Jump to content

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and Denis Kendall: Difference between pages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Difference between pages)
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
 
Grantham has never been known as Grantham and Cleethorpes
 
Line 1: Line 1:
'''William Denis Kendall''' (born a [[Yorkshire]] [[miller]]'s son on 27 May 1903 in [[Halifax, West Yorkshire]], died 29 July 1995<ref>{{cite web|title = Financial Times|url = http://m.ft.com/d2c/0.0?feed-article-id=7c0bd716-e977-11dc-8365-0000779fd2ac&channel-id=FT.com%20-%20UK%20News|accessdate = 2008-03-05}}</ref> in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]), generally known as '''Denis Kendall''', was a British Independent MP ([[Member of Parliament]]) for the [[Grantham]] [[Parliamentary Constituency]] in [[Lincolnshire]], from 1942-1950. He ran away to sea at 14 and made £5,000 helping police raid opium dens along [[China]]'s [[Yangtze River]] before running a waterfront cabaret in [[Shanghai]]. He then ended up in the [[United States|US]] as a [[steeplejack]]. Later he went to work for a [[Philadelphia]] car plant and eventually became works manager for the [[Paris]] [[Citroen]] car factory. MI5 said Brownlow used his position to smooth negotiations by wining and dining local councillors in Paris.
{{About|ACORN|the fruit of the oak tree|Acorn|the social classification|ACORN (demographics)|other uses|Acorn (disambiguation)}}


He went to Grantham in [[Lincolnshire]], [[England]], in 1938 and became [[Managing Director]] of an Arms Production Company. He was aided by the sixth [[Lord Lieutenant]] of Lincolnshire, Lord Brownlow <ref>{{cite web|title = Lincolnshire Echo|url = http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=156130&command=displayContent&sourceNode=242285&home=yes&more_nodeId1=156139&contentPK=20050688|accessdate = 2008-03-06}}</ref> . Kendall became a member or affiliate of the [[British Nationalist Party]] (BNP). His company, the Manufacturing and Research Company Ltd (MARCO), was closely linked to a [[Swiss]] based firm with [[Germany|German]] connections. Kendall attracted the notice of the [[United Kingdom|British]] security service because of his [[Fascist]] sympathies, suspected German links, possible involvement in arms trafficking, and his notorious indiscretion.
{{Infobox Organization
|name = Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now
|image =
|image_border =
|size =
|caption =
|map =
|msize =
|mcaption =
|abbreviation = ACORN
|motto =
|formation = 1970
|extinction =
|type = [[Non-governmental organization]]
|status =
|purpose =
|headquarters = [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]
|location =
|region_served =
|membership =
|language =
|leader_title = President
|leader_name = Maude Hurd (1990-present)
|main_organ =
|parent_organization =
|affiliations =
|num_staff =
|num_volunteers =
|budget =
|website = [http://www.acorn.org www.acorn.org]
|remarks =
}}


==1942 by-election==
'''ACORN''', the '''Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now''', is a community-based organization that advocates for low- and moderate-income families by working on neighborhood safety, health care and other social issues. ACORN has over 350,000 members and more than 850 neighborhood chapters in over 100 cities across the [[United States of America|United States]], as well as in [[Argentina]], [[Canada]], [[Mexico]], and [[Peru]]. ACORN was founded in 1970 by [[Wade Rathke]] and Gary Delgado.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sonoma.edu/users/w/wallsd/community-organizing.shtml |last=Walls |first=David |authorlink =David Walls (academic) |title=Power to the People: Thirty-five Years of Community Organizing |work=The Workbook |month=Summer |year=1994}}</ref> Maude Hurd has been National President of ACORN since 1990.
The security service files describe him as a 'larger than life' figure. He retained the seat he won in the 1942 [[by-election]], when he defeated the [[National Government]] candidate, at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1945|General Election of 1945]] with a 1,513 majority and kept it until 1950. When he won the by-election, he merited a lengthy interview in the magazine ''[[Picture Post]]'' with accompanying action pictures and the eye-catching quote "I won´t sit down and I won´t shut up". As the Managing Director for the British Manufacturing and Research Company in Grantham, he had controversial views on war production, which he took every opportunity to publicise. He learnt his [[engineering]] skills at car factories in the US and France. His factory was highly productive, where workers were well paid and provided with endless music and dance parties. He hired an [[organ (music)|organ]] and cinema [[organist]] to entertain them.


==National Archive files==
ACORN's priorities have included: better housing and wages for the poor, more community development investment from banks and governments, and better public schools.<ref>http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=1139&L=0%3Fid%3D8144</ref> ACORN pursues these goals through demonstration, negotiation, legislation, and voter participation.<ref>http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=1139&L=0%3Fid%3D8144</ref>
Three files available in the Nation Archives
<ref>{{cite web|title = British National Archives|url = http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7839876|accessdate = 2008-03-04}}</ref> reveal that Kendall had come to the attention of the Security Service well before his election. Shortly after his election, a reporter visiting his office saw that he had letters pinned up from [[Winston Churchill]], [[King]] [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] and [[Lord Beaverbrook]] commending him for his part in the rescue of four people from a bombed house. However, the security files show how Beaverbrook (then Minister for Aircraft Production) had raised concerns about Kendall's activities, and the file investigates the real fears that he was planning to smuggle secret plans for a new 20mm aircraft cannon out of the UK to America.


As a result of Beaverbrook's intervention, all Kendall's letters were intercepted as were those of his wife, Virginia. She depaired of his lavish lifestyle and in one letter to a friend in the US wrote that: ''"...[he] has completely lost his head... has one woman friend after another... spends thousands on silver and diamonds... some day the British people will want to know what is happening"''.
ACORN is made up of several legally distinct parts including local non-profits, a national lobbying organization and the ACORN Housing Corporation.<ref name="wsj0731"/> ACORN says it is non-partisan though it is often aligned with the Democratic Party on policy.<ref name="wsj0731"/> This political alignment and some of the causes it advocates have made ACORN the subject of partisan conflict.<ref name="cbs"/><ref name="wsj0731"/> Some of ACORN's voter registration programs have been investigated for fraud.<ref>Las Vegas News-Review Oct. 8, 2008 http://www.lvrj.com/news/30613864.html</ref>


The Secret Intelligence Service ([[MI5]]) continued to watch his activities, and expressed concerns that he was carelessly revealing wartime production figures in his election [[hustings]] speeches in a way that breached the [[Official Secrets Act|Official Secrets]] and the [[Defence of the Realm Act|Defence of the Realm]] Acts. Kendall's popularity however, thwarted any attempt to arrest him.
==Issues and actions==
=== Predatory lending and affordable housing ===
ACORN targets companies that engage in [[Loan|lending]] practices that it considers [[Predatory lending|predatory]]. It supports strict state laws against predatory practices, organizes against foreclosure rescue scams, and attempts to steer borrowers toward loan counseling.<ref name="ACORN_2003"/> Following a three-year campaign, Household International (now owned by [[HSBC|HSBC Holdings]] and renamed [[HSBC Finance|HSBC Finance Corporation]]), one of the largest [[subprime lending|subprime lenders]] in the country, and ACORN announced on November 25, 2003 a proposed settlement of a 2002 national [[class-action lawsuit]] brought by ACORN. The settlement created a $72 million [[Foreclosure Avoidance Program]] to provide relief to Household borrowers who are at risk of losing their homes.<ref name="ACORN_2003">{{cite web |url=http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=8500 |title=ACORN Annual Report 2003 |publisher=ACORN |year=2003 |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> The settlement came on the heels of an earlier $484 million settlement between Household, Attorneys General, and bank regulators from all 50 US states.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atg.wa.gov/householdfinance/facts.shtml |title=Household Finance Settlement |publisher = Washington State Office of the Attorney General |date=[[2003-12-05]] |accessdate=2007-11-12 |archivedate=2007-09-27 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060927065346/http://www.atg.wa.gov/householdfinance/facts.shtml}}</ref>


The files cover Kendall's election in 1942, including copies and summaries of his speeches. His victory was a surprise. He had initially been supported by the local [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], which then withdrew support on orders from headquarters. A file minute of 14 September 1944 summarises the low opinion in which the Service held him: '' 'The not very satisfactory Member of Parliament is said to boast that he can get his own way on everything.' '' A copy of the ''[[Picture Post]]'' featuring the interview is included in the National Archives files.
ACORN and its affiliates advocate for affordable housing by urging the development, rehabilitation and establishment of housing trust funds at the local, state, and federal levels.<ref>ACORN affordable housing statement http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=44</ref> The group also pushes for enforcement of affordable-housing requirements for developers and promotes programs to help homeowners repair their homes and organize tenant demands.<ref>ACORN affordable housing statement http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=44</ref>


The files go on to record speculation about his presumed post-war [[gun running]] and [[smuggling]] activities in [[India]], [[Holland]] and [[Palestine]], involving Kendall's boat, which had a [[double hull]] for concealing illicit items.
=== Living wages ===
[[Living wage]] ordinances require private businesses that do business with the government to pay their workers a wage that enables them to afford basic necessities. ACORN has helped pass local living wage laws in fifteen cities including [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[Denver, Colorado|Denver]], and [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite journal
| author = David Swanson
| date = February 21, 2005
| title = Federal Minimum Wage 44% Below 1968 Level: Fighting for a Living Wage, State by State
| journal = Counterpunch
| url = http://www.counterpunch.org/swanson02212005.html
| accessdate = 2008-07-14
}}</ref> ACORN maintains a website that provides strategic and logistical assistance to organizations nationwide.


In 1949 a court ordered him to repay £15,000 provided by a private donor as an investment, but which he tried to use to pay off creditors. The security files also disclose that MI5 also kept close eyes on another company, Russian Oil Products, which was suspected of being a cover for [[Soviet]] [[espionage]] though Kendall's involvement, if any, is unclear. The company was sold to Regent Oil Company<ref>{{cite web|title = Chevron's history in the UK|url = http://www.texaco.co.uk/History.htm |accessdate = 2008-03-18}}</ref> in 1948, the forebear of [[Texaco]] in the UK.
ACORN filed a lawsuit in [[California]] seeking to exempt itself from the state's [[minimum wage]] of $4.25 per hour in 1995. ACORN alleged in its complaint that minimum wage laws "were unconstitutional as applied to it, because they restricted its ability to engage in political advocacy by forcing it to hire fewer workers, and that its workers, if paid the minimum wage, would be less empathetic with its low- and moderate-income constituency and would therefore be less effective advocates." The court denied ACORN's petition; the denial was sustained on appeal.<ref>Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now v. Department of Industrial Relations, 41 Cal. App. 4th 298, 301 (Cal. Ct. App. 1995).</ref>


Kendall ceased to be an MP at the 1950 election. Interest in him appears to have declined after 1953. The files contain summary reports of his ongoing activities, and a career summary from 1950 concludes that ''"during the war he was involved in the [[Black Market]] and there is in fact little doubt that he is a currency smuggler"''. The files record his close association with leading [[right-wing]] extremists throughout.
=== Katrina relief ===
ACORN members across the country, particularly in the [[Gulf Coast|Gulf]] region, have organized fundraising and organizing drives to ensure that victims of [[Hurricane Katrina]] will receive assistance and will be able to return to affected areas. ACORN's Home Cleanout Demonstration Program has gutted and rebuilt over 1,850 homes with the help of volunteers. The ACORN Katrina Survivors Association formed in the aftermath of the storm is the first nationwide organization for Katrina survivors and has been working for equitable treatment for victims. Displaced citizens were bussed into the city for the [[New Orleans]] primary and general elections. ACORN Housing Services have helped more than 2,000 homeowners affected by the storm and is an official planner working with the city on reconstruction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=9703 |title=Two years after Katrina, still fighting and winning |year=2005 |publisher=ACORN |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref>{{Verify credibility|date=July 2008}}

=== Education ===
ACORN pushes [[education reform]] usually in the form of organizing neighborhood groups and "community" or "ACORN schools". In Chicago, ACORN has advocated for a certified teacher to be in every classroom. In [[California]] ACORN has documented the need for textbooks and school repairs. ACORN works with teachers unions to get money for school construction and more funding for schools.<ref name="ACORN_school_overview">{{cite web |url=http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=2660 |title=School Overview |publisher=ACORN |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> ACORN also supports school reform and the "creation of alternative public schools" such as [[charter school]]s.<ref name="ACORN_school_overview"/><ref>http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=735</ref> ACORN opposed the privatization of some NYC schools, favoring its own Charter School plan.<ref>http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2001/03/14/26edison.h20.html</ref> The ACORN model for schools emphasizes small classes, parent involvement, qualified teachers and "community oriented curricula".<ref><http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=735></ref>

===Gun control===
In 2006, ACORN intervened on behalf of [[Jersey City]], [[New Jersey]] in a lawsuit brought against the city, which challenged a local ordinance that limited handgun purchasers to one gun a month.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1166448999875 |title=N.J. Judge Voids City's Gun Control Law |first=Charles |last=Toutant |publisher=New Jersey Law Journal |date=[[2006-12-20]] |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> The [[Hudson County]] Superior Court struck down the ordinance on the grounds that it violated the New Jersey Constitution's Equal Protection clause, and a state statute prohibiting towns and municipalities from enacting firearms legislation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1166448999875 |title=N.J. Judge Voids City's Gun Control Law |first=Charles |last=Toutant |publisher=New Jersey Law Journal |date=[[2006-12-20]] |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref>

On September 29, 2008, the [[New Jersey]] Appellate Court denied ACORN's appeal of the [[Hudson County]] Superior Court's decision striking down Jersey City's ordinance.<ref>http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/opinions/a4443-06a4708-06.pdf</ref>

==History==
<!-- The info in this History section are well sourced in the Delgado book -->

=== 1970-1975: Founding ===
ACORN was founded by [[Wade Rathke]] when he was sent to [[Little Rock, Arkansas]] by the [[National Welfare Rights Organization]] (NWRO) in 1970 as an organizer.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Sol|last=Stern|journal=City Journal|title=ACORN’s Nutty Regime for Cities|url=http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_2_acorns_nutty_regime.html|date=Spring 2003|accessdate=2007-01-24}}</ref> Gary Delgado and George A. Wiley were also instrumental to its founding. ACORN's first campaign was aimed at helping welfare recipients attain their basic needs, such as [[clothing]] and [[furniture]]. This drive, inspired by a clause in the [[Arkansas]] [[Welfare (financial aid)|welfare]] laws, began the effort to create and sustain a movement that would grow to become the Arkansas Community Organizations for Reform Now, the beginnings of ACORN.<ref name=Delgado>{{cite book|last=Delgado|first=Gary|title=Organizing the Movement: The Roots and Growth of ACORN|publisher=Temple University Press|date=1986|isbn=0-87722-393-9|oclc=12134922 59256995}}</ref>

ACORN's goal was to unite welfare recipients with [[working poor|needy working people]] around issues of free school lunches, [[unemployment]] issues, [[Vietnam veteran|Vietnam veterans']] rights, and [[emergency room]] care. The broad range of issues did not stop there as the organization grew throughout Arkansas. ACORN organized [[Agriculture|farmers]] to take on [[Environmentalism|environmental]] issues concerning [[sulfur]] emissions.

=== 1975-1980: Growth beyond Arkansas ===
In 1975, ACORN created branches in [[Texas]] and [[South Dakota]]. On December 13, 1975, sixty leaders from the three ACORN states elected the first associate Executive Board and the first ACORN president, Steve McDonald, to deal with matters beyond the scope of the individual city and state boards. Each year thereafter saw three or more states join ACORN, building to a total of twenty states by 1980. This expansion led to multi-state campaigns beginning with a mass meeting of 1,000 members in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] in 1978. At the end of the conference, ACORN convention delegates marched on the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] conference with the outline of a nine-point "People’s Platform" which would go on to become the foundation of ACORN's platform when it was ratified in 1979.

ACORN was active in the [[U.S. presidential election, 1980|1980 Election]] with the "People's Platform" serving as its standard.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.umsl.edu/~whmc/guides/whm0040.htm |title=WESTERN HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION |publisher=UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS |month=June |year=1980 |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> It led [[Demonstration (people)|demonstrations]] aimed at both major party candidates; demanded to meet with [[Jimmy Carter|President Jimmy Carter]]; marched on the president's campaign finance committee chair's home; and presented its platform to the [[United States Republican Party|Republican Party]] platform committee.

=== 1980-1988: Reagan era ===
By 1980, ACORN’S staff was stretched thin by the demands of meeting its expansion goals. Much of its resources and energy had been dedicated to the presidential primaries and national party conventions. ACORN launched [[squatting]] campaigns in an attempt to obtain affordable housing, and encouraged [[squatter]]s to refit the premises for comfortable living.

In June 1982 ACORN sponsored "[[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] Ranches" in over 35 cities believing the president's focus to be on military as opposed to social spending. These [[tent city|tent cities]] were erected for two days and were met with resistance from the [[National Park Service]], which tried repeatedly to evict the tenters. The protesters remained and then marched on the [[White House]] and testified before a [[United States Congress|Congressional committee]] about what they described as the housing crisis in America. The last Reagan Ranch was held at the Republican Convention in [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] in 1984.

In addition to protesting, ACORN also developed and strengthened its [[political action committee]]s and encouraged its members to run for office. For the [[U.S. presidential election, 1984|1984 Election]] ACORN wanted to endorse a candidate, setting a 75% support in polls among members as its requirement. No candidate reached that level, though there was strong support for [[Jesse Jackson]]. ACORN also established a legislative office that year in [[Washington, DC]]. During this period ACORN also focused on local election reform in a number of cities, including [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Columbia, South Carolina]], and [[Sioux Falls, South Dakota]], encouraging the change of at-large legislative bodies to district representation.

ACORN grew to twenty-seven states, adding chapters in [[New York City]], Washington, DC, and [[Chicago, Illinois]] by the end of Reagan's first term.<ref name=Delgado />

During the [[U.S. presidential election, 1988|1988 Election]] ACORN held its National Convention in the same city as the Democratic Convention &mdash; [[Atlanta, Georgia]]. During the preceding four years ACORN had strengthened its ties with [[Jesse Jackson]] and accounted for thirty Jackson delegates. It also sponsored a march at the convention.

ACORN's membership grew to 70,000 plus in twenty-eight states during this time. It increased its legislative lobbying efforts in Washington and strengthened its [[Political Action Committee]]s (PACs). It also developed what it called the [[Affiliated Media Foundation Movement]] (AM/FM). Starting with station [[KNON]] in Dallas, AM/FM moved on to establish radio stations, [[UHF]] television and [[cable television]] programming. It also sought and received appointments to the [[Resolution Trust Corporation]] (RTC) which was formed to dissolve the assets of failed [[Savings and loan|Savings and Loans]] resulting from the [[Savings and Loan crisis]].

===1988-1998: Focus on housing===
[[Image:Acorn pred lend.jpg|thumbnail|ACORN member demonstrating against predatory lending]]
While some of ACORN’s most notable efforts were in the area of housing, it has counted health, public safety, education, representation, work and workers’ rights and communications concerns among its victories.

The 1990 ACORN convention in Chicago focused on the fast-breaking housing campaign. It featured a squatting demonstration at an RTC house. Later, ACORN members demanded cooperation from banks about providing loan data on low- and moderate-income communities and compliance with the 1977 [[Community Reinvestment Act]] (CRA).

ACORN fought weakening of the CRA in 1991, staging a two-day takeover of the [[House Banking Committee]] hearing room. It also established ACORN Housing Corporation to service people moving into homes under the housing campaign, rehabilitated hundreds of houses addressed by CRA.

The ACORN convention in New York in 1992, called the "ACORN-Bank Summit", was organized to make deals with giant banks. When [[Citibank]], the nation’s largest bank, did not participate conventioneers protested at its downtown [[Manhattan]] headquarters, and won a meeting to negotiate for similar programs.

ACORN supported and lobbied for the [[National Voter Registration Act of 1993|"Motor Voter" Act]]. After its passage, ACORN members attended [[Bill Clinton|President Clinton’s]] signing ceremony. ACORN then pursued new registration laws in Arkansas and [[Massachusetts]] and filed suit in [[Illinois]], [[Louisiana]], [[Michigan]], [[Missouri]], [[New Jersey]], and [[Pennsylvania]] as a result of the act.

In 1993, ACORN also began a national campaign to fight [[insurance]] [[redlining]], a practice that put the gains made in other housing campaigns at risk. The campaign targeted [[Allstate]], hitting sales offices in fourteen cities and a stockholders meeting. Allstate agreed to negotiate and signed an agreement in 1994 for a $10 million partnership with ACORN and [[NationsBank]] for below-market mortgages to low-income homebuyers. [[Travelers Insurance]] agreed to a Neighborhood and Home Safety Program, linking access to insurance and lower rates to public safety programs.

In 1994, the group improperly used a $1.1 million grant from AmeriCorps for political purposes and the grant was terminated.<ref>{{cite news | last = | first = | coauthors = | title =Grapes of Rathke | work =[[The Wall Street Journal]] | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =November 8, 2006 | url =http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110009214 | accessdate = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Bartlett | first =Bruce | title =Minimum wage ACORN roots | work =[[The Washington Times]] | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =January 4, 2006 | url =http://www.washtimes.com/news/2006/jan/03/20060103-093213-4084r/ | accessdate = }}</ref>. Acorn says it does not now accept direct government funding and is not tax exempt.<ref>http://acorn.org/index.php?id=12342</ref>

===1998-2004: Building capacity===
ACORN's subsequent activities have included its "Living Wage" programs, voter registration, and [[Grassroots democracy|grassroots political organization]].

In 1998 ACORN helped form the [[Working Families Party]] in [[New York]] which counts increasing the minimum wage as its centerpiece issue.

Dale Rathke, the brother of ACORN's founder Wade Rathke, was found to have [[embezzlement|embezzled]] $948,607.50 from the group and affiliated charitable organizations in 1999 and 2000. ACORN executives did not inform the board or law enforcement, but signed an enforceable restitution agreement with the Rathke family to repay the amount of the embezzlement. Wade Rathke stated to the [[New York Times]] that "the decision to keep the matter secret was not made to protect his brother but because word of the embezzlement would have put a “weapon” into the hands of [...] conservatives who object to [ACORN]'s often strident advocacy on behalf of low- and moderate-income families and workers." A [[whistleblower]] revealed the fraud in 2008, leading to the departure of both Dale and Wade Rathke.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/us/09embezzle.html?ex=1373342400&en=d2ad71953fd2c157&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink |title=Funds Misappropriated at 2 Nonprofit Groups |publisher=The New York Times |date=[[2008-08-09]] |first=Stephanie |last=Strom |accessdate=2008-08-09}}</ref>

A March 27, 2003 decision of the [[National Labor Relations Board]] found that ACORN attempted to thwart [[Labor union|union organizing]] efforts within its own organization by laying off two workers who were attempting to organize.<ref name=nlrb>{{cite web| title = Decisions of the NLRB, 338-129| publisher = National Labor Relations Board| date = [[2003-03-27]]| url = http://www.nlrb.gov/shared_files/Board%20Decisions/338/338-129.pdf| format = pdf| accessdate = 2006-10-12 }}</ref> The two workers, both field organizers with ACORN, began discussions with the [[Service Employees International Union]] and later sought to organize under [[Industrial Workers of the World]] in response to their $16,000 annual salary for a 54-hour work week.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} The NLRB ordered the two employees be reinstated in their former jobs and ACORN cease from interrogating employees about organizing activity.<ref name=nlrb />. ACORN has since strengthened its ties with the Service Employees International Union, which donates over two million dollars to ACORN each year,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116113323291895978-search.html?KEYWORDS=ACORN+%2B+union&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month |title=The Wal-Mart Posse |publisher=[[Wall Street Journal]] |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> often working collaboratively on issues (including health insurance costs and the minimum wage) and sharing office space.

In 2004, Florida ACORN helped to raise Florida's minimum wage by $1.00 an hour by lobbying for a minimum wage amendment to be placed on the ballot. Over 1 million Florida employees were affected by the raise, which is adjusted annually for [[inflation]].

2004 saw ACORN become an international organization, opening offices in [[Canada]], [[Peru]], and beginning work in [[Dominican Republic]]. Since then offices have opened in [[Mexico]] and [[Argentina]].

===2004-present: voter registration fraud investigations===
ACORN Votes, ACORN's national political action committee, endorsed the candidacy of [[Barack Obama]] during the [[2008 Democratic Presidential Primary]].<ref>{{cite press release|title=ACORN’s Political Action Committee Endorses Obama |url=https://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=8539&tx_ttnews%5Bpointer%5D=4&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=21759&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=8538&cHash=ff99d11068}}</ref>

* In [[Ohio]] in 2004, four ACORN employees were indicted by a federal grand jury for submitting false voter registration forms.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Acorn Indictments: A union-backed outfit faces charges of election fraud| publisher = The Wall Street Journal | date = [[2006-11-03]]| url = http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009189}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = New Registration Rules Stir Voter Debate in Ohio | publisher = The New York Times | date = [[2006-08-06]]| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/us/06ohio.html}}</ref>
*In January 2005 two [[Colorado]] ACORN workers were sentenced to [[community service]] for submitting false voter registrations.<ref>"Briefing," Rocky Mountain News, 1/4/05, cited at http://discoverthenetwork.org/Articles/acornbackgro.html</ref> ACORN's regional director said, "we find it abhorrent and do everything we can to prevent it from happening."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/10/28/absentee_ballots_may_be_missing/ |title=2 accused of fraud in voter registration |date=[[2004-10-28]] |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-07-14}}</ref>
* On [[November 1]], [[2006]], four part-time ACORN employees were indicted in [[Kansas City, Missouri]] for voter registration fraud. Prosecutors said the indictments are part of a national investigation.<ref name="kcindictments">{{cite news | title = ACORN Workers Indicted For Alleged Voter Fraud| publisher = KMBC-TV| date = [[2006-11-01]]| url = http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/politics/10214492/detail.html| accessdate = 2006-11-02 }}</ref> ACORN said in a press release that it is in part responsible in these individuals being caught, has fired them, and has cooperated and publicly supported efforts to look into the validity of the allegations.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.pubdef.net/2006/11/4-acorn-workers-indicted-in-kc.html |title=4 ACORN Workers Indicted in KC |first=Antonio D. |last=French |date=[[2006-11-01]] |publisher=PubDef.net |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref>
* ACORN was investigated in 2006 for submitting false voter registrations in [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. 1,492 fraudulent voter registrations were identified.<ref>[http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/795117FA8146E4F08625741F006D15C0?OpenDocument Voter registration workers admit fraud]</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=105234 |title=St. Louis Election Board Investigating Voter Fraud |date=[[2006-10-11]] |first=Ann |last=Rubin |publisher=[[KSDK]] TV |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref>
*In 2007, five [[Washington|Washington]] state ACORN workers were sentenced to jail time.<ref>{{cite web | title = Voter Fraud Watch: Could ACORN Scandal in Washington Have Been Avoided With Photo ID? | publisher = FOX News | date = [[2008-05-02]]| url = http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/02/voter-fraud-watch-could-acorn-scandal-in-washington-have-been-avoided-with-photo-id/}}</ref> ACORN agreed to pay [[King County]] $25 000 for its investigative costs and acknowledged that the national organization could be subject to criminal prosecution if fraud occurs again. According to King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, the misconduct was done "as an easy way to get paid [by ACORN], not as an attempt to influence the outcome of elections."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003806904_webvotefraud26m.html |title=Felony charges filed against 7 in state's biggest case of voter-registration fraud |publisher=The Seattle Times |date=[[2007-07-28]] |first=Keith |last=Ervin |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/304877_acorn23.html |title=Reform group turned in 2000 suspicious voter registrations |publisher=Seattle Post Intelligencer |date=[[2007-02-23]] |first=Rachel last=La Corte |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref>
*In 2008, the [[Michigan Secretary of State]] office told the [[Detroit Free Press]] that ACORN had been submitting a sizeable number of duplicate and fraudulent applications to vote.<ref>[http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809140383 Bad voter applications found, September 14, 2008]</ref>
*In 2008, the Las Vegas ACORN Office was raided due to voter fraud complaints.<ref name="vegas-raid-fox">{{cite news|url=http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/07/acorn-vegas-office-raided-voter-fraud-investigation/|title=ACORN Vegas Office Raided in Voter Fraud Investigation|date=2008-10-07|publisher=Fox News|accessdate=2008-10-07}}</ref>
*State authorities in Nevada raided ACORN's offices alleging that its canvassers falsified forms with bogus names, fake addresses or famous personalities. The secretary of state's office launched an investigation after noticing that names did not match addresses and that most members of the Dallas Cowboys appeared to be registering in Nevada to vote in November's general election. "We basically had the starting lineup for the Dallas Cowboys," Secretary of State Ross Miller said. "Tony Romo is not registered to vote in Nevada. Anyone trying to pose as Terrell Owens won't be able to cast a ballot."<ref>Oct. 8, 2008 News-Journal http://www.lvrj.com/news/30613864.html</ref>
Investigations that have not resulted in charges have also been conducted in [[Lake County, Indiana]]<ref name="cnn-indiana">http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/09/acorn.fraud.claims/index.html Thousands of voter registration forms faked, officials say</ref> and [[Cuyahoga County, Ohio]]<ref>http://www.nypost.com/seven/10092008/news/politics/nuts__132771.htm NUTS! HOW ACORN GOT ME INTO VOTE SCAM</ref><ref name="nyp-72 times">http://www.nypost.com/seven/10102008/news/politics/1_voter__72_registrations_132965.htm 1 Voter, 72 Registrations</ref> in 2008 and in [[Missouri]] in 2008.<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081009/ap_on_el_ge/voter_fraud_6</ref> In the Washington case, ACORN agreed to pay [[King County]] $25 000 for its investigative costs and acknowledged that the national organization could be subject to criminal prosecution if fraud occurs again.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003806904_webvotefraud26m.html |title=Felony charges filed against 7 in state's biggest case of voter-registration fraud |publisher=The Seattle Times |date=[[2007-07-28]] |first=Keith |last=Ervin |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/304877_acorn23.html |title=Reform group turned in 2000 suspicious voter registrations |publisher=Seattle Post Intelligencer |date=[[2007-02-23]] |first=Rachel last=La Corte |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref>

During investigations, ACORN has publicly supported the investigations of employees submitting fraudulent voter registration information, has fired them if evidence supports the charges, and has stated its concern with false information on registration forms.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/10/28/absentee_ballots_may_be_missing/ |title=2 accused of fraud in voter registration |date=[[2004-10-28]] |publisher=Boston Globe |accessdate=2008-07-14}}</ref><ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.pubdef.net/2006/11/4-acorn-workers-indicted-in-kc.html |title=4 ACORN Workers Indicted in KC |first=Antonio D. |last=French |date=[[2006-11-01]] |publisher=PubDef.net |accessdate=2007-11-12}}</ref> Officials have stated that ACORN has been cooperative in these investigations.<ref name="michigan_voter"/>

== ACORN in political discourse ==
{{Recentism}}
Some Democrats have championed ACORN's work in organizing and supporting the causes of people with low and moderate incomes.<ref>http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=289192</ref> ACORN's political committees have sometimes endorsed Democratic candidates.<ref>{{cite press release|title=ACORN’s Political Action Committee Endorses Obama |url=https://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=8539&tx_ttnews%5Bpointer%5D=4&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=21759&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=8538&cHash=ff99d11068}}</ref> ACORN has participated in every Democratic Convention since 1980 <ref>http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=730</ref> with members elected as delegates.<ref>http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=730</ref> ACORN has lobbied delegates at Republican conventions<ref>http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=730</ref> and has been criticized by Republicans for its support of Democratic candidates and alleged bias in its voter registration efforts.<ref name="wsj0731"/>

House of Representatives Republican leader [[John Boehner]] called for ACORN to be barred from receiving federal monies, and for a ban on ACORN contracting with candidates for federal office. He said, "ACORN spent decades promoting the housing policies that brought America's economy to the brink, and similarly over the years has committed fraud on our system of elections"<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1008/Boehner_escalates_war_on_ACORN.html |author=Politico|title=Boehner escalates war on ACORN|work=[[Politico]]|date=9 October 2008}}</ref>

In contrast, [[John Atlas]] writes in a [[Huffington Post]] editorial that ACORN has "accumulated many enemies" and has been "subjected to vicious attacks from business [[lobbyist]]s, conservative politicians, and right-wing media." This same source alleges that the [[George W. Bush]] administration has sought to harass ACORN with accusation of voter fraud.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-atlas/acorn-under-the-microscop_b_112503.html |author=John Atlas|title=ACORN Under The Microscope|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=July 14, 2008}}</ref>
In a report released October 2008 the [[US Department of Justice]] Inspector General found that former U.S. Attorney [[David Iglesias]] was wrongfully fired by Attorney General [[Alberto Gonzales]] after Iglesias declined to indict over alleged voter fraud at an ACORN affiliate in New Mexico, citing insufficient evidence.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0809a/final.pdf |author=US Department of Justice Inspector General|title= An Investigation into the Removal of Nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006, pgs 156-167 and 190]</ref>

Some Republicans, most notably [[Ken Blackwell]], have attempted to link Barack Obama to ACORN's alleged voter fraud.<ref>{{cite journal|title=An ACORN falls from the tree |url=http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=N2Y5MTc0ZTAyMmE1Mjk3NGE3OWRiY2FkMjZlN2YxYzc=}}</ref>. The Obama campaign has strongly denied these accusations via their website and pointed to Blackwell's involvement in [[2004 United States election voting controversies|the irregularities reported in Ohio during the 2004 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Barack Obama Never Organized with ACORN |url=http://fightthesmears.com/articles/20/acornrumor}}</ref>.

ACORN has been criticized by free market groups for its role in advocating lending practices to borrowers without traditional qualifications (large down payments and proven income sources), and for encouraging government based housing trusts rather than a market oriented approach to expand public housing.<ref>http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=1139&L=0%3Fid%3D8144</ref><ref>Consumer Rights League http://www.consumersrightsleague.org/</ref>

During the debate on the bailout bill (the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008), some conservative commentators claimed that a draft provision (omitted in the adopted bill) to give money to funds run by the [[US Department of the Treasury]] could potentially lead to money flowing to groups like ACORN.<ref>http://www.politico.com/static/PPM41_ayo08b28.html</ref><ref name=wsj0731>{{cite news | last =Williamson | first =Elizabeth | coauthors =Mullins, Brody | title =Democratic Ally Mobilizes In Housing Crunch | work =[[The Wall Street Journal]] | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =July 31, 2008 | url =http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121745181676698197.html | accessdate = }}</ref> When asked how much money ACORN or other community groups would get, Steven Adamske, spokesman for Rep. [[Barney Frank]] (D-Mass.), chairman of the Financial Services Committee said, "None. Absolutely none. All funds would go to state and local governments."<ref name=cbs>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/27/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4483168.shtml |title=ACORN Issue Fueling Bailout Opposition |accessdate= |author=Ryan Grim |date=September 27, 2008 |work=CBS News |publisher=}}</ref>

In October 2008, the [[John McCain]] campaign released a web-based ad suggesting ACORN was partly responsible for the 2008 [[Economic crisis of 2008|economic crisis]]. ACORN pushed back on this accusation via its website, calling the spot "a smear ad."<ref>{{cite journal|title=ACORN Response to Senator McCain's Smear Ad |url=http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12439&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=22382&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=12387&cHash=4507a6d2a0}}</ref>

On October 13, ACORN pushed back again by releasing a picture of Senator McCain attending an ACORN immigration forum to the non-partisan news organisation Politico.com. <ref name=politico>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Acorn_pushes_back_hugs_McCain.html?showall |title=ACORN pushes back, hugs McCain |accessdate= |author=Ben Smith |date=October 13, 2008 |work=Politico.com |publisher=}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{refs}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book |first=Gary |last=Delgado |title=Organizing the Movement: The Roots and Growth of ACORN |location=Philadelphia |publisher=[[Temple University Press]] |year=1986 |isbn=0-87722-393-9 |oclc=12134922 59256995}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.acorn.org ACORN]
*[http://www.livingwagecampaign.org/ ACORN Living Wage Resource Center]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kendall, William Denis}}
[[Category:Civil rights organizations]]
[[Category:Consumer organizations]]
[[Category:1903 births]]
[[Category:Community-building organizations]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:United States political action committees]]
[[Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies]]
[[Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:British National Party]]
[[Category:Affordable housing advocacy organizations]]
[[Category:United Kingdom intelligence agencies]]
[[Category:Gun control advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:English independent politicians]]
[[Category:Immigration political advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:Independent MPs (UK)]]
[[Category:Industrial Workers of the World]]

Revision as of 20:04, 13 October 2008

William Denis Kendall (born a Yorkshire miller's son on 27 May 1903 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, died 29 July 1995[1] in Los Angeles, California), generally known as Denis Kendall, was a British Independent MP (Member of Parliament) for the Grantham Parliamentary Constituency in Lincolnshire, from 1942-1950. He ran away to sea at 14 and made £5,000 helping police raid opium dens along China's Yangtze River before running a waterfront cabaret in Shanghai. He then ended up in the US as a steeplejack. Later he went to work for a Philadelphia car plant and eventually became works manager for the Paris Citroen car factory. MI5 said Brownlow used his position to smooth negotiations by wining and dining local councillors in Paris.

He went to Grantham in Lincolnshire, England, in 1938 and became Managing Director of an Arms Production Company. He was aided by the sixth Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Lord Brownlow [2] . Kendall became a member or affiliate of the British Nationalist Party (BNP). His company, the Manufacturing and Research Company Ltd (MARCO), was closely linked to a Swiss based firm with German connections. Kendall attracted the notice of the British security service because of his Fascist sympathies, suspected German links, possible involvement in arms trafficking, and his notorious indiscretion.

1942 by-election

The security service files describe him as a 'larger than life' figure. He retained the seat he won in the 1942 by-election, when he defeated the National Government candidate, at the General Election of 1945 with a 1,513 majority and kept it until 1950. When he won the by-election, he merited a lengthy interview in the magazine Picture Post with accompanying action pictures and the eye-catching quote "I won´t sit down and I won´t shut up". As the Managing Director for the British Manufacturing and Research Company in Grantham, he had controversial views on war production, which he took every opportunity to publicise. He learnt his engineering skills at car factories in the US and France. His factory was highly productive, where workers were well paid and provided with endless music and dance parties. He hired an organ and cinema organist to entertain them.

National Archive files

Three files available in the Nation Archives [3] reveal that Kendall had come to the attention of the Security Service well before his election. Shortly after his election, a reporter visiting his office saw that he had letters pinned up from Winston Churchill, King George VI and Lord Beaverbrook commending him for his part in the rescue of four people from a bombed house. However, the security files show how Beaverbrook (then Minister for Aircraft Production) had raised concerns about Kendall's activities, and the file investigates the real fears that he was planning to smuggle secret plans for a new 20mm aircraft cannon out of the UK to America.

As a result of Beaverbrook's intervention, all Kendall's letters were intercepted as were those of his wife, Virginia. She depaired of his lavish lifestyle and in one letter to a friend in the US wrote that: "...[he] has completely lost his head... has one woman friend after another... spends thousands on silver and diamonds... some day the British people will want to know what is happening".

The Secret Intelligence Service (MI5) continued to watch his activities, and expressed concerns that he was carelessly revealing wartime production figures in his election hustings speeches in a way that breached the Official Secrets and the Defence of the Realm Acts. Kendall's popularity however, thwarted any attempt to arrest him.

The files cover Kendall's election in 1942, including copies and summaries of his speeches. His victory was a surprise. He had initially been supported by the local Labour Party, which then withdrew support on orders from headquarters. A file minute of 14 September 1944 summarises the low opinion in which the Service held him: 'The not very satisfactory Member of Parliament is said to boast that he can get his own way on everything.' A copy of the Picture Post featuring the interview is included in the National Archives files.

The files go on to record speculation about his presumed post-war gun running and smuggling activities in India, Holland and Palestine, involving Kendall's boat, which had a double hull for concealing illicit items.

In 1949 a court ordered him to repay £15,000 provided by a private donor as an investment, but which he tried to use to pay off creditors. The security files also disclose that MI5 also kept close eyes on another company, Russian Oil Products, which was suspected of being a cover for Soviet espionage though Kendall's involvement, if any, is unclear. The company was sold to Regent Oil Company[4] in 1948, the forebear of Texaco in the UK.

Kendall ceased to be an MP at the 1950 election. Interest in him appears to have declined after 1953. The files contain summary reports of his ongoing activities, and a career summary from 1950 concludes that "during the war he was involved in the Black Market and there is in fact little doubt that he is a currency smuggler". The files record his close association with leading right-wing extremists throughout.

References

  1. ^ "Financial Times". Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  2. ^ "Lincolnshire Echo". Retrieved 2008-03-06.
  3. ^ "British National Archives". Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  4. ^ "Chevron's history in the UK". Retrieved 2008-03-18.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_of_Community_Organizations_for_Reform_Now&oldid=245063302"