Apartment associations and realtor associations are the enemies of renters

Apartment associations and realtor associations are the enemies of renters

By Lynda Carson - November 10, 2017

The California Apartment Association has been stalking the tenants movement, and in opposition to renter protections it has meddled in the affairs of many cities, including the cites of Alameda, Burlingame, Concord, Healdsburg, Lafayette, Mountain View, Oakland, Pacifica, Richmond, San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Rosa and many other cities.

The California Apartment Association plans to meddle in the affairs of Long Beach, to block rent control efforts, and it even brags that it blocked renter protections in Anaheim recently.

Pacifica rent control Measure C failed to pass on November 7, 2017, and the enemies of tenants and renter protections were involved in making sure that Measure C was not voted into law.

Some of the enemies of the renters and renter protections include greedy landlords, and the notorious members of the California Apartment Association, East Bay Rental Housing Association, National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, and the San Mateo County Association of Realtors.

As an enemy of renters and renter protections, on November 8, 2017, the California Apartment Association claimed that it was instrumental in defeating both the temporary ordinance to protect renters from greedy landlords in Pacifica, and Measure C. Additionally, while bragging about their corrupting influence on politicians, the California Apartment Association even mentioned how many corrupt politicians were voted into office recently that they were supporting in the cities of San Mateo, Burlingame, and San Bruno.

The battle over Measure C in Pacifica had many campaign contributors. However it was an unfair battle, and those opposed to Measure C contributed much more money than those who supported Measure C. Some of the supporters of Measure C contributed around $49,000 for the campaign, and those opposed to Measure C contributed around $361,000, or more.

During 2017, additional public records revealed that $446,988 was contributed to oppose Measure C in Pacifica, the much needed rent stabilization and just cause eviction protection measure that was defeated on November 7.

The California Apartment Association, National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, and the San Mateo County Association of Realtors have repeatedly been meddling in the affairs of Pacifica recently, and other cities. The organizations are in opposition to much needed renter protections that would stabilize communities in California. The weasels like to make sure that their victims (renters), do not have any rights to protect them from the profiteers (landlords/slumlords), that have been ripping them off.

The money was contributed to Citizens For Fair And Equitable Housing, Rental Housing Providers And Real Estate Professionals opposing Measure C, an opposition group that wants to make sure that the greedy landlords and realtors in California can continue to jack up the rents as much as they want in their cockroach, bedbug infested rental units.

Citizens For Fair And Equitable Housing, Rental Housing Providers And Real Estate Professionals opposing Measure C, is an opposition group to renter protections created by the California Association of Realtors (CAR) in California, including the San Mateo County Association of Realtors (SAMCAR), a realtors organization that has also been meddling in the affairs of Pacifica. Citizens For Fair And Equitable Housing, Rental Housing Providers And Real Estate Professionals was also the opposition group against renter protections in Santa Rosa, that were recently blocked from going into effect.

Additionally, the California Apartment Association (CAA) has been meddling in the affairs of Pacifica, in opposition to renter protections. Public records reveal that the CAA spent more than $43,000 on a referendum petition against ordinance 814, an interim ordinance that would have imposed a temporary moratorium on certain residential rent increases, and requiring just cause for eviction of tenants in Pacifica. The referendum petition prevented the interim ordinance from taking effect. Additional records also reveal that the CAA spent $7,500 in opposition to Measure C.

Public records reveal that during 2015 the California Apartment Association (CAA) raked in $7,438,800, and by the end of the year they had a fund balance of $6,219,433. Thomas K. Bannon of Sacramento, the CEO of the CAA, pulled in a whopping $354,332 in wages and compensation during 2015.

During 2015, the California Association of Realtors (CAR) raked in a whopping $71,835,994, and had a fund balance of $57,648,213 by the end of the year. Joel S. Singer, Executive Vice President & Board Secretary, pulled in a whopping $873,561 in wages and compensation in 2015.

In 2015, the San Mateo County Association of Realtors raked in $1,900,742, and had a fund balance of $1,135,023 by the end of the year. Steve Blanton, Executive Officer of SAMCAR, a Republican who resides in Los Gatos, received $205,856 in wages and compensation in 2015.

During 2015, the National Association of Realtors raked in a whopping $276,701,993, and had a fund balance of $194,806,861 by the end of the year.

Chris Polychron of Hot Springs, Arkansas, is the President of the National Association of Realtors, and he received $318,110 in wages and compensation in 2015.

Representing the nation’s real estate industry, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) is a trade association with 1.2 million members. During 2014-2015, annual NAR membership dues were $120 per member.

NAR spends a fortune corrupting politicians with buckets of cash. Politicians that are eager to protect the interests of the real estate industry, and their efforts to keep renter protections from becoming the law of the land.

Donors to the National Association of Realtors who contribute their money in the effort to corrupt the politicians are varied, and the contributions are from all across the nation.

Indeed, even though the National Association of Realtors (NAR) is a much larger, and wealthier organization than the California Apartment Association (CAA), or the California Association of Realtors (CAR), Chris Polychron of NAR was paid much less in 2015, than Thomas K. Bannon of the CAA, or Joel S. Singer of CAR. This reveals that Thomas K. Bannon and Joel S. Singer may be overpaid for their services.

But this does not tell the whole story regarding the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Public records reveal that there are at least ten other individuals in NAR who are raking in way more than $300,000 a year, including Robert Goldberg who raked in over $800,000 during 2015 for his services.

As part of their corrupting political influence, reportedly the National Association of Realtors spent more than $111,000 on politicians in Berkeley during 2016.

In Oakland, years ago it was the Rental Housing Association of Northern Alameda County, a.k.a. East Bay Rental Housing Association, that tried, but failed to prohibit the enforcement of the Oakland Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance (Measure EE), after it was passed into law by the voters in 2002.

Records with the Secretary of State reveal that the entity known as the Rental Housing Association of Northern Alameda County, a.k.a. East Bay Rental Housing Association, was incorporated on 11/06/1939, its status is active, and that Fred Morse is listed as the agent for service of process. Other public records reveal that Fred Morse of Oakland, contributed $195.00 on 1/24/2017, to the California Apartment Association.

Records that were filed on June 7, 2011, reveal that an amendment to its articles of incorporation, changed the name from the Rental Housing Association of Northern Alameda County, to the East Bay Rental Housing Association.

Even though the East Bay Rental Housing Association claims to be a full service nonprofit organization, additional records reveal that the last 990 tax filing by this entity was for 2010.

Jill Broadhurst is the executive director of the East Bay Rental Housing Association, and resides in Oakland.

As a result of not filing their 990 tax filings, it was on August 11, 2014, that the IRS automatically revoked the tax exemption status of the East Bay Rental Housing Association, and on May 15, 2014, the IRS reinstated their exemption status after the organization applied for reinstatement of exemption.

However, despite having their exemption reinstated during May of 2014, its very troubling that there still are not any 990 tax filings available for the organization since 2010.

The East Bay Rental Housing Association also has its own political action committee.

Additionally, the East Bay Rental Housing Association is listed with the Secretary of State, for their lobbying activities, in addition to their campaign finance activities.

Indeed, some of the enemies of the renters and renter protections include greedy landlords, and the notorious members of the California Apartment Association, East Bay Rental Housing Association, National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, and the San Mateo County Association of Realtors.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

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