[Number 6]

If that was said I can see your point - was that ever in print so we can all see it? If so please provide the link.

Read back through the posts. When it is written that the developer is "financing" the building, many folks take that to mean his is "donating" it. Here is a part of an earlier post -

TV residents are not being asked to pay for building/facilities construction because the developer is paying for that. So we're being asked to fundraise for about $4.5 million while Leesburg has to fundraise $25 million.

That is really what I was replying to. Now it turns out that he is not donating the land. I know I read that one somewhere.

[Larry Wilson]

Originally Posted by nitakk

It seems as though if you criticize the way donations are being asked for by, at the very best, not telling the whole truth, you are against Moffitt, cancer treatment in general and probably don't like puppies. For all of you who think those of us who question this whole deal makes us Morse-bashers, Moffitt-haters and quite possibly Nazi-loving communists, my answer is to use your brain. I now realize there is no way of reasoning with people who don't want to use reason but it's so frustrating!! I, for one, won't be snookered into this out-and-out fraud being perpetuated on us by CFHA. Donations to all local "real" charities are down in this area since this crap started and that is just wrong. So if you will excuse me, I have to get back to "Mein Kampf" - it was just getting interesting.

Thanks for telling it like it is...

[Jane52]

Originally Posted by Number 6

Read back through the posts. When it is written that the developer is "financing" the building, many folks take that to mean his is "donating" it. Here is a part of an earlier post -

That is really what I was replying to. Now it turns out that he is not donating the land. I know I read that one somewhere.

Read what this article linked below in The Villages Voice says under "Fundraising". I tried to be accurate by quoting the exact words of the article and giving the reference (link) to the source, but the administrators took it down because they say the quote is "copyrighted".

I think the statement is clear that Villages residents are not being asked to pay for building construction as Leesburg residents are, because the developer is paying for the construction in TV.

For all the "experts" out there, is it possible that Leesburg residents are raising money for the building/facilities, and that IT will be leased to Moffitt as will be done in TV?

http://www.thevha.net/the-villages-v...26&article=595

[iaudit]

Jane52

You have to realize the the "Villlage Voice" is put out by the Villages Homeowners Association (VHA), which is nothing more than an organization created by the developer when the Property Owners Association (POA) did not go along with everything that the developer wanted many years ago. Anything that comes out of the VHA must be looked at with significant skepticism since they really represent the developer, not the homeowners. Look up the posts where anyone attending their meetings are not even allowed to ask questions during the presentations that they put on.

[Jane52]

OK. So is the article false? Is Leesburg not raising $25 million for construction of the building/facility and the radiation equipment?

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by nitakk

Donations to all local "real" charities are down in this area since this crap started and that is just wrong.

Yes that would be wrong.

But to say that Moffitt Cancer is not a 'real' charity would be as wrong. You can refer to an earlier link that I posted from an organization that monitors such things.

[Taj44]

Originally Posted by nitakk

It seems as though if you criticize the way donations are being asked for by, at the very best, not telling the whole truth, you are against Moffitt, cancer treatment in general and probably don't like puppies. For all of you who think those of us who question this whole deal makes us Morse-bashers, Moffitt-haters and quite possibly Nazi-loving communists, my answer is to use your brain. I now realize there is no way of reasoning with people who don't want to use reason but it's so frustrating!! I, for one, won't be snookered into this out-and-out fraud being perpetuated on us by CFHA. Donations to all local "real" charities are down in this area since this crap started and that is just wrong. So if you will excuse me, I have to get back to "Mein Kampf" - it was just getting interesting.

I love your posts! Nice to see some new blood on TOTV.

[dgammon6]

At the VHA meeting, the Director of the Leesburg Hospital said they thought they would need to raise 25 million for the project, but someone was going to build the building and they would only need to raise money for equipment. People in attendance gave their questions to the moderator who summerized them and asked the panel to answer them.

[The Shadow]

I offer this as food for thought but I do not understand non profit, it’s not free to the patients.
Note all four of the Moffitt Corporations are non profit the fifth is just a factious name. All are at the same address.

Florida Non Profit Corporation
H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number N02631

Florida Non Profit Corporation
H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE HOSPITAL, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number N94000001576

Florida Non Profit Corporation
H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE LIFETIME CANCER SCREENING CENTER, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number N94000001577

Florida Non Profit Corporation
H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOUNDATION, INC.
Filing Information
Document Number N94000001580

Principal Address for the four Corporations above.
12902 MAGNOLIA DRIVE
TAMPA FL 33612-9497 US

Fictitious Name
MOFFITT CANCER CENTER
Filing Information
Registration Number G08074700071
Owner Information
H. LEE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC
12902 MAGNOLIA DRIVE
TAMPA, FL 33612

[graciegirl]

..

[jflynn1]

First article: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/....column?page=2


Second article: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...1664811.column

[The Shadow]

I have a theory, if I was the head of Moffitt and I organized the four non profit corporations and I wanted to insure that one of the corporations did not become more popular than the rest and receive more donations that the rest and become profitable, I would create a fictitious name “MOFFITT CANCER CENTER”. Because the names of the four corporations are too long to fit on a donation check, I would tell contributors to make the check out to “MOFFITT CANCER CENTER”. In doing so checks could be deposited in anyone of the four non profits corporation accounts and prevent any non profit from becoming profitable.

I do believe that if I am correct it would be playing by the rules.

[Lauren Ritchie]

hello villagers concerned about moffitt,

i just popped on here to answer russ boston's question. finally! someone asked it! thanks, russ. though he phrased it differently, he basically wants to know why i never write anything nice about the villages.

first, there is a distinction here that few people seem to make, and i am not sure why they do not see the difference. realize i have never, ever written anything critical of the lifestyle or what is offered to residents at the villages.

in many columns, i have stated that it's a great place to live for folks who want a social experience and who are big golf fans. where better? if you find some place, let me know. i do not write columns about what the villages offers or columns comparing the offerings of local retirement communities. these issues simply aren't on my radar as a journalist. but i think it's great if you're having fun. more power to you.

that said, i often write articles that are critical or that question the actions of the developer. for some reason, folks in the villages identify with the developer. they seem to think that a criticism of the developer is a criticism of them or their lifestyle.

that's what i don't get and maybe someone can explain it. the way i see it, you folks are customers -- you bought a house and a lifestyle. it was an arm's length transaction in a business deal. after you buy a buick, do you feel some sort of identification with the phillips dealership? (because i write critically about the developer, i am somehow seen as hating the people who live there or hating the lifestyle or being "jealous". i am with nitakk on this one -- just because you have questions about moffitt and the way it's being sold to you doesn't mean you hate cancer survivors, does it?)

ok, moving on...why, you might ask, don't you also write about the developer of the planation? or the stonecrest? or, one of the other retirement communities?

the answer is simple: the developer of the villages has created GOVERNMENTS, legitimate governments under florida law. and he controls the big governments that handle all your "tax" money. none of the other retirement communities operate in the same way. of course, villages residents don't pay actual property taxes to the developer. in the villages, we call it an "amenity fee." the fee pays for many of the same things that citizens outside the villages have given to cities and counties to take care of. your fees are set and administrated by the developer-controlled governments.

that's why, in my book, your developer gets the same scrutiny i give to any other government in the area. i spend some considerable time writing about how public money is spent in lake county. for example, i'll be writing on sunday about more than $6 million that i believe the city of leesburg just flat wasted buying slums instead of making the owners clean them up. if you were to look back in a catalogue of my clips over the last 30 years, you would not find "nice" articles about government.

why is that? the reason is that the press in america is not in charge of advertising for any government. i'm not the cheerleading section for the city of leesburg, just as i'm not the publicity chairman for the villages governments. journalists are the watchdogs of government -- hence the nickname, 'the fourth estate.' i look at how these entities are using your money, and as a columnist, i write what i think about them.

you may argue that the villages is unique. indeed, it is unique in more ways than simply governmental structure. does that mean that no one should be allowed to think critically about how money for public purposes is spent? i hope not.

it is easy to deflect focus by saying, 'oh, she hates the villages,' or, 'oh, he hates moffitt,' or, 'oh, dr. anderson is just mad because he's losing patients' or 'oh, it's political,' or any number of other smokescreens. that's just a way of trying to keep people from taking a serious look into an issue for themselves and making a decision. in my opinion, that's precisely what your developer wants you to do -- recognize the well-respected moffitt brand and give your cash thoughtlessly.

my purpose in writing the last two columns (and there is another coming on friday that i didn't anticipate when i wrote the first two) is to lay out some facts that seem to be lacking. for example, lots of people think that moffitt is building a full service cancer center, just like in tampa only smaller. the vice president of moffitt stated to me that that assumption is completely incorrect. in fact, he said, there will be only one doctor who works for moffitt, and tht person will be at the villages only part-time. there are NO docs who are in diagnostics. so, the idea that you can go there to be diagnosed and have a treatment plan developed by docs who work for moffitt is in error. and where did that idea come from? i submit to you that it's from the hype created by the daily sun and the developer.

once i lay out the facts, the purpose of a column is commentary -- in other words, i give my opinion. the idea is to get folks talking and thoughtfully considering the developer's request instead of simply rushing to do what's asked. most of us have limited amounts to contribute to charity, and we've worked hard for our cash. i think we all want to be sure that what we give is being spent wisely.

russ, i hope that gives you an idea of what i do for a living and how. i'm happy to answer other questions if i can. i am not on totv usually, but i try to log in when i have written something that affects folks here. if you have something pressing and i haven't been on totv, please email me at LRitchie@orlandosentinel.com

and as always, thank you for taking the time to read the column. this is thursday afternoon, and i believe column no. 3 will be posted on the sentinel's site at www.lakesentinel.com by later this evening.

-- lauren

[nitakk]

Lauren, thanks for your research on what is going on with this whole Moffitt fiasco. While some people here are happy with a golf club in one hand and a beer in the other, I'd like to believe there are more reasonable, educated residents who want to know the facts. Like I said in my previous post, that $1 million could have done a lot of good for a lot of people in this area instead of funding something that didn't need funding in the first place.

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by nitakk

Lauren, thanks for your research on what is going on with this whole Moffitt fiasco. While some people here are happy with a golf club in one hand and a beer in the other, I'd like to believe there are more reasonable, educated residents who want to know the facts. Like I said in my previous post, that $1 million could have done a lot of good for a lot of people in this area instead of funding something that didn't need funding in the first place.

Why do the posts of this individual seem to be attacks on the intelligence of those who think otherwise? Lets talk about facts, not inuendo and allow people to develop their own opinions and act accordingly.