Today in “unexpectedly”

Byron York writing in the Washington Examiner:

Report: In Obama's Chicago, stimulus weatherization money buys shoddy work, widespread fraud

Projects to weatherize homes are a key part of the Obama administration's fusion of stimulus spending and the green agenda. But a new report by the Department of Energy has found serious problems in stimulus-funded weatherization work -- problems so severe that they have resulted in homes that are not only not more energy efficient but are actually dangerous for people to live in.

The study, by the Department's inspector general, examined the work of what's called the Weatherization Assistance Program, or WAP, in Illinois. Last year, the Department awarded Illinois $242 million, which was expected to pay for the weatherization of 27,000 homes. Specifically, Energy Department inspectors took a close look at the troubled operations of the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, known as CEDA, which is the largest recipient of weatherization money in Illinois with $91 million to weatherize 12,500 homes. (Cook County is, of course, home to Chicago.)

The findings are grim. "Our testing revealed substandard performance in weatherization workmanship, initial assessments, and contractor billing," the inspector general report says. "These problems were of such significance that they put the integrity of the entire program at risk."

Well, wow. Who could have seen that coming? Among the findings that York reported are failed inspections. In fact, 14 out of 15 homes inspected failed. I think that translates to a ninety-three percent failure rate, or if you’re one of those sunny side up “the glass is half full” kinda people, a seven percent success rate. But it gets better:

In eight of the homes, CEDA had come up with unworkable and ineffective plans -- like putting attic insulation in a house with a leaky roof. In ten of the homes, "contractors billed for labor charges that had not been incurred and for materials that had not been installed." The report calls billing problems "pervasive," with seven of ten contractors being cited for erroneous invoicing. And the department found "a 62 percent final inspection error rate" when CEDA inspectors reviewed their own work.

The work was not just wasteful; it was dangerous. Department inspectors found "heat barriers around chimneys that had not been installed, causing fire hazards." They found "a furnace [that] had not been vented properly." The found "a shut-off valve that had not been installed on a gas stove." And they found "carbon monoxide detectors, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers had not been installed as planned."

And then there was fraud. At ten of the 15 homes visited, Department inspectors found examples in which "a contractor had installed a 125,000 BTU boiler, but had billed CEDA for a 200,000 BTU boiler costing an estimated $1,000. more." Another contractor "billed for almost four times the amount of drywall actually installed." And another "installed 12 light bulbs but had billed CEDA for 20." (The Department found that CEDA paid almost three times the retail price for each light bulb.) "Billing issues appeared to be pervasive," the report concludes.

Aw, hell-close enough for government work, right? No one spends someone else’s money like they spend their own and the government is the absolute worst of the worst. In ObamaLand tax dollars are like manna from Heaven. The concept that tax dollars are the result of the labor of hard working people does penetrate the liberal psyche.

The onus doesn’t fall completely on the government. As taxpayers we haven’t done our due diligence and we haven’t held our representatives accountable. Think of the child who is allowed to run amok until one day the parents have had enough and they put their foot down. Suddenly the rules have changed and the child doesn’t understand why. Many in our government are acting like that child. They’ve been allowed to jump on the furniture for so long that they feel entitled to it.

The key is to be consistent with our elected officials. We need to let them know that we are in charge, what our expectations are and what the consequences are for not meeting our expectations. Going forward we should insist on knowing, and approving, of projects that require tax money. The tax money spent on the Weatherization Assistance Program would have been just as productive had it been tossed in to the Chicago River. We taxpayers should insist on more from our government.

What Does Breitbart Have Up His Sleave?

Via Memeorandum:

Breitbart Promises New Bombshell from “Left Field” according to Patterico's Pontification. If the "ACORN tapes" have shown anything, it is that Breitbart is the go to guy when it comes to exposing corruption. Not to downplay Breitbart's tremendous work, but the MSM's "see no evil, hear no evil" attitude towards the Obama administration and its buddies at ACORN, has pushed Breitbart to the forefront.

Patterico's take:

If you’re trying to figure out what the next big shoe to drop might be, I
suggest that you consider re-reading his column to see what he identified as the
second story that demonstrates the media’s complicity with the Democrat party.
Namely, the NEA...

Well the NEA scandal certainly has been ignored by the MSM. The White House participating in a teleconference with the NEA where it promises funding, i.e., taxpayer money, in return for favorable treatment certainly would be scandalous in any other administration. In this administration it strikes me as right in line with the decades old, Chicago way, corruption.

However, I would not be surprised if the next bombshell is even bigger than ACORN, which would make it far bigger than the NEA. So I'll throw in my two cents, or in this case , two words: Big Labor. Either way, we will all know next week.

Obama Claims that He Didn't Know That ACORN Received "A whole lot of federal money"

Via Memeorandum:

STEPHANOPOULOS: How about the funding for ACORN?

OBAMA: You know, if -- frankly, it's not really something I've followed closely. I didn't even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.

And that my friends deserves a snort worthy, “gimme a break!” If President Obama truly is unaware that ACORN, who he has been tied to for years, has gotten “a whole lot of federal money” he has a blind spot the size of the Grand Canyon. More likely, the President believes that his “don’t know nothing about it” schtick is politically preferable to an honest discussion about his friends.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you're not committing to -- to cut off the federal funding?

OBAMA: George, this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It's not something I'm
paying a lot of attention to.

It could be read in to that that Obama could actually veto any measure to cut off ACORN’s funding. That would not be a wise move for an administration who has touted transparency. Rather than deflecting questions about ACORN, the President should be directing Attorney Gen. Holder to appoint a Special Investigator.

More discussion at:

Michelle Malkin

ACORN Shutting Down as Much as Forty Percent of Its Offices-It Is Not Enough

Via Memeorandum

The LA Times is reporting that ACORN scaling back or shutting down in many cities:

The community activist group is taking no new clients while it investigates its operations, which have been dragged down by the poor economy and recent scandals.

While ACORN certainly has been the subject of recent scandals, ACORN has a long history of scandal and mismanagement. Aside from participating in voter fraud in dozens of states, there is that little matter of the million dollar embezzlement that the brother of ACORN’s founder Wade Rathke committed:

"It comes as no surprise that ACORN founder and chief organizer Wade Rathke hid his brother's embezzlement of nearly $1 million dollars from the 'charitable' organization's employees, board of directors, and donors. This is just one more page in ACORN's corrupt history, which already includes election fraud investigations in at least a dozen states, hypocritical and oppressive employment practices, and a political agenda driven by a handful of anti-corporate activists. …”

Further adding to ACORN’s ill repute is the fact that Rathke is a co-founder of the SEIU whose own shaky reputation makes it a perfect fit for ACORN. Any talk of ACORN and SEIU is not complete without including Pres. Barack Obama:

Dale Rathke embezzled money from ACORN totaling about $950k. Apparently, commitments have been made to return about $210k, for a total of $740k still missing.

Barack Obama's campaign paid ACORN, via a political consulting affiliate, $830k, but ACORN says that they only received $80, leaving $750k unaccounted for.

Dale Rathke embezzled this money in the period of 1999-2000, when Barack Obama was running for US Congress with the backing of SEIU Local 880 and ACORN. SEIU Local 880 is basically ACORN controlled. Rathke even filed the LM-2 form with the Department of Labor in 2000, signing it as "Treasurer", which I have previously written about.

Obama, ACORN, SEIU 880, and Rep. Danny Davis, appeared to act together in a number of local political engagements.

According to the Time’s report, as many as 40% of ACORN’s offices are closing their door’s. On the 18th, Donald Douglas reported at American Power that is local Orange County ACORN had shut down over night.

After years of corruption perpetrated against taxpayers while funded by taxpayers, it is gratifying to see some measure of justice served. However, ACORN’s tentacles are far spread and the taxpayer’s in this country will not be protected until everyone of those tentacles have been cut off.

BREAKING NEWS! Senate Does Something Right: Votes Against Givng ACCORN Housing Dollars UPDATED!

Via Memeorandum:

Michelle Malkin is reporting that the Senate has voted to cut off ACORN’s housing funds 83-7. Who the hell would have thunk it?

By now everyone knows that in (at least) three ACORN offices employees were filmed advising a “prostitute” and her “pimp” how to falsify tax returns, falsify loan documents, hide income (money laundering?) and oh yeah, claim underage illegal girls brought in to the country as sex workers as “dependents.” Politico is reporting that ACORN is considering a lawsuit against Fox News, who aired the videos, though they were not involved in the filming in any way. Good luck with that. Might I suggest that the “guilty dog” approach might be more appropriate. ACORN should tuck its tail between its legs and hang its head in shame.

Malkin:

Just watched GOP Sen. Mike Johanns introduce his amendment on the Senate floor banning federal funds in the current transportation and housing appropriations bill from going to ACORN. Currently, ACORN is eligible to receive millions more in taxpayer funds through mortgage counseling, Community Development Block Grants, and the Neighborhood Stabilization Program — in addition to the tens of millions ACORN Housing Corp. has already received.

Ed Morrissey has the list of the seven fine, upstanding Senators who have no problem with child prostitution and fraud at the taxpayer’s expense and following their, um, ‘conscientious’ voted against the bill:

Dick Durbin (D-IL) Roland Burris (D-IL) Robert Casey (D-PA) Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

I’m sure their Mommas would be proud.

UPDATE:

At this point it feels like breaking news is comeing out on ACORN way faster than the poor fingers can type. Over at Director Blue, Doug Ross has the definative "latest." Bless him, I can't keep up!