Free is one of those words that hold many meanings. It is also a word that when taken out of context can be very misleading.

Merriam Websters Dictionary defines Free as: not costing or charging anything.

Sort of like the package of Ketchup you get with your fries. Your receipt does not show a line item for the packets. They give it to you FREE. Well sort of. While they may not tell you that you are being charged for it, you are. The price is buried in your cost of the French Fry. So, if you are not a Ketchup user then you are paying for the Ketchup users’ packets.

Nothing is really free of cost. Even a person being Free is not without cost.

You are going to start to hear a great deal of discussion in Indiantown about the next phase in the freight train debt and development that are plowing into Indiantown. The discussion I am speaking of is the “Village Hall”.

This is the next big boondoggle the Council is going to try and shove down your throat. Mind you, they will need to take out loans for this to proceed. They will need to go into heavier debt for this process. They will need to make their payments, just like you and me. The only difference is they will use your money. They do not have any. All the money they spend is yours. Tax Dollars.

Not to belabor the point but who has seen falling prices on the cost of food, rent, gas, services, HOA fees and the rest of the runaway inflationary trends that are consuming the Nation. Is this really the best time to be considering long term debt?

While this year has seemingly remained flat in terms of tax increases, the next step is not going to allow for the same. They still have Seven Mil Points to raise your taxes for their little projects.

If the Council decides to move ahead with this Monument to ego and hubris then by this time next year you will be learning about how your taxes will be increasing in the Village. That is how they get their money, through fines, taxes and other people’s money in the form of grants. How humiliating.

There are several questions that need to be asked.

1^st ~ What services will the Village be able to provide the residents that they cannot already provide from their current location?

2^nd ~ Why is there talk from Jackie, Janet, Guyton and Antony about a “FREE POOL” at the new Village Hall? It seems like that with the recent news of the Garcia Group the residents of their new planned development will already have one. Indianwood already has two and the YMCA is in the process of renovating the pool they have.

So, let’s see – a large segment of the populace will have their own pool in their own community and they will have to pay for something they do not need for those who do not have one? Sounds more like an Equity thing than an Equality thing. See, the taxes will come from those who do not need it. So, it is not free. The people who pay the bills will be paying for the pool for those who do not have one.

3rd ~ If, and we think it is a long shot it will happen, the pool should be approved, consider this. Lifeguards’ salaries are not cheap. You will need a few, let’s say three Lifeguards. The average for a qualified Lifeguard with Emergency training runs in the neighborhood of $38,776 – $49,724. Then there is maintenance of the Locker rooms, towels, grounds upkeep and the pool upkeep. So, add another two to three full time Parks and Recreation Employees at 30k a year. Then there is the additional Liability, electric and on-going costs associated with it.

The new employees will also be receiving, 401k contributions, insurance as well as other long-term benefits from their position with the Village. This project will add more expense to the Village Payroll and to the monthly outlay required to run the pool. For FREE as Jackie, Guyton, Antony and Janet are exclaiming.

They are buying votes with the word FREE. The Free Stuff Army of Indiantown.

You know who benefits from this, Howard Brown. His salary is tied to the budget. He doesn’t even live here. He barely even comes into the office because he is too busy running his outside municipal consulting firm. He finds Consultants he can bring in to the mix so he can make a commission off you.

Indianwood, you are the last line of defense in this Village. You have the numbers of voting Americans that decided the last election. You put both Janet and Guyton back in office. How would things be different if you had made a different choice. Would this still be a topic of conversation?

There is an election in one year from now almost to the day. May we humbly suggest that you take another look at your Incumbents like Jackie and Antony and decide if they really have your interest at heart or the interest of the few. See the many, you, will soon be funding the few. Why? Well as Jackie says, you “OWE US”.

Elections have consequences and votes count. So, make sure you are certain who you are voting for this next time around or kiss the quaint lifestyle you have good-bye and welcome in Wellington 2.0.