Dear Editor:
In the April 10 issue of The SCC Observer, Dee Williams took issue with the thoughtful letter from Paddy Cooney published in the April 3 Observer. Ms. Williams’ response could not be more lacking in facts to substantiate her objections.
Ms. Williams says the theater was “not a high priority on the survey that was taken.” Really? If Ms. Williams looked at page 25 of the survey results, she would find that theater improvement ranked second out of 14 possible indoor improvements to our campus. She probably only looked at page 26 of the survey results where the theater ranked 9th out of 43 proposed improvements of all kinds. Of the eight items ahead of the theater on the total survey, two (acquire North Lakes, which is impossible because ClubLink won’t discuss selling; and hurricane shelters, we already have two) are non-starters. Five of the remaining six are being acted on, which leaves just one item — a café — which the Board has said it will act on. I think Mr. Cooney was right; the theater is important to our community and desired by our residents.
Ms. Williams’ objection to financing is not based on facts, but a slavish adherence to “pay as you go” as if that is some iconic standard to which we must always adhere regardless of the consequences to the community. Perhaps it doesn’t matter to Ms. Williams that the funding proposal she objects to (of which she obviously knows nothing) is risk-free to the residents, and that future capital transfer fees (not us) will be the sole source of repayment. Perhaps it also doesn’t matter to her that building now will save hundreds of thousands of dollars and get us a theater seven to ten years sooner. It matters to me, it matters to Mr. Cooney and it matters to thousands of our residents who use the theater and want to be able to do so in comfort.
Ms. Williams would be well served to get the facts, all the facts, before passing judgment. The community deserves to have all the facts and then the right to decide which way to go. Hopefully, that information will be forthcoming in the near future, and we can then debate and decide.
Chuck Collett
Sun City Center