Ashamed Realtors

[StanN]

The NCAR - NCHOA negative campaign has increased the pressure from the individual members of NCAR to reform an orginization in which they have no say on olitical issues withg which they diagree,

Here is a letter from the N&O

Regarding your Oct. 25 article "Realtor-funded group rips candidates": As Realtors, we want to apologize to Stan Norwalk for the hateful attacks launched against him by the Realtor-front group, NC Homeowner Alliance. This group is sending mail and making robo-calls attacking Norwalk for his campaign for county commissioner as a champion of the Wake County public schools. The so-called Homeowner Alliance is funded with $420,000 of involuntary member dues from the Realtors Association; its president is Raleigh owner/broker Mary Edna Williams, who (no doubt by coincidence) is the newly elected president of the N.C. Association of Realtors.

We are ashamed of our trade association for attempting to hide its political activities by masquerading as a homeowner group. It may be legal, but it's not right, and voters should be skeptical when the largest lobby in the state pretends to be a grassroots citizens organization.

Because good schools help us sell homes and therefore help preserve property values in Wake County, we will never understand why Realtors are not leading the fight for stable funding for better schools.

Becky Harper and Bob Mulder

[DarylB]

The NCAR - NCHOA negative campaign has increased the pressure from the individual members of NCAR to reform an orginization in which they have no say on olitical issues withg which they diagree,

Here is a letter from the N&O

Regarding your Oct. 25 article......ZZZZZzzzzz.........Becky Harper and Bob Mulder

Shame on the N&O for publishing such a piece of crap.... anybody with a hatrack should be able to see right through this. geeeesh...... The FOWC just never stops, do they?

....attempting to hide its political activities by masquerading as a homeowner group....Maybe Stan should be ashamed for publishing a hack political ad by two "in the tank" supporters who are feigning the indignation of "their trade association". [deleted text]

Stan and his billion dollar bond buddies see a way to plot a coup, and overthrow the check and balance of the county commissioners vs the WCPSS/BoE "Big Ed" money express, and I just hope the voters of Wake county are smart enough to send him and his socialist friends back to New Jersey minus their dreams of an empire. Let them spend their way to the #1 most expensive school system in the country, while we can get back to the real work of cutting down the beaurocracy, improving the efficiency, and halting the social engineering.

[JoeCiulla]

The NCAR - NCHOA negative campaign has increased the pressure from the individual members of NCAR to reform an orginization in which they have no say on olitical issues withg which they diagree,

Here is a letter from the N&O

Regarding your Oct. 25 article "Realtor-funded group rips candidates": As Realtors, we want to apologize to Stan Norwalk for the hateful attacks launched against him by the Realtor-front group, NC Homeowner Alliance. This group is sending mail and making robo-calls attacking Norwalk for his campaign for county commissioner as a champion of the Wake County public schools. The so-called Homeowner Alliance is funded with $420,000 of involuntary member dues from the Realtors Association; its president is Raleigh owner/broker Mary Edna Williams, who (no doubt by coincidence) is the newly elected president of the N.C. Association of Realtors.

We are ashamed of our trade association for attempting to hide its political activities by masquerading as a homeowner group. It may be legal, but it's not right, and voters should be skeptical when the largest lobby in the state pretends to be a grassroots citizens organization.

Because good schools help us sell homes and therefore help preserve property values in Wake County, we will never understand why Realtors are not leading the fight for stable funding for better schools.

Becky Harper and Bob Mulder

Stan,
You posted this with no commentary of your own, was there a particular point YOU were trying to make?

[StanN]

The message is simple. NCAR is a runaway lobby, controlled by a few of its staff. Individual realtors are typically highly sensitive to the local QOL. Several have supported my campaign. The slime campaign by NCAR should not be attributed to individual realtors.

[d4vendel]

So, in that way, NCAR should be viewed the same as say most Unions?

[Jackie]

The slime campaign by NCAR should not be attributed to individual realtors.

I wonder how difficult it will be to get this point across in the months to come.......

Jackie

[JoeCiulla]

So, in that way, NCAR should be viewed the same as say most Unions?

I brought up the same point, maybe you'll have better luck getting an answer.

[MattD]

So, in that way, NCAR should be viewed the same as say most Unions?

I brought up the same point, maybe you'll have better luck getting an answer.


Not sure if comparing it to a union is correct.

A person who is in a union works for a company. The union negotiates wages, health care, benefits, pensions, vacations etc. on behalf of the employees.

Brokers are independent business owners. They pay their own salary, benefits, trade associations etc. One thing Brokers must pay for - and is the life line of their business - is the ability to gain full access to MLS. Without MLS, must Brokers would go, well, broke. From my understanding, NCAR has said to these independent business owners that if they do not pay then they will lose their full access to MLS, hence, they will most likely go out of business.

[Don]

From my understanding, NCAR has said to these independent business owners that if they do not pay then they will lose their full access to MLS, hence, they will most likely go out of business.

Just as the auto worker in Michigan, or the steel worker in Pittsburg loses their job should they refuse to join the union. Either way they must find a new line of work correct?

[JoeCiulla]

So, in that way, NCAR should be viewed the same as say most Unions?

I brought up the same point, maybe you'll have better luck getting an answer.


Not sure if comparing it to a union is correct.

A person who is in a union works for a company. The union negotiates wages, health care, benefits, pensions, vacations etc. on behalf of the employees.

Brokers are independent business owners. They pay their own salary, benefits, trade associations etc. One thing Brokers must pay for - and is the life line of their business - is the ability to gain full access to MLS. Without MLS, must Brokers would go, well, broke. From my understanding, NCAR has said to these independent business owners that if they do not pay then they will lose their full access to MLS, hence, they will most likely go out of business.

Matt,

I do think it is a fair comparison. In unionized factories, workers must join and pay dues (although I've see other arrangements where workers did not have to join, but received lower wages). Realtors who don't pony up dues lose their access to MLS, which effectively takes them out of business.

And, in both cases, 'Union' management uses their members' money and implied endorsement to support candidates of their choice whether all of the individual members agree or not.

I think both arrangements are out-dated.

Times like these are where they N&O really show their true colors. They put the NCAR story on their front page. It wasn't even new news, the NCAR has poured millions of dollars into campaigns and issues management for years.

[MattD]

So, in that way, NCAR should be viewed the same as say most Unions?

I brought up the same point, maybe you'll have better luck getting an answer.


Not sure if comparing it to a union is correct.

A person who is in a union works for a company. The union negotiates wages, health care, benefits, pensions, vacations etc. on behalf of the employees.

Brokers are independent business owners. They pay their own salary, benefits, trade associations etc. One thing Brokers must pay for - and is the life line of their business - is the ability to gain full access to MLS. Without MLS, must Brokers would go, well, broke. From my understanding, NCAR has said to these independent business owners that if they do not pay then they will lose their full access to MLS, hence, they will most likely go out of business.

Matt,

I do think it is a fair comparison.

Okay.

[Eric_M_Weaver_Sr]

The message is simple. NCAR is a runaway lobby, controlled by a few of its staff. Individual realtors are typically highly sensitive to the local QOL. Several have supported my campaign. The slime campaign by NCAR should not be attributed to individual realtors.

Stan, individual REALTORS® can get involved in their local board and at the NCAR level. I am a member of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® and their Government Affairs Committee. What did being on that committee cost me? Nothing, other than a commitment of time and an application form to fill out.

I recused myself from candidate screenings and endorsements this year, since it would be a blatant conflict of interest in my mind. But if any REALTOR® wants to get involved and have a voice, all they have to do is sign up. If you see one who wants to get involved, tell them to call RRAR or call me.

Staff does NOT control things. They work for the membership, who tells them what to do. Trust me, I know most of them, and have seen the process work.

[StanN]

This site has three of the four slime attack mailers http://stopthenchometicks.blogspot.com/2008/10/mary-edna-williams-be-very-ashamed.html

I used the one with the skull on the early voting line today at Pullen. It worked great for me. It is an over-reach and it turns off most people. Each mailer cost ~72 cents. My estimate of total cost is approaching $300,000..and its blowing up in their face. The two mailers from the NC Home Owners Alliance come directly from member dues. The two mailers form NCAR come from PAC contributions and will draw down the funds available to pro NCAR candidates...works for me!

I am really flattered that anyone would think I was that powerful to justify spending $300,000 against me.

But if I were a local realtor whose dues were raised to pay for the slime attack(s), I would want someone's head on a pike. This campaign defames all realtors and is ineffective to boot.

The realtors past successes have gone to someones head and he wants to be the most powerful lobby in the state. Even some developers, normally their partners, are turned off.

[JoeCiulla]

I am really flattered that anyone would think I was that powerful to justify spending $300,000 against me.



Win or lose, don't let it go to your head!

[Brent]

Each mailer cost ~72 cents. My estimate of total cost is approaching $300,000..and its blowing up in their face.

Although I tend to agree that there is a trend for negative personal attack ads to backfire (Ernie 2007, Dole's latest disgusting "religion" attack, many other examples), I think you might be overstimating the spending on these mailers. I guess we'll have to await the campaign finance reports, but I would be surprised if the real estate lobby mailed to all likely voters. Maybe they did, but if so, perhaps they (A) have too much money; or (B) didn't spend it wisely.