COMMENT
Desperate times call for desperate measures -- right? I have no other explanation for the CAI (Community Associations Institute) publishing this pathetic push poll. Community associations file for bankruptcy and/or can't pay their bills any longer; owners are losing their homes because neighbors don't pay their dues and town halls are full of owners complaining about all kinds of problems in their community associations -- ranging from serious budget deficits to having the buildings red-tagged by the health department because the water was turned off due to the association's failure to pay the water bill.
Great timing for the CAI to use such a push poll to declare that everything is well in the community association La-La-Land.
Being German and knowing my history, I am reminded of the desperate attempt of Adolf Hitler having his Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels explain to the German people that the defeat of the German army in Stalingrad was actually a victory!
This time the CAI press release didn't even mention how the participants were selected and how many were actually polled. Most likely they asked the same CAI members as in the last polls.
I can only imagine the public outcry of CAI members if I would publish a poll asking 1000 pre-selected owners how they feel about the system called "community association," the service providers and what they really think about the volunteers called board members.
I could easily get results of 97% dissatisfaction, just by asking a few board members who are members of the CAI providing the 3%.
To be very honest, publishing such a push poll is in my opinion more damaging to the reputation of a trade organization than silence, especially since their lobbying efforts show that they are unwilling to lobby for reforms that would actually help associations to deal with the multitude of problems. Every person in his right mind would doubt the credibility of an organization publishing such a tainted poll.
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