Did anyone see the FOX interview of ACORN founder?

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by spence

Show me where Acorn has actually influenced the number of votes cast, I've not seen it.

Voter registration, while certainly illegal, doesn't do anything but potentially line the pockets of those paid to register voters.

-spence

If someone is being paid to register voters, the person who is paying must have a reason. I can't think of a reason to pay someone to register voters unless it is that those so registered will vote. And if the votes thus cast are totally random (quantum theory votes?), is the philanthropist who is paying for the votes just making sure that citizens, who might not do so, are exercising their civic duty? Or is the "philanthropist" specifically requiring registration of voters in specific areas (inner city) who vote 98% Democrat and might not otherwise be inclined to vote? And how do you measure if the bought and paid for votes were cast? Of course, there is the possibility that the "philanthropist" is just giving the vote registerer some busy work to justify "lining his pocket."

[spence]

Originally Posted by detbuch

If someone is being paid to register voters, the person who is paying must have a reason.

Yes, the charter for the organization is to help low income people.

I can't think of a reason to pay someone to register voters unless it is that those so registered will vote.

How about difficulty sourcing volunteers.

And if the votes thus cast are totally random (quantum theory votes?), is the philanthropist who is paying for the votes just making sure that citizens, who might not do so, are exercising their civic duty? Or is the "philanthropist" specifically requiring registration of voters in specific areas (inner city) who vote 98% Democrat and might not otherwise be inclined to vote?

I don't think the charter is towards low income because they are more likely to vote democratic, it's just a natural product of the system.

And how do you measure if the bought and paid for votes were cast? Of course, there is the possibility that the "philanthropist" is just giving the vote registerer some busy work to justify "lining his pocket."

There are no votes "bought and paid for."

Additionally, I'd note that voter registration is but one thing that Acorn has done for the inner city, and I don't believe any federal money has gone towards voter registration activities. I do think they need to provide more transparency of their books though...

-spence

[PaulS]

The government should give them the authority to throw away any registration that they think is fraudulant.

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by spence

Yes, the charter for the organization is to help low income people.

How does paying someone to register to vote help low income people other than getting them to vote for the perpetuation of government handouts?

How about difficulty sourcing volunteers.

The ultimate reason to register for voting is to vote. You pay someone to register voters for the same reason you ask a volunteer to do it.

I don't think the charter is towards low income because they are more likely to vote democratic, it's just a natural product of the system.

You don't THINK(?) it is? How is it that low income and voting democratic is a natural product? Is there some inevitabale, natural link between the two? Are there low income areas that vote Republican? Has Acorn helped those areas?

There are no votes "bought and paid for."

If you can only get votes by paying someone to bounty hunt for registrations, you have, in effect, paid for those votes.

Additionally, I'd note that voter registration is but one thing that Acorn has done for the inner city, and I don't believe any federal money has gone towards voter registration activities. I do think they need to provide more transparency of their books though...
-spence

You don't BELIEVE(?) any federal money has gone into registration "activities?" What other money do they have? And what BELIEFS(?) can be founded on books that need more transparency?

What else has ACORN done? Is it another one of those groups that are supposed to "empower?" Like those housing scams in Chicago? I live in a Democrat city that has empowered itself into the dust. One teeny ray of hope is that (maybe out of some desparate moment of empowered hoplessness) it has elected a businesss man, of sorts, as mayor. Whether he can successfully fight the empowerment crowd remains to be determined. Another small ray is the influx of latinos (legal or otherwise) who are, without waiting for empowerment, actually working, revitalizing their neighborhood while the rest of the city continues to decay into the dust of empowerment. They create small businesses, do manual labor at prices people can afford to pay, work hard, fix and improve and spruce up their houses, have lots of children, are productive in the worst economy in the country while their empowered natural born fellow "citizens" can't find jobs, let their neighborhoods deteriorate and infest with crime and wait for the next empowerment group or next check to arrive.

[spence]

Originally Posted by detbuch

How does paying someone to register to vote help low income people other than getting them to vote for the perpetuation of government handouts?

I don't think Acorn is telling them how to vote, but I would agree that statistics indicate lower income urban areas don't tend to vote for the GOP.

The ultimate reason to register for voting is to vote. You pay someone to register voters for the same reason you ask a volunteer to do it.

It's really about participation and the sense of empowerment.

You don't THINK(?) it is? How is it that low income and voting democratic is a natural product?

Because low income areas are more dependent on others. A simple and common expression of this is found in the soup kitchen which are usually driven by religious rather than political beliefs. The Democratic platform certainly tends to share more of this "village" mentality.

Are there low income areas that vote Republican? Has Acorn helped those areas?

Don't know...but I don't know of too many low income urban areas that vote Republican.

You don't BELIEVE(?) any federal money has gone into registration "activities?" What other money do they have? And what BELIEFS(?) can be founded on books that need more transparency?

This is from what know...

What else has ACORN done? Is it another one of those groups that are supposed to "empower?" Like those housing scams in Chicago?

I think voter registration is a small part of what the group has done. Their website lists a number of issues where they believe they've benefited the low income community.

I'm not sure how it's all funded, although what's clear is that they get a small amount of money from taxpayers, and even that has to go through a competitive bid process.

My position on this has been pretty simple. I'm not an Acorn supporter, but I think the GOP rhetoric on Acorn has been very misleading, if not simply dishonest.

-spence