Giving Mortgages to Illegals? More Michelle Malkin

ACORN’s illegal alien home loan racket

By Michelle Malkin • September 18, 2009 08:33 AM

My column today blasts ACORN Housing Corporation’s criminal-enabling home loan program for illegal aliens. To paraphrase Jon Stewart: Where the hell is everyone?

AHC is one of the endless non-profit arms of ACORN. Their response to the BigGovernment.com sting videos hasn’t received as much attention as the national ACORN flagship’s. You can read AHC’s CYA reaction here.

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ACORN’s illegal alien home loan racket
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2009

There’s one thing more shocking than the illegal alien smuggling advice that an ACORN official in San Diego gave undercover journalists James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles. It’s the illegal alien criminal racket that ACORN has already been operating with the full knowledge of the U.S. government.

On Wednesday, O’Keefe and Giles published the fifth in a series of BigGovernment.com sting videos. ACORN official Juan Carlos Vera coached the pimp-and-prostitute-posing pair on how best to pull off a border-busting smuggling operation. It would be “better from Tijuana,” he counseled on videotape. Carlos Vera then generously offered the investigative couple his Mexican “contacts” to bring 12 illegal alien girls into the country for prostitution.

GOP California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now wants an investigation. But neither the Terminator nor any other California public officials raised a peep when the very same San Diego ACORN office publicly announced a partnership with Citibank to secure home loans for illegal aliens. In 2005, Citibank and ACORN Housing Corporation – which has received tens of millions of tax dollars under the Bush administration alone — began recruiting Mexican illegal aliens for a lucrative program offering loans with below-market interest rates, down-payment assistance and no mortgage insurance requirements. Instead of Social Security numbers required of law-abiding citizens, the program allows illegal alien applicants to supply loosely-monitored tax identification numbers issued by the IRS.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that “undocumented residents” comprise a vast market representing a potential sum of “$44 billion in mortgages.” Citibank enlarged its portfolio of subprime and other risky loans. ACORN enlarged its membership rolls. The program now operates in Miami; New York City; Jersey City, N.J.; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Bridgeport, Conn., and at all of ACORN Housing’s 12 California offices. San Diego ACORN officials advised illegal alien recruits that their bank partners would take applicants who had little or no credit, or even “nontraditional records of credit, such as utility payments and documentation of private loan payments.”

The risk the banks bear is the price they pay to keep ACORN protesters and Hispanic lobbyists from the National Council of La Raza screaming about “predatory lending” off their backs. These professional grievance-mongers have turned the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act – which forced lenders to sacrifice underwriting standards for “diversity” – into lucrative “business” opportunities. Or rather, politically correct blackmail. As the Consumer Rights League noted in a 2008 report on the group’s successful shakedowns of financial institutions, “an agreement with Citibank, a significant ACORN donor and partner, showed that some activists become less active when deals are in place.”

In the wake of the sting videos, ACORN officials are making a great show of clamoring for “reform.” ACORN chief executive Bertha Lewis blamed the debacles across the country on the “indefensible action of a handful of our employees.” But the corruption is systemic. ACORN has long thrown rank-and-file operatives under the bus to cover for its management’s indefensible conduct. And ACORN’s highly-touted advisory watchdogs include inherently conflicted foxes guarding the henhouse:

ACORN advisory council member Henry Cisneros resigned from his post as Clinton HUD Secretary after lying to FBI agents about payments to a former mistress.

ACORN advisory council member Andy Stern is president of the SEIU, the Big Labor organization plagued by embezzlement scandals and inextricably linked to ACORN’s disgraced founder Wade Rathke. (And see my document drop here on ACORN’s “nurturing” of SEIU Local 100.)

And ACORN advisory council member Eric Eve of Citigroup is a champion of the ACORN/Citibank illegal alien loan program that openly undermines immigration laws and integrity in banking.

The truth is more sordid than any fictional scenarios caught on tape: ACORN is a criminal enterprise.

Posted in: ACORN Watch, Immigration, SEIU

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ACORN and Obama, Courtesy of Michelle Malkin

Obama plays dumb on ACORN

By Michelle Malkin • September 20, 2009 11:21 AM

Photoshop credit: Leo Alberti

Channeling clueless Charlie Gibson and Nancy Pelosi, President Obama is playing dumb about ACORN. Here’s what he said on ABC’s This Week this morning:

STEPHANOPOULOS: But have your — have some of your allies made it easier for — handed your opponents some ammunition, like ACORN, for example…

OBAMA: Well, look, the — you know, I think that — are there folks in the Democratic camp or on the left who haven’t — haven’t always operated in ways that I’d appreciate? Absolutely.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Congress said they should cut off all funding for ACORN.

OBAMA: Is — is — is…

STEPHANOPOULOS: … all funding for ACORN. Are you for that?

OBAMA: Is that true on the other side, as well? Of course that’s true.

STEPHANOPOULOS: How about the funding for ACORN?

OBAMA: You know, it’s — frankly, it’s not really something I’ve followed closely. I didn’t even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Both the Senate and the House have voted to cut it off.

OBAMA: You know, what I know is, is that what I saw on that video was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be investigated.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you’re not committing to — to cut off the federal funding?

OBAMA: George, this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It’s not something I’m paying a lot of attention to.

It strains credulity — no, it snaps credulity in half — to believe Obama “didn’t even know” that ACORN was “getting a whole lot of federal money” given his extensive legal services on behalf of the group and training for its voter education arm, Project Vote. (Go re-read my column from June 2008, “The ACORN Obama knows,” and all the links for a refresher course.)

Repeat after me: Obama is ACORN. ACORN is Obama. Barack Obama can no more disown ACORN than he could disown his own shadow.

Now that the White House supports an investigation, Congress should make sure to investigate:

1) How Team Obama hid its $800,000 campaign payment to ACORN through front group “Citizen Services, Inc.”;

2) How Team Obama shared donor lists with the president’s old employer, ACORN affiliate Project Vote, a 501(c)(3) organization, which is prohibited from engaging in political activity (Mr. President, meet Anita MonCrief);

3) And how Project Vote and hundreds of myriad entities intermingled non-profit, tax-exempt funding with the national ACORN flagship’s political operations — a buried story Obama would know about if he read NYTimes reporter Stephanie Strom’s report last October before she was muzzled as Election Day drew near.

Bring it on.

My comments: Once again our fearless leader only knows or pretends to know what he wants to know or hear. He plays ostrich when it's convenient and later says that we need to investigate Acorn. Sure...but he'll be sure the investigation is superficial and doesn't uncover too much because of his past dealings with ACORN, although we already seem to know much about that. Hmm...has the nut fallen right on the tree in this case?

Start a Fire and Charge the Rate Payers

San Diego Gas and Electric, often referred to as San Diego Gouge and Extort, has come up with yet another way to shift the burden away from their shareholders and on to the backs of their customers. Charge them for the costs of the lawsuits they lost as a result of their alleged negligence in the huge wildfires in San Diego County! My God, man, isn't that akin to an arsonist charging you for the cost of their matches?

I realize they didn't start the fires intentionally, and that SDG&E are not arsonists, but both Cal-Fire and the California Public Utilities Commission has determined that three of the worst fires, the Witch, Guejit0 and Rice Fires, were caused by SDG&E's power lines malfunctioning during Santa Ana winds. Those malfunctions caused destruction of thousands of acres of wildland and over a thousand homes.

So, now we receive word that SDG&E and Southern California Gas Company, Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison are asking for a rate increase, called the Wildfire Claims Cost Recovery, that will allow them to recoup uninsured costs associated with wildfires. Even as a result of their own alleged negligence? Isn't that sweet? Here's what their bill insert says:

"In the face of a potential insurance crisis that may limit the utilities' ability to obtain insurance coverage, the application asks for CPUC to approve for each utility to establish a Wildfire Expense Balancing Account (WEBA) to record for future recovery all uninsured costs arising from wildfires, including:

1. Payments to satisfy wildfire claims, including any, co-insurance and deductible expense paid by the utilities;
2. Outside legal costs incurred in the defense of wildfire claims;
3. Premiums for insurance against wildfire claims;
4. The cost of financing these amounts"

In my way of thinking, this is like asking a judge to allow a negligent or drunk driver to receive fees from the parties he hit in an accident, to pay for his increased insurance costs, and to pay for legal defense costs in the event he gets sued again for negligent or drunk driving! Only every ratepayer will be paying these fees, including those who lost their homes and property in past fires resulting from malfunctions in utility equipment or lines.

Sure they are getting nailed with increased insurance costs. If you are deemed negligent, insurance companies raise your premium, or find you an unacceptable risk and do not want you. That's the facts of life. So the utilities want the ratepayers to cover the big insurance costs because they screwed up? Is that part of this message? Once again, pass the guilt on to the people who rely upon you for services and have nowhere else to turn for the product.

And, what's this about the gas utilities joining in? What do they know that we don't know? Are they concerned that regulators and gas transmission lines will turn into blowtorches and incinerators in the event of a wildfire? If so, why not get off the dime and be sure that can't happen, rather than get the ratepayers to cover their costs for any losses they might incur.

What happened to big business standing the losses they incur? Don't tell me or any other ratepayer that SDG&E isn't making money. Pass the expenses on to the stockholders just like every other corporation does. You make some money, you lose some money. Most of the time you seem to be rolling in the dough and whenever you get a chance you're squeezing the ratepayer with some scheme to suck more money out of their pocket. Spending money stuffing the mail with energy saving tips while raising the rates. Shame on you.

Yup, San Diego Gouge and Extort hits it right on the nail head. What the hell happened when corporations had a conscience? Oh, wait, that was way back when the government lost theirs too....

Tha California Public Utilities Commission should say NO loud and clear to these utilities; tell them to grow up and stand on their own two feet. Cut payments to their shareholders. Let the fat cats in the big offices take a cut in salary; lay off some of the administrative help like the rest of the busineses have had to do. . And., maybe slow down the SDG&E trucks we see driving at 20 plus miles over the speed limit and save some fuel costs that could help keep our bills in check. And save wear and tear on the trucks too.

Politicians all Lie...So What's the Problem?

If you simply remove all doubt about the veracity of any and all politicians, and understand there is always going to be a time that they will lie, you won't wonder if they are telling the truth. You will always wonder if they are lying or not and disbelieve just about everything they say. The only question is exactly what part of the truth they have distorted or put a "spin" on to make it a lie, or so far from the truth that it really isn't the truth but they want to make believe it really is. You remember the old adage.."How can you tell if a politician is lying? Their mouth is moving!" Unless they're a good ventriloquist, that's probably true.

Take Bill Clinton. Please take him! You remember the immoral ex-president who "never had sex" with Monica Lewinsky. Now he's saying that Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst telling Obama "you Lie" was "racially motivated"? What a jerk. The same Bill Clinton who couldn't tell the truth if it smacked him in the face like an open book, written in first grade language? The same Bill Clinton who was disbarred from the US Supreme Court and who had his Arkansas law license suspended for five years in 2001? The same Bill Clinton who is the subject of many pieces, both online and off detailing nothing but lies emanating from him and his cabinet and his cover ups? And he has the balls to accuse anyone of anything? During his wife's campaign, he did everything he could to smear Obama (who I am not defending incidentally) and now wants to jump on the political bandwagon once again, by denigrating Wilson for his remark.

You GO, Joe! Maybe it wasn't in great decorum to make that remark, but you were right on target. We the people are sick and tired of the lies, and the run around, from the mealy-mouthed politicians who tell us things that are blatant lies and untruths, then backpedal, and can't remember the crap they told us before, stating we just didn't understand what they said. Or in Obama's words, he should have "calibrated" it differently.

They have enough hot air to float the entire state of New Mexico, let alone the balloons that race there!

Obama Goes to Montana and Spins and Spins

No, he wasn't caught up in a tornado, unfortunately. Just that he and the spin doctors, according to the below, put the usual spin on their left-winged political agenda, and the truth is nowhere to be seen. Not in the press, and certainly not in the glib drivel that emanates from his oration.

As if there isn't enough bullshit in Montana (Yes, they have a huge number of bulls in that state..it's a great cattle market) the American people were fed a line about how receptive the people of Montana were to Obama and his health care plan. As the e-mail below points out, it was all allegedly staged as a giant, highly expensive ruse. Conning the people is Washington's game, and the current administration are geniuses at it. I guess if you stage it right, even the trip into the cyanide showers at Auschwitz could seem inviting, couldn't it? Another person with a moustache had a way with words that led a nation to ruin; a pied piper of sorts. Seems like the tactics are reappearing once again by isolating the dissenters and creating an illusion of support by the masses. As Kathy points out, smoke and mirrors, lots of them at our expense.

The e-mail, exactly as received:

Hello All,

By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Bill and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on.

On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date.

On about Tuesday Bill found out that they would be holding the "Town Hall" at the airport. (This is only because Bill knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public.

FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$

During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a recession. $$$$$

Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday.

Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm......900 tickets just DISAPPEARED.

This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think...with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.

On Friday Bill and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama's spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto the area (illegal)and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight. Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd.

The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks were with them.....professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area)

Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.

So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.

If you are wondering about the press.....Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds.

We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho . Speaking of the local media...they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn't want anyone to have to think off the top of their head.

It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes........the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors...EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America , more like the USSR !! I was physically nauseous. Bill and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC . Scary!!

Kathy

Bozeman , Montana

You decide. Does this sound like another Obama staged "Town Hall Meeting" where he buses in supporters once again and isolates his opponents? Sure sounds like it to me.

Rebates - Screwing the Public Even if You Jump Through the Hoops!

Rebates. The promise of cold, hard cash back for making their brand your choice! You buy the product, carefully read the rules, fill out the coupon, circle the date and purchased item on the receipt, cut out the UPC Code from the package, put the dated register receipt, UPC Code and register receipt in an envelope with the rebate address carefully printed on the outside and with your 44 cent stamp attached. Then you wait, and wait. Sometimes, you actually win, and then, sometimes you actually get screwed, as happened to me today.

This is no huge rebate, just $7.99 on a bag of Tyson frozen chicken. But after doing all the above and especially circling the purchase date (which I always do as sometimes I know it could be hard to find) today I receive a card in the mail from CMS Rebate Center telling me my rebate is not qualified because "Reg receipt did not contain a valid purchase date." WTF??

Luckily, I make copies of each and every rebate I send in and sure enough, there big as day is the purchase date of 7/19/09 circled on the store identified register receipt. The rebate period is from 5/1/09 to 10/31/09 so it sure was a valid date!

The rebate company states to resubmit the "missing information" within "7 business days" to an address they provide. I'm resubmitting it, and submitting copies to the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs and filed a complaint with Tyson Foods.

Why? Because I think this is just another way to screw the consumer out of their rebate. Who could miss the purchase date circled? Do they employ the visually handicapped to read the submissions? What next...they'll say it wasn't returned within the seven business days and therefore invalid? Would save them lots of money to just send out postcards instead of rebates, wouldn't it? We all have heard about how some rebate companies have scammed their customers by refunding the money, but not to the consumer. And others who make big bucks by the number of rebates they can deny rather than by the number of rebates they fulfill.

As an investigator, I don't get mad. I generally get even at some time, sooner or later. I could tell you of getting ripped off for five thousand dollars some years back, that cost a company millions in the end, but that's a story for another day.

UPDATE: After writing to Tyson (who simply asked what I bought and no further response...no more of their products for me) and calling the rebate company (who were very nice on the phone I might add) I received a notice in my e-mail today, September 1, stating my rebate was being processed and would be received in two to four weeks. All of this for a rebate, which still brings the question of how many thousands are not getting their rebates because they don't complain?

I suggest people buy products with instant savings and let the stores know that the store should be doing the instant rebate and the work if they want to sell the product. Bags of old outdated chicken left on a shelf would tell the company more than you could imagine!

The REAL ObamaCare Plan

First off, for those who doubt this at all, Dr. Janda's writings and factual statements have been authenticated on Snopes.com at the following URL:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/janda.asp

Written by Dr. Dave Janda

Thursday, 23 July 2009
As a physician who has authored books on preventative health care, I was given the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at a Congressional Dinner at The Capitol Building in Washington last Friday (7/17).

The presentation was entitled Health Care Reform, The Power & Profit of Prevention, and I was gratified that it was well received.

In preparation for the presentation, I read the latest version of "reform" as authored by The Obama Administration and supported by Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid. Here is the link to the 1,018 page document:

http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf

Let me summarize just a few salient points of the above plan. First, however, it should be clear that the same warning notice must be placed on The ObamaCare Plan as on a pack of cigarettes: Consuming this product will be hazardous to your health.

The underlying method of cutting costs throughout the plan is based on rationing and denying care. There is no focus on preventing health care need whatever. The plan's method is the most inhumane and unethical approach to cutting costs I can imagine as a physician.

The rationing of care is implemented through The National Health Care Board, according to the plan. This illustrious Board "will approve or reject treatment for patients based on the cost per treatment divided by the number of years the patient will benefit from the treatment."

Translation.....if you are over 65 or have been recently diagnosed as having an advanced form of cardiac disease or aggressive cancer.....dream on if you think you will get treated.....pick out your coffin.

Oh, you say this could never happen? Sorry.... this is the same model they use in Britain .

The plan mandates that there will be little or no advanced treatments to be available in the future. It creates The Federal Coordinating Council For Comparative Effectiveness Research, the purpose of which is "to slow the development of new medications and technologies in order to reduce costs." Yes, this is to be the law.

The plan also outlines that doctors and hospitals will be overseen and reviewed by The National Coordinator For Health Information and Technology.

This " coordinator" will "monitor treatments being delivered to make sure doctors and hospitals are strictly following government guidelines that are deemed appropriate." It goes on to say....."Doctors and hospitals not adhering to guidelines will face penalties."

According to those in Congress, penalties could include large six figure financial fines and possible imprisonment.

So according to The ObamaCare Plan....if your doctor saves your life you might have to go to the prison to see your doctor for follow -up appointments. I believe this is the same model Stalin used in the former Soviet Union .

Section 102 has the Orwellian title, "Protecting the Choice to Keep Current Coverage." What this section really mandates is that it is illegal to keep your private insurance if your status changes - e.g., if you lose or change your job, retire from your job and become a senior, graduate from college and get your first job. Yes, illegal.

When Mr. Obama hosted a conference call with bloggers urging them to pressure Congress to pass his health plan as soon as possible, a blogger from Maine referenced an Investors Business Daily article that claimed Section 102 of the House health legislation would outlaw private insurance.

He asked: "Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though H.R. 3200 is passed?" Mr. Obama replied: "You know, I have to say that I am not familiar with the provision you are talking about."

Then there is Section 1233 of The ObamaCare Plan, devoted to "Advanced Care Planning." After each American turns 65 years of age they have to go to a mandated counseling program that is designed to end life sooner.

This session is to occur every 5 years unless the person has developed a chronic illness then it must be done every year. The topics in this session will include, "how to decline hydration, nutrition and how to initiate hospice care." It is no wonder The Obama Administration does not like my emphasis on Prevention. For Mr. Obama, prevention is the "enemy" as people would live longer.

I rest my case. The ObamaCare Plan is hazardous to the health of every American.

After I finished my Capitol Hill presentation, I was asked by a Congressman in the question-answer session: "I'll be doing a number of network interviews on the Obama Health Care Plan. If I am asked what is the one word to describe the plan what should I answer."

The answer is simple, honest, direct, analytical, sad but truthful. I told him that one word is FASCIST.

Then I added, "I hope you'll have the courage to use that word, Congressman. No other word is more appropriate."
Dr. Dave Janda, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon, and a world-recognized expert on the prevention of sports injuries, particularly in children. His web site is noinjury.com