There is a lot of breathless pontification over evil SAMCAR and realtors in general and their involvement in gathering fraudulent signatures last year. Jane Northrup's biased and factually incorrect article in todays Pacifica Tribune (03/28/2018) is just one. These are all perpetrated by the same groups and people that have systematically worked to devolve our town into something that they will approve of, a progressive wonderland of free things paid for by the rich in Pacifica, meaning those with jobs. I've been here a long time now and we've always had differences of opinions when it came to the direction Pacifica should pursue. I have never seen such vile, hateful, vindictive, and plain mean words and actions by one group directed at those that don't agree with them. Realtors seem to constantly be the targets of these groups. Why! I cannot wrap my head around why. They vilify the very people and organizations that are in the trenches every single day fighting for our property rights. Get your head around that. Our property rights! We see a constant attempt to chip away at more and more of our rights to enjoy and profit from our own property. Property we bought, not someone else. Most of us made sacrifices to finally get a piece of the American Dream. I know many people that worked seven days a week to make ends meet. It's a choice. Not an easy choice.
I've been a mortgage broker for almost thirty years in this town. During all those years, I have worked with and known most of the Realtors working here. By far, they are the one group that has always been there for all the organizations that look for donations, volunteers, and leadership. They are members of our town. Active members. They work hard and provide a needed service in, what for many, is the largest and most stressful transaction they will ever make, the purchase of a home. To single this group out for the hate and vitriol leveled at them from some of these groups is unwarranted. I, for one, am tired of listening to it.
I would encourage those of you that have been helped by a Realtor, whether it was during a real estate transaction or by their active participation in helping others, to let them know. Let others know as well.
Remember, your local realtors are part of a larger group of professionals whose mission is protecting our property rights.
Submitted by
Jim Wagner
25 comments:
When you don't have a real platform you make one up and create a scapegoat to call names and claim is evil. Must be hard for Kaufman to look in the mirror everyday and see an agitating truth denier. She's not even the worst of the lot.
I would say its more contempt rather than hate. And I think its because of a perception of unjustified cost to benefit ratio in a market where housing is in-affordable for many. Also the fact that real estate market left a big hole for many a equity holder in the last 10 yrs.
It's convenient to have an enemy to blame things on and tribalism is effective in motivating people to act. An enemy is also a good scapegoat to cover up for the failure of your own policies and other poor choices.
In Pacifica, the enemy takes the form of the realtor. I don't get it either, but most of the rhetoric from the left doesn't make much sense in the context of how a city operates and their approach to it. The Kumbaya Crowd are only "progressive" and tolerant insofar as you agree with them. If you have a different viewpoint, that tolerance goes out the window.
Let's never forget this classic moment from the leader of Pacifica's "progressive" movement which really captures this:
I want to sort of keep with the theme of civility...I actually believe that the right wing in this town killed Jim Vreeland.
-Cynthia Kaufman, May 8, 2017, during city council oral communication
For the most part the self proclaimed "progressives" in Pacifica are regressive hypocrites. They only consider the needs of others through the lens of "how does it benefit me"?
They are bereft of personal integrity, witness the the illegitimate 3-2 council majority they achieved through the democratic perversions they collectively endorse.
Totally agree. I'm not a realtor but a long time home owner. Stealing the 2016 election is par for the course for those who believe the end justifies the means. They live in a separate reality and mindset. As for Jane Northrup who's biased "reporting" I've been reading for several years and is mostly responsible for discontinuing my long time Trib subscription, she should be allowed to write OP-EDs at best. She is not a reporter.
This radical left hate is infecting everything in this town. The "entitled" seem to feel that they deserve that which they have no right to and if they yell and name call loud enough it justifies their argument. It doesn't, it makes those that engage in that behavior appear small and just mean.
Even when they're wrong the feel that they should be right so they change the argument to fit. Witness our illustrious Mayor Keener's response to an article in the Times about the arrest of the two signature gatherers: "“I suppose it would be more satisfying if somehow the folks that hired them were penalized,” said Pacifica Mayor John Keener when asked for comment on the charges filed against the Jaspersons. He voted in favor of the temporary rent control ordinance.
Using his profound logic, every Realtor in town should be charged if they belong to SAMCAR because their contributions and dues went in part to hire them. Then, let's not forget all the people that listed there house. They're the ones paying the commissions that compensate the Realtors that contribute to SAMCAR who is somehow responsible for all this. Ad Nauseum.
Logic of the illogical.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/28/couple-accused-of-forging-signatures-in-effort-to-overturn-pacifica-rent-control-law/
Hey, Spock, don't forget Deirdre's little coup in capturing, no, stealing Nihart's council seat. Orchestrated by the same cabal that bring us their shock and awe everything they decide it's time to throw a tantrum.
the "progressives" in pacifica are progressive only when they're advocating policies that don't affect themselves personally. so they're all gung-ho about rent control because none of them own rental properties and are therefore unaffected by the policy they pushed.
their main argument for rent control centered around affordable housing. but OF COURSE they constantly oppose construction of additional housing because they aren't really interested in affordable housing at all; they're merely self-interested hypocrites straight out of Libertarian FYGM central casting.
if someone were to push for a cap on the price you can sell your house (we want to keep homes affordable, after all) you'd really see them squawk about it. because they're total, self-interested hypocrites. there's nothing progressive about them.
Here's how inclusive and progressive the "anti realtor" group is: they sought to restrict your right to cast a vote for Mary Ann Nihart. They couldn't argue about the merits or tout the policies of their own candidate, they simply wanted to prevent you from voting...to the extent that they filed complaint after complaint after complaint to have Mary Ann Nihart's name removed from the ballot on a technicality.
What a proud and noble campaign from these defenders of democracy. Progressive, my ass!
Thank you Din Stuglonk
Why do the realtors use you for their mouthpiece? The Realtors in Pacifica deserve every bit of shit they get. Did they get involved in Trammel Crow in the Quarry? How about Peebles in the Quarry? How about the out of town apartment builder in the quarry?
Probably 3 or 4 realtors have been involved in Pacifica Politics.
Daly City, San Bruno, and South San Francisco, San Mateo are all run by Realtors and all of those towns are prosperous.
The Todd Brays, Peter Loebs and the "Gang of No" hate anyone who makes money!
I'm of the opinion that they just don't want anymore people here! The"No development" mantra is a different way of saying it. Furthermore, if people begin leaving in greater numbers, it would be icing on the cake. They see a much different vision for Pacifica then the majority.
It's called "I got mine". The ultimate declaration of the selfishness of these "faux-enviro", entitled, sanctimonious, hypocritical, dishonest, racist deadbeats. Read Cynthia Kaufman's book and understand what makes them tick and how nefarious these enemies of Pacifica really are.
I would respect their views if they could figure out a way to coexist with the policies needed to keep any city healthy (let alone solvent), but they not only oppose those measures, they actively make our precarious fiscal situation worse.
The joke will ultimately be on them though. Should we be forced to disincorporate, all their zoning work and other local environmental planning goes bye-bye.
They can say NO all they want, but eventually the dam is going to burst. Too bad (for them) they never wanted to work towards a consensus. It was always their way or nothing, and it’s going to be “nothing” all the way to the steps of the bankruptcy court. If you think I’m wrong, have a look at the city’s budget projections and tell me what the plan is to turn it around?
Realistically, what are the chances for dis-incorporation?
In the past when Stockton went bankrupt, it wasn't dis-incorporated. So why would Pacifica suffer a different fate?
I am not against dis-incorporation. In fact, I would support it.
I would also support merging Pacifica with San Bruno.
Disincorporation rarely happens, though it's sometimse seriously considered and can be recommended as part of a bankruptcy proceeding, primarily when the trustee looks at the books and sees the bankruptcy is the result of a structural deficiency as opposed to profligate spending.
Merging is possible, but who would want to assume Pacifica's liabilities? We would be nothing but a drag on their finances.
@3:34 -- That was insightful.
If the city were to be dis-incorporated because of a structural deficiency, the county would still have to bear the costs of services, yes?
I also agree that it wouldn't make financial sense for another city to absorb Pacifica if the current state of affairs were to continue.
Could they absorb conditionally where they have control over zoning changes?
I simply don't see how Pacifica can sustain itself without more housing stock/tax base.
I also don't see how anyone would buy any bonds issued by Pacifica with the current state of affairs.
"If the city were to be dis-incorporated because of a structural deficiency, the county would still have to bear the costs of services, yes? "
Yes. The county would have to approve dis-incorporation, and any debts owed by Pacifica would have to be shouldered by the county. That's why the county will never allow Pacifica to dis-incorporate.
11:50- Kind of. If disincorporation were to occur, a special fund would be set up to "settle the affairs" of the city. Debts would be drawn from this fund. Should the fund be insufficient to settle existing debts, the county could sue and assets could be sold off to meet obligations. I'm not exactly sure how the process would play out, but that's the general outline.
Zoning conditions at the time of disincorporation would remain in place until such time as the county amends its own general plan to include the now-unincorporated territory. There are no guarantees that prior zoning would remain as-is once this is done as prior zoning would largely be though of as advisory in nature when considered by the county.
Bankruptcy plays out in largely the same way in terms of the broader strokes though it gets very complicated due to the requirements of state and Federal law being at odds with each other at some points (bankruptcy is a Federal proceeding).
The larger point is that in either case, the solutions are draconian and the effects utterly devastating. The NIMBIES in our community see only the immediate project before them to which they oppose. They don't consider the longer-term effects of saying no to everything. They city slowly strangulates as operation costs rise and revenue stalls because of lack of development. And we're not talking building out the hills or anything, but simple in-fill development and renovation of existing structures are opposed.
When you step back and take the long view, opposing everything doesn't make any sense. If the NIMBIES could just see their way to compromise, we might not be in this bind and they'd get 75% of what they wanted. But instead they want they want the full 100% and in the end, all their work will be undone when the fiscal chickens come home to roost and a court/trustee/emergency manager comes in and enforces some very messy and immediate changes that the environmentalists will be powerless to stop. The result will be a lot uglier than if they had just compromised on giving up that 25%.
By the logic of many in this town, "It's the Realtor's fault."
This is the Deirdre/Kaufman Dream. Break the back of "evil" capitalism, declare Pacifica a commune and divide the spoils among all of the "I got mine" cult members. Read her book!!!
Evil, Evil parasitic people.
Actually Municipal Bankruptcy doesn't happen that often. There are very few law firms and attorney's who specialize in it.
BTW the .41% in reserves was bullshit. All the city has is maybe $100,000-$200,000 in available cash.
Here's an interesting opinion piece from Wapo from a few weeks back that talks about the true progressives who promote YIMBYism to combat our housing shortage (and correspondingly ridiculous rents).
As a homeowner, I selfishly love the NIMBYs for driving up the value of my most expensive asset. As a human being, though, I find the NIMBYs as mean, short-sighted, and simple-minded as the Trumpkins.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2018/04/19/democrats-housing-problem
Last time I checked in, 4 or 5 years ago, that dynamic duo the Masters of the Universe were poised to save Pacifica from the Nimbies. What happened? Foiled again and again and again? I mean the Red Sox did finally beat The Curse of the Bambino after 85 years or so. Nimbies to the left of you, ocean to the right, stuck in Pacifica are you. 2022 on my calendar.
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