ACORN takes concrete steps to repair confidence

[anigbrowl]

http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=12439&tx_ttnews=22584&tx_ttnews=12387&cHash=913db2b19b

http://bit.ly/uT1qC <- working link, as DU eats anything between square brackets and breaks the original URL
http://www.acorn.org/ <- or just hit their website and click on the top link "ACORN Announces Major Steps to Address Issues Raised by Videos"

In response to recently released videos of frontline ACORN staff, ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis made the following announcement Wednesday morning:

"As a result of the indefensible action of a handful of our employees, I am, in consultation with ACORN's Executive Committee1, immediately ordering a halt to any new intakes into ACORN's service programs until completion of an independent review. I have also communicated with ACORN's independent Advisory Council, and they will assist ACORN in naming an independent auditor and investigator to conduct a thorough review of all of the organizations relevant systems and processes. That reviewer, to be named within 48 hours, will make recommendations directly to me and to the full ACORN Board. We enter this process with a commitment that all recommendations will be implemented."

Ms. Lewis is specifically ordering the following steps be taken effective noon eastern on September 16, 2009:


- No new intakes will be accepted into ACORN's offices for service programs, effective immediately;
- An immediate in-service training for all frontline staff has been ordered within 48 hours;
- ACORN's independent Advisory Council will help select an independent auditor/reviewer no later than September 18th to review all of the systems and processes called into question by the videos.


More at link. This is the right thing to do, and I'm glad to see them doing it. It would have been smarter to do so last Monday or last week, but such is life. So, good on Ms Lewis for recognizing the serious nature of the problem this has created for the organization and taking prompt and definitive steps to rectify it.

[anigbrowl]

1. a kick for timliness

[anigbrowl]

2. I might have guessed this thread would sink fast :-)

[masuki bance]

3. Gee, I thought the tapes were doctored and/or they were playing along. nt

[TxRider]

4. It will depend on who ACORN chooses for their "independent auditor"

As to whether it will help them or not...

[anigbrowl]

5. True, but I'd guess they'll go for some high-profile firm like PWC

In fact they pretty much need to go with a national-scale firm just considering the scale of their organization, quite apart from the public relations credibility it would restore. Unfortunately, their lack of foresight is going to cost the organization millions in outgoings, on top of the lost revenue from federal contracts. It's really too bad that the right wing gets a win out of this, but on the other hand their sharks have been circling ACORN for a long time so I feel this was avoidable.

Anyway, I'm glad they're taking the necessary steps to clean house. It'll pay for itself over the long term.

[elocs]

6. It may not be fair, but things connected with Democrats or Liberals must be like Caesar's wife:

above reproach. Ultimately this is far better than lengthy explanations afterwards. The high ground is always the better place to be.

[Qutzupalotl]

7. K&R

rapidly disappearing from greatest page

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

8. I hope they get out front and center on this

People sitting back and whistling past the graveyard as they are here doesn't help.

[imdjh]

9. Is Acorn working for single payer or public option?

[AngryAmish]

10. First step might be keeping the cracker racists with cameras out

Those assholes sicken me.

[johnfunk]

11. Second step might be to impel prosecutors to indict the filmmakers for violating concealment laws

Rule of law, y'know, just like Newtie and the House Managers told us back when they were sniffing Clinton's crotch -- only this time, actual criminal laws were broken. Give the two reactionary pseudo-muckraker "Leadership Institute" alum fascists a taste of the justice system.