Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 10/16/2009 8:52:05 AM PDT by Forgiven_Sinner
Mr. (Forgiven Sinner) (Street) Peoria, IL
Dear Mr. (Forgiven Sinner):
Thank you for contacting me to share your concerns about federal funding for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). I appreciate hearing from you.
I've seen the videos and I am appalled by them. I am also troubled by the discoveries of voter registration fraud, and I am glad ACORN reported the incidents to the authorities. These employees have been fired, and ACORN is being investigated by state and federal agencies for misconduct and potential misuse of government funds. Anyone who has broken the law should be prosecuted.
ACORN deserves much of the criticism it has received for allowing this type of behavior to happen. ACORN has voluntarily engaged an independent auditor, suspended the affected programs, and implemented a new initiative to train all staff on its code of conduct to prevent future incidents like these. These are important steps to address serious lapses.
Although ACORN was wrong, the legislation that was offered on the Senate floor was not the right response. It put Congress in the position of prosecutor, judge, and jury. It pronounced guilt without benefit of trial, and then applied the penalty to the entire organization because of the sins of a limited number of specific employees.
Congress should not, because of the misconduct of those ACORN employees who have now been terminated, permanently deny assistance to thousands of families who have been receiving ACORN's help to avoid predatory lending and foreclosure.
I have introduced a Senate amendment that would direct the non-partisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review and audit of federal funds received by ACORN, to determine whether any federal funds were misused and, if so, the amount of funds involved and how they were misused. GAO would be directed to submit a report to Congress identifying what steps have been taken to recover any funds that were misused, what steps should be taken to prevent the future misuse of any federal funds, and whether ACORN and federal agencies have taken all necessary steps to prevent any future misuse of federal funds. This information should guide our long-term decisions about funding received by ACORN.
I believe individuals should be held accountable for their actions, organizations and corporations should be held accountable for the policies they set, and entities should not be permanently cut off based on the actions of individual employees who violated the organization's policies and have been fired. We need a process for addressing wrongs and moving forward with policies that will prevent future misdeeds.
I will continue to support accountability in the use of federal funds, for ACORN and for every other recipient of federal dollars.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
RJD/dr
Is that how you want you tax dollars managed? At the very least, suspend the funding, pending a full RICO investigation.
“...I am glad ACORN reported the incidents to the authorities.”
WHAT THE HELL IS HE TALKING ABOUT?
More proof of the idiocy of our ‘Elected Officials’ in Washington.
Man these people really, really suck!
Dear Senator Durbin,
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. As a tax payer, I take issue with this paragraph in your reply:
“Although ACORN was wrong, the legislation that was offered on the Senate floor was not the right response. It put Congress in the position of prosecutor, judge, and jury. It pronounced guilt without benefit of trial, and then applied the penalty to the entire organization because of the sins of a limited number of specific employees.”
Tax funds are a privilege, not a right to any organization. Withholding them is not a punishment; it is a prudent precaution exercising your fiduciary responsibility until a full EXTERNAL investigation of ACORN has taken place.
I have no faith in ACORN’s ability to reform itself. Consider its founder has been caught embezzling funds from it. Every corporation on the NYSE must submit to an external audit annually and report that publically—and that is without any evidence of crime.
Crime has been discovered within ACORN. We do not know the extent of this crime, nor how high up it goes. At the very least I expect a full criminal investigation to be launched at the federal level, ideally under the RICO statute.
Please propose this in the Senate at your earliest opportunity.
Sincerely,
Your employer,
(Forgiven Sinner)
Peoria, Illinois
I thought ACORN WAS "the authorities."
Directing these families to agencies which are not corrupt and tainted is apparently not an option in Turban Durbin's demented mind.
“Although ACORN was wrong, the legislation that was offered on the Senate floor was not the right response. It put Congress in the position of prosecutor, judge, and jury. It pronounced guilt without benefit of trial, and then applied the penalty to the entire organization because of the sins of a limited number of specific employees.”
Except when it applies to Republican organizations and the Bush administration of course! Then it is Let us give out false information! And Prosecute, Judge and be the jury to stop the conservatives.
ACORN is a priviledged organization which has been endowed by the Democrats with certain inalienable rights to TAXPAYERS $$$, which cannot be encroached upon NO MATTER WHAT IT DOES without DUE PROCESS of law under all the laws of the country including but not limited to state and federal laws, constitution, international laws and even the wishes of esteemed Democrats who may want to express their opinion from the GRAVE!!!
This is the way Democrats protect their own, and the press fcilitates them.
Here's a hint: STOP GIVING AWAY OUR HARD-EARNED TAX DOLLARS TO ACORN AND OTHER PARTISAN ORGANIZATIONS.
You mean like Obama and the RATS are giving the insurance industry employees the benefit of the doubt, and not demonizing an entire industry?
“More proof of the idiocy of our ‘Elected Officials’ in Washington.”
No, they just know they can get away with it!
I can’t remember where and when it was but ACORN turned in some of their vote fraudsters because people were desperately needed under the bus. A few cases out of many.
What Democrat would object to that?
ALL OF THEM. sorry i’m yelling
Nah... how about this:
Dr. Mr. Durbin:
I’ve asked a member of the administrative staff to collect cardboard boxes and to assist you with clearing out your office. Please be certain to leave your parking pass, office keys, and any other US Gov’t property with security on your way out.
Tax dollars are a precious sacrifice of American citizens across this great country. An unwillingness or inability to repsectful of this is simply not acceptable.
Please do take this personally, but understand that many of your peers will be joining you in the unemployment line as the clensing process continues through the next few election cycles.
Have a nice day.
Congress does not owe ACORN a trial. But the Justice Department and the attorneys general of every state where ACORN operates owe them unending trials, fines, confiscations, and imprisonment.
FReep mail me if you want on/off the list.
I guess Dickhead Turbin will be supporting Judy Biggert’s bill. From her website:
Biggert to Cut ACORN’s ‘HUD-Approved’ Status: Introduces Bill to Keep Scandal-Plagued Group Out of Public Housing Counseling Coffers
Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) today introduced legislation, the Suspend ACORN Certification (SAC) Act, aimed at preventing the misuse of public resources designated for federally-approved housing counseling activities.
“It’s abundantly clear that ACORN and its affiliates cannot be trusted as a federally-certified entity,” said Biggert, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee and long-time champion of federal housing counseling programs. “Given the group’s clear links to illegal and inappropriate activities, how can we knowingly give them federal certification to divert precious resources from legitimate housing counselors working overtime to help struggling homeowners?”
Currently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certifies qualified housing counseling agencies, allowing them to access federal counseling grants and leverage other state, local, and private resources using their “HUD-approved” status. The funds are intended to provide current and prospective homeowners with no- or low-cost guidance and advice on buying or selling a home, navigating complex financial transactions and mortgages, and avoiding foreclosure now or down the road.
Among those organizations approved by HUD is the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), which has been repeatedly linked to organized voter fraud and more recently made headlines after ACORN employees were videotaped providing advice for criminal tax evasion. The SAC Act would suspend the certification and funding of housing counseling activities under ACORN and its affiliates pending a comprehensive audit by the HUD Inspector General. The audit would examine the use of HUD funds by ACORN and its affiliates – including state chapters and organizations sharing staff, directors, and finances.
“The IRS and Census Bureau have already cut ties with ACORN,” said Biggert. “It’s time for HUD to do the same. It’s the responsible thing to do. Those who go to a HUD-approval counselor for help with their personal finances shouldn’t have to question the integrity or political bias behind the advice they receive. Let’s let the Inspector General do his job, and shed some much-needed sunlight on how these public funds are being used.”
According to a minority staff report by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, ACORN has received more than $53 million in direct federal funding since 1994. Furthermore, the group has likely received substantially more indirectly through states and localities that receive federal block grants.
“My office regularly refers homeowners struggling with issues like foreclosure to local, reliable HUD-approved counselors,” said Biggert. “But in today’s economic climate, more families than ever need help, and our counselors are hard-pressed to keep up with demand. Groups like ACORN shouldn’t be allowed to hide behind HUD-approval while they misuse resources that should be helping people at places like the DuPage, Cook, and Will County counseling offices.”
A difficult question to answer: Who is more corrupt, Durbin or ACORN?
EXCERPT----JUSTICE DEPARTMENT COMPLAINT (24 pp)
January 7, 2009
IN RE: ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR REFORM NOW
The undersigned State Board delegates and National Board members of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (“ACORN”) file this criminal complaint against ACORN Staff and Executive Board members for fraud, embezzlement, conspiracy and concealment, and criminal civil rights violations. Additionally, since there has already been the public admission that a felony was committed, it is also possible that other federal offenses have also been committed including but not limited to;
Title 18 U.S.C. §1341, Mail Fraud;
18 U.S.C.§1001, Presenting a False Document to the an Agent of the United States Government;
18 U.S.C.§1027 False statements and concealment of facts in relation to documents required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and other possible offenses including civil and/or criminal RICO violations;
18 U.S.C. §§1961-68 (RICO Act);
18 U.S.C. §1001 (False Statements to Agents of the U.S. Government);
18 U.S.C. §1341 (Mail Fraud),
18 U.S.C. §1027 (ERISA Violations), and,
18 U.S.C. §241(Conspiracy Against Civil Rights).
Finally, the complainants contend that full investigations of a RICO conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. §1962(c) are warranted because they assert that (1) the defendant persons (2) were employed by or associated with an enterprise (3) that engaged in or affected interstate commerce and that (4) the defendant persons operated or managed the enterprise (5) through a pattern (6) of racketeering activity, and (7) the complaints were injured in its business or property by reason of the pattern of racketeering activity. Thus, the complainants feel that a formal RICO investigation is also warranted.
--SNIP-- 24 pp complaint
SOURCE http://www.acorn-8.net/PDFs/USAttComp.pdf
On the plus side-----Oprah got up on the return flight, gave an inspiring pep talk............then signed up Obama, Michelle, Dick Durbin, Mayor Daley, Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel to accompany Oprah to a sweat lodge in Sedona, Ariz to get "spiritually cleansed." Oprah promised that getting into the Sedona sweat lodge would make them all feel better about themselves for losing the games.
"You never saw Barack sweat? Wait'll you see him in that Sedona sweat lodge."
The WH later issued a statement:
" The President, his wife and 2016 Team Chicago
are anxious to go to Sedona and sweat with Oprah."
Sounds like Durbins meds are not working. Delusional.
” It put Congress in the position of prosecutor, judge, and jury.”
Wow, Dick — kind of like how YOU played prosecutor, judge and jury when YOU decided our troops were acting like Nazis and Khmer Rouge.
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