The POA urges Sumter County residents to vote against the proposed Sumter County Hospital Taxing District and the related property tax.  This means a “No” vote at the general election to be held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004.

In summary, the POA recommends this action for one fundamental reason: The Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LRMC) has not made a compelling case that the tax is needed for either the expansion or operations of The Villages Regional Hospital (VRH) which it owns. The POA further believes that LRMC is holding the VRH hostage with the threat of no expansion if the hospital tax is not passed. The 1 mil tax on each $1,000.00 of house valuation means that a house with an assessed value of  $200,000.00 would have an annual tax of $175.00 if the $25,000.00 homestead exemption is recognized.

Although the POA believes that the LRMC’s failure to make the case is the fundamental reason for a negative vote, other issues also deserve comment, as follows:

5.  Give-a-Way to The Developer – The Florida Legislature bill authorizing Sumter County to implement the tax has a provision that up to 20% of the tax proceeds, after tax district expenses, can be given to the private foundation of the Morse family.  This part of the bill was authored by Mr. Hugh Gibson, Florida State Representative for our area.  The Morse family spokesman said that the family would waive this provision until the expansion is completed, but not afterwards.  This give-a-way to the Morse family is so distasteful to our taxpayers that it alone is enough to recommend a “No” vote on the tax question.

6.  No End to the Tax - The rationale for the tax is that it is needed for the expansion.  However, once the expansion is completed and the operation turns to a surplus, the tax will not be needed.  Current LRMC management has refused to say that the tax would be ended when and if it was no longer needed.  LRMC management wants the free tax hand-out coming indefinitely.

7.  LRMC Management Issues - When the VRH was being built and then opened, LRMC had no senior or experienced manager available to oversee the initial phases of the operation.  When the first hospital manager was replaced, LRMC again had nobody to put into that position.  LRMC had to go to a hospital management company for a short-term temporary manager to come in and run the place.  When a permanent manager was next needed, LRMC again had nobody for that position and had to recruit from the outside.  Many of the start-up and initial operating problems in the VRH are due to inadequacies in the LRMC organization.  The POA is concerned about LRMC’s continued involvement in running VRH.

8.  LRMC Financial Problems – LRMC top management has said that it cannot shoulder the $100 million debt issue because of limitations on its borrowing capacity.  Thus, it says, it needs the tax to enhance its own financial position so as to make the $100 million debt offering more attractive and saleable in the bond markets.  The POA reads that as an indication that the real problem here is LRMC and its inability to arrange suitable financing on it own without the tax.  If this is so, The POA suggests strongly that the LRMC sell the VRH to any one of literally dozens of hospital management companies in the U.S. that would jump at the opportunity to acquire a hospital as well positioned as is the VRH.  Failure to do so would bolster the POA contention that the LRMC is holding VRH expansion hostage due to its own operating problems.  LRMC should arrange its own financing, without the tax, or sell the hospital to a stronger company that can.

9. Stacked Deck Hospital Tax Board – In the month or so since the governor-appointed Hospital Tax District Board has been in place, news stories indicate that a majority of the board has already decided that the tax is needed.  This is before the board has reviewed any financial statements or projections examining the expansion alternative.  This looks like the board was appointed with preconceived notions about needing the tax.  This looks like a stacked deck.  We should use the opportunity to wipe this slate clean with a “No” vote on November 2nd.

10.  Existing Facility – LMRC already has a building on the east side of Hwy. 27/441 that should be utilized for much of the overflow that VRH cannot now handle.  With smart planning and, perhaps, an underground transportation facility between the two hospital buildings, this could serve right now as a major increase in capacity.  That east side building was originally built by LRMC to be a hospital facility.  Why let it go unused at this time of unmet demand and inadequate supply?  Perhaps this also tells you something about the planning and operating skills of the LRMC top management group.  We should not reward the ineptitude of LRMC by building another facility when this east side facility goes unused.

11.  Lake County Portion of Tax – LRMC has said that when the tax is passed, it will send to the VRH the tax collected from the Lake County portion of The Villages.  That should be done now regardless of whether the Sumter County tax is passed.  If Village residents pay the tax, the tax should be use for The Villages hospital.  

What To Do Now – The POA recommends the following actions:

• Vote “No” on Tuesday, November 2^nd.  Send a message to LRMC that residents will not be intimidated by the “No Expansion” threat.

• Demand that LRMC  make the case for the expansion by publishing comprehensive ten-year financial forecasts detailing revenues, expenses, and planned uses of the hospital tax.

• Demand that LRMC explain how the east side hospital building will be utilized.

• Watch LRMC and if it doesn’t start the expansion soon, demand that it sell the hospital to a top-quality hospital management company as soon as possible.

Summary – The Villages Regional Hospital is very important to this community.  We need to give it our fullest support.  But, we should not do so foolishly or without full disclosure of the pertinent information. 

And, LRMC should not be trying to intimidate us with the “No Expansion” threat if we don’t vote for the tax.

The One Sumter proposal was approved by Sumter County voters in the primary election on August 31^st.

The vote was close: 51.4% to 48.6%, a margin of less than 3 percentage points.

In the Sumter County areas outside The Villages, the vote was 84% against the proposal.  Inside The Villages, the vote was 79% in favor of the proposal.  There was a larger turnout of voters inside The Villages which produced the slim margin of victory.

The proposal means that starting with the 2006 election, all Sumter County supervisor positions will be elected county-wide and at-large rather than just in the individual districts.  Any supervisor, however, must still be a resident of his or her own district.

A group of Sumter County residents is planning a legal challenge of the vote.  One of the group’s contentions is that minority voters will be diluted in the county under One Sumter, and this may be illegal under federal civil rights laws for voting requirements.

  Hall of Fame nominations were due October 1, 2004. 

Our plan now is to have the POA Board of Directors examine the nomination forms very carefully.  Additional information may be asked for.  We may choose to interview candidates or the people making the nominations.  The Board will make a final decision in early December and announce the inductees into the Hall of Fame at the December meeting in conjunction with our annual Christmas party. 

Thanks to the POA membership for their interest and support of the Hall of Fame.

In his Pete’s Place column in the September 16^th  Daily Sun, Mr. Wahl talked about an event of great importance.  This is the nominating meeting for the CDD districts that will conduct landowner elections on November 2^nd.  His comments were directed at any resident interested in serving on a CDD board.  Interested parties should talk with Mr. Wahl or senior district staff about what the positions entail and how the process works.

This sounds wonderful! 

This looks like an opportunity for interested residents to serve on a CDD board and participate in the local government process.

But, Mr. Wahl’s comments are a bad joke on all of us.  That is because his comments are grossly misleading.

The chances of any given resident being selected by the landowners for one of these open CDD board positions are slim.

Mr. Wahl is talking about  landowner elections – not resident elections.

Chapter 190 gives the developer the right to nominate and elect supervisors in a CDD for up to six years after the formation of the CDD.  This is a landowner election.

Residents are gradually given the right to nominate and elect supervisors over a six year period.  This is a resident election.

The one supervisor position available in CDD #3 and the three positions available in both CDD #4 and CDD #5 are to be elected by the landowner – the developer of The Villages.

Developers like to nominate and elect people who are well-known to the developer.  That is why landowner-elected supervisors are generally friends, business associates, relatives, or employees of the developer.  These people are willing to vote the developer’s line, even if the interests of residents are ignored.

Just look at the VCCDD supervisors – all are associated, one way or another, with the developer.  Almost, if not all, votes on issues favorable to the developer are passed, without discussion, in 5-0 votes.

So, if you are a well-meaning Villager, wanting to decide issues on merit rather than favoritism, and wanting to be independent rather than beholding to any person or organization or developer, then your chances of being nominated or elected in a landowner election are zero, zip, nada. 

If you really wanted to get elected in a landowner election, your should be either an employee, business associate, friend, or relative of the developer.  And, your loyalty to the developer could be the primary deciding factor.  Then, you could get elected.

So, to Mr. Wahl – thanks for telling us about the nomination and election process in a landowner election. 

On second thought – thanks for nothing.

On the Paradise renovation, the architects and engineers have been asked to prepare final construction plans and blueprints.  When those are received, the project will be put out for bid, a process that can take up to 90 days. 

These actions might be completed somewhere around a March, 2005, time frame.  At that point a supplemental budget request will be prepared for consideration by the VCCDD.  Also prepared at that time will be a logistics work plan covering the construction timetable and the plans for re-locating all Paradise activities to other Villages facilities.

This may be a difficult time for many of the organizations, activities, and clubs that have used the Paradise Center in the past.  District management asks for the patience and understanding of all residents because the new Paradise Center promises to be a wonderful facility about which we can all be proud.

The new POA web site is getting bigger and better.  Check it out at www.poa4us.org.

We have added a link to the Chapter 190 Florida law that created CDDs (Community Development Districts) in 1980 and which continues to regulate CDDs to this day.  This internet link is extremely helpful if you want to learn more about CDDs.

If you have any suggestions or comments you wish to pass on to the POA officers or directors, there is detailed information on the site as to how to contact the POA via email.  The easiest way is to contact us is at the web address poapresident@poa4us.org.

We also have a need for someone familiar with the internet to help us with some of the maintenance of the information provided on the site.  Please contact us if you would like more information on this.

It is not only an “actual” conflict of interests that concerns us - it is also the “appearance” of a conflict that is just as problematic.  The time will come when developer influence will be focused on this person  for a certain vote or risk losing her job.

And, a person depending on a paycheck from a developer is a real concern.

A previous issue of the Bulletin ran a story headlined: “How Would You Like a $500 Reduction in Your Property Taxes?”

As it turns out, the Florida Supreme Court said that the measure wrongly promised the benefit or outcome of a $500 reduction.  The court reasoned that any reduction like this would require higher taxes on other classes of property to offset the estimated $2 billion reduction in property taxes.  Thus, the measure, as written, was not allowed to be considered for placement on the November ballot.

Furthermore, the measure did not have enough verified signatures (489,000 required) to make it onto the November ballot by the August 3, 2004, deadline.

So, we hope you haven’t spent the $500 yet.  Sorry about that....

         Ace Hardware

         Eckert Drug Store

         Publix Supermarket

We do not yet have home distribution of the Bulletin west of Buena Vista Blvd, or into Marion County, or south of Highway 466.  Residents in these areas can get their copy of the Bulletin at one of the distribution points above.  When you pick up Bulletins at any of these stores, please thank the manager for allowing Bulletins to be displayed.

Finally, we need volunteers who can help us with the stocking of the Bulletin in various stores in The Villages.  Duties would involve placing copies of the Bulletin in two or three locations and then checking back twice a week during the month for any needed refills.  Please call Pete Cacioppo at 259-9774 for more details.

Jeers - To Ken Creely, Villages Golf Czar, for the exorbitant and difficult-to-justify increase in priority golf fees just announced.  It is amazing how the administrators of the golf program in The Villages have created so much ill-will and bad feelings in so short a time.  Their autocratic methods may be killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Jeers - To Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricanes Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.  Good-bye, good-riddance, get lost, stay away, etc.  You guys weren’t much fun.

Cheers - To The Villages radio station for great coverage during the critical hours of the recent hurricanes.  The station did a superb job of mixing information with music that was a nice break from the tedious, monotonous,  repetitive, and sometimes trivial, coverage of the Orlando TV stations.

Cheers - To the Orlando Sentinel, Villages Daily Sun, Leesburg Daily Commercial and the Ocala Star-Banner for their Hurricane Specials with pertinent news about shelters and other resources.

Cheers - To The Villages maintenance department for its quick clean-up actions right after the recent hurricanes had passed.

Jeers - To Gary Lester, The Villages’ Information Czar, for his attempts, according to the Orlando Sentinel, to recruit a Villages employee for the Lady Lake Board of Commissioners.  This could pack the board with a pro-developer voting coalition.  First it was One Sumter; then it was Lady Lake.  Is Wildwood next?  How about Belleview?  What about Pedro?  Don’t bother calling Mr. Lester about this – he won’t return your calls.

Cheers –  To the town of Lady Lake for re-surfacing a variety of streets on the historic side of The Villages.   It is nice to see government responsive to residents’ needs.

This Kuehne letter below will be distributed to The Villages golfers and local media.  We tried to discuss the concern about rising golf prices with Villages Management last January when a 20% increase in Winter Green Fees was announced.  However, we were denied the opportunity.  It is obvious that Villages Management no longer cares about the lifestyle and low costs that we were promised when we decided to move here.  I'm sure Mr. Harold Schwartz, whom we all loved and trusted, is looking down from the Heavens and shaking his head about what is happening to all his old friends.

Gary Bibby

Raising the price of priority golf membership is just another way of gouging all of us that moved here to live the life of a "Millionaire" without being one.

Mr. Creely, the director of the country club division of The Villages, has instituted a SLIGHT increase in Priority memberships!

In a Sept. 20th Daily Sun article he said that a 12 month, 2 course, couples priority membership only increased $50, or 7.9%!  Is 7.9% slight?  Did your Social Security check go up 8% this year?  I don't think so.

What Ken failed to mention was the selection that I feel is the one that most of us year-round residents choose, (all courses, 12 months, couple: $780 in 2004; $925 for 2005) went up a whopping $145!  That ladies and gentlemen, is about an 18.5% increase!

But wait, Ken Creely says there are going to be 2 new courses opening this year!  The way things are now a person is real lucky to be able to play more than 2 or 3 times a week in the prime season.  So what good are 2 more choices?  More variety, not more golf!  Is $145 a good price for variety?

I just can't wait to see the "slight" increases in the greens fees!

What are your thoughts? Submit your thoughts on the form at the web address: www.rogfel.us/prices.htm

Roger Kuehne

The POA annual elections are coming.  All officer and director positions will be up for a vote and open to all active members.

Nominations received will be announced at the October POA meeting.  Elections will be held in November.  Officers and directors will be sworn in at the December meeting.  The term of office begins in January.

Please take a moment to consider how you might participate in the activities of your POA.  We need more people to take an active role in the management of the POA by running for these officer and director positions.  In many cases, you may find that the time commitment is less than you might think and the rewards are personally satisfying.

So, please consider running for one of these positions and joining the other officers and directors in helping to strengthen the POA and make The Villages even better.

Call Joe Gorman at 259-0999 for more information or talk to any POA director. 

Do you have your 2004 POA Membership card?  

If you sent in your 2004 POA Membership renewal form and payment to us via the mail, we mailed your membership card to you only if you included a stamped self-addressed envelope with the payment.  If you did not include that stamped self-addressed envelope, then we are holding your card for you to pick up at one of our monthly meetings.

Remember that you need the card to take advantage of the discounts and special deals offered by our Discount Partners (see page 6).  One of the requirements when ordering the Partner’s product or service is that you show your current POA membership card.

Also, you need the card to be able to vote in the POA’s elections to be held this year at the general meeting on November 17, 2004.

So, please pick up your card at one of our monthly meetings, or send us a stamped self-addressed envelope for return by mail.  

Then, enjoy the great deals offered by our Discount Partners, and vote in the POA elections.

As of the First of July, the FSHL members throughout the State of Florida have submitted over forty bills that will be voted on in October in Tallahassee.  These Bills will be submitted to our elected officials in hopes that they become law. The Bills range from adequate nursing home staffing, clean air for the Florida residents, to restoring teachers pension under chapter 238.

There is information available for you on The 2004 Disaster Preparedness Guide for Elders. This guide will help you be better prepared for any manmade or natural disaster. You can order this guide by calling the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337.

We have received reports of service company problems in the clean-up after Hurricane Frances.  Some people and services charge higher rates for work than they reasonably should and perform shoddy or incomplete work.

In one situation, a resident paid $900 for dangerous tree work, but discovered afterwards that the price did not include clean-up of the cut-down tree and all its branches.

For any home repair or service work like this, be sure to:

1. Get multiple quotes in writing that describe the details of the work to be done,

2. Give yourself a day or so to think about the written quote and have a trusted friend or family member help you review the written quote and work plan.

3. Don’t pay any up-front money before the work is started,

4. If you have to pay any “retainer” or “deposit” money, pay no more than 10%-15%, and then only when the work is started,

5. Define the completion of the work as including full clean-up to your complete satisfaction,

6. Don’t give the final payment before the work is completed to your satisfaction,