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March 19, 2001:

ACORN MARCHES ON US CAPITOL — Jackson and Wellstone spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of ACORN members. Wellstone said that within the next two weeks he would introduce legislation backed by ACORN to create a federal living wage.

Following these speeches, hundreds of ACORN members carrying banners and chanting marched five blocks to the steps of the US Capitol for a rally against the Bush tax cuts.

Sen. Jon Corzine (D., N.J.) spoke in support of ACORN’s positions, and members made clear what the cuts would mean through use of some outdoor theater: an elephant presented an enormous gift to a fat cat on the Capitol steps. Fox News and CNN sent cameras. NPR’s Morning Edition covered the event; listen to the story at

http://web.archive.org/web/20011223141211/http://npr.org/programs/morning/archives.

The event was also covered by the American Banker newspaper, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

See http://web.archive.org/web/20011223141211/http://www.startribune.com/.

ACORN’s positions on the tax cut proposals:
http://web.archive.org/web/20011223141211/http://www.acorn.org/

For more information, contact Chris Saffert, ACORN legislative director, at legnatacorn@acorn.org or (202) 547-2500.

March 19, 2001:

ACORN LOBBIES CONGRESS — Also as part of the annual conference, Representative Mike Ross (D., Ark.) and Representative Danny Davis (D., Ill.) spoke to members of ACORN, and Representative Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) was presented with an ACORN Hero-of-the-People Award. In addition, ACORN members from 27 cities and 18 states visited their Congressional delegations. Many Members of Congress, including the first Republicans, agreed to sign on as cosponsors of the Federal Living Wage Responsibility Act. ACORN members lobbied in support of a federal living wage, for an increased minimum wage, for strong legislation against predatory lending, against the Bush tax cuts, in support of making the child tax credits refundable, in support of building more affordable housing, and in support of providing low-income Americans with assistance paying utility bills.

Living Wage and Minimum Wage: ACORN supports the Federal

Living Wage Responsibility Act, and also increasing the minimum wage to $6.65 without providing unneeded tax breaks for the rich or permission for states to opt out.

Predatory Lending: ACORN supports bills by Rep. John LaFalce (D., NY) and Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D., Md.) that would strengthen consumer protections.

Tax Cuts: ACORN opposes Bush’s proposed cuts as too large and too slanted toward the wealthy. ACORN supports making the child tax credit refundable.

Affordable Housing: ACORN supports legislation similar to S. 2997 introduced last year by Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.) to devote additional federal resources to building affordable housing.

Utilities: ACORN supports providing more funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to prevent widespread shut-offs. S.J. Res. 26, introduced by Sen. Kerry, recommends that the Senate approve $1 billion in immediate funding for LIHEAP. The House Appropriations Committee should pass a supplemental appropriations bill.
To learn more about these issues, and to contact your Congress Members, visit www.Acorn.org, or contact Chris Saffert, ACORN legislative director, at legnatacorn@acorn.org or (202) 547-2500.

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April 1, 2001:

DEMOCRATS2000 HONORS ACORN — Democrats2000, a group working to elect economically progressive Democrats in 2001 and 2002, on March 28 presented ACORN with its “Voices from the Field” award for ACORN’s exemplary grassroots voter mobilization work during the 2000 elections. Accepting the award were Jean Wallace, Miami ACORN leader on behalf of Florida ACORN; Shada Buyobe-Hammond, board chair of Minnesota ACORN on behalf of Minnesota ACORN; and Albuquerque ACORN leader Yolanda Lugo on behalf of New Mexico ACORN. The award was presented by Representative. Jesse Jackson, Jr., a Democrats2000 board member. (See Democrats2000 at
http://web.archive.org/web/20011223141211/http://www.dems2000.org/home.htm

Chris Saffert, ACORN legislative director at legnatacorn@acorn.org or (202) 547-2500

April 1, 2001:

ACORN ARRIVES IN SAN YSIDRO — San Diego ACORN has opened a chapter in San Ysidro at the Mexican border. Twenty-two new members demonstrated to win a solution for frequent flooding in a neighborhood street. And the target of the demonstration has now become an ally in ACORN’s street-safety campaign. For more information, contact Clare Crawford at caacornsd@acorn.org or (619) 235-9593.

Oct. 22, 2001:

ACORN PROPOSES ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE - ACORN is promoting an economic stimulus package that would be directed largely at low- and moderate-income Americans.

These are the people worst hurt by a recession, and the people most likely to immediately spend any money made available to them. On Oct. 15, ACORN held events in cities across the country urging Congress and the President to include in an economic-stimulus package the following items:

· expanded unemployment insurance,
· a foreclosure/eviction prevention plan,
· construction of affordable housing,
· energy assistance and a moratorium on shutoffs,
· an expansion of Medicaid to cover unemployed workers,
· an increase in the minimum wage,
· and tax rebates and child tax credits for those who did not receive them.

In several cities, senators and representatives participated in Monday’s events. For more information, link to

http://web.archive.org/web/20011223141211/http://www.acorn.org/acorn10/takeaction.htm

Chris Saffert at legnatacorn@acorn.org or 202-547-2500.