From the President
by Eric Andresen
By the time this edition of the San Francisco Apartment Magazine reaches you, we should already have finalized our plans and convinced most of you to get on board for the California ApartmentAssociation’s Legislative Day. The big day for CAA and its chapters and divisions will be Tuesday, May 20. We plan to show our commitment and resolve by gathering as many as 800 landlords on the Capitol lawn in Sacramento.
The day will begin with a reception at the Sacramento Convention Center, where we will welcome everyone and provide a schedule to guide you through the day’s activities. We will have an opportunity to hear from our own leadership and from several members of the California Legislature. You will receive a briefing on current legislative events with an up-to-date status on the myriad of property- and insurance-related bills. You will also be given information on how the legislative process works in Sacramento as well as coaching on how to speak with legislators and how to participate in the afternoon’s rally.
The rally will occur after lunch, with ample notice given so that press coverage will be optimized and the attention of legislators will be guaranteed. After the rally, we will split up according to our electoral districts and meet with our local Assembly and Senate dignitaries. This will give us a chance to voice both our concerns about current bills and our even deeper desire to change the way we are treated throughout the state.
Late in the afternoon, we will gather again in the Conference Center to review the day’s events and hear from many of our own leaders regarding the results of the day’s activities. At last we will have a chance to congratulate each other and to confirm our commitment to taking action to preserve our rights and protect our investments and our livelihood.
This is your opportunity. It promises to be the first in a long series of proactive stances that we plan to make on our own behalf. So get on board. Mark your calendars, make arrangements to join us for Legislative Day and let your voice be heard for a change.
See you on May 20 in Sacramento.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Eric Andresen owns West Coast Property Management and West Coast Property Maintenance Companies. Eric is also the Treasurer of the California Apartment Association's Executive Board and serves on the boards of many other leading housing industry organizations. Questions or concerns should be directed to SFAA at 415.255.2288. Copyright © 2003 San Francisco Apartment Magazine