This is actually a good news/bad news story. The good news is that Senators Klobuchar and Franken were among the Senate majority this week who voted to cut all federal funding for the corrupt ACORN organization. The bad news is that TWO Minnesota Representatives cast shameful votes AGAINST cutting off ACORN funding: Congressman Keith Ellison and Congresswoman Betty McCollum. Fortunately, 345 sane Representatives took the moral high ground and voted to stop the flow of federal dollars to ACORN.
Since 1995, ACORN has received more that $50 million in federal funds, in addition to funding from state and local units of government. The vote to de-fund the organization was prompted by videotape evidence in which multiple ACORN employees advised undercover citizens posing as a pimp and prostitute how to evade federal tax laws in setting up a house to be used for childhood prostitution. Fully aware that underage, illegal immigrants from El Salvador would be used in the prostitution business, one ACORN employee suggested describing the employees as "performance artists" and another as "free lancers," in order to avoid legal troubles. The videotapes are the latest in a series of controversies that have revealed systemic corruption within the ACORN organization. Nationwide, ACORN employees have been convicted of over 30 felonies for their ACORN activities.
More good news comes through Governor Pawlenty's order to cease all state funding for ACORN, and last week's Census Bureau announcement that it would severe its ties with ACORN.
Now Minnesotans need to get to work to ensure that Representatives McCollum and Ellison fall from their offices come November 2010, like the many acorns now dropping on my driveway.
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