NBC Nightly News decided to take a swing at an old foe, Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, and his state, all with a report that appeared to have no real purpose. Here’s the gist of it.
Presenter Lester Holt handed over to Shannon Pettypiece for a narrative painting the Sunshine State as a fading paradise, referencing Dennis Cole, a Connecticut native who moved to Florida amidst the pandemic, tempted by low taxes and bright weather. Now, it seems Cole is ready to head back north, blaming political issues and increasing costs.
Pettypiece then adds weight to her story with a barrage of statistics, attempting to underscore this apparent exodus. She tells us over 700,000 people migrated to Florida in 2022, but almost 500,000 left – the biggest number since the Great Recession. Yet she misses a key point: Florida still led the country in net in-migration in 2022, unlike California where people are fleeing from rising crime and degraded living conditions.
In an unsurprising twist, Pettypiece points to the rising costs of property and insurance in Florida. But what else would we expect with such a huge influx of people? She seems unaware that auto insurance has increased everywhere, not just in Florida.
Next, Pettypiece insinuates folks are leaving because of politics and suggests this is problematic. Seems to me that people would know the political atmosphere before moving to a new state. Let’s be straight, if you’re not okay with protecting children from inappropriate material in public schools and you’re upset about Disney being challenged, then sure, sell up and go back from where you came.
So, what was this report all about? It seems vaguely like an attempt to smear DeSantis and his state. An alligator strategy, so to speak, on National Alligator Day. The lower transcript is more of the same questionable reporting. It’s your standard NBC fare, angling after a story that’s more narrative than fact.
In conclusion, these types of biased reports should be taken with a grain of salt. Numbers alone can’t tell the complete tale. After all, satisfaction is an individual perception, and it varies from person to person. Given Florida’s continued net in-migration, it seems the state’s attractive qualities still outweigh the struggles, despite what this report wants you to think.
