Originally Posted by RichieLion

Ohhh, so you did talk to the law enforcement detail assigned to secure the area? What did they tell you their security instructions were?

You could be seen. You just wanted your photo-op and you wanted to disrupt the event.

Could you stand in the pavilion area and thrust your protest signs in the Governor's face and yell slogans to disrupt this event? No, and that's what your "outrage" is about.

Your block party is actually on a public street, so you analogy is fatally flawed.

Sorry Richie, I didn't have a sign or protest tee shirt. Didn't yell anything or get in any photos. Stood on the square for the entire time and never asked to leave. Just stating my observations.

Nice of you to jump to your own biased unfounded erroneous conclusions.

...I am speechless! This thread has me shocked at the conversation between Villagers in America's Friendliest HomeTown! Not to mention the opinion of TV that is possibly held by the rest of the state (as seen in the Orlando Sentinel article)...Interesting

KatzPajamas and others -

In order to know what went on here with Rick Scott signing his budget at The Villages - you actually have to be here. If you read the slanderous column in the Orlando Sentinel, you will think that The Villages is filled with greedy old people who do not give a hoot about kids or education. Nothing is further from the truth. Most of our civic groups volunteer a lot of time and donate a boatload of money to schools, youth organizations and functions, food banks, etc.

Secondly, any protesters were asked to move about 100 feet across the street from the town square. It was not far. They could still see and hear just fine.

I do not know if you are seasonal residents, potential Villagers, or just interested in this forum - but to be fully informed - you have to see something firsthand in order to draw the proper conclusion.

_______________________
Richie,
Please read the PM I sent to you.

Excuse Me! Isn't the Florida State Budget a public document made up of public expenses paid for by our tax dollars. Doesn't that budget belong to us? It doesn't belong to Governor Scott. It's not his private document to sign on "leased" property. It's not his toy to turn into a political hay-maker.

How dangerous a precedent is it to begin holding such signings in a private environment where opposition can be suppressed under the pretense that it's "leased land." Who leased the land? Who paid for it. Where did those dollars come from. They're not tax dollars, so they must have come from some political party, even the Governor himself.

It stinks.

Oh, and by the way. I'm a lifelong Conservative Republican. I ran for office as a Republican and ran national campaigns for Republican candidates.

JLK

What kind of message would it send about The Villages to the rest of Florida or the country if protesters were in the Governor's face at a signing ceremony all yelling? Most signing ceremonies are held in private anyhow.

Some are just upset because they were asked to go across the street with their signs. A ceremony is not a place for protesting.

No, Talk Host, you are wrong. Have you ever been to Lake Sumter Landing to see what the area is like? It is an open town square with plenty of seating for those who want to enjoy music or a ceremony. Across the street is about a 100 foot distance.

Feel free to discuss the matter when you have seen what the situation actually involved.

Originally Posted by Tbugs

In order to know what went on here with Rick Scott signing his budget at The Villages - you actually have to be here. If you read the slanderous column in the Orlando Sentinel, you will think that The Villages is filled with greedy old people who do not give a hoot about kids or education. Nothing is further from the truth. Most of our civic groups volunteer a lot of time and donate a boatload of money to schools, youth organizations and functions, food banks, etc.

Secondly, any protesters were asked to move about 100 feet across the street from the town square. It was not far. They could still see and hear just fine.

I do not know if you are seasonal residents, potential Villagers, or just interested in this forum - but to be fully informed - you have to see something firsthand in order to draw the proper conclusion.

As a seasonal resident exiled to Canada, I much appreciate the clarification of the Orlando Sentinel article. Thanks Tbugs and Richie.

Originally Posted by bimmertl

Sorry Richie, I didn't have a sign or protest tee shirt. Didn't yell anything or get in any photos. Stood on the square for the entire time and never asked to leave. Just stating my observations.

Nice of you to jump to your own biased unfounded erroneous conclusions.

I just answered in a way I thought effective. Of course I have no knowledge if you were in the square or even in Florida, for that matter. It was just a simpler way of responding to your post. Just figure, I was talking to whoever was there doing as I described and you supported.

Originally Posted by Tbugs

What kind of message would it send about The Villages to the rest of Florida or the country if protesters were in the Governor's face at a signing ceremony all yelling? Most signing ceremonies are held in private anyhow.

Some are just upset because they were asked to go across the street with their signs. A ceremony is not a place for protesting.

No, Talk Host, you are wrong. Have you ever been to Lake Sumter Landing to see what the area is like? It is an open town square with plenty of seating for those who want to enjoy music or a ceremony. Across the street is about a 100 foot distance.

Feel free to discuss the matter when you have seen what the situation actually involved.

I am fully aware of what Lake Sumter Landing looks like. I suspect I was there before you were.

If the governor can't stand the heat of protesters, he shouldn't be in politics. Signings are truly "usually" held in private, but not on private property in order to exclude opposition. He deliberately picked "The Villages' knowing that he could suppress any opposition.

Are you telling me that you personally witnessed protesters "in the governors face all yelling?'' I doubt that happened, but you are to be commended for putting your false spin on it to bolster your otherwise hollow position.

Sounds to me just like the way it was in the former Soviet Union or China today. "Round up the protesters."

Oh, and what would the rest of the country think? They would think "hey, that's The United States of America."

Originally Posted by Talk Host

Are you telling me that you personally witnessed protesters "in the governors face all yelling?'' I doubt that happened, but you are to be commended for putting your false spin on it to bolster your otherwise hollow position.

Sounds to me just like the way it was in the former Soviet Union or China today. "Round up the protesters."

TBugs never said anything resembling what you made up here. He has been objective and polite throughout this discussion. You, on the other hand, are being anything but objective, polite and honest.

You refer to his 'spin' when he offered none and then compared the situation here in the Villages to that in the former Soviet Union or China today. If you actually feel this is the truth, you should protest by moving somewhere that meets your criteria.

Originally Posted by Talk Host

I am fully aware of what Lake Sumter Landing looks like. I suspect I was there before you were.

If the governor can't stand the heat of protesters, he shouldn't be in politics. Signings are truly "usually" held in private, but not on private property in order to exclude opposition. He deliberately picked "The Villages' knowing that he could suppress any opposition.

Are you telling me that you personally witnessed protesters "in the governors face all yelling?'' I doubt that happened, but you are to be commended for putting your false spin on it to bolster your otherwise hollow position.

Sounds to me just like the way it was in the former Soviet Union or China today. "Round up the protesters."

There's can be little doubt that when the Governor arrived and the cameras were rolling that the seated protesters would have begun their protest activity and caused a disruption. Do you think other public figures would have done things differently? Do you think that when Democrats, like the Clinton's or the Reid's or the Pelosi's have a public event they don't clear out the opposition from the front of the gathering?

Originally Posted by RichieLion

There's can be little doubt that when the Governor arrived and the cameras were rolling that the seated protesters would have begun their protest activity and caused a disruption.

I personally can't predict the future. But I would guess being able to do so does help one fashion his political position.

Originally Posted by Talk Host

I personally can't predict the future. But I would guess being able to do so does help one fashion his political position.

I've been to more than a couple of political gatherings and haven't yet seen people with signs trying to be inconspicuous. They're normally chanting or something and trying to be seen and heard. It's de rigueur.

I have both BBQMan and Richie defending what I posted? What a major turn of events to say the very least. Well, guys, at least we know what happens at any political event unlike Talk Host or Nittak. Like Richie said, even the liberals (Clinton, etc) would not allow protesters up close during some sort of ceremony.

Talk Host does not sound like he has been to The Villages even though he says he is familiar with it. How can anyone object to being politely asked to move across the street about 100 feet away? The Villages sounds like Russia or China? Sorry, Talk Host, but you are wrong.

Originally Posted by Tbugs

I have both BBQMan and Richie defending what I posted? What a major turn of events to say the very least. Well, guys, at least we know what happens at any political event unlike Talk Host or Nittak. Like Richie said, even the liberals (Clinton, etc) would not allow protesters up close during some sort of ceremony.

Talk Host does not sound like he has been to The Villages even though he says he is familiar with it. How can anyone object to being politely asked to move across the street about 100 feet away? The Villages sounds like Russia or China? Sorry, Talk Host, but maybe you should double up on the lithium prescription.

To further underscore that you don't know what you are talking about, I moved to The Villages in 2003. The Villages of Glennbrook was a dirt field at that time.

Having run for office myself and running campaigns for other Republicans at the national level, it would have been very difficult for me to have never been at a political rally.

Rather than trying to berate me, why not try to bolster your own position with well thought out material.

Originally Posted by bargee

In the United States of America you are not allowed to attend the singing of a budget that is paid for with your tax money because it is being held on "private property"that is being paid for with your amenity funds which you have no choice but to pay because your politics differ with the head of your state government?This is very scary.I never thought I would ever see this happen in a place I thought was so wonderful.I don't think I will ever again proudly say I live in the Villages

Aww geez, chill a little. Why get so upset now? We just went through a Presidential election when only one political party was permitted to rent office space within The Villages; only candidates from one party were permitted to speak in The Villages; and the political coverage of political issues were embarrassingly one-sided in The Villages Daily Sun.

Having said all that, there's way too many good things about living here that permits one to not get too excited about a simple budget bill signing ceremony.

Originally Posted by bargee

Read todays edition of the Orlando Sentinel

Do you mean the same Orlando Sentinel that is consistently negative about almost anything that happens in The Villages?