ACORN is out of Ohio's elections

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH ^ | March 11, 2010 | James Nash

[opentalk]

In legal settlement, group agrees not to return to state.

ACORN, the liberal group notorious for allegedly trying to inflate voter rolls through fraudulent practices, has seen its last election in Ohio.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now will permanently surrender its Ohio business license by June1 as part of a legal settlement with the conservative Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, both sides said yesterday.

ACORN was active in Ohio in the 2006 and 2008 elections, working to register thousands of low-income people to vote and get them to the polls. The group's efforts were marred by irregularities, including one case in which ACORN workers allegedly induced a Cleveland man to register to vote 72 times, offering cigarettes as an incentive.

The Buckeye Institute's 1851 Center for Constitutional Law teamed with two Warren County residents to sue ACORN in Warren County Common Pleas Court just before the 2008 election. The residents alleged that their rights were abridged by thousands of fraudulent voter registrations, each representing "a potential illegal vote that has the capacity to dilute (legitimate) votes."

The case was moved to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

..."They will surrender their business license by June 1 and cease to operate in Ohio and cease to support or enable other groups to do what they do," Thompson said.

[marstegreg]

Hi Ohioans!!

I just recieved this from a friend, can you help me get this out to all our Ohio friends. I am planning on attending! I have been sending this out to as many friends as possible (including you!) There is a rally on Monday when Obama is here. I could use help to spread the word! Thanks.

http://www.strongsvillegop.com/

[Republic]

BUMP!!! PlEASE RE-READ POST ABOVE AND COPY AND SEND TO ALL YOUR OHIO FRIENDS....LET’S GIVE UHBAMA AN EARFUL!!!!!!!

[Tatze]

Center attorney Maurice Thompson said restricting ACORN's ability to support or enable other groups to "do what they do" was crucial to the deal, especially in a state he characterized as "ground zero" to their voter advocacy efforts.

"It carries a great deal of significance because, in the absence of that term, ACORN could simply have shut down but reopened the next day as WALNUT or CHESTNUT or whatever and done the exact same thing," Thompson said. "So our goal was to affect permanent change."

In other states, including New York and California, ACORN chapters have disbanded and resumed operations under new names.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gzOHdori2Utc3mCH7iXhSCo-0NrAD9ECLQCO0

[marstegreg]

Thanks for spreading the word! Do you think we should post for everyone? I just found out about it, but it would sure be nice to get thousands of people there!

[egannacht]

A quick look at AmeriCorp activities seem to indicate social justice stuff. Sounds wonderful. Volunteer to make a difference and change the world from within. /sarc

[opentalk]

If they link the student loans to this and require service in AmeriCorps, it would also be a perfect opportunity for indoctrination of college age students.