Morse, Moffitt, Ritchie and Villages Bashing

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  #76  
Old 02-13-2011, 12:32 PM
Taj44 Taj44 is offline
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Advogado and Rubicon - thank you for posting information regarding the $40,000,000 class action lawsuit that Village residents won against The Villages CCDD and Developer Gary Morse. I like to see people posting the facts.
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Old 02-13-2011, 12:40 PM
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Seriously?

Aren't you the one who said (and I cut and paste to prove) "I'm wondering why it's necessary to assign a demeaning name to people..."

And you just called a member of your own forum 'smug' and 'intolerant'.

Poor form TH.

You are quoting a definition from the dictionary, not my words. I posted it merely as a convenience to those who feel that they should put themselves into that category. This would be a "self diagnosis" devoid of me naming anybody specifically. I put myself into that category. Anybody else is welcome to join me.
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Old 02-13-2011, 01:06 PM
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I posted the definition of self righteous merely as a convenience to those who feel that they should put themselves into that category. This would be a "self diagnosis" devoid of me naming anybody specifically. Only I know if I put myself into that category. I know that there are a few here who think iI belong there.
Pretty sure it was directed at Bogie since that is who you quoted. But whatever, it's your show.
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Old 02-13-2011, 01:34 PM
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Old 02-13-2011, 01:37 PM
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Old 02-13-2011, 01:56 PM
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Default Ritchie Bashing

As I recollect this thread all began with those pro and con to Ritchie's articles pertaining to the Developers' activities. I am in many respects neither pro or con. I do try and form my conclusions based on the intent of those speaking or writing and on the facts as they are presented. If as an individual you hear the same critic about something you do or fail to do that it an indication that you might want to pay closer attention to what is being said. and if the people advancing that critic have nothing to gain by taking the time and courtesy to assist you then you might want to listen.

Well that is how I view Lauren Ritchie. The concerns regarding the Developer have consistently revolved around his lack of transparcency, his ability to maximize profits and his knack for getting residents to fund his projects. think back and you will see that this is his profile. His business acumen is on spot and from that aspect I can't fault him. It is the egregious manner in which he operates such as the breach of our convenant in order to sell property to Freedom Pointe, to his pulling the rug from under disable residents who relied on an indoor swimming pool that remained with the individuals who purchased the original Fitness Center. Granted attempts were made to correct this issue after the fact but nonetheless not without much protest from affected residents . The IRS bond issue and the Amenities lawsuit have already been addressed. While mimimal, the controversey with the disappearance of the bison from Lake Sumter Landing . What upset people more was not their removal but the reason he gave as lawsuits. The fact remains that he had all the intentions in the world of building homes on that plot of land. In fact he has intentions of building on every single plot he can squeeze something on. It his right and its not personal its business

I challenge any resident to find one note of discord concerning the Developer from the Daily Sun, Villages Television or radio, the Villages Homeowner Association which he monetarily contributes and whose president is anAlliance Hospital Board member. The VHA was started to compete and and hopefully eliminate the POA. All of the foregoing enterprises, save the POA, are part of the mass marketing efforts of the Developer.

The fact is that the Developer is so too big to fail. He doesn't have to ask, imply or hint because so many business people make their living directly or indirectly from him that they don't dare say no. The question I have is does that also apply to the politicians and administrators around here?

So I welcome Lauren Ritchie articles and believe that all she is doing is writing about what she has read from IRS filing, court records, village residents, others such as with Moffitt etc. And if she didn't report it most resident would be left in the dark about what is really going on here. What saddens me are those residents who feel a need to defend The Villages. The Villages doesn't need defending as millions are being spent to relocate people here from around the world.

This is my opinion and I may be wrong and so I welcome editorial comments from fellow members who may information that would alter my view.
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Old 02-13-2011, 02:15 PM
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Rubicon, truly beautifully said. Thank you!
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  #83  
Old 02-13-2011, 02:19 PM
Bogie Shooter Bogie Shooter is offline
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Originally Posted by rubicon View Post
The fact is that the Developer is so too big to fail. He doesn't have to ask, imply or hint because so many business people make their living directly or indirectly from him that they don't dare say no. The question I have is does that also apply to the politicians and administrators around here?

.
It is worth mentioning what the POA had to say about one of the administrators, in her role during the sale, last summer of the Villages utility.


......."It is clear from reading the meeting minutes
and from the amendments made to the
contract of sale that things have changed in
The Villages. The District manager and her
staff have done a good job representing the
interests of our residents. Another good sign
is that the NSCUDD board, as reported in
their meeting minutes, was very actively engaged
in this process, asking key questions,
insisting on detailed explanations and having
lively discussions over the issues. We extend
our appreciation to the NSCUDD board and
to Ms. Janet Tutt and her staff for a job well
done"......(From the current POA bulletin)
  #84  
Old 02-13-2011, 05:02 PM
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Default Another County weighs in on Sentinel and Ritchie

There is a Lake County Government blog called the Right Side of the Lake. It makes several references to Lauren Ritchie and the Orlando Sun. The blog suggests in strong terms that Ritchie and the Orlando Sentinel are surrogates for the "anti-growth/anti- business movement" in that county. It alleges that no one has done more harm to Lake County then the Sentinel and Ritchie. The blog does cite some specifics. It attributes to Ritchie this comment on a certain amendment. "Amendment #4 would stop companies from swooping down in Lake County just to make a profit and it would encourage only local people to do business here.” Link below.

"......it would encourage only local people to do business here." If true, the comment the blog attributed to Ritchie, brought to mind my tongue in cheek observation in the OP. [I]"For balance, I guess if I was born and raised here, I may have some resentment about what progress has taken away. A quiet, idyllic countryside dotted with watermelon patches, horse farms, cattle grazing peacefully and fishing holes that never heard the whine of an outboard motor. A lifestyle that insulates you from car, truck and traffic noises. A lifestyle that keeps you from the pollution of progress. Damn Walt Disney and Gary Morse."[/I] (From Cabo's OP) At best, it suggests a noble motive for being anti-business, anti-growth and anti-Villages. I may not agree, but I do understand those that would hold that view. The counterpoint by Ritchie's opposition is compelling. It states that Lake County doesn't have the revenues to progress without growth and new revenue sources.

Before I comment further, let me say that while professionally presented, this blog is just that, a blog of some one's opinion. It should be viewed through the prism of skepticism. Objectivity needs to be factored into the equation and agendas need to be recognized. However, what is noteworthy to me is the similarity in attack styles by the paper and its columnist. If you suspend belief briefly, replace the Lake County targets with the Villages and Morse, you will realize the attack tactics are eerily similar if not clones. Striking at least. A careful read of the article reveals much.

To peak your interest enough to read the blog in its entirety, one of the sub-heading in bold print defines a certain reporter as a Hypocrite and give copious detailed opinion to support the position. Warning, "this ain't bean bag". It's hardball and interestingly enough, has nothing to do with the Villages or the Morse family. So sit back with smug, detached objectivity and make your own assessments.

I cannot attest to the claims made by the article. What I do see are stunning similarities in attack styles that suggest an anti-business and anti-growth agenda. I respectfully request that before commenting, please read the rather lengthy article in it's entirety.

A much larger concern is the impact such elevated, agenda driven journalism will have on the prosperity of my investment in the Villages. At what point does it have its intended effect......creating second thoughts about investing in the Villages. In my OP, I gave a litany of positive impacts the Villages has had on the people of Lake, Sumter and Marion counties. The positives get no coverage because they don't facilitate the agenda. In fact they counter it. I have acknowledged that the developer is not without fault. On balance, even his detractors seem to acknowledge he has done more right than wrong. The missing component in this equation is, I hate to say this, "fair and balanced" reporting.

In fact, the most fair and balanced information venue to date is TOTV.

http://lakecountygov.info/2010/03/31...e-hypocrite-4/

We beat the frost and had an enjoyable 18.

P.S. Saw the King's Speech last night. Great movie.

Have a good evening.

Last edited by cabo35; 02-13-2011 at 05:52 PM.
  #85  
Old 02-13-2011, 06:10 PM
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Cabo, you must truly be a renaissance man. To come up with another lenthy post, complete with research - and play 18 holes and a movie. I suspect a little help has come your way, perhaps it's Mrs. Cabo? I only played nine on an executive and had too little time to be so verbose and witty.
Right Side of the Lake, I wonder what political leaning they might have - oh year, it's in their name. Not exactly the fair and balanced reporting I'm looking for, but I found some of their archived material amusing. On the subject of Ms. Ritchie, they said "the Orlando Sentinel is being led down the path of failure by the bankrupt ideas of Lauren Ritchie". Wow, that certainly is a lot of power she wields at the newspaper considering she only does commentary on the local section. Evidently she's powerful enough, or she wouldn't have made it to "Hypocrite #4" on this blog - I can only imagine who the top three are!

Now, fair and balanced would be wonderful but the only thing those of us who think there is a problem with the fund-raising have is Lauren Ritchie's article. It's not going to come from the Sun, nor this so-right-leaning-I-feel-I-may-tip-over blog.

So the only thing Morse can do is attack the credibility of Ritchie and the Sentinel will well-placed and timed articles, which he can have published at his whim.
  #86  
Old 02-13-2011, 06:43 PM
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Originally Posted by nitakk View Post
Cabo, you must truly be a renaissance man. To come up with another lenthy post, complete with research - and play 18 holes and a movie. I suspect a little help has come your way, perhaps it's Mrs. Cabo? I only played nine on an executive and had too little time to be so verbose and witty.
Right Side of the Lake, I wonder what political leaning they might have - oh year, it's in their name. Not exactly the fair and balanced reporting I'm looking for, but I found some of their archived material amusing. On the subject of Ms. Ritchie, they said "the Orlando Sentinel is being led down the path of failure by the bankrupt ideas of Lauren Ritchie". Wow, that certainly is a lot of power she wields at the newspaper considering she only does commentary on the local section. Evidently she's powerful enough, or she wouldn't have made it to "Hypocrite #4" on this blog - I can only imagine who the top three are!

Now, fair and balanced would be wonderful but the only thing those of us who think there is a problem with the fund-raising have is Lauren Ritchie's article. It's not going to come from the Sun, nor this so-right-leaning-I-feel-I-may-tip-over blog.

So the only thing Morse can do is attack the credibility of Ritchie and the Sentinel will well-placed and timed articles, which he can have published at his whim.
..
  #87  
Old 02-13-2011, 07:00 PM
LeeAndDottie LeeAndDottie is offline
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You say "It appears to me that the Morse family is contributing the land and construction." I don't think you can call it a contribution when the developer builds a building then rents it out to the future occupant (Moffitt). Sounds like it is one heck of a lucrative business deal. The developer still owns the land and the building.
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Old 02-13-2011, 07:18 PM
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..
shadow where are you?
  #89  
Old 02-13-2011, 07:32 PM
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shadow where are you?
Several days ago, I saw a posting from The Shadow that was less than flattering to Morse. Within 15 minutes, the posting was deleted by administration of the site and The Shadow has not been seen nor heard from since. Personally, I don't think the remarks Shadow made were any more inflammatory than some I have seen - perhaps it was the target of his remarks that got him deleted.
  #90  
Old 02-13-2011, 07:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nitakk View Post
Several days ago, I saw a posting from The Shadow that was less than flattering to Morse. Within 15 minutes, the posting was deleted by administration of the site and The Shadow has not been seen nor heard from since. Personally, I don't think the remarks Shadow made were any more inflammatory than some I have seen - perhaps it was the target of his remarks that got him deleted.
The post that got deleted was more personal than about Moffitt et. al.

As you can see from the posts - all sides of the coin are allowed to present their case.
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