Seems like logic :cool:

"IRS" and "the villages"
 

Copy the heading above into Google and read. The magic number is 355 million dollars. Has it been resolved yet. Are Spanish Springs and Sumpter Landing towns? Does the builder have the authority to issue tax free bonds on what is a large housing development?

When I say bona-fide I mean are they like the incorporated towns around you with elected officials, or are they just concentrations of commercial properties made that way by the builder?

Hearing From Both Sides
 

I read Pat Buchanan. I read Chomsky. I need both. Left leaning thinkers are censored out of life in the Villages. That is a quality of life issue for me.

Yes it would be nice if the USA was the Utopia that you have in the Villages. But we have bank failures, foreclosures, offshoring of good jobs, illnesses leading to indebtedness and poverty. Ambition is good, greed is not. The right is excessively greedy.

But you got yours didn't you. What if they take it away?

Who is the arbitrator of what's "too greedy"? One man's "ambition" may be another man's "greed".

"The right is excessively greedy" is a silly statement; I'm sorry but it is.

"you got yours, didn't you. What if they take it away"? Who are "they".

Who and What They Can Take
 

Excessive greed is the CEO that found a new way to cheat hard working rank and file workers out of a decent pension through creative new accounting techniques. Excessive greed is getting an auditing company to misrepresent your financial status. Excessive greed is corrupting companies that rate your bonds. Excessive greed is bundling low quality mortgages into packages called securities and then buying securities that protect you against their failure. Excessive greed is Enron.

I didn't get mine yet. I'm still working. If they take away my pension and S.S. I will be screwed.

Excessive greed is the GOVERNMENT that found a new way to cheat hard working rank and file workers out of a decent pension through creative new accounting techniques. Might I add that the same GOVERNMENT, took the money under the ruse of returning it someday as a retirement income. Talk about CREATIVE ACCOUNTING Techiques! Had the money for Social Security been invested at even a small interest rate and not touched for any other reason other than to pay out as Social Security, maybe you wouldn't be in fear of being screwed! Better yet, maybe you shouldn't be forced to pay into a system that is claiming to have your best interest at heart. Leave your money alone and let you prepare for retirement using your own creative, survival instincts.
The GOVERNMENT doesn't need an auditing company to come and misrepresent the financial status of this country. In Washington DC, the elected officials don't give a hoot about their constituents. It is spend, pad their own retirements and healthcare, spend some more, defund our defense, and spend some more. Oh, then when they run out of OUR MONEY to spend, they just RAISE OUR TAXES.
If that ain't GREED, I don't know what is!

I don't know how any honest person could dispute this as being a huge part of the economic problems we have right now.

Chances are that if most people were left to invest whatever money they wanted out of their paychecks for retirement for their working career, they would not do it - and would find themself with absolutely nothing.

President Bush had a plan where a portion of the money that was deducted from a paycheck for Social Security could be designated by the wage earner to be deposited into an approved private pension plan that would be invested toward his retirement with conceivable higher earning potential than his projected Social Security payment with the added benefit of it now being his personal property that could be passed on to his heirs instead of all his deductions just dying with him.

This would be at the wage earner's discretion and the system would have allayed the fears you have while giving the wage earner more control over his future.

President Bush was demonized by the Democrat establishment, who's false claims were echoed by the lamestream media who misrepresented and virtually lied about his plan in one of the biggest examples of media malpractice evidenced in our lifetimes.

Social Security began in 1935. What were people doing for the 159 years between 1776 and 1935?
Who is the government to make the judgement call that most of Americans wouldn't invest/save for their own retirement. Somewhere around 2% of Americans are entirely dependent on the government for all their needs and about 8% recieve some kind of aid. Why should the other 92% be perceived as not able to take care of their own needs for retirement when they are able to take care of their needs now? We are not stupid! The instinct to survive is possibly the strongest instinct controlling our every move....Give me a break.

Apeing my observations to suit your own purpose
 

I made a legitimate points. You screwed them up to suit your own purposes.

2003
 

It was such a good idea that a the Republican House and Republican Senate wouldn't touch it.
What would have happened in 2008?

RichieLion made a legitimate points. You screwed them up to suit your own purposes...?

Recommended Reading
 

Where the Right Went Wrong - Pat Buchanan

Retirement Heist - Ellen E. Schultz

The Price of Loyalty - Ron Suskind

The Great U-turn - Paul Krugman

Recommended Videos
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi1R4iDx3Lg[/ame]

This is recommended for those of you who constantly ignore the facts, and respond to my posts without responding to what I have actually said.

What?
 

I won't dignify remarks that are not well thought out.

Great advice! Wish I'd known it prior to posting #53...Thanks!

I'm talking about your remarks
 

I'm talking about your remarks

Duh...Again, thanks for the enlightenment!:wave:

After reading all this it came to me that the overwhelming opinion about The Villages is that it is a great place to live, even for those on the right. And furthermore the overwhelming political leaning is moderate or left. I have to believe that the number of happy moderates sets the back drop and tone for the wonderful place The Villages has become.

Therefore I must surmise that if the USA as a whole was left leaning and moderate like The Villages it too would be a wonderful place to live. Not saying it is not a wonderful place, just could be more like TV!

JHW

WOW that's a real stretch John W.

I don't know who or what wound Tony up but he has been on a roll. I listened to his laments about conservatives philosophy of "I got mine the heck with you" which was a familar refrain from my very Democratic Dad. But if one reads between the lines what you see is an entitlement mentality. This populist chant can get a lot of votes as does the claim of greedy rich people. I mean who would be in support of a billionaire except maybe a synchophant ?

Key words, rich bankers, insurers, corporations politicians......are easy targets and there is no way you can win when defending them. You have the same problem with fringe groups because if you attempt to have an intelliegent dialogue it wouldn't get off the ground because the left will immediately shout you down with name calling. You witnessed it here on this thread.

Unlike many of you my neighbors and I do have poltical discussions not in length but a few minutes here and there.

Frankly I beleieve we need to speak up more because political correctness has hampered our ability to deal effectively with some very serious issues and the minority has become the majority because of it

If only he had a Republican House and Senate. You're forgetting the infamous "Jumpin' Jim Jeffords". Not a biggie; everyone's forgotten him.

It was still a good plan though, and ahead of it's time. The establishment resists change, especially when it saps some of their power.

Those with BDR reject anything the former president did. It's very sad.

Well, like I said before, the groups I hang around with playing golf or at the social clubs never talk politics. Some of our friends who we see socially talk politics at times and, believe it or not, all are very liberal. I have organized food drives for one of our social clubs for the Christian Food Pantry which is against many of you conservatives beliefs but we still collect quite a bit of food every month.

The Salvation Army Red Kettles are beginning very soon and I will be out ringing bells at the WalMart on 466. Hope some of you come by to drop money in the kettles - if giving to charity is not against your beliefs. In fact, we can always use a few more bell ringers, so just let me know and I can sign you up for a couple of shifts.

The Villages are full of caring and generous people. There are some grumps on this forum who say they will never give a hand-up to someone who needs it. Very tiny fraction of the good people here.

Do not be dismayed by the rantings of a few people. The Villages is truly one of the best places you can choose to live.

buggyone, I am not sure where your input comes from that leads you to continue to harp about conservatives who are against Christian charity, caring, contributing and what ever else negative contained in your post above....

I do accept that statistically in any group, you name the sample size there will always be a very small percent that are out of line with the majority. But the continual need smear the opposition, as delineated by R or D, with such ridiculous allegations is just plain nasty hot air.

I would accept that in a group of people there will be some who do not measure up to your self impose measurement of "charitable enough"...but for you to intimate those who do not measure up are conservatives is just the RANT of a partisan with a GREAT BIG need to work the party inference even in a human interest aspect of life.

You had some very nice, humane things to say, laced, as usual with partisan poison.

A very distorted, political view of life. You are entitled to your opinion. But you also need to be made aware when your allegations are just out of order/wrong....

btk

The majority of Americans see themselves as conservative. The politics in TV represents America.

"There are some grumps on this forum who say they will never give a hand-up to someone who needs it"

This is quite an accusation, and condemnation of a large number of people and in my opinion requires you to validate by citing even one quote that says this !! Otherwise it is just another made up lie

Rags, just go back to some of the postings in the past and you can read those who say they will not give to any charity. I am not going to name them as that act in itself would be uncharitable.

At the Salvation Army Red Kettles, it is heartwarming to see people of all ethnic groups put money in the kettles, be it small kids putting in a few cents or adults stuffing in $20 bills. Unfortunately, there are always a couple of people who walk by and say, "Bah, humbug". We still wish them - as well as everyone else - a Merry Christmas.

As for the other things that BTK questioned in my post, I just have to stand by my own personal observations.

Yes, The Villages is a conservative place and there are still wonderful people (both conservative and liberal) who are willing to give back to others some of the good fortune we have achieved for ourselves.

Very interesting. I have never read anything that said that liberals contribute more to charities then conservatives. Could you please give us a link. Thank You.

Republicans vs. Conservatives
 

I regard George Will, Pat Buchanan and Lou Dobbs as conservative, but I don't see them as necessarily Republican although they may vote that way. Pat Buchanan is not on board with our Isreali policy. Lou Dobbs sees abuse of foreign visas damaging to the middle class. George Will has solid conservative credentials but has criticized more than one of the Republican candidates.

In your eyes does Republican equal Conservative?

Bush Had The house and Senate Several Times
 

See the link below

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0774721.html

Bush had the 106th 107th and 108th Congress on his side. In the 107th where the count was 50/50 Cheney had the tie breaking vote.

By todays standards, JFK was quite conservative. There are conservatives in both parties.

You've got to include the RINO's like Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Gordon Smith, Norm Coleman, Richard Lugar, George Voinovich, John Warner, Chuck Hagel, Ted Stevens and the profoundly ungrateful Arlen Specter into the mix when you discuss GW Bush's record. These liberal Republican's often were on the wrong side of the aisle when it came to standing behind the ostensible head of their party.

At least there were a few Repubicans in their right mind when Junior Bush had his ill fated regime in power.

The people who are developing this place are Republicans. They own the paper and most everything else and this is a CDD form of government.

It is not run democratically. It is run republicany. You must realize this before you decide to move here or you will be unhappy. Because there will NOT be any Democrats speaking in the square or be signing books.

I think it is only fair that potential buyers know this.

And...I don't discuss my moderate views because NO body would like me.

What am I doing here? Oh, I know...I came over and opened the political group thing to see what people are saying about Herman Cain and the sexual harrassment stuff.

the question was asked earlier in thread "...does republican = conservative?..."

I didn't see an answer, but based on this forum and others like it....YES!!!

It is pretty simple actually, conservative, republican or any other flavor names in opposition are all synonymous....eh?

btk

Ha ha; .............hey, shouldn't you be lounging at the pool with a pina colada or something?

Rinos
 

You have a point. If those people that you mentioned were/are Senators that may be a significant difference. Social Security is worth saving.

Absolutely agree with that, as do most people. The only question is, how? Do we grab more and more money from fewer and fewer people, or do we trim benefits for future beneficiaries?

Most think the country can't grow and survive if we leave things as they are, and the working class is not going to be happy to have their promised future benefits cut, and their eligibility tightened while they pay the way of current beneficiaries. There's no easy answer, but there must be an answer never the less.

Gracie I believe your caution:
"You must realize this before you decide to move here or you will be unhappy."

is a bit stronger than reality warrants.

As has been stated by very many on this forum previously about the "leanings of TV"....it really plays no role in the decision to build/buy here....stay here....as the day to day life here has no dependency on race, color, creed and especially politics.

Remember real life is what TV represents....politics, partisanship orientation, etc are the least contributing factors.

I venture to say if one would ask a prospective buyer to make a list of what is important to them in a new location, the political leaning would not show up on 99 out of 100 lists.

btk

Having lived in a democratically controlled county most of my life, the conservative aspect of The Villages is on the top ten list of reasons that we want to retire there.

Well, I never considered the political aspects when I moved here. I just fell in love with the place for it's charm and it's beauty and it's potential to fill my life with happiness. (Same reason I fell in love with my wife, I guess)

Although, it is awfully nice for my vote to be cast for the winner of the election. It kind of validates my point of view. In liberal N.J. I rarely was voting for the winning side and it did annoy me for a long time.