ObamACORN payback: It’s still in there
Photoshop credit: Leo Alberti
On Monday, I noted GOP House Speaker John Boehner’s warning about the ObamACORN funding provisions in the House version of the Generational Theft Act of 2009.
As expected, the slush fund/payback program for the left-wing fraudsters is still in there. Here’s the direct link to the section in H.R. 1. And here’s the relevant section:
For an additional amount for `Community Development Fund’ $1,000,000,000, to carry out the community development block grant program under title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.): Provided, That the amount appropriated in this paragraph shall be distributed according to the same funding formula used in fiscal year 2008: Provided further, That in allocating the funds appropriated in this paragraph, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall not require an additional action plan from grantees: Provided further, That in selecting projects to be funded, recipients shall give priority to projects that can award contracts based on bids within 120 days from the date the funds are made available to the recipients; Provided further, That in administering funds provided in this paragraph, the Secretary may waive any provision of any statute or regulation that the Secretary administers in connection with the obligation by the Secretary or the use by the recipient of these funds (except for requirements related to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment), upon a finding that such waiver is required to facilitate the timely use of such funds and would not be inconsistent with the overall purpose of the statute.
For a further additional amount for `Community Development Fund’, $4,190,000,000, to be used for neighborhood stabilization activities related to emergency assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes as authorized under division B, title III of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-289), of which–
(1) not less than $3,440,000,000 shall be allocated by a competition for which eligible entities shall be States, units of general local government, and nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities: Provided, That the award criteria for such competition shall include grantee capacity, leveraging potential, targeted impact of foreclosure prevention, and any additional factors determined by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Provided further, that the Secretary may establish a minimum grant size: Provided further, That amounts made available under this Section may be used to (A) establish financing mechanisms for purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed-upon homes and residential properties, including such mechanisms as soft-seconds, loan loss reserves, and shared-equity loans for low- and moderate-income homebuyers; (B) purchase and rehabilitate homes and residential properties that have been abandoned or foreclosed upon, in order to sell or rent such homes and properties; (C) establish and operate land banks for homes that have been foreclosed upon; (D) demolish foreclosed properties that have become blighted structures; and (E) redevelop demolished or vacant foreclosed properties in order to sell or rent such properties; and
(2) up to $750,000,000 shall be awarded by competition to nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities to provide community stabilization assistance by (A) accelerating state and local government and nonprofit productivity; (B) increasing the scale and efficiency of property transfers of foreclosed and vacant residential properties from financial institutions and government entities to qualified local housing providers in order to return the properties to productive affordable housing use; (C) building industry and property management capacity; and (D) partnering with private sector real estate developers and contractors and leveraging private sector capital: Provided further, That such community stabilization assistance shall be provided primarily in States and areas with high rates of defaults and foreclosures to support the acquisition, rehabilitation and property management of single-family and multi-family homes and to work in partnership with the private sector real estate industry and to leverage available private and public funds for those purposes: Provided further, That for purposes of this paragraph qualified local housing providers shall be nonprofit organizations with demonstrated capabilities in real estate development or acquisition and rehabilitation or property management of single- or multi-family homes, or local or state governments or instrumentalities of such governments: Provided further, That qualified local housing providers shall be expected to utilize and leverage additional local nonprofit, governmental, for-profit and private resources:
Matthew Vadum points out a few other goodies targeted to liberal non-profits that bring the total potential ObamACORN payoff to $5.2 billion:
Title XII of the spending legislation backed by the Democratic congressional leadership and the Obama administration would dole out $1 billion in old-fashioned slush funds for the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program. Local politicians love CDBG because it is flexible. The program gives them wide latitude when spending grant money and allows local leaders to use federal dollars on local projects that they wouldn’t dream of spending their own local tax dollars on. ACORN loves CDBG because it is adept at lobbying for CDBG funds.
A separate $10 million is provided in the stimulus package to develop or rehabilitate low-income housing under the Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP)…
Although ACORN operatives usually get their hands on such funds only after they have first passed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or state and local governments, the new spending bill largely eliminates these dawdling middle men, making it easier to get Uncle Sam’s largess directly into the hands of the same people who run ACORN’s various vote fraud and extortion rackets. And the legislative package provides these funds without the usual prohibition on using government money for lobbying or political activities.
The current version of the stimulus package would allow nonprofit groups to compete with states and localities for $3.44 billion from the $4.19 billion Neighborhood Stabilization Program allocation. The remaining $750 million from the program plus the $10 million in SHOP funds would be set aside exclusively for nonprofit groups.
Probably chief among the groups to benefit from stimulus spending will be ACORN, the infamous network of 100-plus left-wing activist groups.
The “neighborhood stabilization” section is on p.89 of the Senate version of the bill here. Current allocation: $2.25 billion.
Where will Senate Republicans stand on taxpayer subsidies to President Obama’s favorite left-wing militant activist/subprime shakedown group?
Recall that John McCain, who appeared at a pro-shamnesty ACORN rally in 2006, defended Obama’s community service record and had to be goaded, prodded, begged, and dragged into spotlighting the radical group’s fraudulent activities during the campaign.
Will Sens. McCain and Mitch McConnell “reach across the aisle” and join Obama and the Senate Democrats to reach into our pockets and fork over these billions to these left-wing rackeeters?
Get an answer.
Senate switchboard: 202-224-3121.
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- ObamACORN payback: It’s still in there — But As For Me
- UPDATE 29 JAN - A radical leftist “community group” known for its fraudulent voter registration drives will get billions of taxpayer dollars under the Democrats’ massive spending bill « Goodtimepolitics
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The fact that the dems want to give 5.5 billion a group that is PROVEN to be frauduelent only goes to show how corrupt the DNC is.
Ain’t it wonderful that we have lawyers who can glaze our eyes over with, and hide items in, piles of words?
Didn’t take long to scratch one debt off. Disgusting crooks the lot of the Dems -11.
With lwwsuits all over the country against these frauds they need the extra 4 billion to cover legal fees.
Besides doesn’t ACORN regresent the repressed blacks who live in AmeriKKKA?
I’ll be surprised if they don’t. The weasels want face time in the Obama media.
On the other hand, there’s this:
oops, post 3 correction * -12 Dems.
Who wrote that lgm, your mama? or some tool belt web site you frequent?
If you believe it you’re dumber than we think.
The only way to get organizations like ACORN shutdown or regulated is for conservatives to start emulating them.
So I assume if there funding for the BRA to the tune of $4 billion in a GOP bill, that would be fine with the PRAVDA folks?
How much of that 1 trillion, 2 trillion, 3 trillion goes to groups that were financed by George Soros, and will those groups then repay Soros for his support?
Once a community organizer, always a community organizer.
Reach across the aisle, pull back a bloody stump. It’s that simple.
One thing for sure is the MSM isn’t reporting on this much, nothing shall be said to deminish “the one”
Again, another nail in for “buyers remorse” this explains why I’m seeing several people walking down the street mumbling with a goofy twitch in their step.
dumb voters.
I could drive Obama’s bus through all those giant loopholes in this bill.
What idiot lawyer wrote that monstrosity?
And you’re OK with this, LGM? You’re OK with the people who govern us, spend our money and effect the lives of our children, possibly not being the people we actually gave the majority of our ballots? Perhaps you need consider the ramifications of valid vs. invalid elections.
Steps need to be taken to record their practices and expose them like Planned Parenthood.
Best way to rid yourself of cockroaches is shine a bright light on them.
Now what GOP SOB is going to break ranks in the Senate?
Non-profits can’t build houses efficiently, and they will never be able to. Obama is just the latest idiot to think that this will work
If you want to bailout the construction industry, then give then tax credits for building affordable homes are selling non-affordable homes at an affordable price.
Let the building industry build houses, there’s no need to have non-profits involved taking up resources.
Snow, Collins, Graham, and McCain for a start.
Obama crushed McCain electorally and by total number of votes. He won 9 states that Bush carried in 2004, of which he only need ed to win 1 or 2. There is no way Obama was not the legitimate winner, even if one were to assume your deepest fears about alleged voter fraud.
Furthermore, 90% of these abandoned houses are in neighborhoods ridden with crime and violence. No one wants to live there, and only gentrification would improve the area; however, that’s a big liberal no-no.
This ain’t Field of Dreams.
I’m not sure what’s worse, that Obama would be rewarding his cronies for his support, or if he actually believes that this retread of a policy is going to make any difference.
lgm, like his friends brad_sk, redstateskeptic, eaglefarts, and bluesoc is *always* OK with cheating, corruption, and fraud as long as it benefits Democrats.
Will Obama and the MSM claim that this bill is bipartisan if just a few Republicans defect?
Open letter to the Senate Republicans:
If you pansies don’t support the House republicans decision to vote NO on this pork-crap sandwich, the 48 million that voted against BO will work to unseat your ass.
Thanks for listening, now grow a pair!
Tad touchy this morning, aren’t we? And for pete’s sake, get off it already – Obama beat (PRESUMABLY) a seventy-two year old man with no real desire to win – it was no great feat!
And conspicuously
missing from the wagyu and vodka martinis thread.
I’m not saying chappy that Odopey is not legit, just that ACORNHOLE was up to no good all across the board.
BTW, if this stuff continues to fly, are to presume that “one man one vote” was just a dream that failed and the Federalist Papers merely a suggestive framework?
And write them too-snail mail may work, perhaps?
Buzz here is the Juan Hernandez McCain was stunned that his little fund raising racket, Country First PAC, a few weeks ago did not go well; a large numbers of people hit the “unsubscribe” function on the e-mail or returned his snail mail letters empty.
ObamACORN is one of the more egregious stunts we must oppose but keep you eye on the bigger issue: EVERYTHING they push. The power they seek is more important then the money at the moment-always actually.
They get the power and they will take your money-all of it. Re-education camps are expensive.
I prefer kettle corn anyway.
AZNeanderthal, you wouldn’t happen to have a link to support the buzz, would you? Because that would be delicious to blog about.
If no Republicans vote for it, but the media finds out the custodian in the Senate who empties the wastebaskets is a registered Republican, it will receive the “bi-partisan” stamp.
How about a CONSERVATIVE SENATOR WALKOUT after the discussions and just before the vote? If you are going to lose you should at least go out with a bang. It would look great on T.V.–get Fox News in position to record it first.
***
John Bibb
So exactly how much voter fraud do you think is okay?
Personally, I’d say none, even if it benefitted my candidate.
Great idea
Leave the few SOBGOPs all alone where they’ll stand out like the conservative traitors that they are..
What would you like me to say?
He threw a little shindig in which he invited leaders in both parties and their spouses for some glad handing and P.R. Big whoop. I guess this only became frowned upon starting January 20th.
I am also guessing that President Obama was probably doing more important things than personally overseeing the appetizer menu.
And as for cocktails…1)have you ever been to a party that didn’t have drinks and 2) Did you see the guest list? I am guessing I would want a few stiff ones as well.
do we all feel better? Can I now go back to deciding for myself which threads I read? Or do we have any other requests? I should consider putting out a tip jar.
None is okay, but to say that it affected the outcome of the election and thus imply his presidency is illegitimate is silly.
Interesting how all of a sudden voter fraud with perfectly acceptable to our liberal contributors. I believe the proper term to use is “Situational Ethics” …
All we need now is
Vladimir Lenineaglehaslanded in her explaining how voter fraud, extortion, and corruption is truly The Will Of The People.anyone who is blind enough and corrupt enough to believe acorn et al are nothing more than democrat tools to steal elections and coerce businesses into destructive liberal behavior should be institutionalized for their own good. who is the rent a mob called out by rev jackson or sharpton every time some business doesn’t hire up the 20% minority quota.
Nothing in particular. You’ve taken on the role of being the apologist for all things Obama. Just sayin’.
Hardly.
I am against Geithner. I was against him not accepting public funding. I am sure there are other things, if I thought about it. Him throwing a party where…gasp…nice hors d’oeuvres and alcohol are served to some of the most important people in the country? Sorry if I don’t get too worked up.
And you weren’t “just pointing out an inconsistency.” You are trying to imply motivations. Tell ya what, next time there is a thread on abortion you happen to miss, I’ll be sure to not so subtly imply that it must mean you support it.
It’s just the beginning. They’re gonna funnel money in thru every tax revenue base they can.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up skimming 20% off of every income tax dollar received. Much of Acorn’s revenue stream comes directly from taxpayers.
Just watch. Slush funds and covert donations are old news. Acorn will build it’s trillion dollar base directly from Uncle Sam !!!
Palin 2012—donate here: http://www.sarahpac.com/
That’s not what I was suggesting at all but you purport to know my innermost thoughts, so please do go on.
What I was suggesting is perhaps that either you disapproved or didn’t care for Obama’s little bash. What I was not doing was implying that you approved. Capice?
The purpose of ACORN is clear-
They exist as an army dedicated to multiply the power base of the left.
The offshoots from this group will form the base of Obamas shadow government and domestic security idea, while we the people fund it all.
This looks like an attempt to establish a fascist state.
Not only should all of this be exposed, but this should be investigated from top to bottom as an attempt to subvert our democracy.
Any funding of ACORN should be treated in the same manner we treat funding by the Muslim Brotherhood, both are dedicated to undermining our system of government.
Yes chap, you should put out a tip jar, and I will put in my two cents. For example, I did not interpret the voter fraud statement by DBNinKY to apply only to the Presidential election. For those who did, I have a quesion for you. Obama won by about 3 million votes, if for arguments sake, 1% of the total votes cast were fraudulent, because Obama won by a fairly wide margin, its OK to ignore the frauds? And since ballots don’t usually have only one contest, how much did voter fraud affect other more local contests like Franken vs. Coleman? I think DBN’s statement about voter fraud was very important to this discussion. As Michelle has shown severl times on this site, Acorn workers have been caught red handed arranging voter fraud. Common sense would conclude Acorn should not receive one dime of taxpayer money. At least not until they have cleaned up their act, if that is even possible.
McCain doesn’t need to reach across the aisle. He is already part of the Democratic Party.
Hopefully the FBI has been instructed to infiltrate ACORN organizations everywhere already, and the current Justice department does not nix those operations.
The mob has nothing on those now in charge of our government, too bad RICO laws won’t be able to stop them. Michelles description of them as left-wing rackeeters seems exactly right! Are they are the new Cosa Nostra?
What are the chances of an Obama Justice department investigating?
Is this really a surprise to anyone, lib or conservative?
His source is that top notch Cincinnatti Enquirer.
So, there you have it folks. One article and we can just summarily dismiss ACORN did not contribute to voter fraud.
Nice broad brush.
No. His source is the special prosecutor assigned to look into the fraud. The Inquirer is just the paper that cited the source.
But of course, this is just one person’s opinion and covers only one state.
lgm did not quote the source but the paper so – YES.
On-my-soap-box said (#49):
Most of the other ACORN fraud stories probably are bogus too. Can you point to one of them that really has held up? That would be situations where ACORN management got people falsely registered.
You are PROBABLY smart too but I cannot find a single source to back it up. IDIOT
lgm,
P.S. Judging from your grammar, I am going to guess you are not too smart.
lgm’s attempt at a coherent sentence:
Just from this site alone.
You asked for 1, here are a few.
Do not be surprised if Obama finds a reason to support a ‘new war on drugs’ that will include an armed wing of ‘community organizations’.
The chair of ACORN called upon CPUSA “as family” when they wanted “lots of red flags at the march…”:
ACORN Non-Partisan? Watch Their Own Video To See.
Spend five minutes and watch this.
Hey 30:
Chaps does seem a bit touchy. Too much home brew? Or perhaps he’s indulged in too many wine tastings?
Or, perhaps, he cannot accept the inconvenient truth that for all Obummer’s hopey changiness, he’s still a lying scumbag politician.
To brush off voter fraud is to attack and diminish one our our most valued rights. When you take away the power of my vote you are attacking me…you should expect a not so nice response.