In the wake of a video that shows ACORN officials telling a couple pretending to be a prostitute and a pimp how to get federal funds that would be used to open a brothel, the federal, state and local governments have decided to pull the plug on government funding for the nationwide advocacy group. For the most part local elected officials have supported this response with a few notable exceptions.
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand continue to defend the organization. Gillibrand chastised Congress for cutting off funding to the organization. Her spokeswoman said “while Sen. Gillibrand finds the actions of certain ACORN employees to be reprehensible … the truth remains that thousands of New York families who are facing foreclosure depend on charitable organizations like ACORN for assistance.”
Although we have been critical of ACORN in the past, it has done a service by helping people facing foreclosure to save their homes. It is not surprising an organization like this would exist to the far left of the political spectrum.
But it is surprising and disappointing that it would give advice on how to run a brothel that would use the services of underage girls from El Salvador. That it happened in more than one location shows a flaw in recruiting methods.
The best thing to do is cut off government funding until the organization can be thoroughly investigated.
Can He Say That ?
Only the nation’s first black president could have gotten away with telling the state’s first black governor he should not run for another term. The president’s private message to Gov. David Paterson was leaked to the press two weeks ago.
U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks said he had a private meeting with Paterson and conveyed the White House concerns over the situation in Albany. Meeks denied accusations that he was the middleman for Obama and insisted he never told Paterson not to run.
We see no reason why Meeks, Obama or anyone else should not give their honest opinion to Paterson or any other elected official. Paterson governs one of the most important states in the union and should be willing to take the heat that comes with this office.
