Building Flawed American Dreams [Henry Cisneros ]

New York Times ^ | October 18, 2008 | By DAVID STREITFELD and GRETCHEN MORGENSON

[Vince Ferrer]

A grandson of Mexican immigrants and a former mayor of this town, Henry G. Cisneros has spent years trying to make the dream of homeownership come true for low-income families.

Erich Schlegel for The New York Times THE DEVELOPER Henry Cisneros in his office in San Antonio with Sylvia Arce-Garcia, an executive assistant. He is the head of CityView, a developer. As the Clinton administration’s top housing official in the mid-1990s, Mr. Cisneros loosened mortgage restrictions so first-time buyers could qualify for loans they could never get before.

[Vince Ferrer]

An oldie about the "independent" auditor of ACORN.

Also some tidbits from ACORN's own website,

Democratic control of the federal government meant that ACORN had increased access to top officials with more sympathetic ears. ACORN members began regular meetings with Henry Cisneros, HUD Secretary under President Clinton, on a variety of issues. ACORN organizing began to include more tenant groups under the ACORN Tenant Union (ATU), and Cisneros was increasingly helpful.

In 1994 the ACORN national convention, "Taking it to the Top," was held in Washington, DC. Its goal was to meet with top government officials in the executive branch and Congress. Members met with Secretary of Education William Riley, Attorney General Janet Reno, Chair of the Federal Reserve Board Alan Greenspan, and HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros. As Maude Hurd, President of the ACORN Association Board, put it, "Get ready for action, because while some things have changed, we still have many fights on our hands. From the White House to Capitol Hill to the biggest corporate lobbying groups, our voices will be heard." ACORN voices were heard by members of Congress whom they lobbied on ACORN issues, and especially by Henry Cisneros, who agreed to prevent any HUD interference in ATU organizing. This supplied needed support for ATU work for proper maintenance services, operating appliances, fair representation and the right to organize in Texas, Illinois, Connecticut, Ohio, and New York

[dragnet2]

Speaking of oldies, listen to Bush push home loans for unqualified minorities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW9viaJatpo

[Signalman]

As the Clinton administration’s top housing official in the mid-1990s, Mr. Cisneros loosened mortgage restrictions so first-time buyers could qualify for loans they could never get before.

And thanks to him, the housing debacle happened.

[taillightchaser]

Giving home loans to people who KNEW THEY COULDN’T AFFORD THEM is what caused all the morass were in now.

[kittymyrib]

They must have missed the part about this weasel lying to the FBI about keeping a mistress on the side (while his wife was pregnant) when they were vetting him for his HUD job. Of course, Clinton wouldn’t have minded that at all, but there’s a pesky law about lying to the FBI.

[the anti-liberal]

"... qualify for loans they could never get before."

Gee, I wonder why they could never get them before, could it be... oh, I don't know, that they could afford the payments?!

(Just a wild stab in the dark here)

[Tax-chick]

I used to admire Cisneros, when I first lived in S.A., but he turned out to be just another crook.

[PhiKapMom]

Remember how much it cost to clean up the land the Alamodome was built on because it was contaminated earth — Cisneros deal and then there was the pink elephant shopping center which was crime ridden and eventually torn down — Cisneros boondoggle. Wonder hos much Cisneros cost San Antonio in the end.

[Tax-chick]

Yeah, I remember. “Taco Dome,” we called it, when it was proposed. I’d forgotten about the pink mall; at one point, there was talk of turning it into a branch of San Antonio College.