There are a lot of acronyms floated around in all industries and businesses. It’s important to keep them straight and know which pieces of the puzzle fit where.
For those of you who worked in organized labor shops, were you ever asked to conduct a census for the US Government? It sounds crazy, doesn’t it. You might be involved in union business from time to time but it always has to do with your real job. If you’re a shop steward, for example, you are concerned with the rules being fairly applied by the company as covered in a contract. You don’t usually go door to door with census tracts.
(Chart above Source: Criminal Investigation of ACORN by Lake County, IL)
Yet that’s what the (Service Employee’s International Union) SEIU seems to be poised to do now that the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) lost their contract with the US Census Bureau for vote rigging and fraud. SEIU should not be involved with the US Census either. The Chicago Sun Times seems to agree with me. (CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE) written by Abdon M. Pallasch, political reporter for the Sun Times.
I want to discuss the COMMUNITY ADVOCACY HOME OWNERSHIP (CAHO) organization but before I go there, I need to refresh your memories just a bit. To do so, I’m going to post a timeline by the Free Republic. The timeline is important because it helps explain the interwoven nature of SEIU and ACORN
SEIU and ACORN Timeline in Illinois
(http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2350961)
1983 – SEIU Local 880 claims it first organized through ACORN
2002 – SEIU Local 880 files tax return using ACORN email address as contact
2006 – Local 880’s Web site last updated; email seiu880@acorn.org ; address 209 W. Jackson, Chicago
2006 – SEIU Local 880 (located at 209 W. Jackson, Suite 201) disburses $92,006 to Illinois ACORN WNB (located at 209 W. Jackson) for “Membership Campaign Service”
2007 – SEIU Local 880 (located at 209 W. Jackson, Suite 201) disburses $60,118 to ACORN Chicago (located at 209 W. Jackson) for “Membership Services”
2007 – SEIU Local 880 employs former ACORN Illinois President Denise Dixon
2008 – SEIU Local 1 (located at 111 E. Wacker in Chicago) disburses $58,150 to “Houston ACORN” for “Reimbursements for Lost Time” and another $20,000 to “Support Election Efforts”
2008 – Lake County voter registration fraud allegations linked to SEIU coordinator
2008 – Illinois Secretary of State revokes status of ACORN on November 14th
2008 – ACORN’s Web site lists Chicago ACORN’s “Tax and Benefit Access Center” at 209 W. Jackson, 2nd Floor in Chicago
2008 – SEIU Health Care Illinois & Indiana pays rent to Chicago Organizing and Support Center
2009 – Illinois Secretary of State revokes status of ACORN Community Labor Organizing Center on January 9th
2009 – SEIU Local 880’s Form LM-2 (located at 209 W. Jackson) declares Local 880 ceased operations as of March 31, 2009 and transferred all remaining assets to “SEIU Health Care Illinois Indiana”; SEIU Health Care Illinois & Indiana’s Web site shows address at 209 W. Jackson, Suite 200 in Chicago
2009 – U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform report on July 23rd names 361 entities in the “ACORN Council,” including Chicago Organizing and Support Center
2009 – Illinois Secretary of State reports “involuntary dissolution” of ACORN Community Land Association of Illinois on August 14th
2009 – IL Secretary of State revokes status of Chicago Organizing and Support Center on Sept. 11th
It leaves you wondering what the difference is between a labor union and a community advocacy group, doesn’t it? Do labor union members usually consider themselves community advocates? Ok, anywhere outside Chicago?
Now, you are asking yourself what all this has to do with CAHO, aren’t you? Outside of this blog have you ever heard of CAHO? It’s been under the radar, and is being formed quietly through a series of conventions being held nationwide under the rubric “Save the Dream Tour”?
Why? To take over the job ACORN was doing.
Who is doing this? I don’t have all the answers. It seems to be sponsored by the (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America) NACA. I invite you to Google Search Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America for yourself. The results are mixed and not very encouraging. Bruce Marks, CEO of NACA is intent on feasting on the carcass of his competitor, ACORN by cloning it in the form of CAHO and sending it forth.
So is CAHO the same thing as ACORN? In function, yes. Under different management. And it’s big business. Bruce Marks of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America won loan commitments totaling $3.8 billion from Bank of America, First Union Corporation, and the Fleet Financial Group in Boston alone.
Will it be a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization the way ACORN was? It’s too soon to tell. Since the legacy media no longer seems to do any serious investigative reporting, I can’t tell you whether or not anyone will look into this from the media.
