[Number 10 GI]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Number 10 GI your post has literally nothing to do with the topic. The concern of this topic is the NEED for lower-paid workers in an area that doesn't really support lower-paid workers anymore. As the Villages expands, its population increases. A bigger population needs more restaurants, more gas stations, more grocery stores, more handymen, more clothing stores, etc. And as that need grows, so does the need for employees to work in all of those places. All of those places are minimum-wage or close to it.

Who do you suppose should fill these open positions? Where do you feel those people will come from? They won't be in your neighborhood - your neighborhood is mostly retired people who have no interest in working anywhere at all, and don't have to, and have already earned their retirement.

You'll need younger folks, high school and college students, 20-somethings, to fill these positions. What pool of workers will they come from, if the Villages occupies most of the liveable real estate?

In my northern home in the suburbs we have public transit. Someone living on the same main street that crosses my neighborhood, but one town away, has to take TWO buses just to get to the Burger King in my town. That's a 1.5 hour bus trip, one way, to get to a part time job with zero benefits.

Meanwhile in the greater Boston area, you can buy a T pass and be at work within 20 minutes for the same mileage as in my suburban home, after a 2-block walk to the T station.

The Villages doesn't have any public transportation at all. There's no public bus, or public shuttle, or public tram. There's no way to get from Ocala or Leesburg to the Spanish Springs Win Dixie if you don't have a car, or pay for an Uber/Lyft driver.

Proximity to work is really important if you are a young person trying to earn money for college, or trying to stay in college, or trying to start out your working life and needing something to pay the bills while you persue your career.

Sounds like to me that you are more worried about somebody serving you a cheap burger or getting your grass mowed. If there is a labor shortage the employers will have to increase the wages to attract employees. As mentioned in this or another thread about the new Wendy's restaurant being unable to open because they can't get employees. The owner is going to have to offer a wage that will entice other companies employees to come work for Wendy's. If you think this is a problem that only TV faces I have news for you, it is in every city in the country.
If you want a good wage you have to have marketable skills. Minimum to no skills gets you minimum wage. Flipping a hamburger requires no skill. My nephew is a mechanic, he makes $100K a year because he has a needed skill, shows up on time every day for work and is good at his job.