Event Coverage

SILVAR REALTORS® and Affiliates at Sacramento for Legislative Day

SILVAR members joined thousands of Realtors and affiliates from across California in Sacramento on Wednesday , June 4, for Legislative Day, an event which is organized by the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) every year.
 
Legislative Day is an opportunity for California’s Realtors to meet with their state legislators and discuss issues that affect the real estate industry. The Realtor presence makes an impact in Sacramento as C.A.R., with its 170,000 members, forms the largest business interest group that treks to the State Capitol each year.
 
C.A.R. President Bill Brown thanked everyone for attending the event. He said,
“Legislative Day is a tremendous investment in your business. … It’s our mission today to inform our legislators of what works and what doesn’t.”

2008 C.A.R. Legislative Committee Chairman Bill Jansen and 2008 C.A.R. President-Elect Jim Liptak also rallied Realtors, and C.A.R. Senior Vice President Alex Creel highlighted the hot issues important to Realtors this year.

Senator Darrel Steinberg, who is going to be the Senate Pro-Temp, and his counterpart in the Assembly Mike Valines were special guests. They said legislators understand the housing crisis affects government’s ability to provide public services.

They said, “When Realtors are doing well, the state is doing well,” and if the value of real estate goes down, so does the state budget because personal income taxes, sales tax and property taxes decline.

C.A.R. officials said the REALTOR® voice needs to be heard especially in today’s market. “When we’re in a down market is when we’re most vulnerable,” they said.

At the SILVAR/SAMCAR/SCCAOR Joint Legislative Luncheon at the Sheraton Grand Hotel which followed the briefing at the convention center, political consultant Darry Sragow analyzed latest trends in the political landscape. California has now become a minority state, with 45 percent white, 34 percent Latino, 12 percent Asian American and 6 percent African American. The number of registered voters identifying themselves as Democratic and Republican has dropped, while Independents have increased from 9 percent to 19 percent.

He said the increase in Independents, along with poor approval ratings for President Bush and Governor Schwarzenegger and the emergence of Barack Obama as a more popular Democratic presidential candidate over the more experienced Hillary Clinton, are a strong message that voters are angry. Sragow said the only way to make things better “is to get into the game and participate in the process or you will have no one to blame but yourself.”

SILVAR members met with Senators Abel Maldonado, Elaine Alquist and Joe Simitian, Assemblymembers Ira Ruskin and Sally Lieber, and a staff member of Assemblymember Jim Beall.

Realtor urged our Assembly members and Senators to support C.A.R positions on three important bills:
• AB 2678 (Nunez), which would require among other things, that ALL homes and commercial property in California have an energy audit at point-of-sale, and that mandatory energy efficiency investments be made. C.A.R. strongly opposes the point-of-sale requirements in this bill because if enacted, AB 2678 could add thousands of dollars to the cost of purchasing a home, including up to $400 just to have the home audited.

•  SB 1055 (Machado), which will eliminate the tax penalty from the “phantom” income created when lenders forgive some of a homeowner’s mortgage to allow a “shirt sale.” Homeowners already in distress are then taxed on this “phantom” income. SBB 1055 would eliminate the tax liability for only two years. C.A.R. will support the bill if it is amended so it conforms to federal law and allows three years of such relief, instead of just two.

• SB 1448 (Scott), which will increase fines to be sought by district attorneys when someone practices real estate without a license. C.A.R. supports this bill.

The legislators said they are sensitive to Realtors’ concerns, but what was clearly on each legislator’s mind was the budget. They expressed frustration at facing a $20.4 billion deficit and said the biggest challenge they face is coming together and balancing the budget.

Senator Joe Simitian said, “You are here at both the best of times and the worst of times. Everyone is rushing to committees. We have gotten here today largely because we keep on borrowing. We have got to spend less and raise more and do it now.”

Senator Maldonado stressed the importance of the Realtor presence in Sacramento.

“I know C.A.R. is not in the business of hurting people,” said Maldonado. “It’s in the business of putting people in homes. You need to educate others and let them know these bills are not really helping people; they are actually hurting them, and in the end the people pay. The folks who sponsor these bills are here every day to put more regulations on you to hurt you. I get it.”
 

The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, e-mail , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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