Florida, by some measures, has now become the most expensive state to live in the country. However, politicians in Tallahassee are at a loss on who to blame. State Rep. Carlos G. Smith (D-49) has blamed the Florida Republican Party and Gov. Ron DeSantis for the unaffordable housing market.
One of the main reasons for the rapidly increasing population of the state is the mass exodus from blue states like New York and California. Florida Republicans have largely taken credit for the culture shift in Florida being the reason for many Americans making Florida their new home.
To help explain the sudden population boom, CBS news best described Florida as, "courting new residents and businesses attracted by the low taxes and an anti-regulation agenda." The agenda in question is most notably policies put forward by Governor DeSantis (R-FL), with the biggest tax relief in state history followed by the Freedom First Budget.
One attractive quality of the Freedom First Budget is its plan to lower gas prices for Floridians. Much of the budget is intended to counter what DeSantis has characterized as an effect of the Biden Administration's policies, that being rising gas prices. The plan also included environmental protections, support for the police, and improved water quality.
Rep. Smith echoed the sentiment that Florida is becoming increasingly unaffordable. The state representative tweeted, "Florida is the least affordable state in the country." Smith then added, "Our residents suffer from GOP leadership that prioritizes political donors over our residents. As a Legislator, I took on big corporations, and when I'm re-elected, I will fight to lower costs for Floridians."
Florida is the least affordable state in the country.
Our residents suffer from GOP leadership that prioritizes political donors over our residents.
As a Legislator, I took on big corporations, and when I'm re-elected, I will fight to lower costs for Floridians.
— Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) August 1, 2022
While Smith seems to be antagonizing Republicans, Republicans would agree with this progressive liberal legislator's logic. Florida has become the least affordable state in the country, and plenty would argue it is due to the DeSantis-driven economy kicking in for Floridians, and because of the unaffordable living conditions in the aforementioned and traditional blue states.
