ACORN

[WuDrWu]

Everyone with a brain knows ACORN is full of corruption.

These guys proved it.


And we are going to talk about the whistleblowers getting charged?


Only in America.

[Capitol Shock]

Yes, let's silence the critics by threatening lawsuits for bringing this kind of criminal activity to light.

They were caught on tape committing up to eight different potential felony offenses each punishable with 5 years in prison...

but again let's go after the people trying to stop these kinds of activities rather than the people committing them.

[Maggie]

I don't think the locations are relevant. I was just throwing that out there to get people's responses, nothing more. We won't know more about what locations they've target until either more videos are released or other locations are named.

The only other locations I've read about are from the article "ACORN Workers Fired Over Video" which says:

An ACORN spokesman says the conservative filmmakers tried unsuccessfully to "pull this sham" at the group's offices in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. But they hit the jackpot in Baltimore and the video went viral Thursday with the help of Andrew Breitbart's new Big Government web site and Fox News.

Obviously, I don’t think it is relevant either but I thought it was odd you brought it up. Fair enough. For the record, I have no idea where these ACORN offices are located within the respective cities and I don’t care.

That statement you cite by the ACORN spokesman is just an attempt to portray the Baltimore video as an isolated incident and the ACORN organization as a victim – note the use of the word “sham”. Notwithstanding, I am not really inclined to assume the veracity of public statements by ACORN representatives.

But in the end, true statement or not (and it might be), I don’t think it matters that much if the little ruse was unsuccessful at other ACORN offices.

The people that made these videos where smart to release only one video and wait for ACORN to react; in light of the DC video, the “victim” or “isolated incident” defense is bleeding creditability. I have not seen the DC video but if in fact its representatives are giving similar advice – that does suggest a pattern and practice.

If I were ACORN I would button up – especially if they really are aware of other failed attempts (which sort of leads me to believe the spokesman above was not being truthful; however, these ACORN people generally don’t appear to be that bright) until they get a handle on the scope of this private sting operation, of sorts.

[RoyalShock]

To address 1979's wonder, from ACORN'S website:

Each of the 1,200 local ACORN neighborhood chapters in 110 cities and 40 states brings neighbors together to work for stronger, safer and more just communities.

"More just" tells me they are concerned with minorities and minority neighborhoods. So if I had to guess, every office is likely located in such areas.

More from the same page on their site:

Each ACORN office carries out multiple issue campaigns. ACORN members across the country work to raise the minimum wage or enact living wage policies; eliminate predatory financial practices by mortgage lenders, payday lenders, and tax preparation companies; win the development of affordable housing and community benefits agreements; improve the quality of and funding for urban public schools; rebuild New Orleans; and pass a federal and state ACORN Working Families Agenda, including paid sick leave for all full time workers.

Their pet issues are largely those that affect the poor, of which we know is typically urban with a majority of non-whites. So their offices are probably located in these areas and staffed by locals.

[ISASO]

ABC
NBC
CBS

Where are your investigations?

Bill Mahr
Jeanine Garafolo
John Stewart

What say you?

President Obama, are you still aiming to hand over administration of the US Census to this group of your closest allies and compadres in arms?

[Maggie]

And the beat continues….this time in Brooklyn:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/pimp_hooker_catch_klyn_staff_Js4YPEcsCcxLZhAEehLhmL

As an aside, I never really focused on what these two were wearing…it looks like they raided the wardrobe closet of I’m Gonna Get You Sucka. Which, by the way, I thought was a funny movie.

Astonishing.

[SubGod22]

I'm so glad to hear you say that Maggie. I thought I was the only person who enjoyed that movie :D

[shocklight]

To address 1979's wonder, from ACORN'S website:

Each of the 1,200 local ACORN neighborhood chapters in 110 cities and 40 states brings neighbors together to work for stronger, safer and more just communities.

"More just" tells me they are concerned with minorities and minority neighborhoods. So if I had to guess, every office is likely located in such areas.

More from the same page on their site:

Each ACORN office carries out multiple issue campaigns. ACORN members across the country work to raise the minimum wage or enact living wage policies; eliminate predatory financial practices by mortgage lenders, payday lenders, and tax preparation companies; win the development of affordable housing and community benefits agreements; improve the quality of and funding for urban public schools; rebuild New Orleans; and pass a federal and state ACORN Working Families Agenda, including paid sick leave for all full time workers.

Their pet issues are largely those that affect the poor, of which we know is typically urban with a majority of non-whites. So their offices are probably located in these areas and staffed by locals.

Let's do some math!

1200 offices x $1,000 per month rent (a guess) = $1,200,000.00 per mo.

$1,200,000.00 per mo rent x 12 mo. a year = $14,400,000.00 per yr. rent.

I would also guess that each Acorn office has some paid employees. $2,000 per month payroll would not be an overestimation.

$28,800,000.00 per year system wide

$1,000.00 per month for utilites and office supplies
$14,400,000.00 per year system wide

Grand Total of $57,600,000.00 per year just to keep the doors open, now add in all those Acorn T-Shirts and Banners we see, explains where most of the money is going.

I did this because I was shocked how many offices there are!

[Maggie]

I'm so glad to hear you say that Maggie. I thought I was the only person who enjoyed that movie :D

You are not alone - I thought then and still think I’m Gonna Get You Sucka was and is a clever and funny movie.

Come to think of it the title - I’m Gonna Get You Sucka – is a particularly appropriate reference in this case. ;-)

[wu_shizzle]

Baltimore Video

"We can call your business... Performance Arts."

These videos aren't getting the millions of viewers most popular YouTube videos get, so where's the liberal outrage over the illegal tax evasion that is being promoted in these videos?

Brooklyn Video

[ISASO]

ACORN rep: "Being honest isn't going to get you a house."

ACORN philosophy: Us being honest at ACORN won't get us 8 Billion taxpayer dollars funneled into our bank accounts.

[1979Shocker]

House votes to defund ACORN

WASHINGTON - The House voted Thursday to deny all federal funds for ACORN in a GOP-led strike against the scandal-tainted community organizing group that comes just three days after the Senate took similar action.

"ACORN has violated serious federal laws, and today the House voted to ensure that taxpayer dollars would no longer be used to fund this corrupt organization," said second-ranked House Republican Eric Cantor of Virginia.

The vote, on a provision attached to a student aid bill, was 345-75, with Democrats supplying all the "no" votes.

[SubGod22]

What took so long?...

[ISASO]

Some were waiting to see if they're going to be laughed out of office or just voted out at the first opportunity.

[1979Shocker]

The $1,300 mission to fell ACORN

The proposition was outrageous, outlandish, and right up James E. O'Keefe III's alley. Hannah Giles was on the phone from the District, and she was asking him to dress like her pimp, walk into the offices of the ACORN community activist group, openly admit to wanting to buy a house to run as a brothel, and see what happened.

It was serendipity, O'Keefe said Thursday. On that day in May, he was still burning mad after watching a YouTube video of Acorn workers breaking padlocks off foreclosed homes and barging in. "I was upset," he said.

O'Keefe, 25, packed his grandfather's old wide-brimmed derby hat from his swing-dancing days, his grandmother's ratty chinchilla shoulder throw, and a cane he bought at a dollar store, then drove from his parents' home in northern New Jersey to the District to execute the idea with Giles, 20.

So it took only $1300 to save how many millions of dollars?