As the Saturday Daily Business News on MHProNews reported (see link further below for report dated 4.16.2022) Sandy Garrett, J.D., Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee said the following in an email to MHProNews. “Mr. Kovach: In response to your question, the breadth of your complaint is much broader than the parameters of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9 Section 32.9 allows the Board of Professional Responsibility to report evidence of a crime to law enforcement.” Garrett wrote in a separate email: “As stated in the November 9, 2021 letter to you, this matter appears to be more appropriately addressed by elected officials and/or the U.S. Department of Justice.”
MHProNews has previously reported that not one, but two assistant state attorneys general have contacted our platform. In each case, they were following up on evidence found on the MHProNews and/or MHLivingNews websites about apparent felony antitrust and/or RICO charges. Those allegations related to several MHI connected brands, see the reports for the week further below.
To be objective, antitrust enforcement is apparently an arena that is subject to political winds. What may have occurred if President Donald J. Trump had remained in the White House for four more years is quite obviously not what occurred under the Biden regime. Per two sources with knowledge, several DOJ antitrust officials met to discuss antitrust allegations involving manufactured housing. Perhaps (rightly or wrongly) due to Trump being deposed, those various investigatory actions are not known to have continued on.
That said, the midterms outcome and 2024 election could change the course of Washington and state-level antitrust enforcement efforts. In theory, if Republican sweep into power in the House and U.S. Senate, there is a possible path for an even earlier return for Trump into the White House. That said, Trump himself said he is not interested in that avenue (at least not yet…) back into the Oval Office.
This is part two of the report teased below from Saturday.
MHProNews is also planning on a more detailed and comprehensive look in the near term at the evidence of possible felony antitrust, RICO, Hobbs Act or other violations of federal and/or state laws.
That report and commentary will look specifically at Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Kevin Clayton, Tim Williams, Tom Hodges, and MHI. Their respective statements will be explored in the light of a considerable body of facts, published statements, and expert analysis. It will includes their own respective words and published documents.
Since MHI, the Berkshire brands in MHVille and others are apparently fearful of publicly defending and/or debating their conduct and performance in much of the 21st century, MHProNews will compile their relevant comments and records. Those will then be compared to other known facts, including a strong antitrust analysis that coincides with those mentioned above.
As the Saturday report linked below in our headlines for the week that was makes clear, thousands of manufactured housing locations have failed and/or were absorbed at often arguably discounted prices. While the biggest part of that occurred following the 2009 Berkshire-brand document published in the Masthead below, a steady erosion of independent retailers and communities has occurred since then.
While some companies have clearly made this troubling business model profitable, the case could be made that it would be far more profitable to intelligently and sustainably put the pedal to the metal and let manufactured housing roar. Companies like Cavco Industries and Skyline Champion, for instance, could arguably sell far more homes than they have been in recent years. Who says? In once case, Cavco’s William “Bill” Boor, among others.
In essence, Boor – perhaps subconsciously – mirrored what MHI used to quote around the turn of the 21st century. Namely, Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies Eric Belsky who made the evidence based argument that manufactured housing could surpass conventional housing by 2010.
Belsky was incorrect, to put it politely. But why was the Harvard scholar proven wrong? The case could be made that Belsky did not consider the Buffett factor, because Buffett had not yet formally entered into the manufactured housing industry.
Among the headlines for the week that was is a mainstream media article published on the Tampa Free Press (TampaFP). It will be part of a series that includes some keen insights into Buffett and the Moat.
For consolidation to occur in manufactured housing at the pace that it has, it is fair to say that barriers to entry, persistence, and exit must be as tough as possible for outsiders thinking about getting in. They must feel fear – the risk of loss – at a level that is greater than their desire for possible gain.
It is entirely possible that someone or several individuals, investors, and/or businesses who have the supreme confidence of a George S. Patton type character will be needed for manufactured housing to reclaim its potential. That may require someone from the outside to get in. Why? Because if insiders wanted to do what is necessary, one would think that they would have already made the necessary move(s). So far, there is no obvious evidence that such is the case. That is despite the fact that numbers of successful brands have what it takes to do what is necessary.
What is necessary for manufactured housing to have a recovery from its near-death experiences?
It will require something akin to a resurrection. Recall that Peter and 10 of the Apostles fled rather than watch Jesus die on the cross. Only young John, one of the Sons of Thunder, remained with Jesus’ mother Mary and Mary of Magdala to stand witness to the hideous death of Christ on the Cross.
But after the Resurrection event on that first Easter Sunday, the disciples steadily gained the courage needed. Once the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost, they left their fears behind. Despite the risks to themselves, the Eleven (the apostle Judas Iscariot, one will recall committed suicide after betraying Jesus) became powerful voices of evangelization that rapidly spread into India, the Mediterranean, the Greek regions of the Roman Empire, and Rome itself. Later, Christianity spread throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and finally the Americas and Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, etc.).
Don’t miss today’s postscript.
With no further adieu, the following are the headlines for the week that was between 4.10 and 4.17.2022
What’s New on the Masthead
What’s New or Recent from Washington D.C. from MHARR
What’s News and Recent on MHLivingNews
What’s New and Recent on the Words of Wisdom by Tim Connor, CSP
What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 4.16.2022
Friday 4.15.2022
Thursday 4.14.2022
Wednesday 4.13.2022
Tuesday 4.12.2022
Monday 4.11.2022
Sunday 4.10.2022
What’s New on the Tampa Free Press by L. A. “Tony” Kovach
Postscript
For those who doubt the miracle of the Resurrection, please see the MHLivingNews article linked above and here. Because once someone begins to grasp the reality of miracles, and God’s Spirit comes upon a soul, the fear felt by the 11 remaining Apostles of Christ after Judas Iscariot’s suicide melted away. Previously fearful souls faced often similar torture to Jesus to spread the truth of God’s saving word.
The likelihood of someone being crucified by Berkshire or any of their clique and related henchmen is arguably paltry. This writer can say that the various threats stated or implied by the powers that be in our industry have not resulted in this writer’s premature death. If sticks and stones can break bones, but name calling won’t hurt me physically, the history of MHProNews and MHLivingNews in the last 5 years is relevant. It has been about 5 years since MHI decided wrote me to de facto convey that they did not want someone inside their organization questioning them, however politely or accurately. That’s not what they said, but what they did say was quite absurd. Namely, the claimed that they had no membership category for an operation like ours. What? Pardon me? They don’t have consultants? They don’t have publishers and bloggers? Absurd, isn’t it? The fact that their letter was unsigned and had no specific name of an MHI staffer associated with it made it all the more apparently low-brow.
In this writer’s reply to MHI member emeritus, George Allen, which he copied dozens of others in, a counter to his claims were laid out (see those linked above or here).
After that was published, the following email were among those in this writer’s inbox. “Very comprehensive and informative Tony,” the higher level professional wrote, adding “Please add me to your blog or newsletter.” No problem.
Some could care less about facts or evidence, and the reason for it is found in the pithy quote below.
But the case can be made that the only way to get beyond the historically low production that manufactured housing has suffered through during much of the 21st century is for people of good will who have the courage to stand up and fight intelligently. That battle can be done in a variety of legal and ethical ways. It can be performed openly as MHProNews, MHARR, MHLivingNews or others have done. Or it can be done quietly, or with some method somewhere in between boldly public and anonymously.
What must be grasped is that manufactured housing is hardly alone. This is a battle for the American Dream and what for years was known as “the American Way.” Why is that said? Because global elites have openly said: “business as usual is dead or dying.”
The powers that be behind these elitists movements have reached a certain nexus, and so have those who are fighting back. Decades of propaganda have apparently been deployed in manufactured housing. It is not easy to erase those years of “deception and misdirection.” Something similar can be said about other segments of the U.S. economy.
The good news IS the Good News. A combination of faith the size of a mustard seed, prayers and good works can overcome the evils that have afflicted our profession and numbers of others.
‘See that no one deceives you’ is but one piece of ancient wisdom that has been necessary since the nearly the beginning of human history. Could this fight be won without people of faith? Perhaps. But far more likely, as was the case with the American Revolution is that people of good will shall come together and fight.
Because unless we hang together, observed Ben Franklin, or more recently, Dan Bongino and others, we will surely hang separately.
And ironically, Sandy Garrett has pointed the way. Should she have pressed the case herself? The argument could be made that the answer is an obvious ‘yes.’ What Garrett apparently revealed is the ‘rigged system’ at work. But as MHProNews has said several times, Bernie Madoff, Enron, WorldCom, and more recently Theranos have demonstrated that even connected individuals and their brands can be brought down when enough people of good will stand up and fight for what’s right! Some of the legal tools are outlined in the 500-word op-ed below. ##
need to wait years for legislation that in the past has often led to little or no discernable benefit. https://www.wnd.com/2021/05/solution-big-tech-oligarchs/
It is better to be late to the dance, service, or other event, than to miss something worthwhile entirely. MHI award winner Allen saying in that email that the industry is underperforming is a step in the correct direction.
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) has consistently and persistently attempted to hold MHI to account and has long called for a new post-production trade group. Their announced ‘white paper’ is pending.
The reason that there have been periodic calls for a new post-production trade group is arguably a vote of no-confidence in MHI. Given industry underperformance and a range of troubling image and legal issues, perhaps the only wonder is that a group of white hats with sufficient chutzpah and horsepower haven’t already done what has been tentatively tried several times in recent years.
The clock is ticking… …stay tuned for what is to come, which you can count on finding right here at your home for manufactured home “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” ©
Again, our thanks to you, our sources, and sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
