[tkret]

Originally Posted by ConeyIslandBabe

tkret......... I'm going to boldly risk the Off-topic-Cop :cop: getting after me, but to answer your question...... that's "Jack" a 1-1/2 year-old Rat Terrier, my best little buddy ;D.

Sorry for the digression, my apologies to the OP :

My fault, CIBabe, I should have asked that in a PM. Jack is a handsome one, though. And now back to the discussion. Re: Interesting take on The Villages

[gfmucci]

Originally Posted by ladykathleen

We are paying and will pay oh so much in the future.* I hope everyone has lots of money.* Our "vacation" will soon become very expensive.* What has been written in the article is not opinion but how the government has worked.* Florida Home Town Democracy is a step to have a say in our future.

First, Hometown Democracy will result in bypassing our local elected officials and subjecting the voters to the paid propaganda of the biggest spending lobbyists. It will either stifle adaptation to changing land values and obsolete land uses or will cause the state legislature to repeal the planning act altogether.* It would be a boondoggle.* See what state professional planners say... http://www.floridaplanning.org/homet...wdemocracy.swf

The article itself sounds like a college paper by some form of Gore-inspired academic who likes to use lots of big words and find fault with things that are obviously working well.*

And as for higher costs in the future, CDD's are not new.* Several around the state have existed for longer than 30 years and function very professionally and efficiently.* I have NO reason to expect anything different from our CDDs.

[Fourpar]

gfmucci,

You're right on target!

[Bucco]

Bucco, Many people bought here in late 2005 and early 2006. They might not be able to recoup their investment by selling now.
__________________________________________________ __________________

Of course that is true...I realize that. I suspect, dont know and not saying it is a fact, that fact does not apply to most. I have been here for quite a few years now and this is not anything knew...the negativity. Every time I receive on my driveway an unwanted POA bulletin, I cringe not because they have no right to compain or investigate but because I have found beyond being negative, it APPEARS that their GOAL is to be negative. Having seen how some of their "surveys" are worded for example makes me wonder about the goal.

Hey, this place is not perfect....you can take a course on how it is governed..no secrets.

YES...we need an outlet for problems....and I think we basically have them. Now if your GOAL is to provide more noise about all problems then the POA is being succesful and they wonder why the developer wont commnicate with them...DUH !

I have no problem bringing up problems...there are and always will be those..I have had them.....followed up and got them resolved.

Said my piece I suppose....no sense in beating a dead horse, but some folks just live to complain and I suppose it keeps their blood flowing I just do not think that MOST, not ALL, of those you were referring to are stuck and will lose their investment and that is the ONLY reason they are staying. NOT ALL, but some will find fault no matter where they live and how well they live.

I really do not buy this by the professor on One Sumter. Doesn't seem to reflect the shades of gray you find so much in real life outside of academia. One Sumter seems to be more about the votes going to the population centers in Sumter County rather than focused on geographical voting districts.

"In July 2003, residents backed by the developer established a political committee called One Sumter. The purpose of the committee was to promote a referendum that would change the way in which commissioners in Sumter County were chosen from a district-based system to one where commissioners were voted on at-large. Given the fact that The Villages is the largest community in the county, critics of the developer viewed the initiative as a shameless power grab by its CEO, Gary Morse. Funded primarily by contractors and other businesses with identifiable economic interests in The Villages and, often, headquarters outside the county, the developer-appointed administrative head of the CDD, Pete Wahl, sent residents a letter informing them of rising maintenance assessments explaining that they were forced to raise the costs due to decisions made by the Sumter County Board of Commissioners and conveniently enclosed an application for an absentee ballot to be used in the August, 2005 election (Curry 2004c)."

[Bucco]

TALTARZAC,

Could you supply the source of your quote in your last post ??

Thanks

Originally Posted by Bucco

TALTARZAC,

Could you supply the source of your quote in your last post ??

Thanks

It is from the 14th paragraph on this page of that article. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/sec...tart=768593209

[Bucco]

Thank you Taltarzac......I worked on that particular issue in petition gathering, etc. I always knew that the Developer supprted it but this article implies that he began the entire process. Will need to check more on that as this may be opinion.

Doesnt matter..to me it makes sense.....I think representation should be based on population and not empty space. In those days the developer was also sued by a local farmer who just did not want any development like this anywhere near here. He wanted the area to stay rural...and this went on for a few years !

Still think One Sumter is a good idea !

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Bucco

Bucco, Many people bought here in late 2005 and early 2006. They might not be able to recoup their investment by selling now.
__________________________________________________ __________________

Of course that is true...I realize that. I suspect, dont know and not saying it is a fact, that fact does not apply to most. I have been here for quite a few years now and this is not anything knew...the negativity. Every time I receive on my driveway an unwanted POA bulletin, I cringe not because they have no right to compain or investigate but because I have found beyond being negative, it APPEARS that their GOAL is to be negative. Having seen how some of their "surveys" are worded for example makes me wonder about the goal.

Hey, this place is not perfect....you can take a course on how it is governed..no secrets.

YES...we need an outlet for problems....and I think we basically have them. Now if your GOAL is to provide more noise about all problems then the POA is being succesful and they wonder why the developer wont commnicate with them...DUH !

I have no problem bringing up problems...there are and always will be those..I have had them.....followed up and got them resolved.

Said my piece I suppose....no sense in beating a dead horse, but some folks just live to complain and I suppose it keeps their blood flowing I just do not think that MOST, not ALL, of those you were referring to are stuck and will lose their investment and that is the ONLY reason they are staying. NOT ALL, but some will find fault no matter where they live and how well they live.

WELL SAID. My thoughts exactly. Would you be interested in running for president? :bigthumbsup:

[diskman]

This thread has kind of confused me!
If the POA is not recognized by the Morse family and the family rejects any and all info from them it seems to me that there is no clout or benefit to being a member. OR even for the existence of the POA so, how does it manage to continue to exist and for what purpose? :realmad:

[samhass]

Outsider, thanks for your take on things. I wish you could go into more detail on the gate issue.

[Muncle]

who's Outsider and what's his/her take on things?

[samhass]

OMgosh....Muncle, he had a long post but he and the post are gone!! Here is his/her profile and when they were online. I posted a reply immediately after his post. Maybe he felt that he said to much and his position would be recognized. In any event, it was a well written post. As he obviously had second thoughts about leaving it online, I shall not post the topics he discussed.


Summary - OutsiderWithInterest Picture/Text
Name: OutsiderWithInterest
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Local Time: August 11, 2008, 08:26:41 AM
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[ConeyIsBabe]

Now I'm REALLY confused : :dontknow:

Somehow, I get the feeling like there are secrets that some people know about but dare not talk about it, or at least print it here?

Yes, as a prospective TVer I'm curious....... call it nosy....... but (speaking for myself only, of course) I WANNA KNOW everything; the good, the bad, the ugly, all about the POA, and what about the gates?

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by diskman

This thread has kind of confused me!
If the POA is not recognized by the Morse family and the family rejects any and all info from them it seems to me that there is no clout or benefit to being a member. OR even for the existence of the POA so, how does it manage to continue to exist and for what purpose? :realmad:

I should NOT be answering this, because it was before we bought in TV and it is hearsay and I am not sure of my facts. I think that I heard that the POA sued the Morse family and won. The issue is not clear to me, but part of it was that one subcontractor had not nailed the shingles properly on a zillion or so houses. Now this is gossip. I think I heard that somehow, some folks in the POA benefited monetarily. Please correct me if I'm wrong. And I probably am. What I am sure about is that almost every post I read from people in the POA is negative. About something. Sometimes about silly things. (IMHO) Now, I am an incurable optimist and an activist too. When something goes wrong, I immediatly set out to have it resolved. And It usually is resolved, or if it can't be, I change it somehow, or accept it.