This open letter was sent to me by a local Realtor.
I continue to fight against the endorsement of candidates, higher property taxes for unnecessary city bonds, and political involvement in city government by the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors. It’s a good fight because it doesn’t look like it’s going away soon. It’s quite obvious that the political cronies that now rule SAAR have changed how and who serves in any capacity within SAAR.
This Scottsdale Board of Directors–with new CEO Rebecca Grossman and their appointed committees–control what is presented to the public or our members. This group has appointed committees that appoint committees that appoint members, and after much interrogation…. only those agents that are like-minded move forward. If they don’t toe-the-line, they’re gone!
Only members loyal to the Board’s agenda are allowed to run for any position, in any group within this Association, or the Board. That means that all other dues-paying members of our professional organization–which at 9000 people is the second largest body of members in the State of Arizona, behind only Target–never have a chance to select their leaders, ever!
These Board-selected committees then make a conscious decision that they will endorse and support political agendas with real money. But that’s another secret, they say it’s not the member’s money, its RAPAC (Realtor Associate Political Action Committee) money, or comes from elsewhere? Please remind me who funds RAPAC? I thought all agents pay that fee!
BUT, what if you are a dues-paying active member who participated in everything this Association ever did for the last twenty odd years; a man who gave his all as a Realtor, charting Realtor tours; being the Emcee at many Charity functions that he was asked to participate in; a Leadership Class Graduate and just an all-around supporter of SAAR? And what if you want to run for public office? SAAR will not, can not even try to recognize him, let alone endorse him?
So that man, our very own JAY LAWRENCE ran and won in spite of SAAR, nothing offered, nothing gained from this partisan group. But don’t think he didn’t notice, we all did. Even the otherwise-uninvolved agents noticed. How long will this insidious movement continue before the Associate members stand up and scream, “I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE.”
Many Realtors have no idea that this is happening. Two years ago, SAAR was fined for illegally campaigning for the issuance of $212 million in municipal bonds (and the accompanying property taxes). The City of Scottsdale was kind enough to give SAAR a break, and the fine was greatly reduced.
However, that fine was paid from our dues! This must stop, we Realtors must work together to change back to the by-laws that governed before this Board wrecked them and ‘forgot’ to tell the members.
Don’t tell me that NAR, AAR, SAAR and many other of our associations aren’t choosing party affiliations!
How else can you explain during the last few years, Janet Napolitano was on one of our Realtor magazine covers, Krysten Sinema was endorsed by an East Valley Realtor Association, Hillary Clinton was the speaker at our National Convention, and SAAR endorsing only spend-and-tax candidates in our city council elections…This is no accident, its real!
WAKE UP SCOTTSDALE REALTORS; WE NEED TO HEAR YOUR VOICE, YOUR DUES KEEPS THIS ASSOCIATION RUNNING AND OUR CEO AND STAFF PAID!
Shirley Cordasco
“Just another Realtor”