There are slogans and then there are solutions.
Slogans are what the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) is well known for, examples are “Got Clout? Get it Here” or their recent slogan for their 2019 Congress and Expo fund-raising meeting, which used the phrase “Let’s Keep Building.” More on those two slogans, later.
Let’s pivot to a news tip forwarded to MHProNews, succinctly described as “George Allen’s Peace Offensive,” which was an email last Tuesday forwarded by one of the blogger’s message recipients. That Allen email was sent to leaders of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR), the National Association of Manufactured Housing Community Owners (NAMHCO), among others.
To my knowledge, HUD Secretary Ben Carson knows nothing of this specific incident, but his summation in a cable news interview after his recent Capitol Hill testimony might seem to apply. Wittingly or not, well intended or perhaps masking a hidden agenda, Allen’s move – as nice as it sounds to the uninformed – is a purported example of a “Rules for Radicals,” Saul Alinsky tactic.
It will be recalled that HUD Secretary Carson earlier this month made an important speech to manufactured housing professionals in New Orleans on May 7, 2019. More than 2 weeks have gone by, yet it is still not on MH’s website. Did Allen call for that speech to be posted in its entirety by MHI? No.
Instead, Allen is calling once more for ‘unity’ on messaging by the 3 national trade associations he addressed.
Allen has once more ducked or missed the point. NAMHCO and MHARR exist precisely because they don’t trust MHI. To ask MHARR or NAMHCO to issue joint communiques is posturing at best, foolish and ill advised at worst.
The speech by Carson praised the need and importance of manufactured housing. Are the powers that be that pull the strings at MHI afraid that it might cause the industry’s sales to grow if it became widely known and properly understood?
More recently, during a congressional oversight hearing, Secretary Carson was attacked on Capitol Hill be Democrats hoping for cheap sound bites for later replay. An example of that is shown below, by left-of-center Politico.
Here is how right-of-center Fox Business covered the same topic of Carson’s comments on Capitol Hill and how they were mishandled and portrayed by opposition media.
But what if the Democrats Appeared Right in This Case?
Let’s presume for a moment that Politico and that Democratic legislator had been correct, and that Secretary Carson actually did not know what an REO property was. So what? Or is that the left wing equivalent to the occasion when some on the political right slammed President Obama for saying on camera “57 states” in the United States, instead of 50. People misspeak. People sometimes don’t know. That happens. Political gotcha may be fun for a moment, but it proves little – unless that’s a pattern of someone saying 57 states over and over again, or of Dr. Carson perhaps misunderstanding an REO – then perhaps would be a valid issue.
These are Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radical tactics, said Carson near the end of this next video clip.
Now, let’s pivot back to Allen.
Why isn’t Allen were pressing MHI on:
- promoting Secretary Carson’s comments in New Orleans via their media contacts,
- Posting Secretary Carson’s comments on their own website,
- Making a valid, robust “enhanced preemption” argument about manufactured housing in Bryan, TX or elsewhere – and threating to sue if the other party didn’t comply – those are the kinds of useful actions that Allen could undertake.
Instead, Allen is posturing. False flag. Distraction, diversionary tactics, instead of offering real solutions. Like MHI saying “Got Clout?” showing photo opportunities, but providing no measurable results.
The truth is, that Clayton had clout, it was Warren Buffett. He had an in with the White House. How was that used? For or against the industry? Don’t the actions speak louder than the words from Clayton, 21st, MHI, etc.?
Allen himself called Clayton and Berkshire brands a “monopoly” and has mused about the problem of “consolidation” in manufactured housing communities and other sectors of the industry.
Why has Allen toned that down, or stopped it altogether?
Is it because MHI and the big boys are rewarding him? Is that why Allen is now posting about getting top dollar for the sale of a manufactured home community?
The evidence debatably suggests that Allen is a shill, pawn, and is selling out his followers. Whatever credibility he once enjoyed is vanishing as a result of each fact check, which he has been given the opportunity to respond to but has opted not to do so.
Make no mistake, just as there is a battle waging in Washington, D.C., there is a battle waging over the future of manufactured housing too.
Last year, an MHI only member said to MHProNews that he is ready for “Infowars” in manufactured housing. That was an apt description for what is occurring.
There is information, and disinformation. MHI, Allen, and MHInsider are among those who are peddling fluff which is often purportedly weaponized as disinformation.
By contrast, MHARR, MHProNews and MHLivingNews cite facts, and share evidence. Compare what the others say, to what MHARR, MHProNews and MHLivingNews produces. Which one holds up?
Did you notice that on their Saturday news feed that Bing – a Microsoft brand, founded by Bill Gates, with whom Warren Buffett sits as a trustee of the Gates Foundation – featured Amazon’s home sales?
How is Buffett, Clayton, and MHI really using their political and media access and clout? Why is the industry struggling during an affordable housing crisis?
With no further adieu, let’s check out the headline week in review from 5.19.2019 to 5.26.2019.
What’s New in Washington from MHARR
What’s New on MHLivingNews
What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 5.25.2019
Friday 5.24.2019
· Skyline Champion Soared, What’s Up? Initial Look Behind the Curtain
Skyline Champion Soared, What’s Up? Initial Look Behind the Curtain
· Americans “Lost Faith in Washington,” Politics Threatens Economic Recovery
Americans “Lost Faith in Washington,” Politics Threatens Economic Recovery
Thursday 5.23.2019
· City Permits Some Manufactured Home Replacements for Tornado Ravaged Conventional Housing
City Permits Some Manufactured Home Replacements for Tornado Ravaged Conventional Housing
· Are You Customer or Product of Tech Giants? Manufactured Housing Connections and Implications
Wednesday 5.22.2019
· The Best Medicine, “Honey, I Forget to Duck,” One Liners from the “Great Communicator”
Tuesday 5.21.2019
· “Home is Where Our Hearts Are” – President Trump Address to American Housing Professionals
“Home is Where Our Hearts Are” – President Trump Address to American Housing Professionals
· Triad Financial Services, ECN Result$, plus Manufactured Housing Industry Stock Updates
Triad Financial Services, ECN Result$, plus Manufactured Housing Industry Stock Updates
· HUD Rescinds 2017 “Guidance” on Carport-Ready Manufactured Homes, Other Changes Ahead?
HUD Rescinds 2017 “Guidance” on Carport-Ready Manufactured Homes, Other Changes Ahead?
· Tiny House Comparisons, $50,000 Tiny House Vs. $165,000 Tiny House – Millions of Video Views
Tiny House Comparisons, $50,000 Tiny House Vs. $165,000 Tiny House – Millions of Video Views
Monday 5.20.2019
· Modern, Proven Path to Freedom
· Capitalism vs. Socialism Town Hall Discussion, Plus Manufactured Housing Equities Updates
https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/trailer-parks-presidential-candidate-prior-hud-secretary-julian-castro-on-mh-community-operators-residents-not-knowing-their-rights/
· What Are Manufactured Housing Industry Professionals Focused On?
What Are Manufactured Housing Industry Professionals Focused On?
Sunday 5.19.2019
https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/manufactured-housing-institute-housing-alert-on-capitol-hill-mhi-advances-manufactured-housing-finance-reform-redux/
That’s this Sunday morning edition of “News through the lens of manufactured homes, and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Headline news, weekly recap, news, analysis, and commentary.)
Your link to industry praise for our coverage, is found here.
For the examples of our kudos linked above…plus well over 1,000 positive, public comments, we say – “Thank You for your vote of confidence.”
“We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (News, analysis and commentary.)
(Image credits and information are as shown above, and when provided by third parties, are shared under fair use guidelines.)
Submitted by Soheyla Kovach to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.com.
2) To pro-vide a News Tips and/or Commentary, click the link to the left. Please note if comments are on-or-off the record, thank you.
3) Marketing, Web, Video, Consulting, Recruiting and Training Re-sources
Related Reports:
You can click on the image/text boxes to learn more about that topic.
Warren Buffett “Oracle of Omaha” HBO Documentary Berkshire Hathaway #Advexon Video
Senator Cory Booker – ‘We Need a President…to Enforce Antitrust Laws,’ Digging Warren, POTUS Trump | Manufactured and Modular Housing Industry News
It’s literally historic… …it is a reminder why historic items matter… …and we’ll do our customary fact-check and analysis at the end of this MHI exclusive report that they provided to MHProNews directly after the === ##===, below. HOUSING ALERT On Capitol Hill…MHI Advances Manufactured Housing Finance Reform The negative impact of …
Capitalism vs. Socialism Town Hall Discussion, Plus Manufactured Housing Equities Updates
https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/trailer-parks-presidential-candidate-prior-hud-secretary-julian-castro-on-mh-community-operators-residents-not-knowing-their-rights/
https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/manufactured-housing-institute-housing-alert-on-capitol-hill-mhi-advances-manufactured-housing-finance-reform-redux/
“Lead, Follow … Or Get Out of The Way” | Manufactured Housing Association Regulatory Reform
The last decade-plus has not been especially kind to the manufactured housing industry and consumers of affordable housing. The 21 stCentury began with a great deal of promise for the industry and consumers alike.
