Posted on 04/21/2010 9:53:53 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA
NEW YORK - The head of activist group ACORN came to a federal court Tuesday to observe a legal fight over its funding and said the group was on "life support" after waves of bad publicity and an attempt by Congress to cut off its money.
Bertha Lewis, the chief executive officer for the group, said ACORN was getting by on about $4 million annually rather than its one-time $25 million budget and had reduced its staff to four, down from between 350 and 600 employees.
"We're still alive. We're limping along. We're on life support," Lewis said in an interview just after a government lawyer asked a federal appeals court to temporarily block a judge's ruling that it was unconstitutional for Congress to cut funding to ACORN.
A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan did not immediately rule on the request after hearing arguments. If granted, a stay of the lower-court order would remain in place until full arguments on the issue can be heard during the summer.
Attorney Mark Stern argued for the Justice Department that Congress did nothing wrong when it took action last year against ACORN after it identified "widespread mismanagement."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
PULL the plug!
Why can’t we jerk all support from this stinking group and let it die?
Just getting by on $1,000,000,000 per employee!?
Well, we have the tragic example of poor Terri Schiavo to guide us, insofar as the preferred leftist method of treating those on "life support" is concerned...
Without the government teat, how many thousands of organizations would be defunct?
Pull the effing plug!
What garbage. What purpose do they serve beyond fraud. This is BS because there is already other front companies.
The Corporations they have been extorting feel free to tell them to go to hell, now.
But, that’s O.K. now, because the SEIU and the Government itself is the new cash cow for the radicals
Yup. A total smokescreen. There already is some other company.
More than likely; the infrastructure is there for such a move. Lewis may not have an accounting degree but she’s learned how to shakedown pretty well (Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have taught ACORN well).
ACORN CEO: ‘We’re on Life Support’
With a DNR order, I hope.
Because too many communists have infiltrated/been elected to, government at all levels.
They need $4 million a year to pay 4 people?
Going to have to do something about their cocaine addictions.
Most likely the Justice Department is approaching this the same way they are trying to get terrorists tried in New York City. They have ulterior motives.
After ACORN was exposed they can’t be seen supporting them but they also want them to still exist even if under another name.
It all depends on the judges in this appeals court. If they allow ACORN funding the administration can say they tried but it is now out of their hands. Then ACORN continues as before but being more low key and perhaps changing their name.
You wrote $1 billion ($1,000,000,000) per employee. I think you meant $1 million ($1,000,000), right?
As I understand it, ACORN gets billions next year. It as either as a part of TARP or the subsequent stimulus bill.
I don’t believe a word they say.
Let’s see:
They’re lefties, and they’re on life support? In the age of Obamacare, I believe that does mean pull the plug.
Buh bye.
Community organizing doesn't come cheap! Sometimes it takes trillions. Just ask Obama.
I also wonder if the hundreds of other outfits under the umbrella of ACORN are continuing to get government money.
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