Thanks for the “info!”
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Cong Baca has received numerous honors for his "public service." Recent awards include:
1) the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President's Achievement Award,
2) the National Farmers Union Presidential Award for Leadership,
3) the Walter Kaitz Foundation Diversity Advocate Award,
4) the U.S. Department of Agriculture Coalition of Minority Employees Award of Excellence.
5) Latino Leaders Magazine lists Baca as one of the top 100 most influential Hispanic leaders in America,
6) Baca ranked twelfth on the list of the top 42 Hispanics on the "Who's Hot" list,
7) the Joe Baca Senior Field at the Empire Center,Fontana; Joe Baca Field at the Rialto Boys and Girls Club.
8) Colton Joint Unified School District broke ground on the "Joe Baca Middle School" at 1640 S. Lilac Avenue in Rialto, Cali, to open for the 2012-2013 school year.
BACA District Office
201 North "E" Street---Suite 102
San Bernardino, CA 92401
Tele (909) 885-BACA (2222)
Fax: (909) 888-5959
Washington, D.C. Office
2366 Rayburn House Off. Bldg
Washington, D.C. 20515-0542
Tele (202) 225-6161
Fax: (202) 225-8671
REFERENCE----BACA CASHES IN PUBLIC SERVICE IS SO-O-O-O-O LUCRATIVE
<><>In 2005, mortgage banks and finance companies gave Baca at least $2.3 million dollars.
<><>In October 2008, a charitable foundation set up by Baca received $25,000 from AmeriDream Inc, a so-called " nonprofit" housing program.
<><> AmeriDream's activities included providing down-payment money to unqualified buyers, a cost that was covered by home builders in the form of "donations" to the nonprofit. (NOTE Such loans--known as bridge loans--are considered illegal.) New housing legislation circa 2009 outlawed the program.
<><> Undeterred, Baca then co-sponsored a bill that would allow AmeriDream and similar nonprofits to resume arranging illegal seller-financed down-payment assistance to low-income latino FHA borrowers. Such seller-financed loans to latinos comprise one-third of the loans backed by the FHA, and have defaulted at nearly triple the rate of other FHA-insured loans, according to FHA's William Glavin.
In a self-serving news release, the latino mortgage facilitator----- AmeriDream---- said its "donation" to The Joe Baca Foundation was intended to "fund the purchase of gear for firefighters" in Baca's district. Local news reports say the Joe Baca Foundation gave away a measly $36,000 in scholarships in 2009.
Cong Baca's office declined to comment on the AmeriDream contribution. Baca remains resolutely opposed to strict lending rules (especially since taxpayers are saddled with the billions in mortgage defaults). "We need to keep credit easily accessible to our minority communities," Baca said in a statement released by his office.
IRS records indicate that Baca's son, Joe Baca Jr, pockets an annual salary of $51,800 as executive director of The Joe Baca Foundation, which is run out of the congressman's Caifornia home. Joe Baca Jr. insisted he takes half of the salary listed by the IRS. No word on the amount Baca Jr pays taxes on.
The Office of Congressional Ethics, a quasi-independent House oversight group, twice investigated lawmakers’ "charities," but took no action, in part because the House granted waivers exempting the congressmen from prohibitions against soliciting donations from companies with business before their committees.
Lawmakers defend the donations, saying they have no influence on the politicians’ positions on legislation or policy. They also say that they typically do not serve on the charities’ governing boards or solicit contributions themselves. But some current and former lawmakers, as well as ethics officials on Capitol Hill, find the charitable donations troubling, calling them one of the last major unregulated fronts in the “pay to play” culture in Washington.
The donations typically far exceed what companies are permitted to give to candidates in campaign contributions.The donations by corporations and lobbyists to politicians’favorite causes can create expectations that the lawmakers will return the favor, said Mickey Edwards, an Oklahoma Republican who served 16 years in the House. “Almost all of these foundations, they were set up for a good purpose,” Edwards said. “But as soon as you take a donation, it creates a more than just an appearance problem for the member of Congress. It is a real conflict.”
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WARNINGS IGNORED Aracely Panameno, director of Latino affairs for the Center for Responsible Lending, an advocacy group, observed, "We saw what we refer to as reverse red-lining," says. "Lenders were seeking out Latino borrowers for loans," she says. Ms. Panameno says that during the height of the housing boom she sought to present Cong Baca's Hispanic Caucus with data showing how many Latinos were being steered into risky and expensive subprime loans. Baca apparently directed HOGAR to decline her requests, Panameno says.