HAR DOES MEMBERS A DISSERVICE WITH ENDORSEMENTS DESIGNED TO PANDER

The Houston Association of Realtors has released its “recommendations” for candidates running in the November 2 general election. The recommendations made by HAR’s board of directors prove to be a list of lazy choices obviously made in order to be safe, and to curry favor rather than to actually protect the best interests of HAR’s members.

HAR’s press release said, “Houston area REALTORS® are involved in the political process at all levels, promoting policies and supporting candidates who advocate for private property rights and home ownership.

“Texas ranks 42nd out of 50 states in home ownership while Houston ranks 66th in home ownership out of the 75 largest metropolitan areas, according to Census data. Electing lawmakers who understand the concerns of private property owners and act accordingly is the Association’s top priority.

It’s the last sentence that rings especially hollow: “Electing lawmakers who understand the concerns of private property owners and act accordingly is the Association’s top priority.”

It is hard to back up that statement when a cursory glance at the list of those endorsed by HAR will show that of the 56 candidates endorsed by the organization, 54 are incumbents.

The two non-incumbents include democrat Ron Reynolds running as State Rep. in District 27. The incumbent there is retiring and there is no republican in the race. HAR also is recommending Dan Huberty, the republican in the race for State Rep, in District 127.

If indeed HAR wants to “support lawmakers who understand the concerns of private property owners,” how can this group justify simply endorsing the incumbent, particularly when it comes to the races for U.S. Congress?

It is unfathomable that a singular group could endorse both fiscal conservative Michael McCaul and lunatic free spender Sheila Jackson Lee. That’s like endorsing sobriety and drunkenness simultaneously. HAR has endorsed both John Culberson and Al Green, which is akin to endorsing both oil and water.

Incumbent liberal lawmakers are partly, if not mostly, responsible for the collapse of the economy and the collapse of the mortgage industry that got the ball rolling downhill toward economic collapse in the first place.

Rather than genuinely recommending candidates that support the rights of property owners, HAR has decided to do the safe thing and support the candidate most likely to win, regardless of policy, regardless of belief, regardless of the ideology of the candidate or the candidates' voting records or complicity in destroying the housing market.

This is a tremendous disservice to the professional Realtors who make up HAR’s membership, and to those who have had to leave the real estate business due to the horrible job some of these same “recommended” incumbents have done while in office.

HAR’s statement also reads, “Texas ranks 42nd out of 50 states in home ownership while Houston ranks 66th in home ownership out of the 75 largest metropolitan areas, according to Census data.”

Are these the kind of rankings that HAR hopes these incumbents will continue to help maintain for the people of Houston, homeowners in Houston, those who hope to become homeowners and for those who make their living as realtors, loan officers, home inspectors and in other real estate related professions?

Note to HAR: If you’re going to make recommendations like this, don’t try and sell your membership on the claim that you’re doing it in order to elect candidates who will help make the real estate business better. Just admit you’re hedging your bets, and hoping to gain influence for your own organization.