[StBernard] Jindal Cuts Off State Funding Of ACORN

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Thu Sep 17 20:19:20 EDT 2009


Jindal Cuts Off State Funding Of ACORN
Action Coincides With Similar Move By Congress
WDSU.com
updated 6:46 p.m. CT, Thurs., Sept . 17, 2009
BATON ROUGE, La. - WDSU .com

Governor Bobby Jindal on Thursday issued an executive order halting all
state funding of the group ACORN.

The move comes as the community action group comes under increased scrutiny
for practices ranging from voter registration efforts to advisory sessions
held in local offices.

Also Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to deny all federal funds
for ACORN.

The vote came three days after the Senate took similar action.

Republicans have long been critics of the liberal-leaning group that
advocates for the poor. Some Democrats have also expressed concern following
recent revelations.

Last year, ACORN was accused of submitting some false voter registration
forms.

More recently, ACORN employees were shown in hidden-camera videos apparently
advising a couple posing as a prostitute and her pimp to lie about her
profession and launder her earnings. The videos have already led to the
firing of four ACORN employees in Baltimore and Washington. The videos,
created by activist filmmaker James O'Keefe, were posted on the Web site
BigGovernment.com.

The Senate and House initiatives to cut funding for ACORN won't take effect
until the bills to which they are attached clear Congress and are signed by
President Barack Obama.

The following is the Executive Order halting Louisiana state funding of
ACORN:

WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of public officials in the State of
Louisiana to protect the public and ensure that taxpayer funds are being
responsibly, ethically, and properly spent;

WHEREAS ACORN maintains a national headquarters office in New Orleans and
has conducted financial activities in the state;

WHEREAS upon my request for an investigation into the organization's
activities in the State, the Louisiana Attorney General's Office subpoenaed
documents of ACORN's national headquarters in New Orleans;

WHEREAS 70 employees of the Association of Community Organizations for
Reform Now ("ACORN") have been convicted of crimes committed in the course
of their work for the organization, to date;

WHEREAS on September 11, 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau ended its relationship
with ACORN;

WHEREAS up to 20 states are investigating charges related to voting
regularities and fraud into the current and past operations of ACORN;

WHEREAS the United States Senate and House of Representatives recently voted
in a bipartisan manner to cut off federal funds to ACORN;

WHEREAS FBI Director Robert Mueller has stated his department will look into
allegations of misconduct relating to ACORN;

WHEREAS the Internal Revenue Service is aware of the current allegations
facing ACORN and is conducting a "thorough review" of their relationship
with the organization;

WHEREAS ACORN's actions make clear that financial involvement with ACORN is
contrary to the public policy of the State of Louisiana and the best
interests of its citizens, and therefore should be quickly terminated if it
is found to exist.

NOW THEREFORE, I, BOBBY JINDAL, Governor of the State of Louisiana, by
virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and the laws of the State
of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows:

SECTION 1: All departments, commissions, boards, offices, entities,
agencies, and officers of the State of Louisiana, or any political
subdivision thereof, are hereby prohibited from entering into any future
contracts with ACORN or its subsidiaries or affiliates and that other
political subdivisions consider issuing a similar directive;

SECTION 2: All departments, commissions, boards, offices, entities,
agencies, and officers of the State of Louisiana, or any political
subdivision thereof, are directed to cease all existing funding for ACORN or
its subsidiaries or affiliates unless such funding is legally obligated. If
a department, commission, board, office, entity, agency, or officer of the
State of Louisiana, or any political subdivision thereof determines that
such funding is legally obligated, it is directed to inform the Executive
Counsel to the Governor of its determination.

SECTION 3: All departments, commissions, boards, offices, entities,
agencies, and officers of the State of Louisiana, or any political
subdivision thereof, are hereby directed to provide to the Executive Counsel
to the Governor no later than October 2, 2009 a copy of any existing
contracts or other agreements between the agency and ACORN or its
subsidiaries for an immediate review.

SECTION 4: All departments, commissions, boards, offices, entities,
agencies, and officers of the State of Louisiana, or any political
subdivision thereof, are authorized and directed to assist and cooperate in
implementing the provisions of this Order.

SECTION 5: This Order is effective upon signature and shall continue in
effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the Governor, or
terminated by operation of law.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed
the Great Seal of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the City of Baton Rouge, on
this 17TH day of September, 2009.

BOBBY JINDAL

GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA




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