[applesoffh]

Originally Posted by mulligan

Infrastructure bonds for the Fruitland Park area were issued about a month ago. So much for that rumor.

If I understand what you wrote, those are municipal bonds, and not a bond charged per house by the Developer, which is very different. Do I have that right?

[livsea2]

Originally Posted by Advogado

The residents will certainly never be liable for any of the IRS issues. Some earlier remarks by Lauren Ritchie notwithstanding, that has never been viewed as a risk by anyone with an understanding of the matter.

To explain a complicated matter in a few words: At least so far, the IRS issues are not directly "with the Villages Developer". Instead, the IRS issues are with the Center Districts, which issued the purportedly tax-exempt bonds and which own a big chunk of our amenities. The risk to Villagers (which may or may not ever materialize) is that the resolution of the IRS issues may impose such a huge cost on those Districts that that they are unable, financially, to continue the amenity system. If that happens, things get dicey.

Your comment is partially correct in that it may or may not materialize, however one solution allowed under the CDD laws is that the CDD can issue a second bond to "pay off their mistakes" it could run concurrent with the exisisting bond this is why the CDD form is so dangerous and only legal in a very few states. It has happened to other CDDs in Florida. Lucky us.

[eweissenbach]

Florida CDD Bonds: What You Need To Know

[ROCKETMAN]

Some people forget laura richie is a not a news reporter but a columnist. All she does is examine issues and writes her opinion, like it or hate it. I actually like to read different opinions on current issues. She does do her homework, i give her credit for that.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by ROCKETMAN

Some people forget laura richie is a not a news reporter but a columnist. All she does is examine issues and writes her opinion, like it or hate it. I actually like to read different opinions on current issues. She does do her homework, i give her credit for that.

Lauren Ritchie has never written anything that I remember that makes The Villages look wonderful. The view of The Sentinel is very different than the slant of The Daily Sun too. And therein lies part of the rub.

[livsea2]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Lauren Ritchie has never written anything that I remember that makes The Villages look wonderful. The view of The Sentinel is very different than the slant of The Daily Sun too. And therein lies part of the rub.

Well the Villages Sun exisists solely as a marketing tool for the developer... Hopefully the Orlando Sentinel does not... perhaps therein lies the whole rub?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by livsea2

Well the Villages Sun exisists solely as a marketing tool for the developer... Hopefully the Orlando Sentinel does not... perhaps therein lies the whole rub?

The Daily Sun has newsfeeds from all over the world as well as local events. It is NOT owned by the developer, only the building and equipment are the Morses. The newspaper was sold three years ago to a friend of the developer who has very much the same views, so it was not obvious that it had changed hands. The editorial writers are extremely different than those in the Sentinel.

[mickey100]

Originally Posted by livsea2

Well the Villages Sun exisists solely as a marketing tool for the developer... Hopefully the Orlando Sentinel does not... perhaps therein lies the whole rub?

New owners, same type of paper with the same biased slant the Developer projects. Most people read it for the local activities, local sports etc. and get their national news from other sources.

[Moderator]

The topic is Lauren Ritchie's column on the Villages Bond situation. Please stay on topic.

[Advogado]

This appeared on Dec. 3: Lauren Ritchie: Villages bonds now taxable - Orlando Sentinel

[eweissenbach]

From the article:
If my email is any indication, residents hate hearing what is behind the curtain at The Villages. As things stand, they play golf and countless other games, are offered nearly limitless recreation choices and have restaurants and shopping that cater to them. For this, they pay what they consider a reasonable monthly fee. Where else, they demand, can they find such a deal?

I just don't get the mentality of,"you are either all for us or you are against us". I would liken it to those people who only read the columnists in the daily sun, or only watch Fox News, or for that matter, only watch MSNBC. If all you are willing to read, listen, or watch is material that confirms your beliefs, without ever challenging those beliefs by looking at another point of view, you are destined to be ill informed on many issues. Ritchie may be overly aggressive in her disdain for the developer, but you should at least examine the evidence to know if she has a point or not. Loving living in TV, is not necessarily inconsistent with being suspicious of some of the developers tactics or motives. Being very fond of the developer (the Morse family of corporations), does not preclude one from opposing or being suspicious of some of their actions. The Villages has apparently not conformed with the intent of the Florida CDD guidelines, by turning over control to residents within eight years, so shouldn't residents be a bit concerned about that?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

From the article:
If my email is any indication, residents hate hearing what is behind the curtain at The Villages. As things stand, they play golf and countless other games, are offered nearly limitless recreation choices and have restaurants and shopping that cater to them. For this, they pay what they consider a reasonable monthly fee. Where else, they demand, can they find such a deal?

I just don't get the mentality of,"you are either all for us or you are against us". I would liken it to those people who only read the columnists in the daily sun, or only watch Fox News, or for that matter, only watch MSNBC. If all you are willing to read, listen, or watch is material that confirms your beliefs, without ever challenging those beliefs by looking at another point of view, you are destined to be ill informed on many issues. Ritchie may be overly aggressive in her disdain for the developer, but you should at least examine the evidence to know if she has a point or not. Loving living in TV, is not necessarily inconsistent with being suspicious of some of the developers tactics or motives. Being very fond of the developer (the Morse family of corporations), does not preclude one from opposing or being suspicious of some of their actions. The Villages has apparently not conformed with the intent of the Florida CDD guidelines, by turning over control to residents within eight years, so shouldn't residents be a bit concerned about that?

I don't think you have read Lauren Ritchie as much as I have. She is not using the skills and values that guide most journalists who report issues... in my opinion. I think she is employed by The Orlando Sentinel as a columnist giving her opinions rather than a reporter who prints just facts... She is also not supportive of the views that most of us who live here espouse. We are cheering for the success of a business like the Morses have built. We are mostly moderate to conservative which is not the views of the paper that employs her.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by eweissenbach

From the article:

If my email is any indication, residents hate hearing what is behind the curtain at The Villages. As things stand, they play golf and countless other games, are offered nearly limitless recreation choices and have restaurants and shopping that cater to them. For this, they pay what they consider a reasonable monthly fee. Where else, they demand, can they find such a deal?



I just don't get the mentality of,"you are either all for us or you are against us". I would liken it to those people who only read the columnists in the daily sun, or only watch Fox News, or for that matter, only watch MSNBC. If all you are willing to read, listen, or watch is material that confirms your beliefs, without ever challenging those beliefs by looking at another point of view, you are destined to be ill informed on many issues. Ritchie may be overly aggressive in her disdain for the developer, but you should at least examine the evidence to know if she has a point or not. Loving living in TV, is not necessarily inconsistent with being suspicious of some of the developers tactics or motives. Being very fond of the developer (the Morse family of corporations), does not preclude one from opposing or being suspicious of some of their actions. The Villages has apparently not conformed with the intent of the Florida CDD guidelines, by turning over control to residents within eight years, so shouldn't residents be a bit concerned about that?

And just because it is presented by a columnist does not make what is written "evidence." Columnists are not reporters. The very nature of their writings is full of opinion. Nothing very "fair and balanced" about that.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I don't think you have read Lauren Ritchie as much as I have. She is not using the skills and values that guide most journalists who report issues... in my opinion. I think she is employed by The Orlando Sentinel as a columnist giving her opinions rather than a reporter who prints just facts... She is also not supportive of the views that most of us who live here espouse. We are cheering for the success of a business like the Morses have built. We are mostly moderate to conservative which is not the views of the paper that employs her.

I believe we have essentially just said the same thing - only you type faster.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I don't think you have read Lauren Ritchie as much as I have. She is not using the skills and values that guide most journalists who report issues... in my opinion. I think she is employed by The Orlando Sentinel as a columnist giving her opinions rather than a reporter who prints just facts... She is also not supportive of the views that most of us who live here espouse. We are cheering for the success of a business like the Morses have built. We are mostly moderate to conservative which is not the views of the paper that employs her.

She is a columnist, her opinions are part of what she does, just as most of the people who opine on those networks I mentioned as well as the columnists who are printed by the Sun. The very point of my post was that you should consider her work even if "she is not supportive of your views".

Originally Posted by dbussone

And just because it is presented by a columnist does not make what is written "evidence." Columnists are not reporters. The very nature of their writings is full of opinion. Nothing very "fair and balanced" about that.

And I presume you think the commentators on those networks I mentioned are "fair and balanced"? I said in my post that even if you don't like her you should examine the evidence, I didn't say that was proof she was offering part or all the evidence, just that an examination might be worthwhile.

Every time I suggest someone should open their mind on this forum I, or my post gets attacked. I find it frustrating but humerous.