ACORN eligible for billions from stimulus plan

The House Democrats’ trillion dollar spending bill, approved on January 21 by the Appropriations Committee and headed to the House floor next week for a vote, could open billions of taxpayer dollars to left-wing groups like the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).  ACORN has been accused of perpetrating voter registration fraud numerous times in the last several elections; is reportedly under federal investigation; and played a key role in the irresponsible schemes that caused a financial meltdown that has cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars since last fall. 

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and other Republicans are asking a simple question: what does this have to do with job creation?  Are Congressional Democrats really going to borrow money from our children and grandchildren to give handouts to ACORN in the name of economic “stimulus?”

 

Incredibly, the Democrats’ bill makes groups like ACORN eligible for a $4.19 billion pot of money for “neighborhood stabilization activities.”  Funds for this purpose were authorized in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, signed into law in 2008.  However, these funds were limited to state and local governments.  Now House Democrats are taking the unprecedented step of making ACORN and other groups eligible for these funds:

If I didn't see it in black and white, I wouldn't have believed it. Here's the relevant part from the bill:

“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[.]”  

 

“(2) up to $750,000,000 shall be awarded by competition to nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities to provide community stabilization assistance […]”

Not just ACORN would be in line to receive these funds. Other "nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities”  will be lining up with their hands out. And for what purpose? What exactly does "neighborhood stabilization" mean?

It means the federal government is about to give a huge amount of money to the very same people who helped get us in this mess in the first place. ACORN could now profit from the crisis by purchasing foreclosed homes for a song and selling them at a tidy profit - ensnaring more luckless victims in their mortgage scams. 

The chances of the Obama administration investigating the illegal political activities of this so-called "non-partisan" group are just about zero. But this is one fight the GOP cannot afford to back down from. They must not only raise a ruckus about this codicile giving ACORN and their friends billions of dollars, they must also push for a federal investigation of the activities of ACORN in previous elections for purposes of revoking their tax exempt status as a non-political entity.

But in politics, without the votes, it is very hard to get your way on anything. Further enriching Democratic allies will no doubt be the rule rather than the exception over the next 4 years.

Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin