It’s not quite as bad as the title might imply, but the more we look at the pending stimulus package, the more we see how much Congress needs to slow down and examine this more carefully. One provision tucked away in the bill could result in certain “housing groups and nonprofits” will be able to apply for funding from the package. The Albuquerque Journal has the details. (Subscription required)
WASHINGTON — A low-income advocacy group that became controversial in New Mexico’s 2008 elections could qualify for federal funding under the economic stimulus bill pending in Congress, but not likely at the level some have suggested, Democratic staffers for New Mexico lawmakers said this week.
Last weekend, House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, issued a statement claiming that ACORN — Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now — could qualify for as much as $4.1 billion in federal stimulus money under the bill passed by the U.S. Senate. The money would be available to a wide array of community groups under a category called “neighborhood stabilization activities.”
Clearly there is no direct appropriations of taxpayer funds for ACORN in the bill, but how much direct stimulus and job creation are we going to get out of providing funding for these groups? That’s not to say that some of them may not be very deserving, but I’m talking about the stated intent of the bill here. Plus, if there’s even a remote chance that one dollar of the cash would wind up in the hands of ACORN, exactly how tone deaf are the bill’s authors? This is supposed to be the most crucial piece of legislation on the table and the President has repeatedly stated he wants GOP buy-in and bipartisan cooperation. Does this sound like something that’s likely to bring them on board?