ACORN in California Splits From Bertha Lewis

The California chapter of ACORN has split from the group and changed its name.

Thousands of Californians who live in or close to poverty in the state have worked hard for decades to score victories that level the playing field. They’ve passed laws that increase affordable housing and raise the minimum wage, so they can provide for their families. They’ve also spent their personal time, which is in chronically short supply, pushing for better teachers and textbooks so the kids in their neighborhoods can have better opportunities. On these and other issues the odds have been against them, but these Californians leveraged their significant numbers with coordinated grassroots organizing to achieve victory.

Until now, they carried out this work as a chapter of the national organization ACORN. Until now, governance and financial management resided at the national level. In recent months it has become increasingly clear to the leadership, staff and members in California that the serious challenges ACORN is facing are jeopardizing the important work we are doing here in California.

The new entity will be called Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE). It will, on paper at least, be entirely separate now from ACORN. The relationship will be what Wade Rathke characterized the relationship between ACORN and ACORN Housing. ACORN is its own entity and ACCE is its own entity and the two are fighting for common goals.

It’s important to note that most, if not all, of the staff and board of ACORN in California will be kept on with the new company. In fact, at the bottom of the press release the contact person is Amy Schur. Schur, according to a source, was privvy to the knowledge that Dale Rathke had been involved in embezzlement from ACORN and kept that knowledge from the board.

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Tags: ACCE, ACORN, ACORN Connecticut, ACORN Housing, acorn scandal
Posted Jan 14th 2010 at 6:29 am in ACORN, News, Politics, State Politics | 5949843 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/mvolpe/2010/01/14/acorn-in-california-splits/ACORN+in+California+Splits+From+Bertha+Lewis2010-01-14+14%3A29%3A19Michael+Volpe

ACORN Document Dump: ACORN Throws Thanksgiving in the Dumpster

Since the first undercover ACORN video was released two months ago, ACORN’s few remaining defenders have fallen back on the talking point that, whatever the misdeeds of some of its employees, the organization provides important services to poor and low-income families. Without ACORN, we are told, many underprivileged families would lose an important voice for their needs.

Really?

Below is one family’s application for food stamp benefits that ACORN threw out with its trash, in advance of a visit from officers of the Attorney’s General office.

ACORN – Food Stamp _Redacted_ –

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Tags: ACORN, ACORN document dump, ACORN dumpster dump, acorn scandal, Amy Schur
Posted Nov 24th 2009 at 7:01 am in ACORN, Featured Story, News | 36070119 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/publius/2009/11/24/acorn-throws-thanksgiving-in-the-dumpster/%3CSpan+style%3D%22color%3Ared%22%3EACORN+Document+Dump%3A+ACORN+Throws+Thanksgiving+in+the+Dumpster%3C%2Fspan%3E2009-11-24+14%3A01%3A36Publius

California ACORN Responds to Revelation of Massive Doc Dump, Data Breach at Its San Diego Office

From NBClosangeles.com:

When reached for comment, Amy Schur of ACORN’s state office, explained why the paperwork was in the trash.

“In early October, when our San Diego staff were doing an office clean-up in preparation for a major 10-station phone bank program being set up in our offices, it appears that included in the piles of garbage being thrown out may have been some documents containing private information,” Schur wrote in an e-mail to NBCSanDiego. “To the individuals whose paperwork was pulled out of the dumpster by this guy Derrick Roach – unsuccessful Republican candidate for State Rep in San Diego – we truly apologize. We will seek return of this information so that we may give proper notice of the compromising of the information as required by law.”

When asked about ACORN’s policy for disposing of sensitive documents, Schur said, “It is ACORN’s policy to shred documents with personal information at the point when they no longer need to be retained.” (more…)

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Tags: ACORN, ACORN doc dump, ACORN San Diego, Amy Schur, CA Attorney General
Posted Nov 23rd 2009 at 4:50 pm in ACORN | 35846113 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/publius/2009/11/23/california-acorn-spokesman-responds-to-revelation-of-massive-doc-dump-and-data-breach/California+ACORN+Responds+to+Revelation+of+Massive+Doc+Dump%2C+Data+Breach+at+Its+San+Diego+Office2009-11-23+23%3A50%3A42Publius

ACORN’s Lawless Ways

ACORN is not only a radical organization devoted to undermining the American system of government: It is a massive, ongoing criminal conspiracy that should be investigated for possible violations of federal racketeering laws.

With a long history of lawbreaking that is finally getting media attention, the poverty pimps of ACORN are currently in retreat across the nation, and an upcoming voter registration fraud trial may reveal embarrassing information that disrupts the operations of the embattled radical activist group. This is in addition to the undercover child prostitution sting videos revealed in recent days on this website.

The testimony will come soon from former ACORN Las Vegas field director Christopher Edwards. Charged with election fraud by Nevada’s Democratic attorney general, he cut a deal last month with prosecutors and has pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit the crime of compensation for registration of voters.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 17.

ACORN stands accused of enforcing voter registration quotas with its employees and offering bonuses for extra registrations. Nevada law forbids the use of such incentives on the theory it encourages canvassers to file fraudulent registrations. No wonder: ACORN registers “Mickey Mouse” and various celebrities, out-of-state residents, and dead people, every election cycle.

As part of the plea deal, Edwards, whom state investigators consider to be the mastermind of the incentive program, has agreed to testify against former regional director, Amy Busefink, and against ACORN, which is a co-defendant. The Las Vegas Sun reported that Edwards acknowledged he conspired with Busefink and ACORN to create the “Blackjack” incentive program that gave canvassers an extra $5 for submitting 21 or more registration cards each day. The daily quota was allegedly 20 forms.

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Tags: ACORN 8, Amy Busefink, Amy Schur, Bertha Lewis, Christopher Edwards
Posted Sep 14th 2009 at 9:05 am in ACORN | 197065 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/mvadum/2009/09/14/acorns-lawless-ways/ACORN%E2%80%99s+Lawless+Ways2009-09-14+16%3A05%3A18Matthew+Vadum