Civic leaders fight group on home, condo owner law: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Nancy Levy sends this remarkable article about organized opposition to the homeowner advocacy group, Cyber Citizens for Justice. The interesting question is, who got all these folks organized? I don't know. But as you read toward the end of the article, you see a carefully-worded mention of attorneys, and another mention of the Community Associations Institute and how many clients their member lawyers have. I'm reading between the lines, but is the journalist suggesting that CAI (which is an attorney and manager dominated trade association) is organizing their client association directors to oppose CCFJ? In other words, is the author of the article suggesting that this an example of business-organized grassroots lobbying? Does anybody have information on this?

Though this year's legislative session recently ended, leaders of this new coalition plan to start talking to their legislators in coming months to win their support. The coalition, tentatively called the Coalition of Community Associations, wants to make sure Cyber Citizens activists do not dilute homeowner and condo laws. Formed in 2000, Cyber Citizens has grown increasingly influential in Tallahassee. Among the group's successes: a condominium ombudsman who serves as a neutral resource for unit owners, associations and board members, and a law that prevents boards from foreclosing on homes because of unpaid fines...

Bergemann and a legislative ally, Rep. Julio Robaina, R-Miami, contended that attorneys are pushing the new coalition. While there are some attorneys involved, Spears said they are not driving the coalition. "These are basically homeowners," he said. "We're not interested in filling the pockets of attorneys." Community associations already have the Community Association Leadership Lobby, which represents 4,000 clients of the law firm Becker & Poliakoff.