We've often referred to the country's economic woes having little effect on us, living in our "bubble" economy called The Villages. I think most of the posters in this forum actually live in TV, I know I do. Our "protected" day-to-day experience probably affects the formation of our political opinion. Other than the decline in the stock market--which is on it's way back to previous levels it appears--few of us really have to endure the personal experiences caused by the financial crisis.

I had to come north for a month or so for a little "cutting and pasting" at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. I'm doing my recuperating and rehab at our house in southwest Michigan. Here, the problems in our economy are obvious and palpable. It's both sad and alarming.

More than half the storefronts in the little towns near us--Sawyer, Bridgman, Niles, Benton Harbor, New Buffalo--are dusty and the windows are covered with paper. All the little Mom and Pop shops that used to serve the area are closed. Many restaurants, the little independent grocery stores and hardware stores, the little antique and used book stores, the independent fast food places, a couple of big fruit and vegetable stands--all closed. Benton Harbor is particularly alarming. That town looked like a war zone last year. Now there's a major "shovel-ready" government-funded reconstruction of the main street from one end to the other. It's almost impossible to even drive into or thru Benton Harbor. I saw virtually no businesses that were operating. The residential areas are slums. I'm baffled at the need for a new main street for a dead town. It's even worse, although not much worse, than Detroit.

I called to have my golf cart serviced today and my little golf cart repair guy came right out to pick it up. He expressed relief in finally having something to do. He told me that he's on the edge of closing up. I am the first customer he's had in weeks.

Then on this evening's nightly news from one of the South Bend stations came the announcement that the largest employer in Niles, MI, Tyler Refrigeration, is closing permanently, resulting in the layoff of all it's workers, 450 people. Tyler is a leading maker of refrigeration display cases used in groceries and delis. The Niles City Manager noted, "Tyler is one of our largest electric customers in the city, one of our largest sewer customers and one of our largest water customers and certainly our largest taxpayer. So you can imagine it's going to have quite an impact on the city." The news noted that the Tyler layoffs amounted to 8% of the entire population of Niles.

The news segment went on to say that almost a thousand workers as well as those already laid off at the Hummer plant in South Bend, are on tender hooks awaiting word of who might buy the company. They've already been told that GM will shutter the plant and the brand if it can't be sold. The city of South Bend already has a huge budget deficit and is working hard to identify those few city services that can still be afforded. The schools, police and fire departments, sewer, water and sanitation departments have already been hard hit with layoffs and a cessation of any non-critical spending. South Bend's other largest employers, Notre Dame and Memorial Hospital, don't pay any taxes, of course. ND and the hospital are trying to help, but only by providing advice--no tax dollars.

It is really bad out here, folks. It's really sad to see what's happening to the Michiana area that I've grown to love. I feel guilty looking forward to coming back to The Villages at the end of the month to re-immerse myself in all the happy talk, dancing, drinking and absence of news from the outside world.

I wonder if my feelings and opinions would change if I lived out here all the time?

Kahuna, you are so right. We are indeed insulated here and have very little idea as to what is happening to others. I recently visited Southern New Jersey which is close to Philadelphia, PA. Many of the companies in Phila have shut down causing a rippling effect on the local economy as there are no new jobs there for those who have lost theirs. Therefore, there is no unnecessary spending which, in turn, affects the retail businesses. The housing market is still terrible with the average house selling in more than 10 months! The hospital ER's are caring for more and more uninsureds as health insurance is gone due to the job loss. Even the Atlantic City casinos are hiring fewer and fewer full time employees with benefits. Many of those who were full time have had their hours cut so that they are now part time with no benefits. Something positive has to happen soon or these people will be lost forever.

I know.

A friend of my daughter's got a research job in Phoenix in 2007, just before the end. They bought a house in a nice neighborhood. Thought they got a good price. The price was lower than it had been, but they thought it was a leveling out of the market for a while. They did not buy what they could not afford. They had a decent size down payment. The American Dream was theirs.

But even though they did things like they were supposed to do, now from their lovely home, they see only empty houses. Empty, neglected houses. They thought they had made good financial decisions. They played by the rules that we all know. And now they are stuck.

"Unrestrained greed is not only bad morals, it's bad economics."

You painted us a picture with your words, VK. I am afraid it's a really big picture.

Boomer

Unfortunately this issue is not discussed as much (or publicized) with the majority of the population of TV's. Keep in mind that The Sun does not publish too many "bad news" stories....and that this is not going to be the main topic of conversation with the residents of TV's as they are not necessarily the employeed population. While there are a good number of employment seekers...that happen to be Villagers..most residents do not work. Perhaps about 5% of Village residents have to work.

HOWEVER....I could guarantee that this is a very big conversation amongst the people that typically have made a living in this area.

There have been MANY construction workers, contractors and realtors that have been laid off. YES....I have been told that POTV's had a huge lay off several weeks ago.

Again...while it may SEEM that the economy has not touched TV's that much....have a conversation with any one of the families that live just on the outskirts of the bubble....any one of the workers that are working IN TV's....each one is grateful just to have a job...ANY job....

Just a thought to ponder....

What is POTV?

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

We've often referred to the country's economic woes having little effect on us, living in our "bubble" economy called The Villages. I think most of the posters in this forum actually live in TV, I know I do. Our "protected" day-to-day experience probably affects the formation of our political opinion. Other than the decline in the stock market--which is on it's way back to previous levels it appears--few of us really have to endure the personal experiences caused by the financial crisis.

I had to come north for a month or so for a little "cutting and pasting" at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. I'm doing my recuperating and rehab at our house in southwest Michigan. Here, the problems in our economy are obvious and palpable. It's both sad and alarming.

More than half the storefronts in the little towns near us--Sawyer, Bridgman, Niles, Benton Harbor, New Buffalo--are dusty and covered with paper. All the little Mom and Pop shops that used to serve the area are closed. Many restaurants, the little independent grocery stores and hardware stores, the little antique and used book stores--all closed. Benton Harbor is particularly alarming. That town looked like a battle zone last year. Now there's a major "shovel-ready" government-funded reconstruction of the main street from one end to the other. It's almost impossible to even drive into Benton Harbor. I saw virtually no businesses that were operating. I'm baffled at the need for a new main street for a dead town. It's even worse, although not much worse, than Detroit.

I called to have my golf cart serviced today and my little golf cart guy came right out to pick it up. He expressed relief in finally having something to do. He told me that he's on the edge of closing up. I am the first customer he's had in weeks.

Then on this evening's nightly news from one of the South Bend stations came the announcement that the largest employer in Niles, MI, Tyler Refrigeration, is closing permanently, resulting in the layoff of all it's workers, 450 people. Tyler is a leading maker of refrigeration display cases used in groceries and delis. The Niles City Manager noted, "Tyler is one of our largest electric customers in the city, one of our largest sewer customers and one of our largest water customers and certainly our largest taxpayer. So you can imagine it's going to have quite an impact on the city." The news noted that the Tyler layoffs amounted to 8% of the entire population of Niles.

The news segment went on to say that almost a thousand workers as well as those already laid off at the Hummer plant in South Bend, are on pins and needles awaiting word of who might buy the company. They've already been told that GM will shutter the plant and the brand if it can't be sold. The city of South Bend already has a huge budget deficit and is working hard to identify those few city services that can still be afforded. The schools, police and fire departments, sewer, water and sanitation departments have already been hard hit with layoffs and a cessation of any non-critical spending. South Bend's other largest employers, Notre Dame and Memorial Hospital, don't pay any taxes, of course.

It is really bad out here, folks. It's really sad to see what's happening to a part of the country that I've grown to love. I feel guilty looking forward to coming back to The Villages at the end of the month to re-immerse myself in all the happy talk, dancing, drinking and absence of news from the outside world.

I wonder if my feelings and opinions would change if I lived out here all the time?

VK I still work just outside of South Bend. I agree that Benton Harbor and St Joe look bad and other towns as well. I do lunch and dinner every week in New Buffalo and I think it will pick up with the Chicago crowds in a few months. My plant is probably running at 50% capacity and last year up to October we were running at 100%. First time ever they are asking people to take voluntary layoffs. Life outside of TV is a bit more harsh for sure. One must admit that most people at a Notre Dame Irish game are probably not effected as much also.

Perhaps POTV is Properties of The Villages.

I think Cassies figures on employed people who are residents of TV is low at five percent. In our immediate area of 12 houses there are five people still working. With a computer you can work most anywhere.

VK,

First of all, hope you're feeling better and on the mend. Take care.

Second, in many ways we are very much an enigma here. TV is a "services industry" place - we don't make anything and there is no need to. We are not reliant on a pyramid economy, and support the surrounding area

Unfortunately, this economic mess is the result of the nation looking blindly at a few things, and being greedy on the other. We support most of world's manufacturing (especially Communist countries which pay pittance to workers) by importing their products and letting them be sold at prices much less than what the same or similar goods cost to be made in the US. That has sent the manufacturing jobs elsewhere, because manufacturers wanting to keep the US market learned the only way to compete with foreign manufacturers was to join them overseas.

The services industry is twofold - Information services (e.g., call-in) and hands on (e.g. fix it). The former is all but gone, thanks to the Internet, as it is cheaper to provide the call in services from areas where $1/hour is a decent wage. Again, we have shot ourselves in the foot.

To make matters worse, many employers, in order to be cost-competitive, have ignored US workers in entirely and employ mainly illegal aliens who will take any job at any pay and get few (if any) benefits or protections. When raids on such businesses occur, there is a liberal outcry on how we are being "insensitive" to the plight of the illegal alien - yet no one seems to care what's happening to the American worker until the American worker no longer can afford to buy Chinese-made goods or pay taxes to support the "entitlement" bunch.

Yes, we are lucky in The VIllages, but we did work and save for it, often doing without many things that others considered as being necessities of life. That's why we can afford to be here now.

Originally Posted by SteveZ

VK,

First of all, hope you're feeling better and on the mend. Take care.

Second, in many ways we are very much an enigma here. TV is a "services industry" place - we don't make anything and there is no need to. We are not reliant on a pyramid economy, and support the surrounding area

Unfortunately, this economic mess is the result of the nation looking blindly at a few things, and being greedy on the other. We support most of world's manufacturing (especially Communist countries which pay pittance to workers) by importing their products and letting them be sold at prices much less than what the same or similar goods cost to be made in the US. That has sent the manufacturing jobs elsewhere, because manufacturers wanting to keep the US market learned the only way to compete with foreign manufacturers was to join them overseas.

The services industry is twofold - Information services (e.g., call-in) and hands on (e.g. fix it). The former is all but gone, thanks to the Internet, as it is cheaper to provide the call in services from areas where $1/hour is a decent wage. Again, we have shot ourselves in the foot.

To make matters worse, many employers, in order to be cost-competitive, have ignored US workers in entirely and employ mainly illegal aliens who will take any job at any pay and get few (if any) benefits or protections. When raids on such businesses occur, there is a liberal outcry on how we are being "insensitive" to the plight of the illegal alien - yet no one seems to care what's happening to the American worker until the American worker no longer can afford to buy Chinese-made goods or pay taxes to support the "entitlement" bunch.

Yes, we are lucky in The VIllages, but we did work and save for it, often doing without many things that others considered as being necessities of life. That's why we can afford to be here now.

Excellent point. Times certainly are tough for a large percentage of the population, and VK paints a sad but very true picture of things here in the upper midwest as well as the rest of the country. I count my blessings every day and at the same time enjoy the fruits of my labor .

Originally Posted by Mallory

Perhaps POTV is Properties of The Villages.

Maybe President of The Villages

.

And some of the folks here on TOTV don't want to believe that there is a bubble surrounding The Villages. We are well insulated from the outside world. Thank goodness the Daily Sun does not report on the negatives around the country.

Originally Posted by Cassie325

Unfortunately this issue is not discussed as much (or publicized) with the majority of the population of TV's. Keep in mind that The Sun does not publish too many "bad news" stories....and that this is not going to be the main topic of conversation with the residents of TV's as they are not necessarily the employeed population. While there are a good number of employment seekers...that happen to be Villagers..most residents do not work. Perhaps about 5% of Village residents have to work.

There have been MANY construction workers, contractors and realtors that have been laid off. YES....I have been told that POTV's had a huge lay off several weeks ago.

Just a thought to ponder....

Yes POTV is Properties of The Villages...thanks Mallory!

Also...Gracie while I agree that MANY more village residents than just 5% actually work (over 800 working for GMS) my thought was more about the NEED for work. Most...I say most...villagers are retired and are able to NOT work. However some choose to work....for a little extra play money or perhaps benefits.

I believe it is about 5% of The Villagers that actually HAVE to work....to survive....

Now what is GMS?

Originally Posted by tony

Now what is GMS?

Golf Management System....they are the people that work at the golf courses...