Politics is Polarizing America

Okay, I promise not to make this another blog on the letter "P" although it would be possible! Last week, I attended my first rally and opportunity to lobby at the State Capitol on behalf of the California Association of Realtors(r). I've never before felt the need to actually help push forward "an agenda" at such a level of government.  It was always my belief that politicians are smart folks and they can decipher between what is "right" and was is "wrong" or what makes good sense for the people of the state or the country for that matter - that they have the capacity to rise above all of the self-interest, greed, economic waste, manipulation and trickery.  However, over recent years I've learned how naive I've been.

It's a very sad day in America when I feel I have to push an agenda for an organization in which I don't always agree with their political, economic and industry positions.  However, to actually get politicians to make the "right" decisions for the betterment of all, I'm forced to join the lobbyist bandwagon like so many others.  I need to be apart of the process to educate lawmakers and inform them of the "pros" and "cons" about proposed bills concerning homeowners and the real estate industry at-large.  It's not enough that they should do their own due diligence and decipher the risks, benefits and rewards for making the right decision.  No, because it's about the other side that is lobbying and pushing forth their rationale and agenda for a particular bill or policy that mandates influential action on both sides of the argument.

The lobbyist business in Sacramento is huge!  "Business groups, corporations and unions paid lobbying firms almost $42 million to influence state lawmakers in the first quarter of 2012" according to the Sacramento Business Journal.  Never before have so many competing interests been at risk by costly new regulation, less state resources and fewer tax dollars to disburse.  So, what you get is division among people that digs deep to the core of our beings...a threat to our own livelihood. Politics in America is all about self-interest and greed so everyone must fight for themselves or jump on the shirt-tails of others to save their way of life.  So, I've joined the "Realtor Party of California" until I run for governor to correct this wrong!