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The
Push to Deregulate FL. Auctions
Challenged Behind the Scenes
The information provided below was
sent to me by the very talented Gary Smith who is the chief
instructor at the Florida Auctioneer Academy. As you will see
when you read the message from Fritz Fedele, the current owner
of the Auctioneer Academy along with Cliff Walker, quite a bit
of work went on behind the scenes to prevent deregulation of the
auction industry here in Florida. HB 5055, the most recent
attempt to deregulate our business, was an assault on everything
we respect and hold dear within the auction community. Although
this bill passed the Florida House, it failed in the Senate and
we have our friends from the Florida Auctioneer Academy, as well
as the Florida Auctioneer Association, to thank for it. Kudos
also go out to their lobbyist Dave Caserta.
Personally,
I cannot thank Gary, Fritz and the others enough for all of
their hard work and determination. They are the real heroes in
all of this. Not only do they deserve a round of applause; they
deserve our undying gratitude.
Please take
a moment to look around the Florida Auctioneer Academy site at
www.f-a-a.com, it is a
wonderful organization. You will also see while reading the
important information provided by Fritz, that our heroes had to
really go out on a financial limb to get the job done. If any of
you are able to make even a small donation to what was a very
successful effort, I’m sure it would be greatly appreciated.
Donation info appears below.
Anne
Benedetto, AuctionHouseTalk
All Rights
Reserved
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Anne,
I saw the article you
wrote and wanted to update you on what steps we had taken for
the auction industry...
We would like very much to share
whatever we have to be posted on your site. I feel we have a
like "mindset" as it pertains to the value of the Auction
License law.
We started a web site
http://floridaderegulation.com/ when this law change came to
our attention. And I post updates and such on that site and
would like to include a link to your article there if you
approve.
Gary
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Deregulation Kept at Bay
for Auctioneers -- from Fritz Fedele, President of the
Florida Auctioneer Academy
Dear Fellow Alumni and Auctioneers;
It brings me great pleasure to tell you that the team
you had working for you has accomplished keeping auctioneers
regulated in Florida. The team worked tirelessly through out the
last few weeks strategizing, late night conference calls, all
night email campaigns and many other things, but every ounce of
lost sleep, burning stomachs, and headaches were worth it.
This event could be marked as one of the best things
that has happened to the auctioneer community in Florida. How
you ask? It brought the Florida Auctioneers Association and the
Florida Auctioneer Academy together again after several years of
turmoil between those organizations.
Now as a result of this effort by our political
leaders, several FAA instructors and several students have
joined the Florida Auctioneers Association, and we have just
begun to rebuild the association for the future.
I would like to thank this group of professional
auctioneers: Stan Crooks, Bob Gardner, Roy Brewer, Chris
Fischer, Cliff Walker, who attended Tallahassee along with
myself to do battle; KC Daniel and Gary Smith for all the behind
the scenes computer work, structuring email blasts and writing
crucial responses on our behalf. Additionally our lobbyist Dave
Caserta for an amazing effort and Aaron Bean for his efforts in
Tallahassee, he is recent graduate of Florida Auctioneer
Academy. Aaron will be running for the Florida Senate in 2012,
he was a former 8-year legislator in Florida.
Now comes the real work, we
will begin to rewrite the auction laws for presentation next
year, and take on some additional revamping of the
administrative rules. As most of you know I am not a politician
and I can assure you that this team kept me out of jail, thanks
guys. As long as this team and I are alive this will never
happen to us again.
We are still desperately still seeking donations to
assist in paying the lobbyist firm for its work. The bill was
$20,000 and we still need to raise more funds to pay them off.
They deserve every bit of this and thank God that Dave and I had
a very good relationship or the price would have been higher.
Additionally, I want every one of you to join the
Florida Auctioneers Association. It is the 'watch dog' for our
industry.
Join the Florida Auctioneers Association the cost is
$100, (
Here is the link for an application)
Fill out the application and put the Florida
Auctioneer Academy as your sponsor. Send it to us along with
your membership fees and we will forward them to Stan Crooks of
the FAA.
Mailing Address: Florida Auctioneer Academy, P.O. Box 121279,
Clermont, FL 34712-1279
Donations can be sent directly to the Florida
Auctioneer Academy or
Donate to fight Deregulation using your credit card.
All funds will be forwarded immediately to the
lobbyist firm.
Thank you, thank you, for all your support, and your faith in
this team.
Sincerely,
Fritz
Florida Auctioneer Academy
Posted
by Anne Benedetto, Auction House Talk
All Rights Reserved
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