As floridians prepare to vote in gop primary, economy and housing top list

After policing the slushy Pennsylvania streets for 30 winters, Steve Dougherty decided the only slush he ever wanted to see again was in a frozen cocktail poolside.

The retired police officer and his wife bought a Fort Myers home in 2006 at the height of the housing boom, found work and were making their mortgage payments. Then, the housing bubble burst, Dougherty was laid off from his civilian police job and they had to short sale their home — losing $150,000 — to narrowly avert foreclosure.

"We lost our little chunk of the American dream," he said. "We were just one of the many."

Their economic plight is similar to one that's felt by thousands throughout Florida and resonates in Michigan as both states have been devastated by high unemployment and high foreclosures. The economic hardship is certain to influence who hundreds of thousands of Floridians vote for in the GOP presidential primary Tuesday .

Source: DetroitNews.com