Realtors - the Hell of the Haves and the Have Nots

I'm currently getting ready to retire.
And related to that - I am downsizing - dramatically.

During this past year I have learned a lot of crap I never wanted to know about realtors.

With realtors, its all about money and whether you are a Have and a Have Not
I have no problem with people making money - that's what life is all about
its about how you go about making that money.

This past year has shown me what motivates realtors.

You have to realize that to work with a realtor
- you have to sign a contract with them.
Which confines you to all levels of hell.

When it came to selling my big, huge house
the realtor I had at the time
   Was more than willing to take the sale.
   Was more than willing to print up marketing stuff.
   Never showed the house once.
   Was willing to argue with me for three days on what I should accept as an offer.
   Was more than willing to take the commission on a six digit sale.
At that point - I was a six digit "HAVE" - - I owned the house - - I called the shots.

After the house sold
I started looking for a different "much, much smaller" home.
That's when I became a five-digit HAVE NOT

The realtor that sold my house
- like the realtor I have now
- don't have the time to deal with five-digit buyers,
     we're people that aren't going to bring them mucho dinero in commissions.

With both realtors - now I am five digit HAVE NOT
A home - I HAVE NOT  - - even tho I find at least two a week
that I like based on the listing and are in my price range.
   My emails are/were not answered in a timely manner
   I can't get showings in a timely manner
And in a sellers market - that means my offers are -  too late.
It's not unusual for me to have to wait three or four days after I call/email to get a showing.  I betcha their six digit clients aren't waiting 3 days to see a property.
And a home - I HAVE NOT
And thus, I literally remain in the HAVE NOTs of housing

And I have to continue to suck up & be nice or there'll be no showings at all.
  Having to suck up to someone I am eventually paying to help me
     who has made it clear they don't want to help me
      takes every once of acting skill I have.
.

Over the weekend
- I couldn't help thinking that when the housing bubble burst
the people blamed the banks
the people blamed the mortgage brokers
But
no one blamed the realtors. their need for greed (commissions).
And I guess now - I'm ready to place that blame.

Why? Because it has become very, very clear to me
- that if you are buying in the price range,
       you want and choose to afford
- and it's not at least 6 six digits
- realtors don't have the time for you
- realtors don't want to deal with you.
- other higher buck buyers needs come before yours
- you are the last priority.
And in a sellers market - that means your offers are -  too late.
And a home - you  HAVE NOT

By doing this, realtors force you to reconsider your buying decision.
- their inattentiveness increases your stress level
- they inattentiveness increases your hopelessness of finding a place
- their inattentiveness SHAMES YOU
You have no offers to make - or the offers are too late
- which automatically pressures you to think
        you have to up the price you are willing to pay
           (and the commission they will earn)
- just to get them to pay attention to you.

Unfortunately - for me
- I am not willing to up my price  - its staying at five digits
- so I am bunking at a friend's house (living out of suitcases)
- all because the commission that would be earned from my five digit purchase
     is, evidently, not good enough for me to get good realtor service.

So - I sit and wait - and keep on sucking up - - in the circles of realtor hell
for my six month contract with my current realtor to expire
- so I can try to find a new realtor who wants to do the work
    and take a commission on a five digit sale
- but I fear that search is going to, again, a futile one.
I can just imagine the next one will again promise great service on a five digit purchase, to get me to sign another contract and then leave me in five digit purchasers hell that has been my story of 2013.
 
 

ALEC Admits It Is Out to Destroy US Democracy

ALEC Admits It Is Out to Destroy Democracy

Yep folks - you read that correctly!

There are no "take-backs" on this one for ALEC.

I'll make this entry short because I don't want you to get confused or missed the point.

For the past 3 years I have written that you have to be careful about everything that ALEC writes - that they intentionally mislead the press and the public.

For years I have warned you that ALEC was out to destroy our democratic representative government - of, for and by the people.

For years - I have been duped by ALEC also.
"Limited Government"

For years I have thought that the ALEC mantra of "Limited Government" was the destruction of government - as we know it - by

the destruction of regulatory agencies
stealing tax dollars to give to corporations
destruction of public employee unions
amending the constitution

all written about in thousand of entries to educate the public on the evilness of ALEC and their mantra of "Limited Government"

"Limited Government"
I thought I knew what ALEC meant by that
- I should have been smarter
- I should have know the meaning was much bigger than that!

DUPLICITY 
 : dishonest behavior that is meant to trick someone
1
:  contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action; especially :  the belying of one's true intentions by deceptive words or action
2
:  the quality or state of being double or twofold

"Limited Government"

ALEC was using that phrase for 40 years in a duplicitous manner.

And last night they proved it.

Last night ALEC dropped their 990 on the web and the REAL EVILNESS of ALEC was exposed.

For years I have warned you that ALEC was out to destroy our democratic representative government - of, for and by the people.

Last night - ALEC proved it in their 990:
From the 990:

In accordance with the bylaws of ALEC, full membership shall be open to persons dedicated to the preservation of individual liberty, basic American values and institutional productive free enterprise, and limited representative government, who support the purposes of ALEC, and who serve, or formerly served, as members of a state or territorial legislature, the United States Congress or similar bodies outside the United States. 

In accordance with the bylaws of ALEC, full membership shall be open to persons dedicated to the preservation of individual liberty, basic American values and institutional productive free enterprise, and limited representative government, 

In accordance with the bylaws of ALEC, full membership shall be open to persons ...  dedicated to limited representative government,

From the ALEC 2012 990 - I did not make this up!


There you go folks
ALEC Admits They Are Out to Destroy Representative Democracy

The American Legislative Exchange Council has admitted they are dedicated  to "limited representative government",
- destruction of the USA's representative democracy
- and their first step was Voter ID - to take away your right to vote
- if you weren't afraid of ALEC before - you should be now.

We are no longer looking at ALEC manipulated
"Limited Government"
anymore folks!

We are talking about
"Limited Representative Government"

Huge difference.
HUGE!

And if you don't understand how huge this particular problem is 
"Limited Representative Government"
- ALEC deserves to win.



ALEC is a private 501c3 organization with over 2,000 members.
ALEC's members who are dedicated to limited representative government.

ALEC has told the Federal government
in their 990
that they are going to destroy our current representative democracy.

ALEC is a domestic terrorist group.

ALEC MUST BE DESTROYED!!

ALEC Members Can Now Disavow Actions

You're not gonna believe this folks.

A new disclaimer on the ALEC webpages.

Are you ready?

Membership Disclaimer
ALEC provides a forum to facilitate the exchange of policy ideas from a variety of perspectives. ALEC model policy and resolutions are developed by ALEC members and may or may not reflect the positions of any individual member, company, association, or non-profit.

AGAIN!

ALEC model policy and resolutions are developed by ALEC members and may or may not reflect the positions of any individual member, company, association, or non-profit.

AGAIN!

ALEC model policy and resolutions are developed by ALEC members and may or may not reflect the positions of any individual member, company, association, or non-profit.

ALEC corporations and members 

get together in private

behind closed doors

and pay to 

     Kill unions
     Kill public ed
     Kill the environment
     Kill public pensions
     Kill the minimum wage
     Kill sick time

     Kill consumer rights

     Kill your right to vote
     Kill representative government, of, for and by the people

And then they claim:

As always, should you or any of your force be caught, 

the Secretary can disavow any knowledge of your actions.

These jackasses at the American Legislative Exchange Council 
think they can do all this damage to our country

and just say - 

Well, I didn't agree with "that" part!

BULLSHIT!

This new ALEC disclaimer is like saying:

“I pay my yearly dues to the Klan 
and I provide support for Klan meetings

But

I don’t believe in “everything” they do.”

BULLSHIT!

McDaniel (MS): Was He Really at The Chi ALEC Meeting?

This MoJo article popped up in a search I did:

GOP Senate Candidate Addressed Conference Hosted by Neo-Confederate Group That Promotes Secessionism

Mississippi Republican Chris McDaniel, who is challenging Sen. Thad Cochran and backed by the Senate Conservatives Fund and the Club for Growth, took the stage with a historian who says Lincoln was a Marxist.

In August, McDaniel addressed a neo-Confederate conference in Laurel, Miss., near his hometown of Ellisville. A local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), the Jones County Rosin Heels, hosted the two-day event, which the group described in invitations as a "Southern Heritage Conference" for "politically incorrect folks."

Yep – I did what I always do – checked to see if McDaniel was an ALEC member.

And – he wasn’t on any published (or unpublished lists) of known ALEC members.

Woulda been fun to connect an ALEC member to a neo-confederate conference.

And then

Today

I ran into these two clips:

McDaniel told the Clarion-Ledger political editor Geoff Pender, however, that he never attended the ball and was at a meeting of the ALEC at the time.

Really?
What'd McDaniel say?

State Sen. Chris McDaniel says he wasn’t at a “neo-Confederate” conference and ball that “Mother Jones” is reporting he attended and addressed.

“It’s unbelievable,” McDaniel said. “I was in Chicago then, at an (ALEC) conference. I wasn’t even there. I wasn’t even in the state.”

Really –

He was at the ALEC meeting?
“It’s unbelievable,”

He is confirming that he attended the meeting of the extremist American Legislative Exchange Council, to confirm he was not at the neo-Confederate conference in Laurel, Miss

Really –

Evidently McDaniel believes that the extremist ALEC is a more appropriate association for a US Senate candidate than the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), the Jones County Rosin Heels.
He felt he had to clarify where he was.
Really?

Well I thought I’d check it out.

And this is what I found:

From the webpage of the local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), the Jones County Rosin Heels,

The Southern Heritage Conference will be held August 9-10, 2013 at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Laurel, MS

I was at the ALEC conference in Chicago.

It was held August 7-9, 2013

Was he at the ALEC meeting?
Really?

So I decided that I would go one more place to check –

The infamous ALEC Durbin Letter.
The ALEC Durbin Letter was penned and signed by attendees at the Chicago ALEC meeting.

The ALEC Durbin Letter has lots of signatures from Mississippi legislators that were there but

There is no McDaniel signature.

McDaniel, is a MS state senator

 – if he was in Chicago – at the ALEC meeting

 – why didn’t he sign the ALEC Durbin Letter?

So, the possible conclusions here:

First

    Attending both events is absolutely possible.
    Based on timing - these two events are not mutually exclusive

Second

     If he was at the meeting of the extremist American Legislative
     Exchange Council
     – there is no proof he was there.

Third

     If he was at the meeting of the extremist American legislative
     Exchange Council
     – we can now add him to the lists of ALEC members.

After all – based on the articles above - he evidently would prefer to be connected to ALEC than to the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), the Jones County Rosin Heels.

But who to believe - MoJo or McDaniel?
Well - I believe Mojo - cause they probably have proof to back up their story.
McDaniels word is pretty worthless - especially if he is connected with ALEC.
And there is the possibility that he asked one of his Repug friends - "How do I get out of this mess?" and they said "Just say you were at the ALEC meeting."

If he was at the ALEC meeting
I wonder how many lobbyists he sucked up to at the ALEC meeting to line his US Senate campaign coffers with lots of corporate $$$$s.

UPDATE - 6 hours later
Going to the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), the Jones County Rosin Heels - event must be a helluva no, no for politicans.

McDaniel, others refute story about him at Confederate event

The Southern Heritage Conference was Aug. 9-10. The ALEC conference in Chicago was Aug. 7-9. McDaniel said he recollects he stayed over at least a day after the ALEC event, and was still out of state when the Rosin Heels event was held.

Watson said he was with McDaniel at the ALEC conference and “as a matter of fact, I think he stayed longer than I did. Chris was there.”

ALEC - Your Term is Up #VoteNo2ALEC

Last week I introduced you to the Congressional members of ALEC.

IMPORTANT to note 
- If you want to get the house back in 2014 
- GET RID OF ALEC!

  The entire nation will be better off for it!

In addition to the congressional races - we also have to fight the infestation of the extremist, pro-corporate, right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council at the state, county and local levels.

ALEC must be removed from our government.

ALEC is a PRIVATE 501c3 organization that doesn't give a damn about you and me 

- the only thing ALEC is concerned with is keeping 98% of its revenues that come from
     ALEC Corporations 

- through any means possible.

I will try to update this list on a regular basis - it will depend on how often I am able to find announcements that I can pass on to you - the truthseeker - the keyper of America's democracy.

It is your duty - to use your power in the voting booth to rid America of these pro-corporate legislato4rs who do not serve the American people!!

Governors Race 

SC Gov Race - Support Vincent Sheheen against ALECer Nikki Haley. http://vincentsheheen.com/ 
MD Del Ron George (ALEC) is running for Governor. 
IL Gov Race - State Treasurer Dan Rutherford (ALEC) is running for Governor
CO - Republican State Senator Greg Brophy (ALEC) is running for Governor

#VoteNo2ALEC

 Lieutenant Governor
TX  Todd Staples for TX Lieutenant Governor  ALEC State Co-Chair

#VoteNo2ALEC

Secretary of State Races
OH - Sen. Nina Turner, a Dem, is only opponent to oppose GOP Sec Of State Jon Husted’s (ALEC) 2014 re-election
 SD Secretary of State Jason Gant (ALEC) said he plans to return to the private sector  at the end of 2014
 SD State Sen.Shantel Krebs (ALEC, http://tinyurl.com/k9l737l  ) is running for secretary of state.

#VoteNo2ALEC

State Auditors RAce
NE Sen. Pete Pirsch (ALEC) said he is "strongly considering" a run for state auditor in the 2014 election.

#VoteNo2ALEC

State House  

IA  Ross Paustian (IA-ALEC) announced plans last week to run for the Iowa House again in 2014

AL Sen. Cam Ward, R-ALEC, announced he will not run for congress, but will instead seek re-election to the state senate.

#VoteNo2ALEC

Congress
MN 6th District - Bachmann Out.  Tom Emmer (ALEC) in?
SD - Stace Nelson (ALEC-SD) exploring run for US Senate.  He insists he is not really   ALEC, peer pressure forced him to join.
TN   Tea party groups endorse Joe Carr (TN-ALEC)  for U.S. Senate.
NC  Former state Sen. David Rouzer (ALEC) announced campaign team lead his rematch bid against Dem Rep. Mike McIntyre.
LA Rep. Alan Seabaugh, a Republican, told The Times Tuesday he’s seriously considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2014. 

CO- Repub Rep. Amy Stephens to run for U.S. Senate in 20144 

#VoteNo2ALEC

 
Country Level Race – Auditor     In charge of ELECTIONS
WA   Elect Mary Hall >Thurston County (WA)< Auditor – in charge of *elections*, licensing, & finance oversite. Currently is Gary Alexander (ALEC). 
           Remember – ALECers don’t want everybody to vote!

#VoteNo2ALEC

City Races - Mayoral
Albuquerque Mayor Berry (NM-ALEC)  running far ahead in the polls.  ALEC at the local level needs to be stopped.

#VoteNo2ALEC

 Calling it Quits – Thanks Goodness  

Sen. Katie Stine, (KY-ALEC) the first female Senate President Pro Tem,
      will not seek re-election
State Rep. Richard Laird is calling it quits. (AL-ALEC)
Rob Orr, (TX-ALEC), will not seek re-election to a sixth term in the Texas.
Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-ALEC) will not seek re-election
State Rep. Jim Pitts, TX-ALEC announced Thursday that he won't seek re-election.

#VoteNo2ALEC

ALEC Blog Entry Misleads Public

This morning's web search brought up a line that I couldn't pass up.

It was on the ALEC blog - which has a disclaimer on that says

The views in blog posts are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The American Legislative Exchange Council.

WTH!  Why have a blog if it doesn't reflect your views?

Another ALEC crock of _____!

The blog entry is written by ALEC staffer

    Amy Kjose Anderson

    Director, Civil Justice Task Force

    703-373-0933

The Civil Justice Task Force promotes systematic fairness in the courts through model legislation that discourages frivolous lawsuits,

Who defines "frivolous lawsuits"?

Not you - ALEC does not seek your input - never, ever - you do not matter to ALEC.

"frivolous lawsuits" are defined by ALEC Corporate members.

Anyway ALEC staffer, Amy's blog entry that does "not necessarily reflect the views of The American Legislative Exchange Council." is entitled:

Lawsuit Reform is a Common Sense Bipartisan Issue

The ALEC blog reporting something as a "Bipartisan Issue"????

  from a ultraconservative, right wing extremist organization??

ALEC, still trying to mislead the US public that ALEC is "bipartisan".

Lawsuit Reform is a Common Sense Bipartisan Issue

How did Amy Kjose Anderson - ALEC staffer come to this conclusion?

Based on:

A 2012 poll compiled by Luce Research and sponsored by the American Tort Reform Association and the Sick of Lawsuits Campaign

First of all - it was COMPILED by Luce Research.  You see Luce Research doesn't really do "research"  they are a contract data compilation company - which simply does, what they are told to do by the clients (sponsors) 

- collect data for clients, 

- based on the clients requirements,

- most likely based only on specific questions, supplied by the client (sponsor)
- and then they just crunch the numbers.

Now to our Sponsors

The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) is a Washington-DC-based group that was formed in 1986 to represent hundreds of U.S. and foreign corporations in their bid to overhaul civil liability laws at the state and national levels.

" formed in 1986 to represent hundreds of U.S. and foreign corporations"

REPRESENTS HUNDREDS OF CORPORATIONS

American Tort Reform Association, is a member of the ALEC Civil Justice Task Force member.

What a coincidence - the same task force that Amy Kjose Anderson  directs.

 

Victor Schwartz

who sits on ALECs

Board of Scholars

   serves as general counsel to the American Tort Reform Association.

Incestuous little bunch of rightwingers.

American Tort Reform Association - decades long ALEC member -which works at taking away legal recourse for citizens to protect the profits of multi-national companies, most who are ALEC members.  It spent decades using ALEC legislators to take away your legal rights when ALEC corporate members maim or kill you or a family member.

The other survey sponsor:

     Sick of Lawsuits Campaign 

- now that doesn't sound biased at all, does it?

HAH!

Anyway - this supposedly - unbiased, bipartisan - report includes the following statement:

A number of lawsuit reforms developed by members of the American Legislative Exchange Council have proven to be helpful guides for lawmakers around the country.

A number of lawsuit reforms "developed by members" of ALEC

ALEC staffer, Amy Kjose Anderson, intentionally misleads the public - through the use of omission -  to assume is that these "members" are legislators.

ALEC continuously misleads the public by only talking/writing about their "legislative members" and  intentionally and conveniently- through the use of omission -  seldom to never mentioning their 300 corporate paying members - which, by the way, fund 98% of ALECs operations.

The accurate sentence should be:

A number of lawsuit reforms developed by CORPORATE members of the American Legislative Exchange Council have proven to be helpful guides for lawmakers around the country.

The American Legislative Exchange Council intentionally publishing biased ultra-conservative pro-corporate research, that will be picked up by the MSM to mislead citizens, as legitimate statistical reporting.

"Lies, damned lies, and statistics"