[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by Northwoods

I 100% agree with you. I think many people see Don (Goldwingnut) as a knowledgeable, thoughtful commentator about The Villages.
Well, here’s what “Shelter Reform for Sumter County”. ( Angie Fox - Oren Miller’s wife is admin) says about Don...
“Don Wiley speaks for The Villages. He says he doesn’t but he does.”
“Don and The Developer are lying.”
So... those of you who appreciate Don’s perspective should know Oren’s wife feel’s Don is a spokesperson for The Villages.
Personally. I don’t think that’s true at all. I think Don gives his perspective as he sees it. And I think he tried very hard to be objective.

I guess if you were to ask the developer, you'd probably get a totally different perspective; there's little love lost between us. I'm a thorn in their side on the CDD board, PWAC, and with my videos, they don't like that I don't fear them and they can't control me.

Apparently, anyone who doesn't agree with the view of the newly elected county commissioners is in league with the developer and a liar. If you've read my posts on the topic of the impact fees you'll see that I am very much opposed to the increases and the current direction of the BOCC. This is not because I favor the developer, it's because I've done the research, read the report, run the numbers, and understand what is going on with the budget. I try to bring these facts to light for the general public. Of course, those that believe the social media and propaganda put out by the 3 new commissioners revel against any opposing viewpoint and rebuke any that may oppose them, regardless of any facts presented. When I presented numbers in two of my videos that showed the actual cost impact of the proposed impact fees I was castigated fiercely for my political views on the subject, facts have a habit of aggravating those with differing viewpoints. I'll not stop presenting these facts in future videos.

My perspective on the impact fees comes from objective and careful research, hours of study, and a background in business. Many have forgotten since moving into our little bubble, that it really is about the money for businesses. Money is how each and every one of us were able to move to this community. Money is a necessity for any lifestyle. Money is why businesses are in business. These facts were not a bad thing when many moved here, but that was quickly forgotten as they've wrapped themselves in this very luxurious lifestyle. You can tax business all you want, they don't pay taxes, they collect these taxes from their customers as a part of the cost of doing business, they don't take it from their profits, they raise their prices.

Do my videos present an overall positive opinion of The Villages? Undeniably yes. I love where I live, enjoy the lifestyle, and couldn't think of a better place for my wife and I to retire to. I was in the construction business for nearly 20 years before retirement and have see the good and the bad side of the business, the bad side of my last employer is why I decided to retire early. Durning my 20 years I worked for the same company as a technician, design engineer, operation manager for a 3 state area, and as a project manager and have a pretty good perspective of much of the industry. While I'm frequently at odds with the developer, I have a tremendous amount of respect for what they do and how they do it. I see things a lot different than most, they are very well organized and process oriented, they are very tough on their contractors and subcontractors but also very fair, they are very cost conscious and squeeze every dime they can from every source, based on my discussions with many of the contractors building the houses here they also pay promptly (good cash flow can make all the difference in the world for a business) and are fiercely loyal to the contractors and suppliers that they partner with. These are all hallmarks of a well-run and successful company, it's hard not to respect them. But I don't always agree with them.

I appreciate Northwoods and the many others who continue to send me email about posts on other social media platforms. Except when I post a new video for you to enjoy, I spend very little time on these websites, and rarely do I monitor them. I do read ToTV frequently because its format allows me to skip the complaints about dog poop, trolls, and poor drivers, and read the stuff and opinions of others of those items that interest me. If we've learned anything from the past election cycle, it's that social media is a powerful tool that is easily manipulated by those with their own agenda and a kneejerk reaction to it is a downward spiral.