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The
REALTORS® Political Action Committee is a great way for every
REALTOR® to get involved in protecting the real estate profession
from bad public policy and regulation that might be detrimental.
RPAC is also instrumental in supporting candidates who support the
real estate profession and are advocates for positive change and
enhanced protections. Members are strongly urged to participate
in either the RPAC or Direct Giver Programs.
RPAC contributions are split 70% to WRA for state
official contributions and 30% to NAR for federal official contributions.
Money contributed to RPAC goes into a "general fund" to
be distributed to candidates who support REALTOR® positions
on issues important to the real-estate industry. For more information
on RPAC, . . .
The Direct Giver Program is unique to Wisconsin
and acts as a conduit for members to direct their contributions to
whichever candidate for office they choose. WRA disburses funds
as directed by individual members and both the REALTORS® Association
and the individuals are credited for the contribution. Direct Giver
Contributions are counted towards both the RANW and WRA fundraising
goals. For more information on Direct Giver,
. . .
If you would like to know more about RPAC or how
you can participate, please contact RANW Government Affairs Director,
Jennifer Sunstrom at 920.739.9108 or e-mail jsunstrom@ranw.org.
RPAC
 WHAT
IS RPAC?
RPAC stands for the REALTOR® Political Action Committee. A PAC
is a legal means by which interested individuals with common goals,
like a trade association, ban together for the purposes of political
action.
WHAT DOES RPAC DO?
As a real estate professional, RPAC is your PAC. It is the real
estate industries vehicle for political success. REALTOR® volunteers
raise voluntary contributions from other members across the state.
These funds are then pooled together and contributed on a nonpartisan
basis to candidates for public office who support housing and real
estate interests.
70 cents of every dollar raised stays in Wisconsin
for state and local elections, with the remaining 30 cents being
transferred to the National Association of REALTORS® PAC for
contributions to federal candidates.
FACTS ABOUT RPAC
1. All fund raising efforts and contributions to candidates are
administered by a board of RPAC Trustees, representing each local
board and all areas of the state. Decisions made by the Trustees
are submitted to the WRA Board of Directors.
2. Funds are disbursed on a nonpartisan basis to
Democrats and Republicans alike, based on issues and promotion of
the REALTORS® legislative agenda.
RPAC is one of the largest trade association PACs
in the world, and the second largest PAC in Wisconsin. In the 2000
elections, RPAC had a 97% success rate in state legislative elections.
WHY SHOULD RPAC INTEREST YOU?
RPAC is a very important business partner to REALTORS® because
it means legislative success. Up to 4,000 bills are introduced each
session in the state legislature. Elections decide who will be voting
on these 4,000 bills. RPAC helps elect the people who write the
laws you and your business must live with. Through extensive research
and ongoing monitoring, RPAC keeps you informed, involved, and influential
in the legislative decisions that are important to you and your
business.
WHAT WILL RPAC OR DIRECT GIVER CONTRIBUTIONS
DO FOR YOU ?
RPAC lobbies. During election campaigns, RPAC activities draw attention
to REALTOR® issues and provide a knowledge base for future lobbying
on real estate issues. This is critical to your business. Just consider
a few of these recent legislative issues of importance to our industry:
Defeated attempts to eliminate mortgage interest
deductions
Defeated attempts to raise the transfer tax
Defeated attempts to apply sales tax to real estate commissions
Defeated attempts to apply sales tax to commercial leases
Defeated mandates to restrict condominium developments
Defeated attempts to expand municipal taxing authority
Defeated attempts to create "closing agent" regulations
Passed appraiser regulations to comply with federal mandates
Passed numerous limits on REALTOR® liability for disclosures
Passed cost controls on county government and school districts
Passed regulation of home inspectors
Passed commercial broker lien
These are just a few of the hundreds of bills lobbied
by the WRA each session. WRA and RANW will continue to work on wetlands
and other environmental issues, taxes, local land use proposals
and other issues that impact the real estate industry.
Direct
Giver
WHAT
IS DIRECT GIVER?
The Direct Giver Program is another way REALTORS® can participate
in political elections.
Direct Giver works much like RPAC in that individual
REALTORS® contibute funds for political purposes on a personal
check. However, that's where the simularity ends.
The Direct Giver Program requires a minimum $100
investment with a personal check to open an account and allows individual
REALTORS® to control and direct their investment as they so
shoose. This means that you can direct funds in your account to
the candidate of your choice whether that candidate is in Northeast
Wisconsin or anywhere in the state.
A UNIQUE PROGRAM FOR WISCONSIN REALTORS®!
No other state or local Association has a Direct Giver Program.
Direct Giver Investments count toward RANW's yearly fundrtaiing
goal and stay in your persoinall account until you direct the funds
to candidates of your choosing.
For those politically active members of our Association,
Direct Giver is the best opportunity to give for yourself and for
your Association.
QUESTIONS?
For questions regarding RPAC or the Direct Giver, please contact
Jennifer Sunstrom, Government Affairs Director at 920.739.9108 or e-mail
jsunstrom@ranw.org.
TO CONTRIBUTE
To contribute to RPAC, send a personal check (made out to "RPAC")
to:
RANW: Attention Jennifer
PO Box 2637
Appleton, WI 54912
To contribute to Direct Giver, send a personal
check (minimum $100, made out to RPAC - Direct Giver) to:
RANW: Attention Jennifer
PO Box 2637
Appleton, WI 54912
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