Christine Young-Gertz 

A Pennsylvania District Judge's extemporaneous endorsement of the PAA Landlord/Tenant Lease and Law Handbook, and AAGP's standing to sue on behalf of its members underscores the value of Associations to their members.

There’s a story about Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, the author of Cat N the Hat. Seuss crafted his famous cat tale with just 250 separate words, an ideal number for the book’s intended audience of first graders. In 1960 publisher Bennett Cerf of Random House made a $50 bet with Seuss, challenging the champion of prudent prose to write a book with no more than 50 words. And Green Eggs n Ham was born. A lawyer Seuss wasn’t, although Cerf might have been one at heart- he kept finding excuses and never did pay the bet. But the Seuss succinct style was clearly a sign of things to come.

Washington’s current best example of the dubious discourse known as doublespeak is a seemingly innocuous bill about to be re-introduced from last term that would drastically change the way unions are organized in America’s workplaces. The bill’s title conjures up visions of all that we value as a nation, as though it preserves our highest democratic ideals. It is known by the inspirational title, The Employee Free Choice Act, or The EFCA. But it actually does away with free choice and creates endless possibilities for coercion.

Political action knows no season. Despite election year cycles, attention on national campaigns, who’s in power, who’s out, an Association’s efforts to influence government policy is ongoing, year after year. But 2008 was something else. Apartment Associations are navigating rough waters in the wake of last fall’s recurrent societal storms. By all accounts our economy will be listing for some time to come and there’s no telling what impact our most historic presidential election will have on the national ship of state.