Monday, March 22, 2010

ACORN Busts-A-Nut and Folds. A Victory for God and America.

CHICAGO – The once mighty community activist group ACORN announced Monday it is folding amid falling revenues — six months after video footage emerged showing some of its workers giving tax tips to conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute.

"It's really declining revenue in the face of a series of attacks from partisan operatives and right-wing activists that have taken away our ability to raise the resources we need," ACORN spokesman Kevin Whelan said.

Several of its largest affiliates, including ACORN New York and ACORN California, broke away this year and changed their names in a bid to ditch the tarnished image of their parent organization and restore revenue that ran dry in the wake of the video scandal.

ACORN's financial situation and reputation went into free fall within days of the videos' release in September. Congress reacted by yanking ACORN's federal funding, private donors held back cash and scores of ACORN offices closed.

Earlier this month, a U.S. judge reiterated an earlier ruling that the federal law blacklisting ACORN and groups allied with it was unconstitutional because it singled them out. But that didn't mean any money would be automatically be restored.

Bertha Lewis, the CEO of ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, alluded to financial hardships in a weekend statement as the group's board prepared to deliberate by phone.

"ACORN has faced a series of well-orchestrated, relentless, well-funded right wing attacks that are unprecedented since the McCarthy era," she said. "The videos were a manufactured, sensational story that led to rush to judgment and an unconstitutional act by Congress."

ACORN's board decided to close remaining state affiliates and field offices by April 1 because of falling revenues, with some national operations will continue operating for at least several weeks before shutting for good, Whelan said Monday.

For years, ACORN could draw on 400,000 members to lobby for liberal causes, such as raising the minimum wage or adopting universal health care. ACORN was arguably most successful at registering hundreds of thousands of low-income voters, though that mission was dogged by fraud allegations, including that some workers submitted forms signed by 'Mickey Mouse' or other cartoon characters.

Original AP story

Posted by Steve Sinai

9 comments:

Kathleen Rogan said...

So what's your point , Sinai??????

Unknown said...

I love the pic.

Kathy Meeh said...

Here's one of the points Kathleen...
"ACORN has faced a series of well-orchestrated, relentless, well-funded right wing attacks that are unprecedented since the McCarthy era," she said." McCarthyism.

Unknown said...

ACORN is/was corrupt. They got found out. Lost their cash cow. So sad.

Kathy Meeh said...

More like ACORN was accused of being corrupt by the radical right in a effort to take down ACORN, which they did. This is sad because they were helpful to a lot of low income and poor people.

Big Lender said...

Acorn was started at first to protect the middle class citizens.

Acorn had an awesome loan program thru BOFA that helped many people buy homes.

The idea behind it was good at first but then they ran the truck off the road and into the ditch

Kathleen Rogan said...

ACORN use to help old people pull weeds from their yards. Buying groceries for the old and feeble.

Next thing, assisting in prostituting children brought into this country illegally.

Assisting corrupt politicians run their campaigns. No longer were they around for the needy and poor. They needed to be DESTROYED! Good Bye!

Unfortunately, don't fret Dems, they will resurface under a new name.

Anonymous said...

"Unfortunately, don't fret Dems, they will resurface under a new name."

They already have, "The Bark Nuggets".

Kathleen Rogan said...

I told you guys not to worry. ACORN will be ok. Read about all the other groups sprouting up.

http://stupidassnews.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/acorns-demise-may-benefit-other-nut-groups/