President Donald J. Trump took his oath of office on January 20, 2017, at about 9:00 AM PST (noon ET).
Since that time, there have been significant, and well publicized, regulatory freezes and roll-backs. A number of these have benefited the manufactured housing industry.
There has been the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, plus a number of other pro-business, and pro-growth programs.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) championed the tax cuts, while the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) championed regulatory freezes, roll-backs on overreaches and has pushed for years for the full implementation of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA 2000).
About a year has passed since the video report shown was posted. It is worth considering this flashback report in the light of not only what’s said in the video itself, but also given of the previously published report, linked here.
In fairness to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), they too ended up taking several positions that MHARR originally held. But isn’t that part of the concern from some MHI members, and those outside of that group? That they take a position that later has to change, and routinely that occurs under industry pressure?
Why did the Arlington, VA based trade association take incorrect positions for so long? Classic example: why did MHI resist the removal of Pam Danner for so many months after the 45th president took office?
Exclusive – HUD’s Manufactured Housing Program Administrator Pam Danner, Update
In hindsight, doesn’t the MHARR video interview posted above, filmed just 60 days into the Trump Administration, reflect the kind of posture that better reflected the interests of most of the industry’s businesses?
By contrast, the chairman of the board of some of the largest members of MHI openly supported Secretary Hillary Clinton. To be sure, that is Warren Buffett’s absolute right.
It was also MHI’s absolute right to put two pro-Clinton paid speakers on their stage in Chicago, just days before the 2016 election.
What is not MHI’s right is to spin their track record on these and related issues. The seemingly illogical victory lap MHI is talking about getting the MLO rule roll-back into the Omnibus bill begs the question MHProNews raised last year.
That is, if it was OK to do just one of the two legs of Preserving Access, why didn’t they compromise with the nonprofits years ago?
Rephrasing, why shouldn’t MHI be held accountable for the higher costs that MLO rule caused? Not to mention the loss of business, when they essentially turned this deal down years ago?
Sources tell the Daily Business News that MHI felt the pressure here and elsewhere to get a win, any win, given their years of no notable lobbying successes.
MHI also felt pressure to pivot to positions MHARR originally took, and that MHI initially opposed, such as on Pam Danner at HUD. It is arguably good for consumers, sellers and lenders that the MLO rule change has been voted in. But shouldn’t MHI own up to the full story, and their prior, seemingly deliberate fumbles?
Informed sources say that MHI is counting on their surrogates to help make them look better than their record for some years merits. Rather than admit fumbles, they’ve used surrogates to undermine those that have spotlighted MHI’s failures.
Isn’t this evidence of why fact checks of the problems and allegations with respect to MHI have and can pay off? But the bottom line for the issue of the president and the industry is this. President Trump has done what he campaigned on, and it has benefited manufactured housing. Industry pros are wise to keep that in mind as the 2018 mid-terms draw closer.
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Soheyla is a managing member of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.