ACORN and voter registration

[Discussion list for COMM-ORG]

[ed: here are the latest posts from ACORN. There is an enormous amount 
of information here, and I apologize for sending it out as I receive it, 
but for those interested in either the election or community organizing 
strategy, it is also important and fascinating.]

[ed: Bertha Lewis, <newsacorn at acorn.org>

Dear Friend,

It's down to the wire for ACORN this weekend and through Election Day. 
Can you help?

While the attacks from the McCain campaign, FOX news, and others might 
be making the news, ACORN members and organizers have been hard at work 
conducting extensive Get Out the Vote programs to make sure that ACORN 
members, new registrants, immigrant citizens, young people, and 
infrequent voters in low-income and minority communities participate in 
this historic election.

At this point, our efforts to get out the vote and stop voter 
suppression depend entirely on donations from people like you. I know 
you've probably given a lot this election already, and I'm hoping you 
can make one more donation to ACORN. Every single gift helps, and the 
funds we can raise today will tell us what we can afford to do right up 
until the polls close on Tuesday. To donate, visit www.acorn.org/donate/

Your donation today will support ACORN'S work with three sets of voters: 
1) those who participated in only one of three recent major elections; 
2) inactive voters registered since 2004; and 3) citizens registered 
since November 2006. These are the voters whose lives are deeply 
affected by elected officials and who are often the targets of voter 
suppression. They need our help to get to the polls.

ACORN organizers and members in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Ohio, 
Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, 
North Carolina, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and other states are reaching 
more than 250,000 voters with at least two personal contacts (one by 
phone, one by door-knocking) by Election Day. We are providing 
information-in the voter's own language-about when and how to vote, to 
encourage voting, and providing polling place information for new voters.

I want to assure you that partisan attacks will NOT interfere with ACORN 
members' determination to involve low-income, minority, and new American 
voters across the country. On the contrary, our members are more 
determined than ever to make our voices heard this year and in all 
election years to come.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Bertha Lewis, Chief Organizer
Steve Kest, Executive Director

P.S. If you haven't already, please do sign our petition to the McCain 
campaign to stop the attacks on ACORN and the people we serve, and then 
spread the truth to your friends and family.
www.acorn.org/truth

*********************************

From: Steve Kest, ACORN Executive Director <legrep at acorn.org>
Reply-To: legrep at acorn.org
To: legrep at acorn.org


An Update From ACORN

Last night The Daily Show ran a clip about the "evils" of community 
organizers featuring ACORN's own Bertha Lewis. Four days until Election 
Day and this is the perfect comic relief!

You can find a link to the segment here. 
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=7Wi4NrGxcD6kwUpNfHbo1yDDekxF8VsJ

Also, below you will find an article from today's New York Daily News 
regarding the segment.

Steve Kest

*******************************

From: Steve Kest, ACORN Executive Director <legrep at acorn.org>


Lewis: 'ACORN Doesn't Pay People In Crack'

By Elizabeth Benjamin
October 31, 2008

NY ACORN Executive Director Betha Lewis appeared on 'The Daily Show' 
last night in a segment about community organizers that produced some 
memorable moments, not the least of which came when she hotly rejected 
GOP allegations that the national organization engaged in massive voter 
fraud.

The segment includes an interview with Matthew Vadum, of the Washington, 
D.C.-based Capital Research Center, (who has done quite a bit of 
ACORN-bashing).

Vadum manages with a straight face to say that experience as a community 
organizer prepares one for a career as "a used car salesman, maybe a 
trial lawyer, rebel leader in a civil war" or a "very rewarding career 
in crack cocaine trafficking."

"Bin Laden is a community organizer," Vadum adds while trying to argue 
that Barack Obama's background hasn't adequately prepared him to be 
president.

Vadum also says there's a "straight line from community organizing to 
crack cocaine dealer."

Lewis, when asked whether ACORN has been paying for voter registration 
forms with crack, hotly replies:

"ACORN doesn't pay peole in crack, never would. If you want to ask me 
about ACORN, if you wanna ask me about community organizing, fine. But 
do not ask me about crack again."

Lewis is also co-chair of the Working Families Party, whose executive 
director, Dan Cantor, urged supporters to watch her on "The Daily Show" 
last night with the following e-mail (written with his tongue firmly in 
his cheek, in case you can't tell):

"As some of you may have heard, WFP Co-Chair and Bon Vivant Bertha Lewis 
has also gotten some notice lately for her role with ACORN."


"For those who are not aware, ACORN is responsible for the fiscal crisis 
on Wall Street through its long record of forcing mortgage brokers to 
make extravagant super-jumbo loans to really poor people, and then it 
mobilized those same low-income Americans to come out swinging for the 
deregulation of commodities markets and credit-default swaps."

"Not to mention, ACORN has also figured out how to purge the voter files 
in the battleground states of all country club members. We're talking 
bad, folks, really really bad."

"But Bertha is getting her say tonight, on The Daily Show. I think it's 
at 11 o'clock, and I'm hoping to stay awake. I urge you to do the same."

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/10/post-38.html


*****************************

From: Steve Kest, ACORN Executive Director <legrep at acorn.org>



An Update From ACORN

ACORN's Get-Out-The-Vote Campaign

While ACORN's record-breaking voter registration campaign - and the 
partisan attacks which followed - have been much in the news lately, 
ACORN members and organizers are hard at work conducting extensive Get 
Out the Vote programs to make sure that ACORN members, new registrants, 
immigrant citizens, young people, and infrequent voters in low-income 
and minority communities participate in this historic election.

This work has several different tracks, 501(c)(3)-nonpartisan, 
501(c)(4)-nonpartisan, and electoral engagement. Each is carried on in 
different locations, depending on funding availability and consideration 
of the type of messaging most effective in different circumstances. 
Below are some highlights of our work:

All of ACORN's voter mobilization programs target new registrants and 
infrequent voters. Many voters reached by these GOTV initiatives will 
have been registered by ACORN's 2007-8 voter registration drive, which 
collected 1.3 million registration applications.

ACORN has focused its 2008 Voter Education and Mobilization Program on 
three sets of voters: 1) those who participated in only one of three 
recent major elections; 2) inactive voters registered since 2004; and 3) 
citizens registered since November 2006

Between the different tracks of this program, ACORN organizers and 
members in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Ohio, Florida, Louisiana, 
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, New 
Mexico, Pennsylvania and other states are working to engage more than 
250,000 voters with at least two personal contacts (one phone, one 
door-knock) between now and Election Day.

In addition, phone and mail programs will reach hundreds of thousands of 
new and infrequent voters in 11 states - including many of ACORN's new 
registrants - to encourage voting and provide polling place information 
to new voters.

ACORN members and canvassers are working to distribute more than half a 
million fliers and door-hangers with the 1-866-OUR-VOTE and 
www.govote.org (www.veavotar.com for Spanish speakers) election 
protection number and website to help ACORN's constituents understand 
their voting rights, bring proper identification, and find their polling 
place.

In addition to our overall program, ACORN is working through the We Are 
America Alliance to focus on Latino, Asian, and New American communities 
in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, and Washington. ACORN 
canvassers are making multiple passes in targeted neighborhoods, with 
supplemental phone calls and mail pieces repeating the messages 
communicated in-person. In Colorado and Arizona, our programs will 
mobilize voters to increase turn-out and help defeat harmful ballot 
initiatives: a predatory lending deregulation bill (AZ), four anti-labor 
ballot Initiatives (CO), and an affirmative action ban (CO).

Voter Education efforts about predatory lending, jobs, the economy, and 
other economic justice issues will help diverse voters in MN, NM, CO, 
MI, and elsewhere make informed choices regarding ballot initiatives 
(such as state income tax decreases that will negatively affect public 
education, right to unionize measures, and state amendments on predatory 
lending practices) and public policy so they can later hold politicians 
accountable to ACORN constituents and other low-income voters.

ACORN is also conducting a study, assisted by the Analyst Institute, 
that will measure the effectiveness of large-scale canvass and phone 
voter mobilization programs around the country, representing the largest 
research analysis of its kind.

We want to assure you that partisan attacks will NOT interfere with 
ACORN members' determination to involve low-income, minority, and new 
American voters across the country. On the contrary, our members are 
more determined than ever to make our voices heard this year and in all 
election years to come.

**************************

From: Brian Kettering: bkettenring at acornmail.net

For More Information Contact:

October 31, 2008 Brian Kettenring: (727) 692-7215 or flacornho at acorn.org



**MEDIA ADVISORY**



ACORN 2 for 2 in Major Skirmishes Over Voter Suppression



October 31, 2008 – ACORN will hold a conference call for reporters and 
bloggers at 11:30 am EST this morning to discuss several setbacks to the 
GOP attempt at voter suppression. Highlights will include yesterday's 
court ruling against the GOP in Pennsylvania, continued boomeranging of 
GOP claims in New Mexico, and other developments. The call will also 
briefly look forward to Election Day and beyond.



Press Call: 11:30 AM EST, Wednesday, October 29, 2008

1-800-351-6805, 92530

About ACORN

ACORN is the nation’s largest grassroots community organization of low- 
and moderate-income people with over 400,000 member families organized 
into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities across the 
country. Since 1970, ACORN has been building community organizations 
that are committed to social and economic justice, and won victories on 
thousands of issues of concern to our members, through direct action, 
negotiation, legislative advocacy and voter participation. ACORN helps 
those who have historically been locked out become powerful players in 
our democratic system. The organization recently completed its national 
voter registration drive by collecting 1.3 million voter registration 
applications across 21 states.


Brian Kettenring, Head Organizer
Florida ACORN
1380 W. Flagler St. Miami, FL 33135
bkettenring at acornmail.net * www.acorn.org

(305) 644-3005 x114
(727) 692-7215 cell
(561) 828-3154 efax

******************************

From: Steve Kest, ACORN Executive Director <legrep at acorn.org>

An Update From ACORN

ACORN held a well-attended Press Conference this morning to continue to 
fight back against partisan voter suppression. At the press conference 
we announced a lawsuit that was filed in New Mexico and we released a 
new TV ad calling on Senator McCain to to join ACORN in making it easier 
for voters to exercise their right to vote.

The ad can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs20Lxb6RqQ.

Steve Kest

ACORN Fights Back Against Voter Suppression

Releases 30-Second Ad, Announces Lawsuits



October 29, 2008, Washington, DC - The Association of Community 
Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has released a 30-second ad on 
voter suppression and called on Senator John McCain to put an end to 
these tactics. ACORN also announced lawsuits intended to combat a series 
of attempts at voter suppression. Speakers at the press conference 
included Steve Kest, Executive Director of ACORN, Francisco Martinez, 
Plaintiff in a New Mexico voter suppression lawsuit, and Hugh Alleyne, 
of the ACORN Association Board.

In an ad released today, ACORN highlighted widespread voter suppression 
attacks and called on the public to tell McCain "Not this time." Steve 
Kest echoed this sentiment, "Senator McCain needs to instruct his 
operatives and supporters to cease and desist. Nothing is more important 
to the fabric of our democracy than protecting the rights of American 
voters. Senator McCain should instead join us in trying to make it 
easier for voters to exercise their rights, by calling for measures such 
as extending early voting hours, to facilitate the greatest possible 
participation in this histroric election."

A copy of the ad can be found on YouTube at 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs20Lxb6RqO.





ACORN also announced a number of lawsuits aimed at combating voter 
suppression attempts around the country. In New Mexico, two lawsuits 
have been brought against Justine Fox-Young, Al Romero, a private 
investigator, and John/Jane Does of the Republican Party of New Mexico. 
One lawsuit, filed with the United States District Court for the 
District of New Mexico, was filed by two validly registered Latino 
voters who have suffered harassment and intimidation by Al Romero, an 
investigator hired by Pat Rogers. Pat Rogers is an attorney for the 
Republican Party of New Mexico with well-documented history of voter 
suppression efforts dating back over 4 years.



A second, class action lawsuit, was filed with the Second Judicial 
District Court County Bernalillo State of New Mexico. The class action 
lawsuit centers around the use of confidential information by Al Romero 
in efforts of voter intimidation.



The Republican Party and its operatives have employed an astonishing 
variety of voter suppression and intimidation strategies in recent weeks:



· In Philadelphia, fliers were distributed in a predominantly African 
American neighborhood which suggested that people with legal troubles or 
unpaid traffic violations will be arrested by undercover cops when they 
show up to vote.

· In Hamilton County, Ohio, Prosecutor Joe Deters - who is also the 
local chair of the McCain-Palin campaign - requested via subpoena 
personal information for 40% of voters who participated in same-day 
registration.

· In California, a joint committee of the McCain-Palin campaign, the RNC 
and the California Republican Party, hired Lincoln Strategy in June for 
the purpose of 'registering voters.' The managing partner of Lincoln 
Strategy, Nathan Sproul, is a renowned GOP operative who has been 
investigated on multiple occasions for trying to suppress Democratic 
voter turnout.

· In Montgomery County, Virginia, a registrar issued a memo giving 
incorrect and intimidating information to students at Virginia Tech 
University about the consequences of registering to vote, including 
possible loss of financial aid and tax dependence status.

· In Ontario, California, the owner of a firm that the California 
Republican Party hired to register tens of thousands of voters was 
arrested on suspicion of voter registration fraud after dozens of voters 
reported that the firm tricked them into registering with the GOP by 
asking them to sign a petition they believed to be aimed at toughening 
penalties against child molesters.

*****************************

From: Steve Kest, ACORN Executive Director <legrep at acorn.org>



An Update From ACORN

The following five articles have been published over the past few days. 
We found all of them both supportive and informative.

The first article, "Drinking the ACORN Kool-Aid: How Cries of Voter 
Fraud Cover Up GOP Elections Theft" 
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ZLhkCEeDKkZHOJtv%2FdXgQSSb188Sn2HN, 
is written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Greg Palast and appears on 
Huffington Post. Kennedy and Palast don't only come to the defense of 
ACORN's nationwide voter registration drive, but make a strong argument 
for how Republicans have suppressed voters and have chipped away at 
voters' rights for many years.

The next article appeared in the Northwest Arkansas Times 
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=LisrOIPcsHIb0Uyvb%2BJyyCSb188Sn2HN 
and was written by Lowell Grisham, an Episcopal Priest from 
Fayetteville, AR. This article highlights the positive work ACORN does 
in communities around the country and features longtime ACORN member 
Maxine Nelson.

The third article, "Destroying Democracy? ACORN Does Good, Claims of 
registration fraud are overblown" 
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=md71jbuALVNjOvF9qnHuDySb188Sn2HN 
is an editorial from the Hartford Courant that highlights ACORN's voter 
registration work in Connecticut (where we collected 18,000 voter 
registration applications from mostly low-income residents) and defends 
us against the Republican attacks.

The fourth article, "ACORN Led Financial Sector With Warnings on 
Lending" 
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=K8qqg7EZVD8SMUrBqUGrmSSb188Sn2HN 
by City Limits' Eileen Markey , highlights our decades long battle 
against predatory lenders and states, "the national advocacy group 
appears to deserve recognition for its prudent--and ignored-- early 
advice about home loan practices."

In the final article (originally printed in La Opinion and pasted below 
in English) 
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=NtH9%2Bk%2B7DDMoN%2BmJP4eqdiSb188Sn2HN, 
Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 
PolicyLink, describes the important work ACORN is doing registering 
minority voters and why this terrifies the GOP. She writes "Entrenched 
powers are uncomfortable with the voters ACORN targets...it is the fear 
of the powerless becoming powerful, of the voiceless finding their voice."

Why ACORN Matters

By Angela Glover Blackwell

On door steps and street corners across the nation, thousands of ACORN 
volunteers have been working diligently to enfranchise and empower 
millions of Americans from low-income communities and communities of 
color. We've seen them registering our Latino and African-American 
neighbors in dense urban centers, far-flung rural towns and everywhere 
in between - fighting to give a voice to our historically marginalized 
communities.

In just the past year, Latinos represented about one-quarter of the 1.3 
million new voters ACORN registered - more than 300,000 new American 
voters. That is why the unwarranted and unsubstantiated attacks on ACORN 
(Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) the past few 
weeks have been so damaging to anyone who wants communities of color to 
have a say in our government.

The work being done by ACORN and Latino voter rights groups is an 
enormous and important step toward giving Latinos and African Americans 
the voice we need and deserve. When our numbers are strong, we have the 
power to make changes-- in our neighborhoods, our cities, our states and 
our nation.

But it is exactly this empowerment that is driving the trumped-up voter 
registration fraud charges being repeated ad nauseam by right-wing 
pundits and sympathetic media outlets like FOX News. It threatens to 
undue the work of ACORN, Latino, African American, and other 
organizations across the country working for decades to secure and 
protect the right to vote for all Americans.

Entrenched powers are uncomfortable with the voters ACORN targets. Those 
powers are fearful of the nation's rapidly expanding Latino population 
and the country's inevitable march toward a day when the majority of 
Americans come from racial minority groups.

It is the fear of the powerless becoming powerful, of the voiceless 
finding their voice. It is the fear of 148,000 new ACORN-recruited 
voters in Pennsylvania, 152,000 in Florida, 217,000 in Michigan, and 
238,000 in Ohio. It is the fear that people of color across America will 
finally be able to speak out on behalf of their communities.
But the work of ACORN and other civil rights groups does not stop at the 
ballot box. The struggle continues in every corner of our lives, from 
health to housing to criminal justice reform.

ACORN was one of the first and most vocal groups calling for reform of 
the predatory lending and subprime mortgage laws, long before those 
sectors dragged our economy down into crisis. In New Orleans, ACORN 
brought together thousands of displaced residents to give them an 
amplified, powerful voice in the revival of their own city. Throughout 
the nation, ACORN has organized millions of red-shirted supporters to 
crowd City Council meetings and legislative hearings to fight for fair, 
equitable public policies for all people.

At heart, ACORN is working to ensure all our children have good schools, 
all our neighborhoods are affordable and healthy, and all our families 
are economically secure. But we can only make our dreams real if we join 
together as a powerful force for change.

ACORN plays a vital role in making sure our communities have a seat at 
the table to advocate forcefully for that change. They deserve our 
utmost respect and support - not the scorn and derision of ill-informed 
politicians.

*****************************

From: Steve Kest, ACORN Executive Director <legrep at acorn.org>

An Update From ACORN

Today, ACORN released a letter of support signed by allied 
organizations, elected officials, and members of the clergy. We are 
grateful for the support these organizations and individuals have shown 
us during this important time.

We invite other organizations to sign on to this letter. Please contact 
Elyssa Koidin at legrep at acorn.org or 202-547-2500.

Steve Kest

We, the undersigned, are taking this opportunity to voice our support 
for ACORN's work to bring disenfranchised populations into the 
electorate this year. ACORN's voter registration drive, completed on 
October 6th, has helped over 1.3 million low-income people, minorities, 
and young voters apply to register to vote.

By focusing on groups that have historically been underrepresented in 
the electorate, ACORN's work is helping to ensure that the Americans 
most affected by policy decisions have a say in the issues that affect 
them the most.

We write in part because ACORN's work is presently under heavy, mainly 
partisan, attack. We and ACORN acknowledge that their program has had 
some imperfections, though these have been greatly exaggerated. We 
recognize ACORN's commitment to make the election process clean and fair 
for all Americans, and to make its own program the best that it can be.

This is emblematic of ACORN's long tradition of working to empower 
working families, people of color, and low-income communities. ACORN's 
success in bringing new populations into the electorate should be 
recognized and supported for what it is: a deeply patriotic act 
dedicated to strengthening democracy in America.

Please join us in showing support for this impressive and vital 
organization.

John Sweeney

President, AFL-CIO



Andy Stern
President, SEIU



Gerald W. McEntee

President, AFSCME



Larry Cohen

President, CWA


Leo Gerard, President

Tom Conway, International Vice President

Fred Redmond, International Vice President

James D. English, International Secretary-Treasurer

United Steelworkers



Randi Weingarten
President, United Federation of Teachers



Wade Henderson

President, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights



Caroline Fredrickson

Director-Washington Legislative Office, ACLU



Nan Aron

President, Alliance for Justice



Billy Easton

Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education



Donald James

President, Arise for Social Justice



Malik Ahmed

CEO, Better Family Life



Chris Krehmeyer

CEO, Beyond Housing



Michael Waldman

Executive Director, Brennan Center Strategic Fund



Delia Hunley-Adossa

CBA Chair & Executive Director, Brooklyn Endeavor Experience, Inc.



James E. Caldwell

President & CEO, Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development, Inc 
(BUILD)



Roger Hickey & Robert L. Borsage

Co-Directors, Campaign for America's Future



Mae Lee

Executive Director, Chinese Progressive Association (NY)



Bill Callahan

Callahan's Cleveland Diary (blog)



Karen Scharff

Executive Director, Citizen Action of New York



Debbie Kline

Coordinator, Cleveland Jobs with Justice



John DeCock

President & CEO, Clean Water Action





Angelica Salas

Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles 
(CHIRLA)



Deborah Weinstein

Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs



Mike Cerbo

Executive Director, Colorado AFL-CIO



Maureen Farrell-Stevenson

Executive Director, Colorado Center on Law and Policy



Jason McKain & Carlos Valverde Jr.

Co-Executive Directors, Colorado Progressive Action



Jason McKain & Carlos Valverde Jr.

Co-Executive Directors, Colorado Progressive Coalition



James Rucker

Executive Director, ColorofChange.org



Bob Edgar

President & CEO, Common Cause



Ben Wilcox

Director, Common Cause Florida



Don Mathis

President & CEO, Community Action Partnership



Lisa Clauson, Executive Director

Darlene Lombos, Organizing Director

Community Labor United



Bishop Orlando Findlayter

Chairman, C.U.S.H. (NY)



Miles Rapoport

President, D?mos- A Network for Ideas & Action



Ilir Zherka

Executive Director, DC Vote



Ron Pollack

Executive Director, Families USA



Laura Goodhue

Executive Director, Florida CHAIN



Bill Newton

Executive Director, Florida Consumer Action Network (FCAN)



Carmen Rhodes

Executive Director, FRESC



Rich Rogers

Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Greater Boston Labor Council



Trista Harris

Executive Director, Headwaters Foundation for Justice



Kim Bobo

Executive Director, Interfaith Worker Justice



Sheila Dector

Executive Director, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action



Marya Axner

Director, Jewish Labor Committee-New England



Kafi Blumenfield

President/CEO, Liberty Hill Foundation



Ana Maria Archila

Co-Executive Director, Make the Road



Thomas Callahan

Executive Director, Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance



Lew Finfer

Director, Massachusetts Communities Action Network



Russ Davis

Executive Director, Massachusetts Jobs with Justice



Avi Green, Executive Director

David Ortiz, Project Manager

Massachusetts Votes



Jackie Kendall & Heather Booth

Executive Director & Board President, Midwest Academy



Pamela Stokes Eggleston

Executive Vice President, Military Spouses for Change



Anna Brelje

Political Director, Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation AFL-CIO



Don Pylkkanen

Executive Director, Minnesota COACT



Hazel N. Dukes

President, NAACP NYS Conference



John M. Bean

Executive Director, National Center for School and Communities



Dennis VanRoekel

President, National Education Association



Jo Comerford & Suzanne Smith

Executive Director & Research Director, National Priorities Project



Lena Entin

Lead Organizer, Neighbor 2 Neighbor



Giovanna Negretti

Executive Director, ¿Oíste?-The Massachusetts Latino Political Organization



Ellen A. Bruce

President, OWL



Jeff Garis

Executive Director, Penn Action



Kathryn Kolbert

President, People for the American Way



Rosalind Spigel

Executive Director, Philadelphia Jewish Labor Committee



Angela Glover, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Judith Bell, President

PolicyLink



Brad Lander

Director, Pratt Center for Community Development



Michael Huttner

ProgressNowAction



Sister Mary Scullion

Executive Director, Project Home



Judy Meridith

Executive Director, Public Policy Institute



DeeVon Quirolo

Executive Director, Reef Relief



Heather Smith

Executive Director, Rock the Vote Action Fund



Ellis Robinson

Founder & Director, Ruth's List Florida



Tim Paulson

Executive Director, San Francisco Labor Council



Shelley Kessler

Executive Secretary-Treasurer, San Mateo County Central Labor Council



Rick Varco

Political Director, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota



Javier Morillo-Alicea

President, SEIU Local 26



Rocio Saenz

President, SEIU 615



Carl Pope

Executive Director, Sierra Club



Rev. R.K. Smith

President-Brooklyn Chapter, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)



Javier Gonzalez

Executive Director, Strengthening Our Lives (SOL California)



Dan McGrath

Executive Director, TakeAction Minnesota



Willie Desnoyers

President, UAW MA State CAP Council





Jeff Jones

Shop Steward, UFCW 1459 (Northampton, MA)



Stephanie Luce

UMass-Amherst Labor Center



Gary Kalman

Federal Office Director, U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG)



Nancy Banks

Executive Director, UU Mass Action Network



Horace Small

Executive Director, Union of Minority Neighborhoods



Dennis Kelly

President, United Educators of San Francisco



Mary Frances Berry

Former Chair, United States Commission on Civil Rights



Carmen Berkley

President, United States Student Association



AJ Duffy

President, United Teachers Los Angeles



Linda Meric

Director, 9to5 National Association of Working Women



Eddison Bramble

President, 100 Black Men of Long Island



1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East



Arizona Advocacy Network



Citizen Action/Illinois



Citizen Action of Wisconsin



Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute



Connecticut Association for Human Services



Connecticut Citizen Action Group



Florida Consumer Action Network



Florida PIRG



Georgia Rural Urban Summit



Iowa Citizen Action Network



Maine People's Alliance



Michigan Citizen Action



Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition



New Hampshire Citizens Alliance



New Jersey Citizen Action



NDPeople.org



Ocean State Action (Rhode Island)



Oregon Action



Progressive Maryland



Tennessee Citizen Action



United Vision for Idaho



USAction



Washington Community Action Network



West Virginia Citizen Action Group





Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY-11)



Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-3)



Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-5)



Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL-2)



Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14)



Rep. Jerold Nadler (NY-8)



Rep. Charlie Rangel (NY-15)



Rep. Jose Serrano (NY-16)



Rep. Edolphus "Ed" Towns (NY-10)



Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY-12)



Rep. Anthony Weiner (NY-9)





State Senator Eric Adams, New York, 20th District



Council Member Barbara J. Blanchard, Schnectady, NY



State Assembly Member William Boyland Jr., New York, 55th District



State Senator Joan Bray, Missouri, 24th District



State Representative Ronald Brise, Florida, 108th District



State Assembly Member Karim Camara, New York, 43rd District



Councilman Kevin Conwell, Cleveland, Ward 9



Vice-Mayor David Crowley, Cincinnati



State Representative, Joyce Cusack, Florida, 27th District



State Representative Jim Davnie, Minnesota, 62nd District



School Board President, Monica Garcia, Los Angeles



Councilman Bill Green, Philadelphia At-Large



Councilmember Letitia James, New York City, 35th District



State Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries, New York, 57th District



State Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh, New York, 74th District



State Senator Liz Krueger, New York, 26th District



State Assembly Member Rory Lancman, New York, 25th District



Councilmember John Liu, New York City, 20th District



Councilmember Paul D. Lopez, Denver, 3rd District



Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, New York City, 8th District



Councilmember Nury Martinez, City of San Fernando, CA



Council Member Rosie Mendez, New York City, 2nd District



State Representative Jeanette Mott Oxford, Missouri



Councilman Chris Nevitt, Denver, 7th District



House Representative Mike O'Brian, PA, District 175



State Senator Kevin Parker, New York, 21st District



State Senator Bill Perkins, New York, 30th District



State Assembly Member Nick Perry, New York, 58th District



State Representative Scott Randolph, Florida, 36th District



State Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, New York, 67th District



State Senator Diane Savino, New York, 23rd District



State Assembly Member William Scarborough, New York, 29th District



State Senator Eric Schneiderman, New York, 31st District



Scott M. Stringer, Manhattan Borough President, New York



Councilwoman Marian Tasco, Philadelphia, 9th District



State Representative Geraldine Thompson, Florida, 39th District



State Senator Lois Tochtrop, Colorado, 24th District



State Committeewoman Marie A. Turkey, Massachusetts, 2nd Suffolk District



Council Member Thomas White Jr., New York City, 28th District



State Assembly Member Keith Wright, New York, 70th District





Archbishop R.K. Daveport, One Offering Tabernacle of God (Hempstead, NY)



Rev. Paula M. Jackson, Episcopal Church of Our Savior (Cincinnati)



Rev. Daniel Klawitter, Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist 
Church (Denver, CO)



Minister Patricia Malcolm, New Hope Christian Fellowship (NYC)



Rev. Connis M. Mobley, United Community Baptist Church (NYC)



Rev. William Monroe Campbell, Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church (LA)



Rev. Robert Waterman, Antioch Baptist Church (NYC)



Rev. Jerry West, Mount West Moriah Church of God in Christ (NY)


-- 
Elyssa Koidin
Legislative Representative
ACORN National
739 8th St., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Phone- (202) 547-2500
Fax- (202) 546-2483

www.acorn.org