Mandatory PAC Assessments?

California has instituted a mandatory $49 PAC fee for every Realtor.  This is not an optional fee although you can direct it to two different "funds".  You can direct it to the CAR PAC or the general fund.  CAR PAC's purpose is provide funding support for candidates.  The general fund is education and mobilizing members on issues that are important to the real estate community.  In Mass think "transfer tax".

The Realtors organization has over 1 million members.  The largest such organization in the United States.  We can be a bigger political force than we already are.  I support what California is doing.  I hope that all states create a similar program. 

CAR has a successful lobbying record.  Some of their successes are: deficiency judgements; income tax witholding for independants contractors, etc.  They have been very active in land use issues.  CAR has a very impressive list of accomplishments.

CAR has not made this a partisan issue.  It is not democrats vs republicans.  They have distributed PAC funds evenly between both parties.  I wonder how that would work in Massachusetts?

The PAC contributions have been voluntary.  We have PAC committees constantly calling members for donations.  This is not the most efficient use of Realtor's time.  Budgeting becomes very spotty.  You can only guess as to what next years budget will be.   In good times money flows.  Bad times have the money well drying up.  The problem is that issues continue to affect us, good times or bad.

I think it is time for all states to institute the mandatory PAC assessment.  The little R means big things in Webster, Ma and the rest of the country.