Acorn

[LVFD301]

So, with so many federal agencies putting a distance between the feds and Acorn, are there any rumblings about the FP&S money they have been awarded will be pulled back?

I know the awards have been made, but if funds have not been sent....

[tomwnh]

This is just a piece of a much larger story reported by an on line news service I subscribe to.

Some Republicans are urging the Justice Department to investigate ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, and the Census Bureau last week severed its ties with the group for the 2010 national head-count.

Asked Wednesday about the controversy, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that "obviously the conduct that you see on those tapes is completely unacceptable."

"I think everyone would agree with that. The administration takes accountability extremely seriously," Gibbs said. "I think the Census Bureau evaluated and determined that this group could not meet the bureau's goal of achieving a fair and accurate count in 2010."

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., said he's asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repeal a nearly $1 million grant it awarded to ACORN earlier this month.

FEMA awarded $997,402 to ACORN in New Orleans on Sept. 4 as part of its Fire Prevention and Safety Grants program. The group plans to use the money to assess fire safety in the homes of low and moderate-income families and hand out smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and other fire prevention gear, ACORN's Brennan Griffin said.

FEMA had no immediate comment on Bilirakis' request.
Gibbs said he assumed that federal agencies "constantly evaluate to ensure that any grantee is living up to what has to happen in order to fulfill that grant application."

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

DHS is on top of AFG related ones, some of the other federal agencies fall mighty short. Only enough staff to send money out but not account for it. Luckily with the fire service involved in the AFG design issues are few and far between because of the oversight requirements of the programs.

[islandfire03]

So riddle me this Batman ::
Why do they hand out 997,000.00 to the bunch of bozos at acorn, when a small volunteer department that asks for 10 grand to accomplish the same thing gets denied.??????
Somehow it just doesn't make sense.

Oh Wait: I figured it out, we didn't ask for 980,000.00 to do an assessment of risk.

[LVFD301]

All I know is - if it is not given to them, maybe some of the 10k departments WILL get some.

[dmleblanc]

So riddle me this Batman ::
Why do they hand out 997,000.00 to the bunch of bozos at acorn, when a small volunteer department that asks for 10 grand to accomplish the same thing gets denied.??????
Somehow it just doesn't make sense.

Oh Wait: I figured it out, we didn't ask for 980,000.00 to do an assessment of risk.

Because the volunteers are going to go out AS VOLUNTEERS and do the distribution and installation. ACORN is going to take most of that money and hire some people to run the program.

[jam24u]

I say, use the funds for reward money for whistleblowers inside ACORN. Initiate a real investigation once and for all and stop this flood of money to corrupt outcomes. Their whole hidden agenda is to take as much as they can and promote one party over another. It may have started with good intentions, but there isn't enough money in the world to satisfy their corruption. Probably one of the worst value per dollar programs there is. Call it what it is. Eliminate it. Now.

[jam24u]

Oh! And don't let ACORN investigate ACORN!

[grits1973]

Regardless of anyone's political leaning, you gotta admit there's a pattern of corruption with ACORN. I can't believe they are getting almost $1 million in FP&S funding while dozens or more small and volunteer departments are getting turned down for funding requests. Being one of those that got a DJ this year, I would love to see the ACORN award be repealed and the money redistributed to some of those who got a DJ for 08. I'm contacting my reps and senators today to suggest that very thing and encourage others to do so as well. Make your voice heard and let them know if you are unhappy about your taxpayer money going to organizations with known histories of corruption!!

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

I'd like to find out how much involvement NOFD or other area departments were going to have in the effort. If none, highly suspicious. If they were going to be involved in the training of the public for the installations, tracking, checkups, and all the right things that the rest of us would be doing then I'd say that on this effort they'd be doing the right thing by the program and their residents so let them have it. Now if they're paying people to go do this then goes back to the shady thing, but if the bulk of that money was going to detectors then I'll have a hard time condemning them for getting the award. Even a broken watch is right twice a day, so this could be the lone morally and ethically "right" effort these wingnuts do.

Other than that should have every state attorney general's office go over their books. If the glove fits...

[southerngirl62]

Is this a sign of things to come for AFG?
Considering the changes to SAFER that provide more funds for paid, (union) departments it may be a forecast of things to come.

CALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!

FPS Grants awarded to organizations that supported President Obama and other questionable awards:

$779,520 Chicago FD
$749,987 IAFF
$997,402 Acorn (of the $1million designated for cities under 1,000,000 people)
$750,000 IAFF Burn Foundation
$996,500 National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (and they teach fire prevention how?)
$947,470 International Assoc of Arson Investigators
$724,759 University of Illinois
$999,200 Underwriters Lab (located in - you guessed it Illinois)

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Projects don't have to teach fire prevention like FDs do, that's why it's the Fire Prevention and Safety program. Research projects are eligible. As much as I'm already a suspect of some things happening because of favors being done, most if not all of these organizations have gotten larger FP awards in the past long before Obama was in office.

Personally I think all any time a non-FD gets awarded for a research project I think they need to post what they're trying to do so that rumors don't start flying. Of course it's all FOIA information so if anyone feels like calling them they have to report what they're doing. I have plenty to keep me occupied for right now myself, maybe something for the to-do list later. Heading to the Texas Honor Ride gathering tomorrow with the family, honor those injured while in military service.

[Catch22]

I just happened to think of this thread while I was reading an article about Harry Reid denying requests for senate hearings on ACORN. At the very bottom of the article, it states...

Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rescind a nearly $1 million fire safety and prevention grant awarded to ACORN this month.

Maybe another million will be let loose to some deserving departments.

[BC79er_OLDDELETE]

Hmm, everyone else seems to want to cut funding to them and investigate, why is the good Senator against that I wonder...

[jam24u]

[QUOTE=BC79er;1098480]Hmm, everyone else seems to want to cut funding to them and investigate, why is the good Senator against that I wonder...[/QUOTE

Just get rid of ACORN and every agency like them. Maybe better to lock the doors of the UN after what just happened. We pay 90% of the operating funds just to let them tell us how bad America is. Just like our leader did. What Rot.

[txgp17]

[chiefmeyer301]

Is this a sign of things to come for AFG?
Considering the changes to SAFER that provide more funds for paid, (union) departments it may be a forecast of things to come.

CALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!

FPS Grants awarded to organizations that supported President Obama and other questionable awards:

$779,520 Chicago FD
$749,987 IAFF
$997,402 Acorn (of the $1million designated for cities under 1,000,000 people)
$750,000 IAFF Burn Foundation
$996,500 National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (and they teach fire prevention how?)
$947,470 International Assoc of Arson Investigators
$724,759 University of Illinois
$999,200 Underwriters Lab (located in - you guessed it Illinois)

do not now about the other recipiants above but the one to the U OF I is to the fire service institute and helps fund the cornerstone program. this is for training at you department. with qualified instructors at no cost to the hosting dept. i have in the past hosted a pumper ops two day class, a grain bin rescue class and a tanker/tender relay pumping class that brought a lot of knowlage to us small voll deptments. check out there web site to see what this $ does. google illinois fire service insitute.

[txgp17]

[jam24u]

Hey, did they decide to give ACORN the $900,000.00 anyway? I thought they had stopped that, but just read here something about they may be getting the funding anyway. I haven't checked it out, maybe they have it wrong, but that would be infuriating if they did.

[mmagette]

From what I have read, there are a few senators that are asking that DHS take the money away, but the dems do hold the majority and they normally stick with ACORN. I don't think anything official has been said.