We strain at gnats

ACORN drives Republicans crazy, like a swarm of gnats on a hot summer day.

So some conservative sting operators set up a trap and snared a couple of low level housing assistance workers into advising disguised actors about how to evade the tax laws for illegal activities. And then they put the video on the internet, and the rest is history, including Congress' canceling all contracts with the organization.

Never mind that, when the same stunt was tried at another ACORN office, the workers called the police. That video didn't get aired; in fact I never even heard about it until an article in The Nation on Oct. 12. Heck of a job, Main Stream Media.

And never mind that ACORN is an important humanitarian service organization that helps out in finding low income housing, pushing for increases in minimum wage, helping register voters, and training community organizers to empower poor people. Naturally that makes them the target for right-wingers. And there's plenty of ineptitude and lack of control of the low-paid workers and volunteers that give them ammunition. ACORN admittedly hasn't paid enough attention to such problems in its efforts to do good.

But, The Nation calls for a little perspective. "ACORN and its affiliates have received on average about $3.5 million a year from government contracts, or approximately one-millionth of this year's budget." Yet, Congress acted in record time to cut off its funding, without even an investigation or hearings.

Compare Blackwater. A recent audit says that they "may owe the government $55 million alledgedly for failing to meet the terms of just one of its federal contracts. Five of its employees face murder charges for their role in the massacre of Iraqi civilians." Yet Congress just extended Blackwater's $271 million security contract in Iraq indefinitely.

And Halliburton's KBR subsidiary? So far sixteen soldiers and two contractors have died from electrocution from bad wiring they installed. Yet their contract remains in effect.

Go figure. If you try to help poor people, Congress will strain at gnats.

And swat them.

If you are a big business contractor, you can literally get away with murder.

Ralph