Is ACORN funded by tax dollars?

http://www.factcheck.org/2009/02/the-stimulus-bill-and-acorn/

That about says it. For some reason, the conservative press seems to have ACORN in their sights.

poo flinging monkeys, ALL OF THEM

It says that ACORN got 1.6 million in tax dollars instead of 5.2 billion. So ACORN got tax dollars, but not as much as the republicans say.

@w2pow2 and they got those funds through a competitive grant process.

So they got tax dollars through a competitive grant process.
So that’s it? Everybody’s in agreement?
Non-heated discussions are so boring… Somebody call me a racist or something…

Just kidding about that last comment- You guys rock!

The Right is after ACORN because ACORN actually cares about poor people and tries to help them organize and exert political power.

@daloon Apparently you haven’t heard the latest news…

@w2pow2 Do tell.

@daloon In due time, my friend. In due time.
I’m using a library comp right now- I’ll comment later when I get home.

@w2pow2 the latest news is not so much that some ACORN employees were doing something wrong, but that it was “gotcha” journalism reported by FoxNews. and we all know how unbiased that must be.

the term journalism has sure taken a beating over the last 25 years!

(Edit for links)

ACORN is a group that works in a lot of different areas. Like a lot of non-profits, some aspects of their work will be supported by tax dollars. That money is targeted toward specific projects. Most of their work is funded privately.

Curiously, the same is true of the Red Cross and conservative groups like Catholic Charities.

Acorn is not currently funded by taxpayers to my knowledge.

If the real “every man for himself” conservatives want to continue to steal elections, they know that the best way to distract from what they are up to is to try to prove their opponents are actually the ones stealing the elections. We essentially let Bush commit wholesale election fraud in 2000, but then come 2008, instead of trying to stamp out voter fraud where it really happens (via machines that give wrong tallies, and illegal invalidation of voter registrations in Democratic strongholds in swing states), they try to battle against “registration fraud” even though it would be next to impossible for the type of fraud they are decrying, even if it were happening, to lead to an additional invalid vote being accepted. They make it look like their opponents are trying to pull a fast one, so they clamp down on registrations, making it impossible for you to vote unless you have a driver’s license (something poor people don’t often have). Basically the poor are easy scapegoats to help them obscure the much more insidious crap they’re doing behind the scenes, because the poor can’t afford to fight back.

@yetanotheruser “ACORN employees were doing something wrong, but that it was “gotcha” journalism reported by FoxNews. And we all know how unbiased that must be.”
Ok I don’t even know what to say to this. So I’m just going to start asking questions.
1) Do you think that ACORN is fundamentally a good organization?
2) Do you think that the video and investigation is authentic?

So I understand where you’re coming from- Those right-wing war-mongering bastards tried to make a really generous and pure organization look like it came from hell. This just shows how totally screwed up those Right-Wing bastards are. ACORN is a really good organization that has America’s best interests at heart.

So when your shown this video, naturally, your first instinct is to deny it. After all, people’s political beliefs don’t change overnight.

But how do you deny it and supply a good argument at the same time? You could question the credibility of the video (As some have), but how many people would buy that? If it smells authentic and looks authentic, it probably is authentic. That and the fact that the two women were fired as soon as the tape was released.

You could make the argument that these were corrupt employees acting on their own accord. People might, just might buy that. But then it would just reap a counter argument that says ACORN employees need to wear a tighter leash. And it wouldn’t be too persuasive to those people that are in the middle.

So in the end, you say is that it was a “Smear campaign” or an attempt at “gotcha journalism”, and remained fixed in your beliefs that the rest of ACORN is a do-gooder’s club.

Or (And I know that this is a ludicrous idea) you could actually adapt and change your beliefs based on what is undoubtedly the truth.

And for those of you who don’t know what the truth is, google it.

It’s hard to admit that the Right-Wingers were actually right about something for a change, I know. But in doing so you will be killing the Bi-ism that clouds your perception.

Let the I-hate-w2pow2-comments begin!

Anyone who has any question about how ACORN works is welcome to become a volunteer or even paid worker for the organization. They can always use the help.

@Rarebear – isn’t this almost poetry? By pretending as if the two are the same, Boehner and Vitter commit the fallacy of equivocation

(Full disclosure) I actually did some volunteer work for ACORN in Dallas in the early ‘80’s.It is a great tool for community organization and grass roots activism. ACORN’s priorities in the past have included such things as: better housing and wages for the poor, more community development investment from banks and governments, better public schools, and other social justice issues. ACORN pursues these goals through demonstration, negotiation, lobbying for legislation, voter participation and other community based activities. Like many other community-based, or grass-roots organizations, ACORN’s day to day decisions are made locally, not nationally. I believe the ACORN workers in the recent videotapes were individuals who overstepped the boundaries of what ACORN attempts to do.

Justin case you haven’t seen the these videos, they are here and here

If you want to see what ACORN is truly about, watch some of these videos.