted servants would listen to the voters and stop pushing this agenda and wasting time and tax payer money on these special interest development plans.

The winters are relatively mild. As we see the north-east being hit with severe blizzards this year, we are enjoying lows in the low to mid 40s and highs in the low 60s to mid 70s.

The cost of living is relatively low, and Florida has no state income tax. Whether you are looking for a cosmopolitan atmosphere or a laid back rural lifestyle, you can find it in the Tampa Bay area.

 Ask Marion : I live in Temecula California and have lived in southern California for most of my life.

The things I like best about where I live is that you can do pretty much everything you can think of from here. You can surf in the morning, go snow skiing the same afternoon and then go to a Hollywood premier that same evening… should you so desire.

You also have access to people and things in the greater LA area that if you pursue them could help you make a difference… from politics to rescuing pets to affecting our entertainment industry and culture.

I am also very proud that the people of Temecula-Murrieta had the courage to take a stand against amnesty and President Obama’s illegal policies.

What I’d like to change about where I live is the progressive culture and liberal politicians who have taken over one for the most beautiful states in America and moved it to a state that people want to leave instead of come to.

 Well, there you have it!

Make sure to tune in every Monday for the Watcher’s Forum. and every  Tuesday morning, when we reveal the weeks' nominees for Weasel of the Week!

And remember, every Wednesday, the Council has its weekly contest with the members nominating two posts each, one written by themselves and one written by someone from outside the group for consideration by the whole Council. The votes are cast by the Council, and the results are posted on Friday morning.

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