[nhkim]

Originally Posted by ureout

I agree why do we need gate attendants all they do is push a button to open the gate... also with all the talk now of the new stickers on your headlights to open a gate.. why not just use the same sensor system as when exiting .. pull up to the gate and have sensor just lift the gate automatically..

THIS is the correct solution. It's well understood that the gates are for controlling traffic, not for security. I'm amazed that in all these discussions by our elected officials, no one comes up with this one. And while they're at it, they should install a system that alternately opens the gates when two vehicles arrive at the same time or there's a lineup of cars on both sides.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by ureout

I agree why do we need gate attendants all they do is push a button to open the gate... also with all the talk now of the new stickers on your headlights to open a gate.. why not just use the same sensor system as when exiting .. pull up to the gate and have sensor just lift the gate automatically..

Originally Posted by nhkim

THIS is the correct solution. It's well understood that the gates are for controlling traffic, not for security. I'm amazed that in all these discussions by our elected officials, no one comes up with this one. And while they're at it, they should install a system that alternately opens the gates when two vehicles arrive at the same time or there's a lineup of cars on both sides.

Why not also eliminate "Resident"/"Guest" lanes?

The gates are strictly traffic sequencing devices. Why not simply make them all automatic?

If necessary to maintain the ambiance, we could add blow-up attendants that wave and mumble occasionally.

If I'm not mistaken, golf course employees are getting (or got) another raise. I think they're up over $15/hour now. Did gate attendants get a raise, too? Imagine $15/hour for sitting on a stool and waving once in a while?

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by jimmy o

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Mine disagrees with yours. Community Watch is welcomed by all my neighbors and friends. I mean all, I can’t think of one person I know that feels CW is a waste. Some think that they could be more diligent in checking pool passes, but no reason to think money pit.

I agree.
Some posters come on here and have a complaint for just about anything.

[Bealman]

Originally Posted by mraines

Yes, that's why we have drug houses and homes with uncut lawns and bushes. Tell me again what they do?

If you know drug houses report them to the police. CW is not law enforcement.

The uncut lawns and bushes, report them.

Ask not what your CW can do for TV, ask what TV can do to help CW do their job better. Complaints about CW is not helpful.

[Bealman]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Why not also eliminate "Resident"/"Guest" lanes?

The gates are strictly traffic sequencing devices. Why not simply make them all automatic?

If necessary to maintain the ambiance, we could add blow-up attendants that wave and mumble occasionally.

If I'm not mistaken, golf course employees are getting (or got) another raise. I think they're up over $15/hour now. Did gate attendants get a raise, too? Imagine $15/hour for sitting on a stool and waving once in a while?

Florida state minimum wage = $15/hr. Yes, minimum wage just went up.

[Bay Kid]

Community Watch is a good thing for us. They keep an eye on our property and watch for anything strange going on.

[CrosbyStills]

What they are, in addition to extra pairs of ears and eyes on things, is a deterrent factor. This is NOT quantifiable, so all of you trying to do cost-benefit analysis on their usefulness vs cost are not going to like this factor, you'll probably dismiss it entirely since you can't "see" it.

There is no way to ever determine the value of a cop sitting in a police car parked writing a report. How many people slow down because they see the police and prevent a tragic accident that may have occurred otherwise. How many convenience stores were not robbed because there was a police officer across the street?

When Community Watch eyeballs people coming through, the nefarious think, "there's one more person who might be able to describe me, or remember my car (plates are video'd, no?)"

It's the same reason sales people in stores are taught to greet and welcome customers coming into the store. Make eye contact, make sure they know they're seen, make sure they know they'll likely be remembered.

Deterrence is a layer of the security onion. They are valuable, more so than your ledger books and bean-counting might allow.

The Developers are billionaires. They've done better in business than 99.999% of the people here and on this forum. Do you think they would've done better than you in the business world by throwing away money and being careless? You gripe often enough about the "cheapness" and "greed" of the Developer on these forums? Obviously they saw the intangible and unquantifiable benefits of Community Watch, and still do so.

Of course, there are those here that probably think they can out-pick Warren Buffett's stock picks also. Pure hubris and eye-roll worthy. There's at least a few here (I won't name names) that think they're the smartest thing to have ever walked down a street.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Why not also eliminate "Resident"/"Guest" lanes?

The gates are strictly traffic sequencing devices. Why not simply make them all automatic?

If necessary to maintain the ambiance, we could add blow-up attendants that wave and mumble occasionally.

If I'm not mistaken, golf course employees are getting (or got) another raise. I think they're up over $15/hour now. Did gate attendants get a raise, too? Imagine $15/hour for sitting on a stool and waving once in a while?

Golf course employees don't get raises. They get minimum wage, with zero opportunity to earn more than minimum wage as long as they continue in their position. The same goes for country club pool attendants. They are also not permitted full-time work. Typical schedules are between 15-18 hours a week, no paid time off.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I see no need to replace Community Watch employees with anything at all. They don't ONLY have 2-way radios. They also have smartphones. That's pretty modern, compared to 2-way radios. If you were to get younger people, they'd demand more money, more hours, health benefits, and a better retirement/pension fund. And paid time off.

Most people take jobs like these because they're technically retired from doing something else, and want to LIVE a retired-person's lifestyle. However, if they're living on social security and only a modest pension, or having to spend their money on a loved one with expensive medical needs, they need to supplement with a part-time job. The more you work, the less you get in that social security check. They have to balance it out to maximize that guaranteed monthly income with their supplemental income from their part-time job.

That's why part-time low-paying jobs are so attractive to Seniors. And, why they are so UNattractive to everyone else.

“ If you were to get younger people, they'd demand more money, more hours, health benefits, and a better retirement/pension fund. And paid time off”

That’s’ why about everything contracted out so they don’t have pay benefits or be responsible for work. They leave that up to contractors/ Subcontractors.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

That’s’ why about everything contracted out so they don’t have pay benefits or be responsible for work. They leave that up to contractors/ Subcontractors.

Exactly right.

But what I want to know, who's getting their Social Security cut, because they're working at a job?

As I understand SS, once you reach full retirement age, your social security only goes up and it doesn't go down, no matter how much you work.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

CW does more than open a gate. Driving past every home 3x/day on a random schedule is a deterrent to criminals. Helping to check IDs at pools helps keep outsiders from using the facilities that we pay for. Some of my neighbors have received the phone call that they left their garage door open late at night--- a sure invitation to those with ill intent. Even the gate attendants might spot a suspicious person or vehicle better than a camera. Yes, a lot of their presence is designed to give the illusion of a gated community, but what they actually do is worthwhile

Posted elsewhere. Imagine if the inmates were running this place. There is NOTHING all would agree is right. "Illusion." The Villages is an illusion-sometimes called the bubble. We choose not to live m the REAL WORLD

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Exactly right.

But what I want to know, who's getting their Social Security cut, because they're working at a job?

As I understand SS, once you reach full retirement age, your social security only goes up and it doesn't go down, no matter how much you work.

This is a 55+ community. Since full retirement age is now 67, that leaves 11 years of living here and working before the SS cuts go away.

Then again, the reduction begins at about $25K which works out to be about 32 hours/wk at $15/hour so probably not a real concern for anyone working a CW job.

[MollyJo]

Why can’t Community Watch be ‘private contractors’ driving their own car/golf car & reimbursed mileage?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by MollyJo

Why can’t Community Watch be ‘private contractors’ driving their own car/golf car & reimbursed mileage?

Personally, I think it would be more expensive, especially since The Villages would need to hire someone to manage the contractors and to also provide additional liability insurance.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Exactly right.

But what I want to know, who's getting their Social Security cut, because they're working at a job?

As I understand SS, once you reach full retirement age, your social security only goes up and it doesn't go down, no matter how much you work.

From the Social Security Administration:
Reduction Rule: If you earn more than that limit, the Social Security Administration (SSA) deducts $1 from your benefits for every $2 you earn above the $24,480 cap

And so - if you work and earn more than $24,480, they will reduce your Social Security check $1 for each $2 over that amount - while you are working. Once you stop working again and fall back into retirement, they recalculate the amount put in from your paychecks, and your checks will go back up accordingly.

This is how it's been for as long as I've cared to look into social security benefits - which is to say, since I was around 50, or 15 years ago when I first decided I might want to stop working sooner rather than later.