Article states ARDA fined for illegal political donations..

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

Timeshare industry to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, refunds to settle federal allegations Broward Bulldog

..... Campaign contributions typically go to politicians, but timeshare owners in Broward, the state and across the country will soon split $562,000 – an amount equal to the illegal contributions collected by the political fundraising arm of the U.S. vacation industry from 2003-2007.

The payout is part of a deal between the industry and the Federal Election Commission to settle civil allegations of wrongdoing in the solicitation and distribution of millions of dollars in political contributions.

The American Resort Development Association – Resort Owners Coalition PAC will also pay a $300,000 civil penalty. It is the largest fine imposed by the FEC since 2007.
In a statement released Friday, ARDA conceded that “errors were made” in the collection of contributions but called them “unintentional and unfortunate.”.............

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Ah, so that $5 "voluntary" contribution on membership fees didn't go to ARDA, but to the ARDA lobbying. so the developers have been using owners to pay for their lobbying activities.

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

Ah, so that $5 "voluntary" contribution on membership fees didn't go to ARDA, but to the ARDA lobbying. so the developers have been using owners to pay for their lobbying activities.

I've suspected that for a long time, which is why I get so burned up about having to pay those "voluntary" fees.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I never pay the "voluntary contribution". Let the developers support the organization that benefits and caters to them.

[Freda Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Freda]

The lobbying was not for the developers.. it was for the owners (you) at the resorts.


ARDA | ARDA-ROC

[Freda Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Freda]

I am with a news reporting media entity for the timeshare industry. I think it is only fair to ensure that it is understood exactly who and what is really being fined here.

"I never pay the "voluntary contribution". Let the developers support the organization that benefits and caters to them."

The ROC-PAC group does not cater only to the developers, but to the owners.. you.. the lobbying that this group does is for the benefit and protection of the vacation owners and the HOA's. For that reason, timeshare owners should better educate themselves about the group and should participate more in its functions IMO.

I am not defending the actions, I am simply reporting facts that I find while working on a news story here, and the FEC obviously found the things they found legitimately... but please be sure to not twist the information to sound like it was a group that it wasnt.

To be clear, I am in no way whatsoever affiliated with them. I am a journalist and with the media. I am working to get further information together and dig deeper... but lets throw stones at the appropriate direction if there are to be thrown stones.

Follow this link to understand a little better who ROC-Pac is and what they do with those $3 contributions... http://www.arda.org/Content/Navigati...OCGrid2009.pdf

I will be happy to share my completed story with you all when I have finished learning all of the facts that I can.

Freda

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

I never pay the "voluntary contribution". Let the developers support the organization that benefits and caters to them.

I've tried deducting the amount and it stays on as a past due amount. Phone calls, e-mails and other correspondence don't solve the issue. Two years ago, when I didn't pay the $5.00 (despite writing in VERY big letters I was not contributing to the ARDA), the fee was carried over and simply added to my 2010 dues as a past due amount - in addition to the new 5.00 for 2010. This is despite the line on the bill that says the fee is "voluntary."

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

I've tried deducting the amount and it stays on as a past due amount. Phone calls, e-mails and other correspondence don't solve the issue. Two years ago, when I didn't pay the $5.00 (despite writing in VERY big letters I was not contributing to the ARDA), the fee was carried over and simply added to my 2010 dues as a past due amount - in addition to the new 5.00 for 2010. This is despite the line on the bill that says the fee is "voluntary."

I believe some states has laws against this kind of charge. Wyndham has it on their bill, after people raise it maybe against state rule, it get dropped. You may want to check Wyndham board and write a letter again to your TS company cc with whatever state you can find that relate to you or your TS holding.

Jya-Ning

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I think if you contact the attorney general of the state where the timeshare is and complain---the past due contributions will soon vanish.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Ah, so that $5 "voluntary" contribution on membership fees didn't go to ARDA, but to the ARDA lobbying. so the developers have been using owners to pay for their lobbying activities.

Mine asks for $3 which I decline if I remember to do so

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Sounds like you work for ARDA. Most of the stuff you say they do for owners is really what they are doing to help developers. How does the often repeated "no court" foreclosure help the timeshare owner---it helps management and developers. The RD in ARDA says it all. Looks like ARDA is just about as honest (and helpful to owners) as a timeshare salesman.

***************

I am with a news reporting media entity for the timeshare industry. I think it is only fair to ensure that it is understood exactly who and what is really being fined here.

"I never pay the "voluntary contribution". Let the developers support the organization that benefits and caters to them."

The ROC-PAC group does not cater only to the developers, but to the owners.. you.. the lobbying that this group does is for the benefit and protection of the vacation owners and the HOA's. For that reason, timeshare owners should better educate themselves about the group and should participate more in its functions IMO.

I am not defending the actions, I am simply reporting facts that I find while working on a news story here, and the FEC obviously found the things they found legitimately... but please be sure to not twist the information to sound like it was a group that it wasnt.

To be clear, I am in no way whatsoever affiliated with them. I am a journalist and with the media. I am working to get further information together and dig deeper... but lets throw stones at the appropriate direction if there are to be thrown stones.

Follow this link to understand a little better who ROC-Pac is and what they do with those $3 contributions... http://www.arda.org/Content/Navigati...OCGrid2009.pdf

I will be happy to share my completed story with you all when I have finished learning all of the facts that I can.

Freda

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

the things that timeshares get themselves into never cease to to make me laugh. They just keep getting themselves involved in low life sleeze ball trouble all in the name of " wonderful vacations " at the expense of honest people who want great vacations.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

The ROC-PAC group does not cater only to the developers, but to the owners.. you.. the lobbying that this group does is for the benefit and protection of the vacation owners and the HOA's. For that reason, timeshare owners should better educate themselves about the group and should participate more in its functions IMO.

While you are reporting, if you want to do a true and balanced story, you ought to include in your investigation and reporting the following issues:

1. Who selects the people who direct the PAC operations? What is the extent of timeshare involvement in this decision?

2. Who selects what issues the PAC is going to be involved with and what position should be advocated? What is the extent of timeshare owner involvement in this decision making process?

3. What process does the PAC have to determine what issues are most important to the timeshare owners it purports to represent? When an issue arises, what analysis does the PAC do to ascertain owner interest in the issue?

4. What is the pattern of PAC activity in issues in which owner interest and developer interest diverge?

*****

I'm certain that if you look at these issues objectively, you will be led to the conclusion that the PAC is totally beholden to resort developers. When the interests of developers and owners appear to coincide, ARDA is glad to stake credit for representing the interests of owners.

I'm equally certain that scant attention, if any at all, is given to identifying and working on issues that are of interest to owners; matters are only taken on when developer interests are at stake. If owner interest might differ, I doubt

******

No matter how you try to spin this, if you are honest in the end you are going to wind up concluding that resort developers have funding the PAC from payments made by owners, with the decisions to spend that money being made by developers with little regard for the interests of owners.

The fact that some of the decisions might have benefited some owners is immaterial. Just because there is a coincidental benefit to some owners doesn't justify the expenditure.

*******

When I take my car in for repair I don't expect to see an added voluntary contribution to support the Automobile Repair Garage Association PAC included in the total of my bill. Sure, the PAC activities could be construed as benefiting me as a car owner because it advances the ability of repair shops to provide repair services.

But that would be immaterial. Resorts have no more justification collecting a fee from owners for political lobbying purposes than does an auto repair shop collecting fees from its customers to support its PAC.

******

Any justification of this collection of fees is simply spin doctoring. If you're truly a journalist and you are mounting a defense of this type of practice, you need to take a step back and recognize that you are doing PR , not journalism.

Added note: There's nothing wrong with doing PR, and even with spinning information for an audience. That's simply part of the game played by all segments of society in clamoring for attention. One of the tasks of a journalist is to recognize PR spin as it comes from its sources and place it in context for its audience.

But a journalist can't really do that job when they are really part of the PR structure itself.

[rikkis_playpen Diamond Club Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close rikkis_playpen]

ARDA supports the industy- which in turn does have some tangible benefits to timeshare owners.

For example, the changes to the foreclosure laws will, I believe, also benefit owner controlled resorts by reducing the legal costs involved with foreclosing on abandoned intervals. With the rise and subsequent fall of so many of these postcard companies (and the expected abandonment of possibly thousands of intervals)- reduced foreclosure costs will likely be a great help to all resorts!

While I certainly understand and appreciate the not so warm and fuzzy feeling many individual owners have towards ARDA and its activities, I personally have to credit the organization (and Howard Nusbaum specifically) for keeping resales on the agenda and in the attention of both developers and the press for the last few years. He's done so without the tangible support of many owner controlled HOA's- who don't seem to have a strong presence at the conventions or a tendency to speak up at the meetings! It's never wise to bite the hand that feeds you, but Mr. Nusbaum has been consistently nipping at those fingers for some time now. I feel he deserves at least a little respect and support for that courage!

Change takes time, and is always uncomfortable! Developers have always been the primary force in the industry- and will continue to be so.. However, as owners continue to take contol of their own resorts- I hope that we'll begin to see a more noticeable presence. These HOA's can put pressure on both ARDA as well as independent resort management companies to ensure that owners concerns are heard.

Owners don't have many tools available to them- so while ARDA's lobbying efforts are obviously weighted to benefit the developers- we shouldn't disregard the impact those efforts can still have for owners.. Consider it just another example of a trickle down effect philosophy..

[longtimer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close longtimer]

I am with a news reporting media entity for the timeshare industry. I think it is only fair to ensure that it is understood exactly who and what is really being fined here.

"I never pay the "voluntary contribution". Let the developers support the organization that benefits and caters to them."

The ROC-PAC group does not cater only to the developers, but to the owners.. you.. the lobbying that this group does is for the benefit and protection of the vacation owners and the HOA's. For that reason, timeshare owners should better educate themselves about the group and should participate more in its functions IMO.

I am not defending the actions, I am simply reporting facts that I find while working on a news story here, and the FEC obviously found the things they found legitimately... but please be sure to not twist the information to sound like it was a group that it wasnt.

To be clear, I am in no way whatsoever affiliated with them. I am a journalist and with the media. I am working to get further information together and dig deeper... but lets throw stones at the appropriate direction if there are to be thrown stones.

Follow this link to understand a little better who ROC-Pac is and what they do with those $3 contributions... http://www.arda.org/Content/Navigati...OCGrid2009.pdf

I will be happy to share my completed story with you all when I have finished learning all of the facts that I can.

Freda

no matter what the facts are - the point is that people are being forced to pay this fee. That is the gripe, not whether or not we benefit from the "donation."