Junk mail
 

All that money the developer gave to his elves running for Sumter County Commissioner showed up in my mailbox today.

Dont check your mail them

By mail....or drone? :1rotfl:

Any guess what the developer expects in return?

Just peace, prosperity.....and the occasional TIF!

*Just kidding fellowship!

That EVIL developer is at it again.

What to do??? Maybe live someplace else?

Just another example....that people have a right to opinions that differ from others. In doing so, if the archives are any indication, there should’ve been a mass exodus over the past decade (present company included). I know ‘housekeeping’ will probably remove this...as per usual...but I’d rather live next to a free thinker than a yes man!

Even if what you’re alluding to is true, who cares? Judging from the aestethics around here, I’d say the people in charge are doing a pretty good job.

Would you not prefer elected representatives who are beholden to the people who elected them and not special interests?

The developer has built a great place for us to live but do think he has too much political power>

Maybe he built a great place for us to live because of his political power. Makes sense, let’s make it harder for developer to be successful.

It’s called freedom of speech.
The developer wants elected officials who believe in low taxes and free market. That is who they give political donations to.

I agree with you to a point Stu. What’s lost on many...is that the issue isn’t the developer, his team and vendors that contribute to their favorite candidate(s)...that’s legal, ..it’s the recipient that takes those contributions and wants us to believe he/she will be independent in policy/direction in spite of that. Comical. The only way to instill confidence in independent leadership (Sumter CC specifically)....is for ALL candidates to refuse said contributions. IMO

That would work for me. Would like to here Don Wiley state why he accepted all of the donations from the developer and his suppliers and convince us he will be working in our best interests

Sorry do not buy what you are selling

I think this is a good metaphor for why that will never happen.....’when the phone doesn’t ring....you’ll know it’s DW’!

Maybe you should attend the upcoming Q&A session and ask him rather than stirring the pot here where nobody can give you the answer?

You are one of my favorite posters on TOTV, but I strongly disagree with you here. What do you expect him to do? NOT accept LEGAL campaign contributions? Doesn't the Developer have freedom of speech? Didn't his competitor have legal problems? Is a Democrat running against them? If you watch his videos, he is more critical of the Developer than many of the YouTube presenters. He has been a CDD Supervisor and on the PWAC for approximately a decade working to improve things for the residents. Has his competitor?

Yes I agree but sadly some visitors to our community (certainly, or at least hopefully, not full or part time residents) have begun littering our roads and common areas. I see various fast food containers left all over the place. Could it be left by the influx of day laborers hired by the many contractors (with their wide oversized trailers attached to pickups navigating our roads and streets)?

Where were you when the developers cronies raised our taxes 25%. That 25% was so that the tax payers were paying for the roads the developer needed to expand. The current issue is raising our fire fee so that you the tax payer could pay for new fire stations and equipment so he could still expand. New development should pay for its self like in every other county in the country.

No his competitor was falsely imprisoned for working for the residents and trying to get the developer to pay his own bills to expand. You must of missed his conviction was thrown out. What does it say about a man who went through what he went through to get back up and come out fighting for the residents of Sumter County.

$282,000 vs $13,000. Look at the donors of the $282,000 contractors and those working for the developer.

Agree. And people have the right to free speech as well. Whether one agrees with them or not.

Don Wiley is definitely NOT in the pocket of the developer.

Don is a competent person who knows how a business is run, and what the developer can and cannot do.

As for businesses paying their fair share, just remember one thing about operating a business. They are the middleman when it comes to taxes. Their prices are set to cover their operating costs - material, labor, and other overhead. If they are profitable, some of that is paid for taxes. If not profitable, certain taxes still need to be paid.

Those who are complaining the most simply do not understand how a business is run. If they did, they'd likely not be complaining.

Don did speak last night at Aviary. It was a public event that was announced for anyone to attend. Seems none of the keyboard warriors attended.

He explained why he was running. It was a pleasant evening with other candidates, and why they were running. Lots of q&a. It was recorded, and Don said he would make the video available.

It was a great session.

Maybe he can’t attend. Interesting when the individual needs to unload a litter of animals....he takes to ToTV. When he drops his drone videos (yes, very informative) a revenue stream for him....he takes to ToTV. Yet when other outlets as well as his constituents ask a simple question.....crickets....on ToTV. I’ve said this a half a dozen times, I don’t know DW personally, most don’t, but he appears to be a good and decent man. Will it be the end of the world if he is returned to the SCC seat? Absolutely not. But politics has a way of corrupting and compromising even the best of us. Independent leadership is the exception today...not the rule. OM may not be the perfect candidate/commissioner, none of them are....but you can never question his independence in this instance.

Litmus
 

An easy litmus for me:

Does the candidate support STRs?
How does the candidate intend to curb taxes?

Ain't THAT the truth!

The Developer has built what is inarguably the largest and best known--and probably the most reasonably priced--retirement community on the planet. On that track record alone I'd far rather have him (her? them?) in charge than a lot of nitpickers and ax-grinders who seem to pop up with monotonous regularity.

Maybe to a point along public streets--though Villagers most likely contribute a lot of that as well. But I do a lot of walking on various MMPs and the kinds of litter I find next to (and sometimes on) these MMPs are most likely NOT left by contractors and day laborers. Lots of those one-serving liquor bottles (the kind that airlines had about 40-50 years ago) along with a fair number of those "Fireball" whiskey bottles (what do they hold? 4 ounces?). Empty beer cans. Cigar butts (one or two still smoldering). Lots of cigarette butts--once in a pile near one of the benches on the MMP that runs by El Diablo along El Camino Real where some yutz had obviously emptied whatever it was that was using as an ashtray at the time. Disposable vaping mechanisms. A pair of men's undershorts. Broken sunglasses.

I had once considered taking pictures and posting them on here to see if that would have any effect at lessening the litter. But I doubt it.

You do know the post/poster you’re responding to is talking about ‘aesthetics’...like landscaping etc. County Commissioners have nothing to do with that. Again, your missing the point. I honestly believe most here do not even know the structure of government or how it works as it relates to TV. But rest assured, your hydrangeas will be safe under any candidate!

Conflation
 

Yes, it’s called conflation. It’s a transitional tactic used in debate. The writer uses the identification of one thing and switches its name with a vaguely similar item even though there is little relation. Illegal in the retail world and unethical in all.

Look for it quite a bit in November.

Very often Don will answer on here so apparently he does read TOTV.

Correct....see post #22

It’s a 24/7/365 open forum. Sunshine Law “Liked” this!

Nice buzzwords but not reality. The Developer does not believe in low taxes for everyone, just for him. Every tax or fee he does not pay is paid by somebody else, like me. Every special rule carved out for him, see the limit set on impact fees that he bought via his paid for Florida legislation, creates an unfair tilted market, to his advantage.

That is the problem with an oligarchy. They make the rules, control the market, adjust the taxes and fees to their benefit.

The exact same thing everyone else and every other business in the county expects, to be treated fairly and honestly. Nothing else has be promised to the developer or anyone else.

I was half kidding BA....but you’re right. I posted about TIF agreements earlier in jest. Yet it is a valuable tool for developers to circumvent. What people don’t realize here.....is every quarterback needs a lineman to protect him. I know you get the metaphor!

Do you need Developer, TV management or vendor contributions to accomplish that goal sir? Will you return those contributions to level the playing field and stand on your own ,edits and principles....and show your independence from the aforementioned? It’s not a hard question to answer!

*merits

Thank you Don. I do expect to vote for you but am uncomfortable as to the contributions you have received from the developer and his subs.

I come from a world where men put their very lives in the hands and integrity of one another, that level of moral values has not varied for me. I spent 20 years on submarines defending this county and doing a job few are willing to do and even fewer are capable of doing with men whose values and integrity were second to none, and we staked our lives on these values and trusted each other.

If you believe that the price of a man's integrity is a $1000 donation then that speaks volumes of your own personal values and integrity, not mine.

Nobody here has ever questioned your service to our country Don. Your resume speaks for itself. Let’s not confuse the topic here. You’ve been in elected capacity before....you know the terrain. It’s more than 1K and you know it. It’s the family, TV management and the vendors that do business in TV. Most of which....don’t live here (which is a big bone of contention for others here). Stakeholders come in all shapes and sizes...yes, some are part year but no less a constituent. You don’t need that appearance of conflict.

How does the developer's "p*** power" effect us? Personally, I think the developer has created a pretty nice place. If I didn't like it, I have the freedom to move elsewhere. As for those that feel it necessary to gripe about the "evil developer" I hope they feel better by letting it all out. The developer making tons of money, has absolutely NO effect on me. I can find a hundred good things to say about The Villages to every ONE negative issue, that some feel must be a major life changer. I do feel empathy for those that hate it here and have absolutely no ability/means to escape this dreaded place. Be careful as a big black car may come visiting the home of those that complain about the great power that the boogieman developer surely has. :22yikes:

👍,,