Disgraced ACORN taints Occupy Wall Street with corruption

The disgraced community activist group ACORN, appears to have reared its ugly head once again. This time, in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests. As the unscrupulous and unethical activities of the reconstituted group are exposed, they taint would could otherwise be a growing protest movement in the country.

NEW YORK, NY (Catholic Online) - As reported by Fox news, the former director of the New York branch of ACORN, Jon Kest, and his affiliates are now canvassing communities seeking donations for various causes, then funneling the money to the Occupy Wall Street movement. They are masquerading as New York Communities for Change (NYCC). 

The NYCC was formed in late 2009 after ACORN lost Congressional funding in the wake of scandal.

Fox news is reporting that they have spoken to several people, including homeless shills who have been recruited by the organization and paid $10 per hour to participate in protests.  Fox news is making an effort to uncover the truth about the connection between Occupy Wall Street and the NYCC.

There is nothing illegal about fundraising, nor going door to door to do it. However, misrepresenting oneself then spending that money on a cause for which it was not collected is fraudulent.

The NYCC and ACORN are virtually the same organization. According to reports, they use the same offices and even old ACORN stationery. The NYCC has hired approximately 100 former ACORN affiliated staff from other cities, and is reputedly paying some of them $100 a day to participate in Occupy Wall Street events. 

If these reports are true, they cannot help but to discredit what has otherwise been a growing protest movement. Occupy Wall Street has enjoyed broad public support and has spread across the country. The supposedly leaderless movement has attracted articulate and well groomed supporters, often disaffected college students and graduates, who face bleak prospects for their future.

While many people may agree that the national conversation must change to focus on people, rather than politics, and on health and education, rather than bickering, it is nothing but a tragedy to see that corrupt agents of the dis-establishment have hijacked the message for their own political ends.

It is unclear how much money the NYCC is providing to the Occupy Wall Street movement. In fact, the NYCC may even be taking advantage of Occupy Wall Street movement--it is impossible to tell just what their fundraising and accounting practices are, however it appears that the recruiting of shills suggests possible unethical behavior.

These allegations warrant investigation. If the NYCC is engaging in corrupt and deceptive practices, then the Occupy Wall Street movement will have no choice but to disassociate itself from the organization, no matter how much financial support it may be providing.

If this disassociation does not occur, then the movement itself is tainted, and will have no hope of succeeding in its stated goals, whatever they may be. That is another part of the problem faced by the occupiers,there is little clarity concerning their goals.

That's assuming, of course, that its stated goals are its actual ones.

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