Monday, September 28, 2009

Kirk and Roskam Team Up Against ACORN and SEIU

Got this press release this evening. Watch video of Congressmen Kirk and Roskam here. The Sun-Times covers the story here.

Here's the graphic that illustrates the relationship between ACORN and SEIU:



Kirk, Roskam Urge Census Bureau to Reconsider
Using ACORN Sister Organization to Recruit Census Workers

Research reveals web of financial ties between ACORN and SEIU; SEIU Local 880 formed by ACORN, rents office from ACORN front group while another finances ACORN “election efforts”; U.S. Census recently cut ties with ACORN but partnership with SEIU remains


CHICAGO – Illinois Congressmen Mark Kirk and Peter Roskam today urged the U.S. Census Bureau to end its relationship with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a sister group to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) – a relationship intended to recruit SEIU workers for the 2010 census. Also joining Congressmen Kirk and Roskam was Congressman Patrick McHenry (N.C.-10), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives.

The U.S. Census Bureau delegated work to outside groups for the federal 2010 census. Following the release of undercover videos showing ACORN workers helping a fake pimp and prostitute illegally secure housing, the Census Bureau terminated its partnership with ACORN. The House and Senate voted to block federal funding for ACORN and ACORN-related affiliates, including SEIU. While the Census Bureau terminated its partnership with ACORN, it left its close connection with SEIU intact.

“Given SEIU’s co-location with ACORN in Chicago and SEIU’s intimate financial relationship with ACORN, we should take action to protect the public from the corruption of the 2010 census,” Congressman Kirk said. “To defend the integrity of the process, the Census Bureau should end its close relationship with ACORN’s close sister organization, the SEIU.”

"ACORN and the SEIU have a long web of connections in Chicago and around the country, and there's simply no place for a group so closely connected to ACORN to be part of something of such national importance as the U.S. Census,” Congressman Roskam said. “In this time where this Congressional Majority is running record deficits, ACORN should have no place cashing checks from the American taxpayer. We were promised a more open and honest government--that means keeping ACORN from the federal trough."

"With the decision to end its affiliation with Acorn, the Bureau has shown its desire for a census of the highest integrity,” Congressman McHenry said. “This is an opportunity to follow through on that commitment."

Official filings show that SEIU, referenced in the U.S. Attorney’s indictment of Governor Rod Blagojevich, contributed more than $4 million to ACORN and its affiliates since 2006. According to recent Department of Labor filings, the SEIU employs ACORN Founder and ACORN International Chief Organizer Wade Rathke. Mr. Rathke was recently exposed for running a cover-up of an embezzlement scheme run by his brother.

In Chicago, SEIU Local 880 and SEIU Local 1 contributed more than $230,000 to ACORN groups in Illinois and Texas since 2006 – the most recent to “support election efforts.”

SEIU Local 880, which until recently boasted it was founded by ACORN, used an ACORN e-mail address on its Web site and tax filings, was co-located with an ACORN “tax center” and employed the former president of ACORN Illinois, according to official records. Recently, the IRS terminated is relationship with ACORN tax preparation offices.

In a 2006 end-of-year report issued by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, SEIU Local 880 recounted working with ACORN to reelect Governor Blagojevich and referred to ACORN as its “sister organization.” A new report issued by the Committee in July reports SEIU and SEIU Local 880 are official members of the “ACORN Council,” according to whistleblower documents acquired by the Committee.

Earlier this year, SEIU Local 880 became “SEIU Health Care Illinois and Indiana”, located on the floor below ACORN Housing’s national headquarters and rents its own space from an ACORN front group called the “Chicago Organizing and Support Center” (COSC).
Official documents show COSC registered at two addresses – one in Chicago (at the same address as SEIU Local 880/ACORN) and one in New Orleans (at the same address as ACORN New Orleans). The Illinois Secretary of State’s Web site shows COSC’s incorporation status was revoked on September 11, 2009 – one day after the ACORN videos surfaced. The Louisiana Secretary of State shows the group’s status active but not in good standing for failure to file its annual report. The House Committee on Oversight’s July report also named COSC as a member of the “ACORN Council.”

Enclosed please find the congressmen’s letter to the Census Bureau along with research material on SEIU-ACORN links.

###

September 28, 2009
Robert M. Groves
Director, U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, D.C. 20233

Dear Director Groves:

In February 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau signed a partnership agreement with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). According to the Census, partner organizations “play an important role in making the 2010 Census successful” and “help recruit census workers.” Following the release of undercover videos showing ACORN employees helping a fake pimp and prostitute illegally secure housing, the Census Bureau terminated its partnership with ACORN.

"Unfortunately, we no longer have confidence that our national partnership agreement is being effectively managed through your many local offices,” you wrote to the president of ACORN on September 11, 2009. “For the reasons stated, we therefore have decided to terminate the partnership.”

On September 17, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 345-75 to prohibit federal funding for ACORN and ACORN-related affiliates, i.e. organizations that share directors, employees, or independent contractors with ACORN, have financial stakes in ACORN, or whose finances, whether federally-funded, donor-funded, or raised through organizational goods and services, are shared or controlled by ACORN.

Due to your concern for the activities of ACORN’s “many local offices” and the action taken by Congress to prohibit taxpayer funding for ACORN-related affiliates, we are writing to request that you immediately terminate your Census 2010 partnership with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

On October 15, 2008, National Public Radio reported:

ACORN's biggest union backer, the Service Employees International Union, gave more than $4 million to the community organization and its affiliates from 2006-07, according to Dept. of Labor filings. One SEIU local union, the Illinois Homecare Workers and Home Childcare Providers, sprouted from ACORN's organizing efforts and pays rent to ACORN.
On September 16, 2009, the Washington Times reported that SEIU national president Andy Stern serves on ACORN’s advisory council. According to his own Web site, ACORN Founder Wade Rathke is the “Founder and Chief Organizer” of SEIU Local 100.

According to recent filings with the Department of Labor for calendar year 2008, Rathke is employed by SEIU – a union part of the U.S. Attorney’s indictment of Governor Rod Blagojevich. Rathke was also recently exposed as part of a cover-up to conceal an embezzlement scheme run by his brother.

In Chicago, SEIU Local 880 and SEIU Local 1 contributed more than $230,000 to ACORN groups in Illinois and Texas since 2006 – the most recent to “support election efforts.”
SEIU Local 880, which used to boast it was founded by ACORN, used an ACORN e-mail address on its Web site and tax filings, was co-located with an ACORN “tax center” and employed the former president of ACORN Illinois, according to official records.

In a 2006 end-of-year report issued by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Local 880 recounted working with ACORN to reelect Rod Blagojevich and referred to ACORN as its “sister organization.” A new report issued by the Committee in July reports SEIU and SEIU Local 880 are official members of the “ACORN Council,” according to whistleblower documents acquired by the Committee.

Earlier this year, SEIU Local 880 became “SEIU Health Care Illinois and Indiana”, which is located one floor below ACORN Housing’s national headquarters and rents its own space from an ACORN front group called Chicago Organizing and Support Center (COSC).

Official documents show COSC registered at two addresses – one in Chicago (at the same address as SEIU Local 880/ACORN) and one in New Orleans (at the same address as ACORN New Orleans). Surprisingly, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Web site shows COSC’s incorporation status was revoked on September 11, 2009 – one day after the ACORN videos surfaced. The Louisiana Secretary of State shows the group’s status active but not in good standing for failure to file its annual report. The Committee of Oversight’s report also named COSC as a member of the “ACORN Council.”

We support your decision to terminate the Census Bureau’s partnership with ACORN to protect the public good and defend the integrity of the Census. Given SEIU’s co-location with ACORN in Chicago and SEIU’s intimate financial relationship with ACORN, you should take action to protect the public from the corruption of the 2010 census.

To defend the integrity of the process, the Census Bureau should end its close relationship with ACORN’s close sister organization, the SEIU.

Sincerely,

Mark Kirk
Member of Congress

Peter Roskam
Member of Congress

cc: Hon. Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce

17 comments:

Crazy4glf said...

1. Yet another made-up map. Wow, we're solving a lot. Taking care of business, representing for the people.

2. I guess we should target Acorn instead of Blackwater, Haliburton, and other organizations including faith-based organizations that were allowed to proselytize and deviate from federal law.

3. Isn't it illegal to video-tape people without their consent? Don't hard-working Americans have a lot more constructive things to do than to visit multiple organization sites and entrap people?

4. What is discussed at the Alaska or Texas secede now movements, Todd Palin and Gov. Perry?
By the way, when the swine flu epidemic came about, Gov. Perry had a new found love for federal assistance, not to mention that the presence of swine flu calls into question the actions of those Repubs that didn't think public health expenditures were necessary, real, or 'immediately necessary' (no WMD's).

5. Regardless of the actions of two people in one room of one office, could it be that priorities are out of whack? If Acorn should be targeted, should it be voted on before healthcare reform? Should it be voted on before financial market reform? Should it be voted on before foreign affairs or appropriations legislation?
How are foreign tax shelters not equally illegal under the law, Sen. Gramm

Anonymous said...

If I'm beth coulson tonight I'm praying that my 3 opponents are morons and that dick green's corrupt campaign manager is focused on his fbi investigations, because not only is she Mrs. Blago Republican, she's also mrs. SEIU and ACORN and that should be a fatal combination.

she's been endorsed by the seiu, probably has voted to fund acorn.

not good

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

I like seeing Kirk and Roskam team up. The SEIU is the heart of the beast in Illinois corruption.

Anonymous said...

Great news...and fine work by the Kirk & Roskam team. Must be an accurate hot button to have 4crazy all in a tizzy!

Anonymous said...

Hey crzy4glf....thanks for the comment. TA doesn't like dissent on their blog and not one comment about your accurate post.

Team America said...

Ahem... Anon 6:53 - you must be new to the northshore blogs and you are definitely missing the point. You are thinking of Ellen of the Tenth, who stifles any dissent by deleting comments she doesn't agree with (ironic since she claims to be a guardian of free speech).

As crazy as most folks here believe Crazy4glf is, he/she gets to post here like anyone else (as long as it meets decency standards), and let the comments fall where they may.

The fact that no one is backing Crazy up is because nobody's buying it, not because favorable comments are deleted.

Anonymous said...

Michael Moore goes "underground" and does videotapes setting up people and Democrats like Crazy idolize him. Two newbies go underground and videotape setting up Acorn and Democrats like Crazy flip out in anger.

I guess it depends upon who is doing the videotaping.

What really is interesting is all the Acorn supported politicians scampering away from them as fast as they can.

Anonymous said...

SEIU Illinois Council PAC Fund 111 E Wacker Dr Ste 2500
Chicago, IL 60601 $750.00
9/29/2008 Transfer In
Coulson Campaign Cmte
SEIU LOCAL 880 Political Fund 208 W Jackson Blvd Ste 200
Chicago, IL 60606 $2,500.00
9/29/2008 Transfer In
Coulson Campaign Cmte
SEIU LOCAL 880 Political Fund 208 W Jackson Blvd Ste 200
Chicago, IL 60606 $1,000.00
10/29/2008 Transfer In
Coulson Campaign Cmte

Anonymous said...

Coulson is clearly part of the ACORN/blago mafia that destroyed Illinois and America. time for her opponents to show they have some cojones and start hitting her for it. It's embarassing that someone from Mark's own organization that produced him and john porter would be so in the tank for the corrupt wing of the democrat party.

She needs to renounce the SEIU-not a lot of members in winnetka-, give all money she's gotten to charity, and explain why she would ever get into bed with such anti-gop groups.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

Peter Roskam is scum. Roskam got elected by attacking the war record of a disabled veteran when he has never served a day in his life. He is the lowest of the political scum, right next to blag and George Ryan.

If I were Mark Kirk, I would not be proud to associate myself with him.

Anonymous said...

Now, for the possible connection on how SEIU and ACORN functioned in Lake County last year:

1. YWCA - they must be nervous - all the info on Project VOTE on their website is down. But the YWCA had Callie Melton working on registering 5,000 women between the ages of 18 and 32 that were African American, Hispanic, single or divorced (as noted on their website). Supporting their efforts were Citizens Action (yes Craemer's group), SEIU, Rainbow Push, and a couple of pro-amnesty organizations.

2. I believe both the Herald and Trib had articles in the paper last year stating that roughly 1,100 suspicious registrations were rec'd at the clerk's office and delivered by an SEIU worker....

3. Makes you wonder how the local YWCA receives over 60 or 70% of their funding from the Federal gov't (990's) and uses the money for political campaign activity...

Anonymous said...

Hey Crazy4glf,

Have you ever watched 60 minutes? Have you ever watched Candid Camera? No difference - just because ACORN is an organization conducting activities that you support does not mean it must be supported by taxpayer dollars. I can't believe you were not even slightly outraged at the suggestion of ACORN employees to "write-off as a tax deduction" up to 3 or 4 of the children being smuggled into the U.S. for child prostitution - man that is too wacky! Thank goodness their are some creative kids with brass ones still out there in the world...

As far as faith-based organizations, don't you remember when the Democrats sued and tried taking the 501c3 status from the Catholic Church because the Catholics supported life? But, it's OK for Reverend Wright to tell his members who to vote for....

And as for tax shelters, perhaps you should check with the Pritzker Family - they've mastered the art my friend...

Crazy4glf said...

I'm not certain how people know me so well to know who I support. However, if someone did what they did to Acorn to Palin's or Joe Wilson's committee meetings, I think there'd be disdain.

I also referred to the media in my initial post.

As far as liking untoward behavior:
The military proselytizes amongst their ranks, Rove used federal resources to help the GOP, a recent Representative who was supposed to be on 'active duty' was tweeting.

I guess it does depend on who is carrying out the act.

Bob Dole defended Nixon, so its nothing new.


Again, with 2 wars, 46 million uninsured, financial reform undone or incomplete, and some governmental appointments on hold to score points, lets rush to single-out Acorn and ignore the mis-deeds of current and recent government contractors, personnel, and leaders.

Anonymous said...

crazy,

we/gop have no power whatsoever. Republicans own nothing. if the democrats wanted to legalize dope tomorrow they could do it. If they wanted to put ellen in an asylum, they could do it. If they wanted to raise cook county sales taxes to 10 percent they could do it, oh wait. if they wanted to quit on afghanistan so that alqaeda comes back, they can do it oh wait. if they want to let one eye blind recovering scots socialist gordon brown free the bin laden of 1988, they could do it... oh wait again.

screaming your ellen off at powerless republican precinct comitteemen is worthless. some of us will have ballots next year without a single republican incumbent on it starting at city council going to state rep, state sen,congress, u.s. senate and all 5 state wide offices. if you are upset go after your own people because they control everything.

we sure as hell will be.

in short, speaking for the elephants who are starting to stomp loudly and wag our trunks proudly again for the first time in decades:

blow me and go away.

your friend,

FOKLAES

Team America said...

=== If they wanted to put ellen in an asylum, they could do it. ===

Ah, pleasant dreams. I may sleep better tonight.

Anonymous said...

ta,

frankly if bush was still in office, I wouuldn't put it past some young heritage foundation/federalist society regent law educated lawyer to actually get a legal finding to secretly go after her the way they did the protesters with all the personal stuff she's said about mark.

conservatives do have some benefit in that sense of how they treat liberal nuts.

FOKLAES

Anonymous said...

=====
Ah, pleasant dreams. I may sleep better tonight.
=====

Me, too!