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Lighting The Road To The Future Page 8 DataZone Data News Weekly On the Scene “The People’s Paper” September 26 - October 9, 2009 44th Year Volume 10 www.ladatanews.com Newsmaker Trailblazer NORD Director Doris Accepts New Job Roche`-Hicks Page 4 Page 10 Photos by Victor Holt Page 2 September 26 - October 9, 2009 Cover Story www.ladatanews.com ACORN Under Fire What Does it Mean for the People? Shaniece B. Bickham, Ph.D Managing Editor rounding the organization, which was accused of voter what entertaining, but they weren’t even good actors . registration fraud during the 2008 U .S . Presidential I didn’t know what to make of them . They were clearly One of the nation’s largest grassroots community campaign season . With the increase in scandals and playing with me . I decided to shock them as much as organizations has found itself under harsh criticism cut in federal funding, how will ACORN’s overall mis- they were shocking me . Like Stephen Colbert does after months of being targeted by right-wing activists sion to “help those who have been historically locked – saying the most outrageous things with a straight and conservatives . Staff of the Association of Commu- out” be affected? face ”. nity Organizations for Reform Now, known formally In an official ACORN statement on Sept . 15, the or- ACORN’s CEO Bertha Lewis admitted in an official as ACORN, was recently caught on camera advising ganization said that when the ACORN staffer, Tresa statement from the organization that the issues in the activists disguised as a pimp and a prostitute on ways Kaelke was approached by the disguised activists in video did need to be addressed, however . to start a brothel and evade taxes . their provocative costuming and with their outland- “As a result of the indefensible action of a handful As a result of the videotaped meeting, Congress has ish scenario, she could not take them seriously . The of our employees, I am, in consultation with ACORN’s moved to cut funding to ACORN, which was founded staffer responded to the activists’ outrageousness with Executive Committee, immediately ordering a halt to in 1970 and has a membership of over 500,000 families . her own personal style of outrageousness . any new intakes into ACORN’s service programs until This scandal is the most recent of controversies sur- “They were not believable,” said Kaelke . “Some- completion of an independent review,” said Lewis . All photos: www.acorn.org Continued next page. DATA NEWS WEEKLY INSIDE DATA 616 Barrone Street, Suite 584, New Orleans, LA 70113 Phone: (504) 821-7421 | Fax: (504) 821-7622 editorial: [email protected] | advertising: [email protected] Terry B. Jones Contributors Cover Story . 2 Data Zone . 8 CEO/Publisher Dionne Character Glenn Jones Jordan Flaherty VP Advertising NNPA & Marketing Newsmaker . 4 Trailblazer . 12 Edwin Buggage Art Direction & Production Editor-in-Chief MainorMedia.com Shaniece Bickham Editorial Submissions Managing Editor [email protected] State & Local . 5 National News . 15 June Hazeur Advertising Inquiries Accounting [email protected] Please call (504) 284-3840 for subscription information. Dated material two weeks in advance. Not responsible for publishing or return of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. www.ladatanews.com Cover Story September 26 - October 9, 2009 Page 3 Cover Story, Continued from previous page. according to www .acorn .org are: • Affordable Housing: Through this program, ACORN demanded more rehabilitation programs aimed at developing affordable housing and in- creased production of affordable housing . • Better Schools: ACORN members believe that parents’ hard earned tax dollars are used to fi- nance the public school system, so their offspring should reap the benefits . • ACORN Fair Housing: ACORN Fair Housing is an independent organization federally funded through the Office of Housing and Urban De- velopment’s (HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Pro- gram ( FHIP) grant . The mission is to prevent and eliminate discriminatory housing practices . • Fair Tax Fees: For approximately two years, ACORN has waged a campaign against refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) . These loans have triple-digit interest rates that are marketed ex- tremely aggressively to low-income families . ACORN has attacked this issue in several ways in- cluding directly targeting tax preparers to change their practices, conduct- Lewis also said in her statement that an indepen- ing door-to-door outreach dent auditor and investigator would be named to to warn families about the thoroughly review ACORN’s systems and process- high costs of RALs, operat- es . The reviewer’s recommendations would then ing sites that offer free tax be made to her and the ACORN Board . preparation, and working “We enter this process with a commitment that for legislation on the city, all recommendations will be implemented,” Lewis state, and federal level to added . protect consumers . ACORN kept its word and announced on Tues- • Foreclosures: Beginning day, Sept . 22 that former Massachusetts Attorney in the 1980s, ACORN has General Scott Harshbarger would spearhead the fought against redlining independent inquiry into the organization’s pro- and discrimination and for cesses . Though there isn’t a designated timeframe greater community invest- for completion of the investigation, ACORN says ment . The organization that the review will be “aggressive, thorough, and also fights against preda- far-reaching .” Harshbarger has also expressed his tory lending that eventually commitment to the review process . leads to foreclosures . “I have been asked by the leadership of ACORN organization has not suspended its community or- to conduct an independent and comprehensive in- ganizing and advocacy work, however . quiry and review of the management of its service The decision by Congress to suspend funds to delivery to communities . The CEO and Board have the organization did not sit well with ACORN lead- also asked me to make a full report, including rec- ers . Lewis said in a Sept . 17 statement that the orga- nization gets most of its support from its members and other supporters, so the lack of federal funds won’t have a huge impact on overall operations . “We’re disappointed that the House [of Repre- sentatives] took the rare and politically convenient step of attempting to eliminate federal funding for a single organization, one that has been the target of a multi-year political assault stemming variously from the Bush White House, Fox News, and other conservative quarters, said Lewis . President Barack Obama, while serving as a com- munity organizer, represented ACORN is a lawsuit against the state of Illinois in 1995 . Some believe • Gulf Coast Recovery: ACORN has assisted with that ACORN is unfairly targeted by those who don’t organizing New Orleanians to rebuild the city on support the President because of his former ties to its own terms . With its headquarters in New Or- the organization . leans, ACORN staffers continue to work for the ommendations for restoring ACORN’s full capaci- In an interview with ABC’s “This Week” on Sept . city’s recovery . ties to carry out its mission on behalf of low- and 20, Pres . Obama said that the actions he saw on the • Utilities: ACORN won reforms of utilities service moderate-income families,” said Harshbarger . video with ACORN were certainly inappropriate practices nationwide in 2006, which helped low- During the investigation, ACORN has suspended and needed to be investigated, but admitted that he income customers pay their bills and avoid ser- accepting new clients into its service programs for had not been following the situation closely . vice disruptions . ACORN also works to impose working-poor families including tax preparation, Before all of the scandals, ACORN made tremen- moratoriums on shutoffs, so that families are not housing assistance programs, and benefits screen- dous strides in several areas to assist low-to-mod- left without heat in winter or refrigeration in sum- ing until the independent review is completed . The erate income families . Notable ACORN campaigns mer . Page 4 September 26 - October 9, 2009 Newsmaker www.ladatanews.com NORD Director Accepts Job with Children’s Defense Fund Larry Barabino Jr ., who served Ray Nagin . and adult programming . The City participants in 2006; 7,000 partici- as the Director of NORD since In the summer estimates the Hurricane and flood pants in 2007 and 11,000 partici- 2006, step down as head of the of 2006, Barabino damage to NORD recreational fa- pants in 2008 . This past summer, city’s recreational department to answered the cilities exceeds $60 million . more than 5,000 youth participat- accept a position with the Chil- call to lead the To date, under Barabino’s ten- ed in camp programs, and NORD dren’s Defense Fund, a national rebuilding of the ure, NORD has: currently has 2,500 participants non-profit agency that advocates City’s recreation 90 playgrounds and play spots are signed up for the fall football sea- for health, education, and chil- department . Ba- open and operating son . dren’s moral and spiritual foun- rabino’s charge 23 active, recovery projects are in “After Hurricane Katrina, the dation . Barabino’s departure was was to work along- progress importance of play for the chil- effective Sept . 18 . side the Federal 10, open, federal and state compli- dren of New Orleans was never “Of all of the critical positions Emergency Man- ant swimming pools . more relevant . Right from the out- we had to fill after Hurricane agement Agency Year-round swimming programs set, Larry Barabino played an in- Katrina, the Director of NORD (FEMA) staff, and Serviced an average of 11,000 tegral role in helping facilitate nu- was exceptionally challenging . I the City’s Capital children and families weekly merous playground projects with knew that whomever was to lead Projects and Re- Under Barabino’s leadership, KaBOOM! all across the city as NORD had to have a unique skill covery staffs in NORD re-established year round bringing safe places to play for the set .