[clue-talk] The stimulus bill

[Sean LeBlanc]

On 01-31 18:39, Collins Richey wrote:
 
> We have a big enough deficit without printing extra money to pay
> Democratic operatives (Acorn) to continue their "community activism"
> unabated ...

I know deriding ACORN is practically a national pasttime, but I just wanted
to jump in and point out that this talking point about ACORN and the
stimulus package is untrue (as usual, Limbaugh and the other
liars-for-profit picked this up and keep repeating it, though. Completely
shameless):

http://mediamatters.org/items/200901280027?f=h_top

Myths and falsehoods surrounding the economic recovery plan

"6. $4.19 billion of stimulus "would go to" ACORN

On January 27, the San Francisco Chronicle reported the false claim -- which
the Chronicle attributed to the group Americans for Limited Government --
that $4.19 billion of the economic recovery plan "would go to the liberal
housing activist group ACORN." Later the same day, nationally syndicated
radio host Rush Limbaugh repeated the claim: "[I]n the Obama stimulus
package, $4.19 billion is going to ACORN. Obama's community organizing --
you -- would somebody tell me what the stimulus is in that?" Limbaugh
continued: "Oh, it's not called 'ACORN,' it's called 'neighborhood
stabilization programs.' Now, would somebody explain to me what in the name
of Sam Hill ... $4.19 billion to a voter-fraud organization has to do with
stimulus?"

In fact, the bill contains no language mentioning ACORN. The false claim is
based on a misrepresentation of a provision that would appropriate
$4,190,000,000 "for neighborhood stabilization activities related to
emergency assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes
as authorized under division B, title III of the Housing and Economic
Recovery Act of 2008." The provision requires that money will be distributed
through competitive processes. It states that "not less than $3,440,000,000
shall be allocated by a competition" to "States, units of general local
government, and nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities." It
also provides that "up to $750,000,000 shall be awarded by competition to
nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities to provide community
stabilization assistance."


It's one thing to discuss the merits of the stimulus package based on facts,
but if Rush cannot even start with those, well, I have no idea why the guy
is even still on the air.

I guess entertainment is more important than the truth in this country.
 

-- 
Sean LeBlanc:seanleblanc at comcast.net
http://sean-leblanc.blogspot.com
I never fail to convince an audience that the best thing they could do
was to go away.