Right about now, many are wondering who or what an Emily Goode Smorgasbord is? Well, you know that a smorgasbord is a buffet style sampling opportunity. We will cover a number of topics in rapid fire sequence, the first of which is Emily Goode.
There is a good reason why we have left Jan Hall's Industry Voices guest blog post at the top of that home page module. This is one of the more important things we may remember from 2012 that has been accomplished by our Industry. If that isn't reason enough for you to scoot over and read that once you finish here, well…
…we will return to Emily and HUD post election.
Slings and Arrows
A West Coast industry buddy of mine was remarking the other day that I sure must have thick skin. He was referencing my being ripped viciously by a critic. Interesting, because an East coast email pen pal said something similar; namely, can't you delete those comments that are so harsh against you on your own site?
My reply was, yes I can.
There is hopefully a method to the madness of my letting people criticize horrifically on this site, or taking it on LinkedIn. There is not much I can do about those private emails that this or that critic sends out, some of which get forwarded back to me. Some of those attacks are bold, some are subtle.
Fall for Anything
You know the saying. If we don't stand for something, we will fall for anything. When you stand up in the land of the free and the home of the brave today, you are likely to feel – to borrow from William Shakespeare – the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune.
Those types of attacks are designed in part to cower the attacked into never, ever raising their head again to dare speak or write about whatever.
The truth be told, they are a cowardly method designed to bully and bash, used normally only when sound reason alone would fail (FYI, I did delete some comments on our site, because they repeatedly violated our comments rules, such as no plagiarism, a call to decency and no ad hominems; but those left up more than made that person's points).
Idiots, Morons and Racists
Feedback is essential to a business, to a writer or publisher, to an association, person or professional.
Feedback ought to have substance. Example: 'Sir, you have failed to properly punctuate your column. You have spent too much time writing about that, not enough on this. Please consider making some adjustments, thanks.'
Some comments we get are much longer than the example above.
A few weeks ago, a well know industry personality spent 85 minutes on the phone with me, to berate me for a column. He got about 2.5 minutes for every 1 of mine, so I had to make them count. Toward the end, when it was clear that we were going circular, I thanked him and wound the call down, but followed up with an email to say, let's keep the lines of communications open.
If this sort of thing doesn't cause you to think twice about the wisdom of publishing in our Industry, please…
…okay, I'm over that last one (not).
There are auto flags on our Disqus comment system that keep people from using certain words, usually the four letter variety. But some words, like idiot, moron or racist simply ought to be a matter of common sense and decency.
Now there are idiots or morons in the world, but the dictionary defines them in a way that most don't bother to think about. The misuse of hose terms may work on talk radio, for me, it is simply a cheap shot or low blow. It is foul. I know sometimes emotions carry us away, we've all got that t-shirt.
As to the use of the allegation of “racist,” today that is a favorite tool of the left whenever you intellectually disagree with someone or some policy on their side of the fence. The charge can be completely baseless, but it is designed to cower a voice to keep such a one – and others watching – from speaking out. We need that 'silent majority' to speak out now more than ever before.
Civility
What is ironic is when, let's say, a president tells the country that we need to be more civil with each other. Couldn't agree more. Then that same president later starts name calling and demagoguing, while doing the same or worse things himself as he accuses his opponent of doing…
…what some people won't do or say to get elected.
Gee, he would have been a shoe-in if the gent had done what he promised 4 years ago, namely:
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5.6% unemployment (vs. hovering at 8%, and that only because of the huge labor drop out rate that is in that 23 million of un-or under-employed)
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Cut the federal deficit in half (we've more than doubled it)
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Bring post partisanship to DC (it is more polarized than at any time in modern memory)
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Be transparent (gee, what about executive privilege on Fast and Furious, or playing the delay/cool off game on the botched handling of Benghazi that cost us 4 of our own; that Libyan tragedy was mishandled before, during and after the event, etc.)
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$4300 less average income per household than 4 years ago.
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17 million more on Food Stamps: 1 out of 6 is now in poverty.
to mention but a few things. None of us expects our presidents, vice presidents, senators, congressman or governors to be pure saints. But really! Can't we do better then this?
Yes, We Can.
Events
The election is upon us. Wednesday, there will likely be something to say before getting ready to head to Iowa for their association's annual meeting. It is so good to go to such meetings, whichever it has been my pleasure to go to live events from border to border and almost from coast to coast.
But the event of our lifetime is on Nov 6, unless you have done early voting.
Why Take It?
Why would anyone put themselves out to take all the criticism of doing so much election related commentary and fact sharing? Let me share a personal tale to give the answer.
Refugees
My parents spent some years in a DP camp in West Germany after WWII. DP was short for Displaced Persons, what we would call a refugee camp today. They had watched as the Soviet Union's army approached their native Hungary. Having lived in the shadow of the Communists, having suffered under state socialism, they risked everything to flee West. So they were glad to make it to the camp and eventually, to the U.S., where I was the first one born stateside.
A brother and a sister of mine didn't survive my parent's flight to the West. Other sibs lived to tell.
Once here in the U.S., my father's teaching and writing put him on one of those lists that the old Soviets kept for those who dared speak out publicly against their system.
My mom would attend meetings on campus at O.U. when pro-socialist or pro-communist speakers would mount a stage in a free country, to spew their half truths and outright lies in an effort to delude or seduce students or faculty. On one occasion, when she spoke up with her noticeable accent, the communist on the stage berated her for her heavy accent.
Her reply was to point out the communist's tactic. 'Rather than deal with the facts presented or my point, you attacked me for my accent,' she said that looking at the man, then turned to the audience to dramatically add, 'Now you see for yourselves exactly how their methods work.'
Believe me, we didn't get away with too much when we were young.
DNA
There must be something in the Magyar (Hungarian) or family DNA that compels one to never quit on what we believe to be a just cause.
We may all be tired of the political ads, the door knocks, road signs, emails and phone calls. But there is nothing more important than freedom!! The melodramatic side of the family persona tells me that America will not be the same if we have four more years of redistributionist, anti-free market policies.
If I didn't leave it all on the field, I would not be able to look back after the game is over. Once the election is past, that same passion will be back for advancing our cause as an industry. Because the two are tied together. Politics and policies matters. So does factory built housing.
Oh, BTW, look for some potentially interesting developments brewing post election. No, not that recent Donald Trump type announcement is all I can say at present.
Critical agreement
A point I completely agree with is a gentleman we appreciate who happens to hate the political commentary here is this; that much of what has happened to our industry are self-inflicted wounds. Ladies and Gents, the future of manufactured or modular housing lies in OUR hands! We either define ourselves or continue to let others define us. We either follow best practices, or not. When not, we shouldn't be shocked when our image or results suffers.
That example is one of many reasons why public critiques, within the bounds of decency and reason, are permitted here. The truth comes out in many ways. Even those we disagree with often have insights that we need to hear or read. We must learn to separate wheat from chaff.
We gladly invite not just posted comments on articles, but letters to the editor or OpEds on Industry related issues. We published an interview with Joe Donnelly and a pro-Obama article in previous issues, in fact I personally invited them to do it and am glad they did. Then, I invited the opposing view to be shared as well.
That's American.
I Approved this Message
Campaigns ads are required to say who paid for the ad, and if it is a candidate, they end with "and I approved this message."
No campaign or PAC has given us a dime. I care deeply about manufactured housing, which along side other forms of factory building, ought to be the future of American home construction. We can't afford to have big government so control our industry that community owners are afraid to do owner or captive financing.
We can't afford to have lenders pull out from making loans under $30,000 or $50,000 because of how the CFPB may interpret Dodd-Frank.
I won't go thought the whole litany of a promised, job-killing trillion dollar tax hike on the rich, which my prior column demonstrated why tax the rich is just a deception or lie.
We can't have ObamaDon'tCare go fully into effect, because it too will:
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kill 700,000 jobs (per the National Federation of Independent Businesses, NFIB),
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has raised costs $2500 per household (vs. the promise of lowering it that much, a -5k swing),
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will lead to rationing (duh, millions more people 'insured,' but no more doctors?? Duh!)
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– and due to the offensive DHS mandate – violates the conscious rights that President Obama swore before passage would never be violated.
So much for that man's word or wisdom.
Mitt Romney was not my first choice for president. But I will cast my enthusiastic vote for him because as we business people know, in business you deliver or you go out of business.
Romney understands business well, he got investors to invest because he made them money! He knows Dodd-Frank and ObamaCare are losers for America, he will repeal them and replace them with regulations that don't strangle off our economic growth.
Romney delivers, even when working with Democrats. We can – and have – cited in articles why he is the only rational choice for those who want to see happy days return to America and our great Industry.
But as an independent, I will vote Mitt and for conservative Republicans (sorry, I don't see fiscally conservative Democrats on my ballot), because it is the shortest path to energy independence. To economic and job growth. To preserving some semblance of religious or personal liberty and responsibility that ObamaCare doesn't respect. It is the only vote to end the Chicago-style deceptions and corruption of the Obama regime.
I'm L. A. "Tony" Kovach, and not our sponsors, but “I approved this message.”
Then, I hope to see a viable third party movement develop after this election, regardless of who wins. Because we need good third parties to keep the other two parties more honest!
The Map the Mainstream Media Doesn't Show
Gallup and Rasmussen both show Romney ahead, and the battle ground map has shifted. Drudge notes that some like former Clinton political strategist Dick Morris, think we could see Rs pick up 6 Senate seats plus see Romney win by 317 or more electoral votes.
But take nothing for chance. 500 to 5000 votes per state could make the difference.
Please, Vote. Then get your circle of influence to do likewise.
Conclusion
You can cheer or jeer in writing, by phone, text, on social networks or – shudder the thought – in person at Iowa, Louisville or Tunica. Please, be gentle.
Let me urge you to cast an informed vote. Then, pass along links like this one to our new site that will both boost our Industry while sharing some purely political cartoon insights.
By doing so, the career, business or job you save/create may be your own.
So we can capitalize for Emily Goode-ness sake…
Vote! ##
PS: Check our many Exclusive and Red Hot Featured Articles for October and see the
other new stories and 'Purely Political' cartoons at MHLivingNews.com too.
L. A. "Tony" Kovach
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latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
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Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right. – Henry Ford
