The Importance of Donating…Where Your Dollars Go

Thomas Jefferson once said “A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned -- this is the sum of good government.”  This quote is a perfect example of the Apartment Association of Orange County’s (AAOC) philosophy of what good government should be comprised of. Government should be there to regulate when absolutely necessary, not dictate every aspect of our lives.   It seems as if the power of our government is constantly expanding while the rights of individuals are being limited.  This issue is occurring at the federal, state and local levels.    In order to elect representatives who share in our belief of limited government, property rights and business enterprise, as well as to combat proposed bills, measures and initiatives that will hurt property rights and endorse those that benefit those rights, we must be proactive when interacting with our government.  In order to do so, the AAOC has two Political Action Committees (PACs) and a Legal Defense Fund.

Our first PAC is the Apartment Association of Orange County PAC.  This is a candidate PAC that supports those we feel will best represent our beliefs at the city, county and state levels.  Donating to candidates is extremely beneficial to our Association when we have an issue at the city, county or state level we are trying to defeat.  If we have helped elected officials who are proponents of property and business rights get elected, it is much easier to fight bad public policy in Orange County and Sacramento.   It also is a great way to get the AAOC name out there among our representatives.  The more powerful our organization is in creating public policy, the more elected officials are willing to work with us on issues we find important.  In Sacramento we are facing many dangerous bills. In order to ensure that they do not pass, we must have legislators who are willing to stand up for our rights in committees as well as on the Assembly and Senate floors. It is also important to create these relationships when we have amendments we may request on bills.  At the City level it is necessary to have council members that are willing to make the right choices even when they are getting pressure from outside sources.  Our local governments affect our everyday property rights more than the state or federal governments do.  This is why it is so important to elect council members who will defend property owners. We have had a many great legislators, supervisors, and city council members be endorsed by the AAOC, who have kept there word and continue to protect property rights.

Our other PAC is the Orange County Property Right PAC. This PAC donates money to help initiatives or ballot measures we feel will benefit our members or to help campaign against those laws we feel are a danger to the multi-housing community. One example of the good the OC Property Rights PAC can do is in the 2008 Election when the AAOC strongly supported Measure J.  This countywide initiative, which passed with 75% of the vote, requires voter approval for certain increases in county employee retirement benefits.  The AAOC felt the measure was a safeguard from the constant rising cost of government and would protect property owners from unjustified tax and fee increases.  Rent control is always a looming threat, and while it has not come to Orange County yet, there is always a possibility.  These are just some examples of what donations from our Orange County Property Rights PAC can accomplish. The more we are ready to fight this problem, the better chance we will have to defeat it.

Our Legal Defense Fund is there to provide legal services when the apartment industry is being threatened with unjust lawsuits. Each year nearly two million lawsuits are filed in the State of California. Whether they are concerning Section 8 vouchers or American Disability Act standards, the number of lawsuits against property owners seems to be at an all time high.  While we realize these lawsuits are not always unmerited, there are also a high number of frivolous lawsuits landlords are being faced with.  AAOC is committed to combating these lawsuits for our industry as a whole and will continue working to remain proactive in protecting our members.

A large way our members can help us to continue to fight for property rights and ensure that candidates whose political philosophies align with AAOC’s are elected to office is by donating to our PACs.   In this tough economy, we realize it can be difficult to make a contribution.  However, we are also facing ongoing threats from Sacramento as well as at the local level of governments forcing harmful public policy on property owners.  In the long run a donation to the PAC will mean protecting your most important investment, your property. With the end of the year approaching and the 2010 Election right around the corner, now is the time to act! The more we are able to donate to good candidates and helpful initiatives and measures while defeating corrupt politicians and harmful laws, the more your property rights will be protected.

     With over 3,000 members, if everyone donated a small amount imagine what we would be able to accomplish. You also have the option of an automatic donation when you are renewing your dues.  Think of your donation as an insurance policy to protect your rental housing investment; The initial payment is cheap when compared to the financial losses you would suffer should something such as Rent Control come to a city where you own rental property.

To show our appreciation to all those members who donate so consistently to our PACs, and to help those who have yet to donate learn more about what we are able to do, the Apartment Association of Orange County is holding our first annual PAC Appreciation Reception.  We see this as a way for our members to get to know their local elected officials and see the importance of donating, while honoring those who have made the PACs so successful. Members will have a chance to meet with elected officials from the state, county and local levels.  This as an opportunity not only for our members to hear from our representatives, but also for our representatives to hear from our members. 

The event will take place at the Apartment Association of Orange County office on November 17th from 6-8pm. Please see Page 5 for further details.  It will be a wonderful opportunity to witness all the good your PAC donations have been able to accomplish in Orange County.  Space is limited so make sure to RSVP by November 13th in order to reserve your spot!