Capito Asks for ACORN Hearings Housing Subcommittee Has Oversight Responsibility Congresswoman Says

In light of troubling reports about the conduct of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is calling for congressional hearings to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not being used improperly or illegally. ACORN, a recipient of federal funding, has been under intense scrutiny after representatives of the organization were documented providing housing assistance to a couple attempting to set up an illicit business.

In a letter to Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Cal., the chairwoman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, Capito notes that the subcommittee has jurisdiction over many of ACORN’s key housing-related functions and she asks the chairwoman to hold a hearing to investigate current and past allegations.

“ACORN has been on the receiving end of more than $50 million from U.S. taxpayers and it’s only appropriate that we ensure that those dollars are not being mis-used,” said Capito, who is the subcommittee’s ranking Republican member.

“Housing programming forms a significant portion of ACORN’s activities and our committee should not ignore the implications of these recent developments.”
In her letter, Capito also addressed passed allegations of misconduct by ACORN representatives.

“… we cannot forget that this entity is also facing investigations regarding potential voter registration fraud in Ohio, Nevada, and Florida among others,” she wrote.

***Complete text of the letter can be found below***

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September 16, 2009

Rep. Maxine Waters
Chairwoman
Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
House Financial Services Committee
2344 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairwoman Waters:

Over the August recess, many of the concerns expressed by my constituents involved the amount of money the federal government is spending. They want to know where this money is going and when we will begin to reduce the overall level of spending. I think we can all agree that we must bring our nation’s fiscal house in order and be good stewards of the taxpayer’s money.

With that in mind, the recent reports of inappropriate behavior by employees of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, commonly referred to as ACORN, must be addressed. In the past few weeks, there have been numerous accounts of ACORN representatives advising a young couple on how to obtain housing assistance to set up an illicit business.

While ACORN reportedly is taking steps regarding some of the individuals involved, this is but the latest development in a series of serious charges being leveled against this group. Since 1994, the American taxpayers have provided ACORN with approximately $53 million in federal funding for housing assistance and counseling. While there may be entities within ACORN that provide appropriate assistance to Americans struggling to find housing, we cannot forget that this entity is also facing investigations regarding potential voter registration fraud in Ohio, Nevada, and Florida among others.

Many of ACORN’s activities relate directly to issues under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. Specifically, the ACORN Housing Corporation provides counseling to first time homeowners, mortgage counseling and foreclosure prevention assistance, and low income housing development. Earlier this year, the Committee adopted an amendment I offered directing the Committee to conduct oversight over the use of Federal funds by non-profits, for-profits, and third party entities; especially with the identification of questionable behavior by housing personnel. It is imperative that the Subcommittee hold hearings on the current and past allegations against ACORN to ensure that the taxpayer’s money is not being used improperly or illegally.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Shelley Moore Capito
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity

Clinton adviser uses Alan Mollohan as an example of Earmark Corruption

On Fox News's, On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, former Bill Clinton adviser Dick Morris was talking about how earmarks can lead to corruption and used West Virginia Congressman Alan Mollohan (D) as example.



This illustrates how West Virginia constantly looses with Alan Mollohan has our Congressman. When the Congressman earmarks money to his friends as Dick Morris points out, that money doesn't help the people of West Virginia. That is why it is unethical, but most people don't see how it actually hurts us.

Consider that if the Congressman earmarks $3 million dollars to his friends at Vandalia, then he used his efforts for the wrong reason. It would have taken the same effort to earmark $3 million dollar to fix Doresy's curve on US 50 in Mineral County where 8 people have been killed over the past several years and our school buses travel everyday. What is more important to the Congressman the lives of school childern or funding his friends? There are countless projects in each county across the West Virgina 1st Congressional District that need funded, but the Congressman ignores them in favor of his personal interest.

We are going to have to ask ourselves this next election. Do we want a Congressman that puts the interest of the people of West Virginia first or his own person gain first?

But....Why???

Article Beyond Delay, The 22 most corupt members of Congress

Why are we continuing to elect such a man? Do we want this state to continue to be a state of dependency? Waiting for the next politician to dump a few dollars in the trough? What happens when the endless stream of cash runs out with the next election?

Why are conservatives still holding to their registration as Democracts? Does voting in the Democrat primary still outweigh the desire to make known that this state is a Conservative, family values upholding state?

How long will the great benefactor KKKeep funneling money in and right back out of our state?

Is it fair for an active politician to name any and every public structure after himself? Do I want to run against Robert C. Byrd when most of my constituents have to go into *** Byrd high scholl to cast a vote? Confused as to which Namesake High School I am referring to? Just take the Robert C. Byrd Highway system, exit at the Robert C. Byrd interchange, ask the kid on a field trip, in the RCB t-shirt standing at the statue of the Honorable Robert C. Byrd in the state house where to go. Am I the only person to wonder about the future of our state in the post-RCB era? And why is everything named after a politician who is still in office running campaigns every six years? How is that fair?

Serious questions awaiting some serious answers.

I was an auditor for ISR (Institute for Scientifc Research) as a Toothman Rice, PLLC staff member. Of course that was before the architectural marval they built next to the NASA facility in Fairmont, WV. By the way I was able to tour NASA's over-planned facility (I say that because a huge floor area was planned for super computers that were quickly reduced to 1/20th of the size alloted for the servers which equals empty, wasted floor space...thanks Mr and Mrs Tax Payer) that, according to my high level escort, was built, sold to WVU for $1 then leased back to NASA for annual rent (again, thank you Mr and Mrs Taxpayer, I hope you have budgeted for this and other projects like Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s "future" airport.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s Airport Earmark , afterall, we are going to need those work-projects down the road to keep this economy rolling!). Feel free to re-read that last one to make sure you got it...I wrote it and had to re-read it several times.

What struck me most is that the charges cited in this article are likely considered IMMATERIAL. That means that the budget for said NON-profit is TOO BIG to worry about 10K here or 10K there. Under a pre-specified threshold, it didn' t warrant investigation. So, of course, twin 60 inch plasma TVs in the conference room were necessary for ISR, as were the EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE curtains in the CEO's office (of course they may have been twin 50 inch plasmas, not 60 inch as my memory seems to recall). Upon questioning, I was commended for being so thorough as to discover 3 plasma TV charges, but only 2 registered TVs, then the whole thing was ignored because one was "faulty" and, afterall, the price tag was not a material amount to be considered., even though it was probably half that of the average persons annual income for the are...per TV!!! Without any further evidence it was swept aside because, after all, it was immaterial.

Let me close with this question, how many immaterial charges does it take to make one material charge? (remember not to add them together because each incident is a unique occurence...!) Said another way, who is going to guarantee that the "State of Dependency" created by Senator Byrd and his fellow Democrats will continue when Mr Byrd decides to no longer serve as the Senator for our great state? Can a well-respected...er...uh...honest...er...uh...incorru...er uh...current member of Congress keep the dollars flowing? Let's start planning for the future of this state or we may no longer be "OPEN".

Finish It Already!

Representative Steven King (R) Iowa has a point, although he did bring it forth in a very melodramatic fashion.

In a committee meeting concerning the budget of the FBI, King proposed that $1 million be allocated to finish the federal investigation of Representative Alan Mollohan (D) 1st district. Although he did not mention Mollohan by name, his description left no illusion to whom he referred.

In a sense it was a cheap political ploy to return Mollohan's name to the news to counter the investigation of Republican Senator Ted Stevens, but it does raise a real problem. West Virginia's voters need to know the truth about their congressman. Mollohan himself would probably sleep better with closure, if he is indeed not guilty. Long drawn out investigations of public officials either destroy the reputation of the innocent or perpetuate mistrust of a government system that allows criminals to keep office. Although Mollohan acted correctly in recusing himself from deliberations concerning the Department of Justice, the cloud remains in place until the investigation reaches a conclusion.

The next congressional elections are coming up quickly. Voters, potential candidates, and the incumbent himself need to know where this investigation is going. The First District deserves nothing less than the truth on this matter as quickly as possible.

Reforming Apathy in City Elections

If the idea of city government affairs does not fill you with excitement, anticipation, or joy, don’t feel too bad. You are not alone.

This spring, a little over 100 voters turned out for Morgantown’s municipal elections. One hundred voters electing the leadership of the most dynamic city in the state that by 2020 could be the largest. In contrast, West Virginia University has classes with over 300 students. Charleston’s upcoming elections will fare better, already 653 took advantage of early voting. However, Election Day turnout is expected to be paltry with a popular Republican incumbent and a Democratic nominee that has not even campaigned.

Why bother and why care? Local government has more direct effect on the lives of citizens and business than the state or federal systems. Locally the parking issue in Keyser probably brought more people to city council meetings than actually voted for council and mayor in Morgantown. Particularly frightening is the election in that city. Almost any idiot (or in the case of Morgantown, perhaps a Communist) can round up a hundred people to vote for them. Then you get stuck with at best incompetence, at worse corruption. Either situation does not attract continued development and progress.

Ben Beakes of the Secretary of State’s office recommends that each municipality piggyback its elections with those for the county and state. Not only will this increase turnout, but Beakes also states that less need for poll workers and buying ballots in larger bulk saves money. Many West Virginia cities have adopted these measures already.

Voting in city elections makes as much sense as participating in those with larger stakes. A larger turnout can ensure that an extreme or corrupt candidate does not hijack the local government. Each voter gives his or her local government a fighting chance to keep moving their city ahead.

Story about a story?

Yesterday I got a call from a friend stating Congressman Alan Mollohan was going before the Grand Jury. I’m thinking this is big news, so I immediately search the net, and find nothing. Not Fox, not Matt Drudge, not anywhere. After a few days the announcement this shows up.

WSAZ News Story

I would have thought this would have been bigger news. Many watch dog groups are looking into Congressman Mollohan's activities. Citizens Against Government Waste on March 9th named Mollohan Porker of the year. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named him one of the 20 most corrupt officials in Washington, this same group nailed Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R) who is now surviving time.

All I can find is a story about a story, I find that strange. We have a high profile congressman for all the wrong reasons. It seems outside West Virginia this is known, but inside West Virginia it seems to be a big secret.

Reading Mollohan's record in congress he is a very ineffective leader, on March 28th, 2006 he introduced bill H.R. 5031 and got no co-sponsors. H.R. 5031 is an extension of Corridor O of the ADHS. This bill could have had strong bipartisan support from both Roscoe Bartlett (R) of Maryland's 6th District and Shelley Moore Capito (R) of West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District as both their districts would have directly benefited from Corridor O.

2007 Bills introduced according to Thomas.gov
Alan Mollohan - 0
Nick Rahall - 5
Byrd - 7
Rockefeller - 15

To me that indicates.... well the numbers speak for themselves about how he is doing his job.