Dems Vote to Allow Federal Funding for Corrupt ACORN

Last night, defying the will of a bipartisan majority of the House and Senate, Democrats voted to allow the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) to receive federal taxpayer dollars.

In September, large Congressional majorities in both houses voted to sever all ties between the federal government and ACORN.  The Senate vote was 85-11; the House vote was 345-75.  You’d think that those votes, which USA Today described as prohibiting “any federal funding for the community organizing group,” would have settled the matter.  You’d be wrong.

Months later, with the country’s focus on jobs, healthcare, and the Global War on Terror, Democrats are moving to restore funding to ACORN.  Last night, Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) offered an amendment during deliberations on the Democrats’ massive year-end appropriations bill to clarify the prohibition on federal funds going to ACORN or its subsidiaries.  That amendment was shot down on a 5-9 party line vote as Republicans sided with taxpayers while Democrats stood with ACORN.

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Tags: ACORN, ACORN funding, ACORN government money, acorn scandal, taxpayer funds
Posted Dec 9th 2009 at 12:17 pm in ACORN, Congress, Featured Story, Politics | 43650195 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/jboehner/2009/12/09/dems-vote-to-allow-federal-funding-for-corrupt-acorn/Dems+Vote+to+Allow+Federal+Funding+for+Corrupt+ACORN2009-12-09+19%3A17%3A08Rep.+John+Boehner

ACORN’s Roots Watered by Taxpayers

Until last Thursday, many Americans assumed ACORN’s massive tax windfall was just a way to funnel taxpayer money to a radical organization. That was before the shocking video revelation that ACORN Housing staff — funded by millions of dollars of the public’s money — is willing to offer their “counseling services” to would-be operators of child prostitute rings.

Clearly, it’s time to take a closer look at how taxpayer money drives the ACORN empire.

The Public Trough

Until recently, few knew much about ACORN or the reach of its 300-plus organizations with a hundred-million-dollar budget. The main financial sustenance for the behemoth comes from unions (which outsource dirty work, strategy, and anti-corporate attacks to the group), powerful and politically minded non-profit foundations, political campaigns (including $800,000 from then-Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008) and taxpayer money.

That public trough has been open to those who seem to feel they are more equal than others. The Washington Examiner investigated and found out that “at least $53 million in federal funds have gone to ACORN activists since 1994.” (See the spreadsheet here.)

A large chunk of that money flows from the federal government to the ACORN Housing Corporation (AHC). On the group’s IRS filings for the fiscal year ending in June 2007, AHC reported taking in more than $2.8 million in that year alone — accounting for approximately 30 percent of that year’s budget. A 2008 report from the Consumers Rights League found that from 2004 through 2006, government funds accounted for 40 percent of the group’s $18.3 million in revenue.

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Tags: ACORN child prostitution video, ACORN Housing, ACORN videos, Consumers Rights League, taxpayer funds
Posted Sep 14th 2009 at 12:18 pm in ACORN | 2170157 Commentshttp://biggovernment.com/bjacobson/2009/09/14/acorns-roots-watered-by-taxpayers/ACORN%27s+Roots+Watered+by+Taxpayers2009-09-14+19%3A18%3A44Bret+Jacobson