by A.J.(Tony) Powell
Questions Not Asked-Questions Not Answered!
Q-How many Villagers are infected with the COVID 19 virus?
-Some suggest that as many as 15,600 infectious residents are mixing with their neighbors, friends and family every day!
But, facts are few!
Q-From a reader, “I would like to see the ratio of positive tests to negative tests.”
-Local news sources report only 320 Covid infections in the 32162/32162 zip-code areas.
-But another said that there are 1,460 cases in and around The Villages.
(The total number of tests in The Villages is unknown)
The State of Florida shows:-
Total Number of Tests Administered – 3,200,000
Positive Tests about 380,000.
Deaths about 5,400.
Negatives are about 2,800,000. Continue reading
Dear Friends,
Another election season is almost here and your involvement is critical. It seems that we say that every election year and it is just as true today as it ever was. The socialist left is trying to tear down American culture and values. Things that once were the bedrock of our society are shouted down as evil or outdated. Things like, faith, family, freedom, opportunity and life itself are all under attack by a mob that seeks to reshape our country into a CHAZ, (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone – Seattle, Washington) where lawlessness, degradation and oppression are celebrated instead. We cannot let them win and we cannot sit at home in 2020.
The COVID situation has caused quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming election. Talks of moving elections to an all-mail-in-ballot system have concerned many people that the other side may be trying to cheat. In Florida in 2018, we saw that two inept Supervisor of Elections in Broward and Palm Beach counties almost throw an entire gubernatorial election because of their incompetence. That following year the Florida Legislature investigated and made a number of changes to ensure that our election process remain safe and secure. As Chair of the Committee on Ethics and Elections in the Florida Senate, your Senator is committed to making sure that it is easy to vote, and very hard to cheat. Continue reading
In August, voters throughout our community will go to the polls to decide several local elections and, in some cases, select candidates for the November ballot. While these local raises are very important, I would like to mention an item for which you will start hearing more after Labor Day and heading towards November.
Safety. It is probably something we all take for granted until we need it. It is important to our families and to our businesses. We all want to know that in time of emergency, we can depend on the fire department, emergency services, and law enforcement to come to our aid. We also want to know that our roads will be safe to travel on.
In March 2016, Marion County voters approved a one-percent sales tax for public safety and transportation infrastructure. There are no salaries nor recurring costs paid by the sales tax revenues. Since January 2017, the tax has brought in $166M in estimated revenue that has funded 43 projects including:
- Building of Northwest 49th Avenue to improve traffic-carrying capacity and enhance the opportunity for economic development in the area.
- Rehabilitation of over 53 miles of roadways including: County Road 464B, County Road 326, County Road 316, County Road 42, and County Road 320
- Marion County Fire Rescue equipment including: 12 new ambulances, 5 new engines, 1 ladder truck, 300 self-contained breathing apparatus, and new fire station at Rolling Greens
- City of Ocala has completed 12 road improvement projects valued at over $1.9M
- City of Ocala also added two new fire stations and a police district office at the cost of $5.1M
Money and the lust for power
George Soros is a socialist and the Sponsors of Antifa. He is a card carrying member of several Anti-American groups. He has supported a large number of people with political ambitions. Pictures are circulating of Corey Booker and Alex Soros, Nancy Pelosi and Alex Soros, Hillary Clinton and George Soros, the Lady that accused Judge Kavanaugh of wrong doing and George Soros, connections Robert Soros is married to Adam Schiff’s sister and last but not least Chelsea Clinton is married to Mark Mezvinski, George Soros nephew. Small world isn’t it!
It is said that George Soros got his money by destabilizing Countries. He wants America!
Are you going to give it to him?
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Martin Luther King once said: “ We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
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Villages Fl…I read that an Alligator was apprehended with a Bang Stick. Well I guess he was. Continue reading
The state of Florida has the second highest total number of heat related deaths of children being left unattended in a vehicle. More than half of vehicular heatstroke cases from 1998 to 2019 were because an adult forgot about a child, according to NoHeatstroke.org. Additionally, every year pets suffer and die when their guardians make the mistake of leaving them unattended in a parked vehicle to “run in for just a minute” at the local store. The Lady Lake Police Department is committed to informing and educating parents and pet owners on the dangers of leaving children and pets unattended in a vehicle and taking precautions to help prevent these tragic situations.
Leaving a child or a pet in a hot car even for a short period of time can be dangerous, even if parked in a shade or with the windows cracked. A vehicle’s glass transparency allows for the sun’s rays to heat up the inside essentially creating a vacuum of heat. Within minutes a car that was just being cooled can experience a spike in temperature. On a sunny day, when outside temperatures are 80 degrees outside, the inside temperature of a vehicle can rise to 99 degrees in 10 minutes and soar up to 114 degrees in 30 minutes. At 90 degrees outside, the inside temperature of a vehicle can rise to 109 degrees in 10 minutes and soar up to 124 degrees in 30 minutes.
A child’s body temperature can rise up to five times faster than an adult’s. When a core body temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit is reached, internal organs begin to shut down leading to death. Continue reading
On July 10, 2020, in News Releases, by Staff
$8.6 million investment will protect air quality and expand state’s charging stations by 50 percent along most traveled corridors
Orlando, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $8.6 million in funding to strengthen Florida’s electric vehicle infrastructure. This investment marks another step in the state’s efforts to provide accessible electric vehicle infrastructure while also protecting air quality and expanding the state’s charging stations by 50 percent along most traveled corridors.
“This long-term investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure is a win for our state on multiple levels,” said Governor DeSantis. “Not only will these charging stations promote reduced emissions and better air quality, they will also improve mobility and safety for the ever-increasing number of Floridians that drive electric cars. I look forward to building on this investment and continuing our work to improve Florida’s environment and transportation infrastructure.” Continue reading
On July 16, 2020, in News Releases, by Staff
Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $900,000 in funding for infrastructure projects in two rural communities in Northeast Florida. Administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF) provides funding to local governments for infrastructure projects in rural communities to encourage job creation and business investment and to strengthen and diversify rural economies.
“Rural communities are vital to the development and growth of Florida’s economy and I’m committed to helping them thrive,” said Governor DeSantis. “Infrastructure improvements made available through the Rural Infrastructure Fund will help rural communities be able to attract businesses and provide more resilient infrastructure for the future of their local economy.”
The rural communities receiving funds include:
Columbia County – ($500,000) to assist in funding the construction of a natural gas main loop that will serve existing and new businesses along the Bell Road Corridor. This project will provide necessary infrastructure to the existing distribution center and allow for expansion of the transportation logistics industry in this vital development area. The project is expected to attract more than $1 million in capital investment in Columbia County and create an estimated 43 new jobs.
Town of White Springs – ($400,000) to help fund construction, engineering and inspection services to improve sewer system transmission capabilities and correct issues that caused overflows during Hurricane Irma to the Town of White Spring’s more than 40-year-old core sewer system.
For more information, visit FloridaJobs.org/RIF.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody today issued a Consumer Alert to urge victims of several tech support scams to claim millions of dollars made available for restitution. The multimillion dollar claims process currently underway is the result of action taken by the Florida Attorney General’s Office to shut down several companies operating tech support scams. The deadline to file a claim is August 30. Thousands are eligible, but so far, only hundreds have successfully filed claims.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Our Consumer Protection Division has worked hard to secure restitution for victims of tech support scams and they continue to diligently reach out to eligible consumers. We need your help to make sure victims know restitution is still available. If you or someone you know was the victim of a tech support scam, please file a claim before the August 30 deadline.”
For more information on the claims process, visit FloridaAGReimbursement.com. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody and the Federal Trade Commission announced more than $16 million is now being distributed to victims of a debt relief scam. The scam targeted thousands of consumers facing financial difficulty in Florida and across the nation. The millions in restitution culminates from a joint lawsuit brought by Attorney General Moody’s Consumer Protection Division and the FTC against a group of defendants known as Helping America Group for allegedly convincing victims to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars a month by falsely promising to pay, settle or obtain dismissal of debts and improve payors’ credit scores. Instead, victims discovered debts unpaid, accounts in default and credit scores severely damaged—some were sued by creditors, and others were forced into bankruptcy.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “It infuriates me that anyone would take advantage of people trying to pay off their debts and improve their financial situations. Thankfully, our office, working together with the FTC, has now recovered millions to be returned to the victims of this appalling scam.”
More than 27,000 refund checks will be sent to victims of the scam. Additional money is expected to be collected in this case, and a second round of checks will be planned once additional money is secured.
Recipients should deposit or cash their checks within 90 days. The FTC never requires people to pay money or provide account information to cash a refund check. If recipients have questions about the refunds, they should contact the FTC’s refund administrator, JND Legal Administration, at 1(833) 928-2567. Refund data can also be viewed on the FTC’s interactive dashboards for refund data.
Consumers suspicious of a scam or deceptive behavior can report it to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or file a complaint online at MyFloridaLegal.com.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with the assistance of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, today arrested a Medicaid provider on charges related to $50,000 in fraud. The arrest follows an MFCU investigation that revealed Rodney Burt, 57, billed the Florida Medicaid Program for services not rendered from May 2016 through November 2019.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Participation in Florida’s Medicaid Program is increasing during this health crisis, and we will do everything in our power to protect taxpayer funds from fraud. That is why my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit attorneys and investigators aggressively chase down leads and uncover abuses in this taxpayer funded health care program to ensure those who would aim to rip off taxpayers are stopped and brought to justice.”
Additionally, the investigation uncovered that Burt, owner of No Place Like Home, a Home and Community Based Service Provider, assigned inaccurate billing codes to claims submitted to the Florida Medicaid Program in order to increase reimbursements—a fraudulent billing practice known as upcoding.
To view the Probable Cause Affidavit, go to www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrel.nsf/newsreleases
Burt is charged with one count of Medicaid provider fraud $50,000 or more, a first-degree felony. If convicted, Burt faces up to 30 years in prison and more than $300,000 in fines and restitution.
The Attorney General’s MFCU will prosecute the case through an agreement with the State Attorney’s Office in the Second Judicial Circuit.
