Stand With ACORN

Stand With ACORN

I pledge to...

For nearly 40 years ACORN has organized low-and moderate-income people to press corporations, governments and out-of-touch politicians for the changes needed to make their lives and communities healthier and stronger.&nbsp; Time and again ACORN members have shown how David can sometimes defeat Goliath.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rooted in communities across America, ACORN has won victories at the local, state and national levels that have improved the lives of those who are usually left out of the corridors of power.&nbsp; ACORN has partnered with a wide array of allies from community and civil rights groups, to elected officials, to labor unions, to businesses to achieve positive change.&nbsp; An analysis of ACORN's work over the ten year period through 2007 concluded that the organization's work delivered $15 billion in improvement and investment to communities.&nbsp; Whether in the best of times or the worst - praised or vilified - ACORN has always kept moving forward.That's why today I'm standing with ACORN, and I call on you to join me.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For the past year ACORN has been subjected to vicious attacks from some powerful enemies: corporate lobbyists, cynical politicians, and the right-wing media.&nbsp; In 2008, ACORN helped hundreds of thousands of minority voters register and get out to vote.&nbsp; Their reward was a blistering attack of historic proportions and repeated attempts by opponents of change to disenfranchise those voters.&nbsp; ACORN didn't back down; they fought back in the media and in the courts to defend the rights of all Americans to have a voice in our future.&nbsp; They stood with us then and that's why I'm standing with them now.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In recent months ACORN has committed their resources and organizational strength in the struggles for quality, affordable health care for all Americans, ending the foreclosure crisis and achieving employee free choice, financial regulatory reform and the rights of immigrants.&nbsp; Just last month, during the summer recess, while the insurance lobby and their political allies were creating confusion, lies and disruptions,&nbsp; ACORN had more than 70 organizers working hard to enable the voices of those without adequate health care to be heard in pro-health reform events in cities across the country.&nbsp; Once again-they stood with us and we should stand with them.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, the forces of reaction have unleashed another attack on ACORN. The FOX <em> not news-attack machine, </em>using illegally recorded tapes of a few employees' misconduct - for which they were immediately dismissed - are attempting to portray isolated cases of misconduct as common practice. This is dishonest and a misrepresentation of the facts - and they know it!&nbsp; If FOX were a legitimate news agency, instead of a propaganda machine for the right, they would have shown on air the tapes of the other ACORN offices they visited and were properly ejected from such as Philadelphia, where a police report was filed and the Los Angeles ACORN office.&nbsp;&nbsp; The same tactics were used by FOX-<em>not news </em>against Planned Parenthood to undermine that organization's mission of bringing affordable health care to women.&nbsp; Who's next in their ideological crusade?</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Their intent is simple - to destroy the effectiveness of ACORN and deprive the progressive community of one of our most effective allies.&nbsp; We need ACORN by our side now more than ever and that is why I am proud to proclaim-"I am ACORN".&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Please join with us as we support the work of ACORN because we need them now more than ever.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b><em>Supporters</em></b></p>
<p><b>Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI)</b></p>
<p>Donald Cohen, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Justice Overcoming Boundaries (JOB)</b></p>
<p>Norma Chavez, Director</p>
<p><b>Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE)</b></p>
<p>Madeline Janis, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA)</b></p>
<p>AJ Duffy, President</p>
<p><b>Southern California Association for Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH)</b></p>
<p>Paul Zimmerman, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Maternal and Child Health Access</b></p>
<p>Lynn Kersey, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Congress on Racial Equality</b></p>
<p>Celes King IV, Director</p>
<p><b>From the Heart Preschool</b></p>
<p>Betty Luckett, Owner</p>
<p><b>National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) - Los Angeles Chapter</b></p>
<p>Leon Jenkins, President</p>
<p><b>Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church</b></p>
<p>Reverend K.W. Tulloss</p>
<p><b>American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) - Local 685</b></p>
<p>Ralph Miller, President</p>
<p><b>National Lawyers Guild - Los Angeles Chapter</b></p>
<p>Jim Lafferty, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Strategic Concepts on Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE)</b></p>
<p>Anthony Thigpenn, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>San Mateo Central Labor Council</b></p>
<p>Shelly Kessler, Executive Secretary-Treasurer</p>
<p><b>Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN)</b></p>
<p>Patricia Diaz, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Peninsula Interfaith Action</b></p>
<p>Mary Klein, Executive Director</p>
<p><b><a href="http://Moveon.org">Moveon.org</a> - San Francisco</b></p>
<p>Richard Hauptman</p>
<p><b>United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) - Local 101</b></p>
<p>John Ulrich, Political Director</p>
<p><b>San Francisco Central Labor Council</b></p>
<p>Tim Paulson, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Unite Here - Local 2</b></p>
<p>Michael Casey, President</p>
<p><b>International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) - Local 10</b></p>
<p>Melvin McKay, President</p>
<p><b>Greater Richmond Interfaith Program</b></p>
<p>Arthur Hatchett, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Faithworks</b></p>
<p>Maria Allegria, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Real Choices</b></p>
<p>Vernell Crittendon, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Contra Costa Central Labor Council</b></p>
<p>Pamela Aguilar, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)</b></p>
<p>Nikki Fortunato Bas, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Oakland Education Association</b></p>
<p>Betty Olson Jones</p>
<p><b>Sacramento Central Labor Council</b></p>
<p>Bill Camp, Executive Secretary-Treasurer</p>
<p><b>Sacramento Housing Alliance</b></p>
<p>Shamus Roller, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Coaliton on Regional Equity</b></p>
<p>Shamus Roller, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>Service Employees International Union-United Long Term Care Workers (SEIU-ULTCW)</b></p>
<p>Lasandra Butler, President</p>
<p><b>California Reinvestment Coalition (CRC)</b></p>
<p>Alan Fisher, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>United Farm Workers (UFW)</b></p>
<p>Irv Hershenbaum, 1st Vice-President</p>
<p><b>Health Access</b></p>
<p>Anthony Wright, Executive Director</p>
<p><b>California Partnership</b></p>
<p>Nancy Berlin, Executive Director</p>
<p><b><em>Statements of Support from Elected Officials</em></b></p>
<p><b>School Board Member Nury Martinez</b></p>
<p>Los Angeles Unified School District</p>
<p><b>Councilmember Mike Gibson</b></p>
<p>City of Carson</p>
<p><b>Trustee Christopher Jackson</b></p>
<p>City College of San Francisco</p>
<p><b>Councilmember David Canepa</b></p>
<p>Daly City</p>
<p><b>Vice-Mayor Mark Addiego</b></p>
<p>City of South San Francisco</p>
<p><b>State Senator Mark Leno</b></p>
<p>California State Senate - District 3</p>
<p><b>Assemblywoman Fiona Ma</b></p>
<p>California State Assembly - District 12</p>
<p><b>Supervisor John Avalos</b></p>
<p>San Francisco County Board of Supervisors - District 11</p>
<p><b>Mayor Gayle McLauglin</b></p>
<p>City of Richmond</p>
<p><b>Supervisor John Gioia</b></p>
<p>Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors - Distirct 1</p>
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