I received the following via email and also as a comment to a post on BloodhoundBlog. It is from Bruce Hahn. Bruce claims to represent 75,000,000 people – and I think that at least 74,999,000 of those people have never even heard of him. He and his wife (along with some other unnamed person) are the American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance.
Bruce has a background as a lobbyist and has written several books. These days he seems to spend most of his time letting various government divisions (with loads of emphasis on the federal government) know “what is good for consumers”. He has a big heart, he just wants to help. He is quite secretive on who pays him. But he has come right out and said it is NOT Bank of America – so my guess on that is obviously wrong. I really don’t expect him to be forthcoming now – whoever does pay him doesn’t want anyone to know who they are.
Here are some links I found telling you more about this endlessly polite and highly articulate and prolific man who seems to have dedicated his life to making sure consumers aren’t taken advantage of by Realtors (or anyone else).
http://www.inmanwiki.com/Real-Estate/Bruce_Hahn
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=4047
http://www.theamericanconsumer.org/Bruce.htm
http://realtytimes.com/rtapages/20070221_grassroots.htm
http://justice.gov/atr/public/workshops/rewcom/212268.htm
http://realtytimes.com/rtapages/20041001_agencyerosion.htm
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/print/12_21/13695-1.html
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/workshops/rewcom/212268a.htm
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Russell
Thanks for the link to our website!
If you would have read some of our recent congressional testimony on subprime lending (which is on our web site and is very critical of the banking sector), you would understand why we are not getting any funding from Bank of America or other banks. And if you had gone back in our history to see some of our past Congressional testimony against the banking sector for its legislative efforts to hamstring Freddie and Fannie, you would have no doubts at all. We are opposed to “Rotarian Socialism”, as Gregg Swann so aptly described it in his outstanding February 13 Bloodhound post. In it he wisely noted that NAR’s “on-going legislative campaign against banks competing for real estate transactions is just more of the same: “Protecting” mediocrities from fair competition.” Our aforementioned testimony opposing banking practices in the mortgage lending sector simply reflects our opposition to Rotarian Socialism when it occurs in that sector.
We’re one of the several hundred proud members of the Consumer Federation of America, and like CFA we are deeply engaged in a wide range of issues with significant impact homeowners that don’t have anything to do with banking. They are on our website as well if you care to check.
Many issues with significant impact on consumers pit one segment of the business community against another, so there will always be some issues that find consumer groups on the same side as some segment of the business community. If they are faithful to their constituents the consumer group will be on the other side of that segment of the business community on other issues.
Our opposition (and CFA’s) to such Rotarian Socialism practices in the real estate sector as minimum service laws, anti-rebate legislation, and dual agency laws is therefore much more easily understood when viewed from the perspective of what’s best for consumers, as opposed to what corporations might have been willing to contribute to those causes.
Bruce Hahn
President
American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance
Serving the interests of the nation’s 75 million homeowners and future homeowners since 1984. The American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance is a nonpartisan consumer advocacy organization dedicated to assisting the nation’s 75 million homeowners understand significant policy issues affecting homeowners and homeownership, and empowering homeowners to make their voices heard by state and federal officials. Visit our web site http://www.americanhomeowners.org.
Contact us at: 6776 Little Falls Road, Arlington, VA 22213-1213.
Direct Dial: 571-214-1013; Headquarters: 703-536-7776 Fax: 703-536-7079.
Doug Trudeau says:
Russell – Another enjoyable reading. I am more convinced than ever that my computer instictively knew what to do with Homeowners Grassroot Alliance’s e-mail. It sent it straight to junk mail.
I wounder is anyone has compared what Realtors receive from consumers compared to what banks reep in. Sounds like another monopoly in the making. Don’t banks get enough of our money? Yet they want to point a finger at Realtors.
May 21, 2007 — 3:50 am
Elizabeth Weintraub says:
Perhaps nobody pays him. Perhaps Mr. Hahn makes his money via kickbacks for agent referrals or by selling his books, among other consumer purchase activities advertised on his Web site. Three chimps and a monkey can form a 5013C.
May 21, 2007 — 8:46 am