Puget Sound Prosperity, Snohomish County, and Elected Officials: Truely the ACORN does not fall far from the tree

The ACORN office of Everett, Washington was to hold a (cough) prosperity conference at the Labor Temple this past Thursday, but was cancelled. Your's truely had no plans to attend, being as how I am allergic to people who think that as long as they hurl money and food at the unwashed masses they will look the other way at corruption. I will do my best to attend the next city council meeting however, and let them know what I think of our elected officials giving creedence to an organization that is now so very controversial.

But before the event was cancelled, our local rag ran a story about how the bruhaha would not be keeping the Everett officials from attending. I am reading the article posted on the Everett Herald site (Heraldnet.com), in which staff writer Noah Haglund quotes Democratic Representative Hans Dunshee. “Am I avoiding them because of the recent hubbub? No,” Dunshee said. “They had a couple of bad acorns. That’s no reason to throw out the whole acorn barrel. They do good work with poor people and the right doesn’t like them because of that.”

Okay, see that? Once again, it isn't ACORN's fault that they are giving advice to people on how to run a child sex ring and not get caught, no, its those big, bad Republicans at work again.

Here's a little known fact: Republicans do NOT hate poor people! Its one of those things the left likes to say, but it isnt true. Republicans know that in a capitolistic nation, people have a better chance of getting what they need if they are allowed to do so. And I say this as someone who has gone from riches to rags and back again. When I was on welfare, every time I tried to better myself, I got my hand slapped for it. After years of this, I finally said "That's enough!" and joined the workforce. That's when things got better.

But I digress.

It is interesting that no Republicans were quopted in this article. Maybe they couldn't be reached for comment. Maybe they were busy doing things like playing golf or hiring illegal immigrants, all the things the left likes to accuse us of doing. Or maybe there would be a danger of someone speaking out in opposition.

The sad truth is that both Republican and Democratic Presidential administrations have been filtering money to ACORN for years. Sadder still, and closer to home, is the truth that the elected muky-muks of Snohomish County and particularly in Everett, really only care about the voters when its time to get elected. Again. And again. And again.

If you live here, you know what I mean. Rent is astronomical. Good teen get into trouble because there is nothing for them to do. Downtown is mostly banks, banks, more banks, legal offices, and snobby little shops that are run by rich, bored widows who own a business as a hobby or second income (A generalization. I know, I know). And when the teens find something of their own, the city takes it away. Its another post for another day, but there used to be a club called The House. Most of the young people behaved, and had a great time. They policed each other, applying positive social pressure to not bring drugs or alcohol around the place, or do anything stupid to give the city a reason to shut it down. But someone stepped out of line, and lo and behold, this building stands empty and has since 2006.

We have a high rate of depression and suicide attempts. We have meth heads that roam downtown at such a pace that it is literally more common to see people walking around like zombies than to see someone who is not high, or not loaded, or not talking to themselves. We have a whole population of homeless people sleeping on the city streets. These are issues that, in my humble opinion and experience, could be very well cared for by churches and other religious groups. So guess what? The city zones changed to make it illegal for a church to exist within the downtown area (New churches that is. Existing ones can stay. But if they need to move to another facility for whatever reason, that facility must be outside of the downtown area).

My point, in an Acorn shell, is that with the exception of a few, the City of Everett, and Snohomish County, really don't care about the people. This is just another example.

Yes, people have been helped by this organization. And yes, there are going to be a few bad people in any organization that will behave badly, even illegally. But given that this organization is now so controversial, wouldn't it have been a wise move for the city of Everett, and the County of Snohomish, to have said, "Let's wait and see. Let's be pragmatic. This might not be good for the people who elected us."

Oh, wait...That would mean putting the voters first. Nevermind.