Jon your link didn’t work for me for some reason (probably cuz I’m post Avett concert, post too many beers and sat up to watch the entire debate before bed, lol), but I’m assuming it was their website perhaps.

ACORN has been well known in regards to fraudulent activities, even criminal in regards to voter registration fraud and other areas regarding home loans they have supervised.

In principle, I am against such organizations in general (ACORN is supposed to be private and not obtain government support), especially them having the backing of a certain political group, ie lobbyists, using earmarks to “save” people from their own bad choices…or even worse, governmental bad choices.

I think the community reinvestment idea was a nice thing to do, but in reality was just dangerous and proved so. You can’t give people an easy way into debt and then leave them to it…only to eventually have to give them an easy way out because they can’t afford it. Bottom line is this, you can’t go in and invest in a community, to raise the housing prices and standards in low income, oppressed areas and then try and get people who make very little money to make the payments. It’s just silly, poor economic reasoning. You either have to price it so low that it won’t bring up the overall housing prices, therefore making it profitable for the homeowner in the long run, ie good investment, or you have to give them a hand to get in. But that’s generallly where the help ends…you get them in and then leave them to their own devices to make it work. Often times, it simply can’t. So then what are left with? Subprime mortgages, subprime housing prices, a still deflated neighborhood with no good market value! So what and how did this program help anyone? It was simply a very bad idea that is now costing the rest of the people who can afford their mortgages lots and lots of money. It simply isn’t right. It isn’t fair.

I suppose I sound horrible, but owning a home is the American dream…not the American right. There is plenty of accessible, low income housing, ie rentals, that are perfectly good for those who might not be able to buy a house. And what is wrong with that? Nothing in my view. Owning a home is a huge financial responsibility. If you can’t make your normal payments in the rest of your life, then why in the world would you want to burdern yourself with the expense of home ownership. Just think about how local governments are suffering under this housing mess.…all the non-paid property taxes on all these houses that were foreclosed on…and the ones that can’t sell and are making their owners go bankrupt, even though they paid their mortgage on time and could…but simply couldn’t sell a house in a market saturated with product. I have a friend, a doctor, who has had a house on the market for one whole year. It won’t sell any time soon. Another doctor friend had a house he sold sit nearly the same period of time and they ended up doing a short sale on it. So this housing stuff is not just a poor man’s issue…or even what I keep hearing, a middle class issue.

Anyway, personally, I’m pretty cynical when it comes to what each individual thinks they have a right to in terms of certain things. I think the key to any good life is hard work, determination and respect. Oh, and being realistic and humble enough to know your own limits. Believe me Jon, my own mother is on the government doll, my sister in law is, we have many friends who have been one way or another. NONE of them really needs it or deserves it (note I“m saying this about MY OWN mom). I think if you knew the realities of what government assistance really is, then you might find yourself less charitable and instead really frustrated and angry.

To back up what I said, watch this…