The Real ACORN

What ACORN is? A sham. The call themselves direct ACTION. But they do staged events aimed only at extorting money out of their target. The second they get the cash they are sucking ass.

They claim to be a progressive grassroots member run organization. They are nothing of the sort.

They aren't pro-choice, they aren't pro gay rights, they aren't against the death penalty. The white trust fund IVY league managers of ACORN, mange members that can be manipulated. They also manage a staff that can't afford to disagree with the mangement. If they do they are run out on a rail.

ACORN is never an indigenous force. From the start it was a white guy driving to Little Rock AR and creating ACORN. A guy (Wade Rathke) the son of a wealthy accountant who has a Napoleon complex as thin as the Napster was short. From the start he surrounded himself with sycophants who did his bidding. His national management? White. Thirty years out and it is still white. It always will be.

ACORN tells foundations they have hundreds of chapters when applying for grants. Truth be told? Most of those chapters have been inactive for years. They show dots on maps where offices are and insiders know many of those offices are closed or only have a mortgage lending staff that hasd nothing ot do with organizing.

Their staff are sexually harrassed and often treated in an abusive manner that is characteristic of ACORN management. Staff are often told to lie to members in order to get money. Female and staff are forced to knock doors after dark in dangerous neighborhoods. This isn't done to build self confidence it is done to save money. We know staff members who have been forced to sleep with their managers with no reprimand from management. ACORN staff tend to be heavy drinkers. Stress drinkers.

What ACORN is is the exact opposite of what it pretends to be.
Grassroots? No! They go into communities where there is already community organizing going on and set up shop.
Direct Action? When? Where? Go leaflet Walmart till you get thrown out? please.
Pro-union? Every organizer who ever even suggested a union for ACORN staff was ran out on a rail.

ACORN for a living wage? Not for ACORN staff. 520.83 per week before taxes. That is a 60 hour week. That means ACORN organizers get paid 8.68 per hour. Wow what a living wage that is. What do Union organizers get paid? Don't even ask.

Retention of Minority staff? Dismal! How can struggling low income families take care of their kids? Thye can't? 60 hours? 11:00 am to 9:00 pm? Pick up the kids from school forget it. Make dineer for kids? Forget it? Make the choice to have kids? No way. Unless you are in the upper echelons of ACORN then you drag your screaming kid to staff meetings and expect everyone to go goo gaga and say "isn't that cute?" It isn't. It is insulting.

Meanwhile Wade Rathke is staying at the finest hotels on every continent.

ACORN is the WALMART of community organizing. If you watch this website. You will get the up to the minute inside dope on ACORN. This isn't coming from some conservative hack out to hurt the movement. This comes from the inside in hopes ACORN will grow up and learn that organizing isn't hundreds of yes men and women marching to the tune of one lone global traveller.