“For shame, for shame, for shame!“ was a common admonition by the comedic character of Gomer Pyle, USMC.
But it’s no laughing matter if the MH industry misses out on a prime chance to correct the improper use of the powers given to the CFPB in Dodd-Frank. Shame on them for cutting off good people from reasonable financing options that otherwise frees them from the Renters Nation, which the CFPB’s current policy toward MH sadly confines millions.
Also hear Gomer call “shame!” on MHPros who don’t take a few minutes to make sure our call-to-action is so loud-and-clear that both major parties and the Oval Office get it right when the omnibus appropriations bill is passed.
Ross Kinzler is correct. If our rider is on the Senate bill and with the House’s companion passage, POTUS will sign off.
Since Ross is right, with all due respect, then reason suggests that the argument sent by email to various industry leaders misses the mark. Yes, it’s true that there is a two-year window for Congressional legislation, and HR 650’s passage in the Spring of 2015 could still lead to the Senate passing the companion S 682 bill in 2016. Let’s call that plan b.
What the plan b argument misses is perhaps Ross’ main point. The president will sign off on a passed appropriations bill.
Plan b isn’t nearly as certain.
So failing to “catch a ride” this year via appropriations, possible in the next few days, could be a big miss for all of MHVIlle. Or to use Apollo Creed’s power-phrase from Rocky 3, “There is no Tomorrow!”
Hey. We may be ‘cheer leaders’ at MHProNews and MHLivingNews on issues we believe in, Tim Williams et al are correct on that and his next point too. Namely, that we, as pro-MH Industry trade publishers, call it as we see it. We see it as a tactical and strategic error to let this opportunity slip by for ANY reason. Others who see it differently can send me a comment/letter for publication, if they have a reason-based counter-argument. We’re happy to share it.
This Ought to be Easy, Here’s How
I can turn to my team and say, “please send this out or make this call too.” Just the ask often results in a “sure, happy to do so.” In fact, I did, and that’s what a team player replies with. If we can, why not you with EVERYONE on your team?
If one-in-ten workers in our industry did that, you could virtually guarantee that this rider would stay attached to the omnimbus appropriations bill, and this would thus pass this year. Passage this year means that next year, Joe Kelly’s right. We’d all be selling more homes as a result, plus our exiting home owners and lenders would be better off too!
For any who fail to do the common sense things that Ross, Joe or Tyler Craddock suggest, imagine Gomer Pyle looking at you and saying, “For Shame, For Shame, For Shame!”
I get it that some want a plan b, a fall back position. But when you make your Alpha Plan work, plan b is not needed. Agree, or disagree – love him, or hate him – what Donald Trump is proving is that the bold draw millions of supporters. Or as Napoleon and George Patton said, “L’audace, l’audace, toujours l’audace!”
What the powers-that-be everywhere need to realize is that people are attracted to ‘the strong horse,’ and the weak call to action is akin to no call-to-action.
We in MH can ride that populist wave too, but we have to be smarter and stronger in how we organize and approach such issues.
Our industry needs to be more strategic, that’s what a long-time MHI leader told me just days ago. He was correct.
Or as up-and-coming community operator and MH homeowner Tom Fath said, Let’s get this done, now.
3 EZ steps to get Dodd-Frank relief for all of MHVille
If you’re in MH, you’re impacted. Period. We can change that. Nor do you have to listen to moi, you can…
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take the sound advice of Ross, Joe Kelly or Tyler Craddock. Listen to Marty, Tom, the dozens who sounded off on the Hill blog post here, or those home owners and other pros who want more financing options.
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Once you’ve faxed, called or messaged (get your 2 Senators or House Rep’s contact, linked here), then ask your team members and associates to do the same. Don’t do one message per office, have each individual do a separate message. Let your associates know that – this is how we get things done and grow our industry – while advancing and protecting consumer options too.
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Then, push it out via social media and email to your circle of friends.
Do that, get others you know to get into that same habit of mobilizing others when needed.
What left-leaning Barack Obama learned as younger man was community organizing. He organized his coalition to take the White House, and kept it when many thought he’d lose in 2012. Left, right or center – there are lessons we in MH should learn and apply to OUR causes!
Affordable quality housing is a non-partisan issue. It doesn’t matter if you are left, right or center, D, R or I. Just do it.
The squeakiest wheel will get this done. Anything else is an excuse or ‘losers limp’ in disguise. Let’s not let Gomer tells us for shame, or think 2 weeks from now, ‘gosh darn, we missed that opportunity’.
Let’s stop begging. Let’s stop hoping for someday to arrive. Let’s organize. Let’s do what others do to claim victory, by being so heard that we will surely breakthrough. Let’s get this done! ##
