The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases.
The 83-7 vote would deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
The action came as the group is suffering from bad publicity after a duo of conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp released hidden-camera videos in which ACORN employees in Baltimore gave advice on house-buying and how to account on tax forms for the woman's income. Two other videos, aired on the FOX News Channel, depict similar situations in ACORN offices in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C.
The Senate's move would mean that ACORN would not be able to win HUD grants for programs such as counseling low-income people on how to get mortgages and for fair housing education and outreach.
Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., said that ACORN has received $53 million in taxpayer funds since 1994 and that the group was eligible for a wider set of funding in the pending legislation, which funds housing and transportation programs.
I am curious to hear opinions and/or defense of this corrupt organization that is bilking tens of millions of dollars from the American tax payer.
Will are revered President who has close ties w/this group finally come out and denounce them or remain silent?
Originally posted by utherpendragonIt's simple, really.
The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases.
The 83-7 vote would deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
The action cam ...[text shortened]... President who has close ties w/this group finally come out and denounce them or remain silent?
They have employees who are paid to go out and register voters in empoverished, mostly minority communities. This obviously favors democrats.
They hire young, part time employees to go out and register people - which is very hard work. Some of them get lazy and just put down random names. This is NOT a "threat" to democracy, unless you think Mickey Mouse or the offensive line for the Cowboys is actually going to show up to post false votes. Acorn, by law, is not allowed to throw away registration forms - even if they are suspect. So they flag the ones they can catch.
So, Republican talking heads beat their drum with rediculous claims about ACORN being "corrupt" and being a threat to democracy. But in reality it's just trying to beat up an organization for focusing on empowering poor minorities who tend to vote Democratic.
Originally posted by USArmyParatrooperThat doesn't address the undercover videos which were not about putting down fake names but about giving real people real advice about undertaking real illegal activities to steal real government money.
It's simple, really.
They have employees who are paid to go out and register voters in empoverished, mostly minority communities. This obviously favors democrats.
They hire young, part time employees to go out and register people - which is very hard work. Some of them get lazy and just put down random names. This is NOT a "threat" to democ up an organization for focusing on empowering poor minorities who tend to vote Democratic.
And, somehow, I'm not buying the explanation that this was an isolated incident that just happened to wind up caught on tape.
Come on, 83-7!? Obviously even Democrats are very disturbed by this organization's activities.
Originally posted by USArmyParatrooperHogwash.
It's simple, really.
They have employees who are paid to go out and register voters in empoverished, mostly minority communities. This obviously favors democrats.
They hire young, part time employees to go out and register people - which is very hard work. Some of them get lazy and just put down random names. This is NOT a "threat" to democ ...[text shortened]... up an organization for focusing on empowering poor minorities who tend to vote Democratic.
Three different ACORN offices willing to dole out advice on how to defraud the IRS, to people whom they believed were involved in using children as prostitutes? That's what thinking people call corruption. If their convictions on voter registration fraud weren't enough to get them off the public teat, this surely should be.
Originally posted by USArmyParatrooperThat is old news on the fraud,
It's simple, really.
They have employees who are paid to go out and register voters in empoverished, mostly minority communities. This obviously favors democrats.
They hire young, part time employees to go out and register people - which is very hard work. Some of them get lazy and just put down random names. This is NOT a "threat" to democ ...[text shortened]... up an organization for focusing on empowering poor minorities who tend to vote Democratic.
I am referring to the recent videos done in a sting operation,seen here:
http://www.examiner.com/x-14143-Orange-County-Conservative-Examiner~y2009m9d15-James--Hanna-get-corrupt-ACORN-again-in-Brooklyn
By your post is it safe to assume you are a advocate of ACORN?
Originally posted by sh76I was unaware of such tapes. I'll have to look that one up.
That doesn't address the undercover videos which were not about putting down fake names but about giving real people real advice about undertaking real illegal activities to steal real government money.
And, somehow, I'm not buying the explanation that this was an isolated incident that just happened to wind up caught on tape.
Come on, 83-7!? Obviously even Democrats are very disturbed by this organization's activities.
Originally posted by SleepyguyBut you can't say such a thing is systematic as a company policy.
Hogwash.
Three different ACORN offices willing to dole out advice on how to defraud the IRS, to people whom they believed were involved in using children as prostitutes? That's what thinking people call corruption. If their convictions on voter registration fraud weren't enough to get them off the public teat, this surely should be.
Do you have any idea how many US Army recruiters have been busted for impropriety, many of them caught on tape? I was on recruiter duty and never once did I have tell an applicant how to cheat on the ASVAB, never once did I mask someone's piss test. Never once did I print false HS diplomas. Never once did I lie to an applicant. Such things are in clear violation of USAREC regulations - but there are many cases of recruiters doing such them caught on tape.
And you know what happened? People accused ME of being a sleeze ball for working for such a "criminal" organization. Some parents would question my integrity. I can go on all day with specific examples.
I am all for an organization trying to empower people living in poor communities. I see the whole registering "Mickey Mouse" to vote as a non-issue. Coaching a hooker to lie on a loan application? Not cool at all. But unless you actually belong to an organization you can't say you know what reality is as a whole. Otherwise I could post pretty convincing evidence that Recruiting Command, as a whole, is about systematic deception. Even though I know it's not true.
How do we know the guys that made that tape didn't shop multiple ACORN facilities until they finally found an idiot?
Originally posted by SleepyguyI don't live under a rock, I live in Iraq - where I don't have a television and I get very slow internet connection. So sorry.
Either you live under a rock, or the sources you use for news have made a decision not to talk about ACORN's corruption. You might want to consider a new source for information.
Originally posted by USArmyParatrooperThey did shop, and found three separate offices willing to engage in criminal fraud of the IRS while overlooking child prostitution. Would you not agree that this, in addition to their convictions on voter registration fraud, is enough to at least warrant a halt to any public funding and a thorough public investigation into the organization?
How do we know the guys that made that tape didn't shop multiple ACORN facilities until they finally found an idiot?
Originally posted by SleepyguyThe same person found three? According to the OP it was in three different states. What I want to know is how many, if any, did things the right way? How do we know they didn't have tons tell them the right thing and they just toss the footage?
They did shop, and found three separate offices willing to engage in criminal fraud of the IRS while overlooking child prostitution. Would you not agree that this, in addition to their convictions on voter registration fraud, is enough to at least warrant a halt to any public funding and a thorough public investigation into the organization?
I agree, in light of recent events funds should be halted (pending an investigation). But I'm not ready to tar and feather the organization based on bad tapes getting out. This is from my own personal experience. I'm still giving them the benefit of the doubt that most ACORN employees are good people with good intentions.
Originally posted by utherpendragonhe's going to remain silent of course, he doesn't want to lose their support, nor does he want to distance himself from the far-left.
The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases.
The 83-7 vote would deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
The action cam ...[text shortened]... President who has close ties w/this group finally come out and denounce them or remain silent?
It also seems like ACORN has become the #1 favorite target for conservatives. There are probably a lot of people who have no idea who or what ACORN is, except that it's something really "bad" that is up to no good. I wouldn't be surpised if every ACORN office had someone secretly filming just waiting for some new dirt to pop up.
But I would also expect that everyone working for ACORN by now should assume that they're being watched like hawks, and as such they'd be on their best behavior. Anyone there who is even thinking of breaking the law clearly is lacking a clue. I'm also surprised they haven't changed their name. The brand has been dragged through so many sewers, it's probably the one brand with a worse image than AIG.