ACORN Got Over $200K of PA Taxpayer Money…Probably Getting More!

Despite receiving a “cease and desist” notice from the Department of State to stop soliciting contributions, Pennsylvania taxpayers have given ACORN over $200,000 in state grants since November 2007. Yet none of the mainstream media in the Commonwealth is bothering to cover this issue. Nor has it reported on recent efforts to defend this rogue organization.

Jeff Lord, writing in The American Spectator, noted how Rep. Steve Barrar’s efforts to investigate ACORN’s activities in Pennsylvania are being stymied by Rep. Babette Josephs–a self-identified member of ACORN. Josephs is the Chair of the House State Government Committee–the committee where good government legislation goes to die.

Nate Benefield of the Commonwealth Foundation wrote about her blocking reform bills in May 2008, calling her the Cerberus of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Cerberus is the giant three-headed dog in Greek Mythology that guards the river Styx, allowing the dead to enter Hades, but preventing anyone–save a few legendary heroes–from exiting. Josephs is that guard-dog that allows all types of substantive and good-government legislative proposals–like Barrar’s–but never again allows them to see the light of day.

Earlier this week, with the vote to de-fund ACORN in the US Senate and the Census severing ties with the organization, one would think such actions in Harrisburg would yield similar success. Not so. Barrar, in an effort to circumvent Cerberus, attempted to suspend House rules to amend a bill that would prevent taxpayer money from flowing to this nefarious group. But House Democrats, holding a slim majority, stood shoulder to shoulder with Cerberus to thwart Barrar’s efforts.

Haven’t heard about this? Unfortunately, neither have the people of Pennsylvania who continue to be forced to subsidize Babette Josephs’s organization.

Now, with a budget deal apparently and finally in place–Pennsylvania was the last state without a budget–maybe the media will finally get around to asking where all our money is going.