Yes, I want to keep all of you entertained and coming back to Neighbors At War. So forgive me if I’m reposting old material but I get a good belly laugh each time I hear this old Pete Seeger song. It’s so true for so many of us!
For a great history on Seeger’s Little Boxes hit, see the following:
(link to Little Boxes history)
Does this not perfectly represent our battle against the American Homeowners Association movement? Antonio Branco is an amazing artist from Washington State. He’s a musician who taught himself to paint. And his work is incredible.
(link to Antonio Branco’s website and art)
Yep. That’s a Constitutional right and we all respect it. But it doesn’t mean we can’t discuss indictments and criminal charges. That’s public record.
The Carbon Canyon 1 Homeowners Association in Chino Hills, California thinks it’s been victimized to the tune of $128,792, money embezzled between 2013 and 2014. The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office did an investigation. And the HOA treasurer, Julie Calderon is now facing charges of grand theft by embezzlement and embezzlement by a public or private officer. Her preliminary hearing is August 25th.
(link to latest HOA embezzlement)
What is it that Homeowners Associations hate so much about the American flag? Well, I take that back, fascism and American patriotism are pretty much at odds.
Angie Hildebrandt, a condo owner, is being assessed daily fines because she flies her flag outside her home at the Southdale Gardens Condominium Association in Edina, Minnesota. Her two sons are in the military and every generation in her family has fought in wars on behalf of America. Her first flag was stolen. Overnight someone paid a visit to her home and ripped her flag to shreds.
What a nice place to live, Southdale Gardens. Perhaps there’s a certain red, white and black flag you’d like as your community symbol.
It’s been forty years since the last syndicated Pogo comic strip. My headline is a bad re-write of the famous Pogo line. But it happened to me at a gathering of authors and publishers last weekend. A very attractive young lady approached me and said, “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about your book, Neighbors At War.” That’s not an extraordinary experience. I’ve been approached by many other authors at such events. But it’s what she said next that stunned me.
“I am C.A.I.”
“Huh? What?”
“I am C.A.I. The Community Associations Institute. I’m their spokesperson. And we all know about your book.”
“Well, you’re the enemy,” I told her. She said she’d only been working with them for the past year and said the organization was working to change it’s image.
“Absolutely not possible,” I said. “The only thing you can do to improve your image is disband, dismantle the entire warped structure of Homeowners Associations and start over with a new organization of communities that respect and honor the U.S. Bill of Rights.
What’s really hilarious is that several other authors/writers gathered around us and began supporting me with their own stories of HOA horrors. One or two of them were former HOA board members and said they quit because of the bullies on the board. How weird is all that?
Anyway, we later exchanged cards. I told her if she and her buddies would actually read my book I’d agree to pay for lunch. I’m not sure if that’ll ever happen but it was an amusing way to spend a Saturday picnic.
