De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

[Rajiv]

De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

“ACORN should be held to the same high standards of every other government contractor,” says Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Florida. “But there are bigger fish to fry.”

Before being elected to Congress, Grayson was a former government contracts lawyer and brought False Claims Act cases on behalf of whistleblowers against contractors, including many in Iraq. He now sits on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittees of both the House Financial Services Committee and House Science and Technology Committee.

“We can’t have a situation where the laws of justice are applied to one organization and not to any of the others, particularly when there are organizations that are polluting water for our soldiers and electrocuting them,” Grayson says.
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But then here comes Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) — one of the Congress’s newest progressives and all around bad ass — to point out an inconvenient truth about the anti-ACORN measures the House passed: they can be used against any organization that has “been indicted for a violation of federal or state law.” That means it isn’t just ACORN caught up in its net, but any other organization that has been involved in fraudulent behavior.

Also Whoops: Anti-ACORN Bill Ropes In Defense Contractors, Others Charged With Fraud

The congressional legislation intended to defund ACORN, passed with broad bipartisan support, is written so broadly that it applies to "any organization" that has been charged with breaking federal or state election laws, lobbying disclosure laws, campaign finance laws or filing fraudulent paperwork with any federal or state agency. It also applies to any of the employees, contractors or other folks affiliated with a group charged with any of those things.

In other words, the bill could plausibly defund the entire military-industrial complex. Whoops.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) picked up on the legislative overreach and asked the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) to sift through its database to find which contractors might be caught in the ACORN net.

Lockheed Martin and Northrop Gumman both popped up quickly, with 20 fraud cases between them, and the longer list is a Who's Who of weapons manufacturers and defense contractors.

The language was written by the GOP and filed as a "motion to recommit" in the House, where it passed 345-75.

POGO is reaching out to its members to identify other companies who have engaged in the type of misconduct that would make them ineligible for federal funds.

Grayson then intends to file that list in the legislative history that goes along with the bill so that judges can reference it when determining whether a company should be denied federal funds.

[cobben]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

"the bill could plausibly defund the entire military-industrial complex."

As soon as enough people like Grayson start to think along the lines of the future being in agressively attacking the old corrupt order rather than working within it, the ball will be in motion.

This feels like the sea receding just before the tsunami rushes in.

[Rajiv]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

My thoughts -- Grayson should have waited for this to become law -- before he raised these issues.

I am afraid that now this bill may never be passed in its current form!

[WildspitzE]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

My thoughts -- Grayson should have waited for this to become law -- before he raised these issues.

I am afraid that now this bill may never be passed in its current form!

exactamundo.

[medved]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

"the bill could plausibly defund the entire military-industrial complex."

As soon as enough people like Grayson start to think along the lines of the future being in agressively attacking the old corrupt order rather than working within it, the ball will be in motion.

This feels like the sea receding just before the tsunami rushes in.

It is not possible to defund the entire military-industrial complex. According to the US constitution the military is run by the gov’t. Also, military operations and build-up are not always open for the public. This is a perfect set-up for corruption. We can only deal with it on a case-by-case basis.

OTOH, there is no need for the gov’t to run the financial system, as it has been doing for the last 100 years while pretending we have a “free market” in banking and financial services. To the degree ACORN is a tool of manipulation and blackmail, it should be defunded. The same applies to the whole FIRE economy starting from the FED (“defunding” the FED would mean limiting its money-printing power or eliminating it together with the FED itself). Gov’t control of the financial system is *not* mandated by the constitution (unlike military).

[Serge_Tomiko]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

It is not possible to defund the entire military-industrial complex. According to the US constitution the military is run by the gov’t. Also, military operations and build-up are not always open for the public. This is a perfect set-up for corruption. We can only deal with it on a case-by-case basis.

But that isn't part of the constitution. The government controls the military, yes. But the 2nd Amendment was created to insure the government did NOT have a monopoly on the military.

I don't mean to suggest we have any hope of returning to the days when private citizens could acquire anything like automatic weapons let alone tanks or artillery. My point is the constitution is at this point irrelevant. Political decisions should not be influenced by that relic, which in its simplicity has allowed the proliferation of a Pharisaic legal structure that both permits all things and makes criminals of us all. The corruption of which we speak is at its heart only possible due to this legal structure. We will have no hope of eliminating corruption until we wipe the slate clean.

[Crazyfingers]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

I about drove my vehicle in the ditch after work. Was listening to the local radio station and the huckabee report popped on. Seems the angle of the Huckabee Report is to pretend its Paul Harvey but with right wing agenda slant, hoping noone will notice(or care). Huckabee was squawking about ACORN and how the good Patriots were catching on to their evil ways. He then proceeded to say the funniest statemt I have heard in weeks.

Bank of America will no longer do business with ACORN representatives if they act unethical.

hehhhh what would an ACORN rep have to do to be determined unethical by Bank of America!

Ethical and Bank of America... give me some of what you are smokin Huckabee.

[medved]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

I about drove my vehicle in the ditch after work. Was listening to the local radio station and the huckabee report popped on. Seems the angle of the Huckabee Report is to pretend its Paul Harvey but with right wing agenda slant, hoping noone will notice(or care). Huckabee was squawking about ACORN and how the good Patriots were catching on to their evil ways. He then proceeded to say the funniest statemt I have heard in weeks.

Bank of America will no longer do business with ACORN representatives if they act unethical.

hehhhh what would an ACORN rep have to do to be determined unethical by Bank of America!

Ethical and Bank of America... give me some of what you are smokin Huckabee.

Let's stick to the facts instead of attacking messengers. It seems, you are going to attack Huckabee (whoever he is) if he states that 2x2=4. Of course Fanny, Freddy, BofA and the rest of big banks are crooks, but so is ACORN. Live with it.

[Crazyfingers]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

I did stick to the facts. What facts did I not stick with?

The only fact of my post was that when I was driving my vehicle I heard Mike Huckabee report that Bank of America wouldnt do business anymore with unethical reps of ACORN. FACT(I HEARD IT ON THE RADIO)

Mike Huckabee ran for president just LAST YEAR as a Republican. FACT and in the midwest THE HUCKABEE REPORT has replaced the Paul Harvey Report on the radio. 2x2=4 This new report is slanted towards a Republican viewpoint. Wouldnt that be a logical conclusion to presume a man that felt so strong about his republican views, ran for President a year ago, would probably slant the same way a year later on his new radio show?

What messenger am I attacking? I happen to enjoy the Huckabee Report. But dont you think it was a little humurous that Bank of America that was a big part of our present mess(mainly because of unethical business practices) would be making such statements? This alone I find hilarious. Then the fact that Huckabee is proclaiming this statement is some sort of Patriotic act by Bank of America is even more hilarious!

Live with it? I have been living with this corruption for years. I am on your side medved, I just dont want these charlatans to crawl away and divert the public anger away from them.

I mean for turds sake the man states that America is catching on to ACORN, then proceeds to use this hypocritacal statement by BANK OF AMERICA as evidence.

Its like throwing some cookie crumbs on your little sister after you raided the cookie jar.

Anyways I thought it was hilarious.

Sorry if offended you.

[cobben]

Re: De-Funding ACORN Might Just De-Fund the Real Crooks

"It is not possible to defund the entire military-industrial complex."

I wasn't thinking specifically about that sector (though there is obviously enormous pork in there, if nothing else), just the nascent tendency ala Grayson to attack rather than work within the existing system of corruption.