From the President
by Eric Andresen
Tuesday, May 22, 2003, marked an historical day for landlords throughout California. On that day, the California Apartment Association (CAA) launched its new campaign against the current attitude toward property owners.
Almost 500 landlords showed up at the Sacramento Convention Center early Tuesday morning to hear a couple of guest speakers. Attendees also had a glimpse of what will surely prove to be a sizeable campaign aimed at improving the image of landlords. At the same time, the campaign will also curtail the scapegoat tactics of legislators who use oppressive legislation against us to make up for their own lack of understanding and education regarding the value and importance of housing providers.
After lunch, with signs in hand, we marched over to the steps of the Capitol building. Our message, clearly spelled out on our protest signs, was simple: “We're part of the solution,” we are not the cause of the problem. We publicized our Code of Ethics, our commitment to providing quality housing, our professionalism and most importantly our support of our Resident Bill of Rights (see below).
At the Capitol, we were first photographed en masse, and then treated to a wonderful speech from Assemblyman Ken Maddox, which really inspired us for our meetings with legislators from across the state. We then overwhelmed the Capitol with our members, converging on legislators' offices and meeting rooms. Everywhere I went, I encountered a CAA member with a badge and a nametag—our presence was clear and inescapable.
We clearly made our mark and have forged the way for our future. Thanks to our impressive numbers, we made a strong statement that we are an industry with the backbone and support needed to effect change. We certainly earned the respect and attention of all at the Capitol. Our efforts clearly paid off, as evidenced by several key changes to legislation and by convincing several legislators, including our own Mark Leno, to step back and more thoroughly consider our opinions regarding their proposals.
Keep your mid-May calendars open for next year's second annual march on the Capitol. We want to see our numbers double, which means we need many more of you to make the trek to Sacramento next year. This year was good, next year needs to be great. What this means is that each of you needs to make a commitment to help our efforts by attending and carrying your own message to the Capitol.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Eric Andresen owns West Coast Property Management and West Coast Property maintenance Companies. He is also the treasurer of the California Apartment Association's Executive Board and serves on the boards of many other leading housing industry organizations. Copyright © 2003 San Francisco Apartment Magazine