Horseshoe Bay, Texas
Sept. 10-12, 2008
Horseshoe Bay Resort

IS TMHA PAC IMPORTANT TO YOU?

A word from TMHA PAC’s Bill Stinson

posted 06.01.08

How many times have you heard how important it is to get involved and make an investment to the TMHA PAC?  Do we really know what the PAC does? TMHA PAC allows the association to accomplish its regulatory or legislative goals and objectives. Here is a test to see if the PAC is really important to you:

• If this is a temporary job and you do not care about the industry, the PAC may
  not be important to you.
• If you’re not concerned with bad laws or over-burdensome regulations negatively affecting your company, the PAC may not be important to you.
• If you do not care if legislative or regulatory obstacles prevent Texans from obtaing the “American Dream” of affordable homeownership, the PAC may not be important to you.

But, if you disagree with just one of the statements above, then TMHA PAC is very important to you! All three are connected and if something negative affects one, it affects the other two as well.

TMHA PAC’s job is to interview candidates and find the individuals that understand and support the manufacturing housing industry. The PAC then supplies funds for those candidates so they can get their message out to voters and get elected. You have heard that TMHA needs 76 votes in the House and 21 votes in the Senate in order to pass positive legislation or more importantly kill any bad legislation. TMHA faces a challenge, only 43 Representatives and 18 Senators representing rural districts who truly understand the importance of our industry in the Texas Legislature. We must, therefore, expand our reach and educate urban and suburban Legislators on the importance of the manufactured housing industry in Texas.

Now the question becomes, “if the PAC is important to you, is it not also important to your employees?” If something negative happens to the industry, your company or to affordable housing, will that not affect them and their families? Do they not deserve to be told about the PAC and allowed the opportunity to decide if it is important enough for them to become involved and make their own investment to protect the industry?

The November elections are approaching fast, and now is the time our friends need our support. Remember…if we do not invest in TMHA PAC, who will? If not now, then when?

Is political activity taking a breather in Texas?

A word from TMHA PAC’s Bill Stinson

While the general public believes campaigning is over until later this year, the work of Texas campaigns continues behind the scenes.

On a national scale, the Democrats are still making headlines trying to select their Presidential candidate. In Texas, only Nathan Macias, R-Bulverde, who lost his House seat by 17 votes to Doug Miller, R-New Braunfels, in the Republican primary, continues to contest the outcome. Macias lost an official recount but filed a petition with the courts to have a new election. The case is scheduled for trial in mid-May. Additionally, Governor Rick Perry’s announcement that he plans to run for re-election in 2010 generated not only headlines but comments from possible candidates or their campaigns, the parties and of course political pundits.

The majority of the political activity is focused on the upcoming state conventions. The Democrats will hold their convention June 5-7 in Austin and the Republicans have their convention scheduled for June 12-14 in Houston.

The campaigns winning the primary elections had their short celebrations before immediately returning to work on opposition research concerning the candidates they will face on Election Day. There are more than 100 races on the November ballot in Texas with candidates from each of the two major parties. History has proven that candidates from “other” parties are rarely elected, so the emphasis will be on the major party candidates.

As we enter the general election cycle, and based upon the dollars spent during the primary races, this is going to be a very expensive election. We must step up our fundraising efforts on a statewide basis so we can have the funds needed to support our friends. Remember, the individuals elected in November will become the “decision makers” during the 81st Legislative Session. As we are keenly aware, we need 76 votes in the House and 21 votes in the Senate to pass good legislation and, more importantly, to defeat any bad legislation.

TMHA will continue to provide education and communication stressing the importance of investing in TMHA PAC. There will be many opportunities to participate with the PAC prior to the November elections. We have a number of golf tournaments, another fun Casino Night at our 56th Annual Meeting and Convention and of course individual pledge cards. As was announced, for each $100 invested in TMHA PAC, the investor’s name will be entered into the TMHA PAC sweepstakes. Remember, if we do not invest in our industry, who will? If not now, then when?