Origins of "Exposing AHRC"
I said below that the "Exposing AHRC" site was new. But I stand corrected. Pat Haruff called to my attention a post from Tom Skiba, CEO of the Community Associations Institute, who writes CAI's "Ungated" blog. He recommends reading the "Exposing AHRC" site way back in March of 2005 (see the sentence I bolded below). So, the site must have been up and running then, although I must confess that I had never seen it until this week. (Obviously I don't spend enough time web surfing.)
The rest of the post is worth reading apart from his mention of that site. He asks for reasonable people to find some middle ground for conversation. I hope Tom doesn't mind if I republish it in its entirety as food for thought.
The Internet Soapbox
by Tom Skiba on March 21, 2005 12:11PM (EST)
The internet is an amazing tool, it literally brings the world to our desktops. Unfortunately it also provides a soapbox for anyone with an axe to grind, and separating the valid, reliable and thoughtful information from the ill-informed babble is left as an exercise for the reader. Our industry, like many others, has spawned its own set of dedicated haters and they have taken to the web as the tool of choice.
Sun Tzu said to know your enemy, so every month I try and spend at least some time on the various anti-HOA websites. I try and limit my visits as the vitriol and unbalanced information tend to give me indigestion. One of my regular visits though, is the American Homeowners Resource Council at www.ahrc.com. What this site lacks in thoughtful analysis it more than make up for with volume and outrage. (I would also suggest www.ahrcexposed.com for an alternate viewpoint.)
I am a firm believer that individuals can have differing opinions, that they can discuss them thoughtfully, and that multiple points of view can be equally valid. Unfortunately, many of these websites would have readers believe that everyone involved in the HOA industry is evil, that CAI dictates law to legislatures around the country, and that valid contracts freely entered into should be null and void – all powerful characterizations even though false.
And yet there are some things that we can agree on: boards should represent their entire communities responsibly, homeowners should become involved in their communities, and living in and leading an association requires you to educate yourself. The big difference between us is that we at CAI believe that the vast majority of America’s 270,000+ communities, more than one million volunteer board members, and over 55 million residents already understand this and work diligently every day to build effective and well-run communities, and groups like AHRC do not.
5 comments:
Evan,
On Thursday, February 01, 2007, you wrote:
"[Tom Skiba, CEO of CAI] asks for reasonable people to find some middle ground for conversation."
No Community Associations Institute (CAI) member -- or any member of the HOA industry -- that I have ever met (or observed during what can only be called "collusion" between themselves and Colorado legislator sponsors of HOA bills over the last two years), would ever consider any type of "middle ground." They appear to be hard into power-and-money seeking here in Colorado and have chosen (as appears to be true in most states) our (Colorado) state legislature to accomplish what certainly appears to be their dictatorial goals.
Tom Skiba, CEO of CAI also wrote:
"One of my regular visits though, is the American Homeowners Resource Council at www.ahrc.com. What this site lacks in thoughtful analysis it more than make up for with volume and outrage. (I would also suggest www.ahrcexposed.com for an alternate viewpoint.)"
I've read all I want to read at the ahrcexposed web site. All it does is trash Elizabeth and AHRC. Typical of what CAI "higher ups" often do in a more (they seem to believe) "subtle" manner.
Why do they do that? Because AHRC appears to be a very significant and growing thorn in CAI's side right now, in terms of CAI being able to continue to build their power-and-money empire in the United States.
As I've often remarked about the possible "ulterior motives" of CAI attorneys and lobbyists in Colorado (and it appears throughout these United States), what we HOA homeowners and homeowner advocates may well be dealing with is another bunch of Enron-type "executives" right where we live (our homes), i.e., Community Associations Institute (CAI) leaders and their attorney/lobbyist lackeys.
It's time the CAI was exposed for exactly who and what we HOA homeowner advocates believe they are. Nothing but power-and-money seekers who appear to have chosen American homeowners as their victims. That is, CAI appears to be trying to completely control everyone who lives in an HOA/CID, and everything in it -- ecologically and financially. And power-and-money-seeking state legislators (and wannabe-dictators HOA/CID boards of directors) are the vehicles they're using to accomplish those ends.
Jan Jackson
Colorado HOA homeowner advocate
Good Afternoon Evan:
No problem reposting my blog entry. I guess it means I have made the big time to make the Privatopia blog.
What is fascinating to me about this whole situation is that no one (you obviously excluded) seems to want a discussion of ideas, issues, and alternatives. Instead they want to shout so loudly that everyone accepts their opinion as the only possible course of action. Kind of like Rush Limbaugh's approach to public policy debates isn't it? Not exactly the ideal way to reach either the truth or a fair compromise.
For example, we (CAI) frequently find ourselves on the same side of critical legislative and policy issues as are a wide variety of the homeowner advocates. Yet even when we agree with them and support similar positions we are castigated. A case in point was the recent Ombudsman bill in California which was opposed by almost everyone in the homeowner advocate community (just check AHRC). Yet we spent as much or more time and money working to change, and ultimately get the governor to veto, that bill as an unfair tax on homeowners than anyone. Perhaps we didn't agree on why it was a bad bill, but the proof is in the outcome.
I also find Jan's comment above distressing for a couple of reasons. First, as you know CAI represents a wide variety of constituencies within the community association industry. We frequently don't even have agreement among our own members on issues. So to characterize us as some great monolithic arbiter of what communities should look and act like is oversimplification at best and intentionally misleading at worst. Second, with almost 29,000 members as of 12/31/06 I can't imagine that Jan has met anything representing a statistical sample of CAI members and to characterize anyone or any group in such a way smacks of prejudice and self-serving self-interest. Third, it has become seemingly acceptable these days to disparage anyone in business by comparing them to Enron, as if that is/was the ultimate evil in the world. It's a cheap rhetorical trick that somehow makes people feel superior. The reality is that the majority of CAI's business members represent small family or locally owned business, each one making an effort to earn a living, take care of their families, and make a contribution to their community. And finally, there is this seemingly intentional misrepresentation that CAI pursues its programs to "control" associations and residents. As you well know, CAI's primary purpose is education (having spoken at many of our events) and the vast majority of our time and energy are dedicated to educating homeowners, board members, managers, and others. And we don't "control" or derive financial benefit from "controlling" anybody.
Oh well, I guess when someone wants to tilt at windmills somebody has to play the part of the windmill.
Best, Tom
Tom: Thanks for your comment. I hope it gets some conversation going. I have always believed that there is a difference between CAI as a national organization and the CAI local chapters. The national organization is somewhat more moderate on most issues, probably because it is less responsive to any one constituency in the overall organization. The local chapters, though, are a lot smaller and some of them are dominated by a few people. Some of these folks say and do pretty harsh things, both in the conduct of their professions and in the policy arena. I have attended CAI events where 90% of the lawyers and managers, etc., in a session are saying things most homeowner advocates would agree with. They sound reasonable, they see different sides of the issues, they think the owners have a good point here and there, they talk common sense and compromise. And then suddenly, one lawyer stands up and takes an extreme position. It usually amounts to an assertion that the board (who is, of course, responsive to that very lawyer) should control everything, and any owner who doesn't like it is a deadbeat or a malcontent who should be threatened or sued into silence, bad publicity be damned. That's the old "command and control" mindset that CAI has been criticizing in its publications and seminars for at least 10 years--and that's what generates most of the conflict and bad press. I think a small number of actors are responsible for most of the horror stories. The professionals who keep their association out of trouble never make the local evening news. But I don't know what to do about this, because if CAI national tries to assert more control over members, they might just walk. It's a voluntary association, after all--not like a mandatory membership state bar association that you can't quit without leaving the profession. (And not like an HOA either, that you can't quit without moving!) Somehow CAI needs to promote some internal reform.
So far I haven't talked about the other side of the equation--the HOA advocates. What could they do if they were so inclined, short of compromising their principles, that would allow them to have a united front with CAI and other industry groups, where they really do have common ground? That really happens in other issue areas in the world of practical politics, folks. I will leave the topic for another post. Some aren't interested, others are. But I'm pretty sure that running photos with horns on people's heads, and calling them thieves and crooks, isn't on the Dale Carnegie "How to Win Friends and Influence People" list.
Evan,
I would like to weigh in on this discussion, if I may.
Tom, you said: "What is fascinating to me about this whole situation is that no one (you obviously excluded) seems to want a discussion of ideas, issues, and alternatives"
I am ready to sit down with you any day to discuss the issues.
I routinely invite members of CAI to join us On The Commons to discuss the issues. In fact, you yourself have been on with us, Tom, and are welcome to come back.
When I fist got involved in the HOA debates and discussions in cyberspace, back in January 1998 I believe it was, (I had been active for 10 years before that) one of the forums we used was an email list CAI hosted. On a list of several hundred subscribers, I was the 5th "homeowner advocate/activist" to join. I guess five people who had different notions of what should be happening in our neighborhoods was five too many because soon afterwards CAI pulled the plug on the list and sent everyone to CAI's message board. A few years ago, CAI decided to stifle any further discussion between the two groups by making the message board a "perk of membership" into CAI. At the time, I started a yahoo list hoas@yahoogroups.com and invited everyone to join just so there would be a forum where the two sides could communicate. As you might imagine, this did not go down very well with some of the diehard CAIers. However, a couple of the saner people did join, the folks who were willing to listen as well as present their side of the story.
You went on to say:" Not exactly the ideal way to reach either the truth or a fair compromise."
What forums is CAI providing for these discussions? Although I no longer own the hoas@yahoogroups.com , it remains an open forum for ALL points of view. What is CAI doing to encourage any discussion? Are you willing to listen to the concerns of the individual homeowners? I am NOT talking about the board members, but the plain old homeowners?
CAI insists it represents the homeowner as well but I have yet to see any evidence that CAI ever considers the rights of the individual homeowner. CAI even goes as far as arguing against basic rights. If you want an example of what I am talking about, just look at your position in NJ in the Twin Rivers case.
Here's my offer, I invite you both, Evan and Tom to join us On The Commons to talk about this. Since I only have the one phone line, Tom, you'll have to come into the studio so we can have Evan on the phone. Let's start the ball rolling. What do you say?
Shu Bartholomew
www.onthecommons.com
onthecommons@cox.net
I agree with Shu. I believe a show with Dr. McKenzie and Tom Skiba would be a welcome event. I will believe CAI has made progress, when they are able to face, and take responsibility, for the victims they have created. There may be a self fulfilling “legitimacy,” and some good intention, in the thinking of Mr. Skiba, concerning the doctrine and operation of the National Group, versus what actually happens with those in charge of their local CAI Chapters. Let’s face it, the way an organization is run, starts at the top! If CAI cannot control the action(s), or the obvious lack of any decent business standards, exhibited by some of those within their chapters, and membership, what good are they, and what does anyone need them for? Who then, is responsible for what these individuals do, under the guise of some type of expertise?
I will exclude any correlations to Enron, because it simply is not worth wasting time over. What is important is that there are countless examples of extremely successful CEO’s in this country, who also practice good business. These people know how to run a company, make a profit, and more importantly, they know how to treat people! A&E has aired a number of different specials on some of these individuals.
There is a book available through The Carnegie Foundation, (most book stores probably have it too), by John C. Maxwell, titled; “Developing the Leader Within You.” Maybe those, “not responsible,” at CAI, will include it on the required reading list, for those, in their membership, that may want to learn something.
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