I have been scratching my head, trying to understand the thinking behind homeowner and condo associations. It was a big mystery 36 years ago when I first encountered these confounding things. It is still a huge mystery. Condo associations are a different breed of animal but I still fail to understand the need for all the gibberish that seems to be part and parcel of this ancient and once simple and uncomplicated housing concept. After almost 30 years of studying residential associations and trying to understand them, I am still scratching my head. What would happen if we removed that 4th layer of government and taxing power? Would the world collapse? Perhaps local municipal governments would have to become better stewards of public funds instead of thinking money grows on trees? Now that would be a tragedy, wouldn’t it? Or would we become a nation of red doors, cars on blocks and toilets adorning front yards? Does anyone really believe that? We are told that this form of governance brings us “democracy, up close and personal”. Still trying to understand that one. All the pretty speak surrounding this type of homeownership assures housing consumers they will have far greater influence over the way their communities work. I say hogwash!
Tom LePage joins us On The Commons this week. Tom is a property manager north of the border, in Ontario, Canada. With over 30 years of experience in the field of property management he branched out into consulting and says he has a passion for well managed condominiums. Tom has been following all the nonsense that goes on here, south of his border and is, no doubt, scratching his head as well. He is the founder of Condo-Ology and maintains a blog that can be accessed from his web page. Property managers here, there and everywhere are a dime a dozen but one thing that makes Tom different is his firm belief in TRANSPARENCY. That word is one of the first words you will find on his website. Join us for a fun interview as we compare and contrast typical association issues, talk about potential “fixes”, discuss some that have been tried in the US and start to explore more ideas. Tom has a lot of ideas that deserve to be heard so listen to part one now as I hope he will be back sometime soon with more of his ideas.
When trying to decipher the issues and problems with personal rights and private property rights, I often feel overwhelmed. There are just so many ways all our rights are stripped that trying to track them all is a bit like what I imagine drinking from a fire hydrant would feel like. At the very least you get soaked, breathing would be extremely difficult and it is questionable just how much you actually manage to drink. And that is exactly how I feel when dealing with these issues. The micromanagement from all levels of the real governments, their omnipotent NGOs and the lowly first rung petty dictators in your local HOA is unbelievable. There is no end to the rules, laws, regulations, ordinances, covenants designed to control almost every aspect of your life.
Tom DeWeese joins us On The Commons. Tom is the founder and president of the Virginia based American Policy Center and the editor of The DeWeese Report. He is an author, a speaker, an advocate, an activist and, with several decades of studying the master manipulators and the property robbers worldwide, a font of knowledge. He is passionate about what he does and with a well-organized and easy to follow narrative manages to fit in many missing pieces to the jigsaw puzzle the rest of us are trying to solve. He zooms his lens out and looks at the big picture and then easily slips the puzzle pieces in place, before zooming back in and bringing the picture into focus. I always learn so much when I spend some time listening to Tom. By the way, did I mention he is also a very nice person and fun to talk to? He is. You’ll want to tune in.
Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? With a greater awareness and understanding of health issues and the role our food plays in how we feel, live and age, more people are concerned about the quality of the food they eat and feed their families. People are willing to pay more for organically grown fruits and vegetables and free range eggs. Don’t believe me? Compare the prices, and the taste, the next time you are in the grocery store. You’d think ensuring a good supply of healthy food would be a top priority for the government, wouldn’t you? It doesn’t appear that way.
Stewart Goodwin joins us On The Commons this week. Stewart is an author and the owner of the Elko Poultry Farm and Hatchery in Henrico County, Virginia. The farm is in an area that is not built up and is zoned agricultural. But apparently that concept is a little too simple and straightforward for local government types to comprehend. The county officials, whose job it is to ensure compliance with the county codes and ordinances, seem to be somewhat confused and apparently can’t tell the difference between a chicken and a horse. So they are doing what they do best and that is to issue threats. And when this little war is all over, they may very well end up with egg on their faces. We’ll be keeping up with Stewart and her ” girls” to see how she is doing. I enjoyed “going to the Farm” where the only sounds I could hear were on the phone were Stewart’s roosters crowing to register their dissatisfaction with the county government.
Follow Stewart on Facebook as she fights to protect her property rights and our right to have healthy food.
