A Subculture That Is Difficult to Understand
One question on my mind has been how people close to ACORN function as managers, and how they feel about the organization. Mark Hemingway has a great blog post up at The Corner that provides some answers. He interviewed the organization’s founder, who spoke at surprising length on his attitude toward embezzlement, management, and other aspects of the organization. I hadn’t realized, among other things, that after this man’s brother got caught embezzling almost $1 million dollars, he continued working at ACORN for 8 years. I cannot think of any precedent for that. But do click through to the interview transcript. It is a fascinating read.
“I cannot think of any precedent for that.”
What is “Bonuses for bankers who caused the financial meltdown”, Alex?
I watch The Wire, and I’ve done contract work for NGOs, so this Acorn stuff doesn’t shock me. It’s deplorable and if Acorn, even with all the good work they do, goes off the rails for it I’m not going to wring my hands. It’s called accountablity.
But I do get my panties in a bunch over one set of accountability standards for the Roman Polanskis of the world (whether on Wall Street or in Hollywood) and other set for the rest of us.
Yeah, I know, that’s the way the world works, get over it.
— Tony Comstock · Sep 30, 05:46 PM · #
To add to Tony’s comment, you were joking with: I cannot think of any precedent for that. right?
— eric k · Sep 30, 06:29 PM · #
The bonuses were deplorable, but different.
A guy who embezzles a million dollars from a Wall Street firm isn’t kept on by his own bosses!
— Conor Friedersdorf · Sep 30, 06:36 PM · #
Conor:
I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but Glenn Beck has been all over the Rathke’s for months.
Tony and Erik:
ACORN has as much responsibility, in a different way, for the financial meltdown as the financial sector. In a sense they were the originators of the problem, the instigators, if you will. They pressured banks to make loans to bad risks.
I’d love to see the Rathke’s testifying before one of those hideous congressional committees, along with Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Franklin Raines, Jim Johnson…
— jd · Sep 30, 08:49 PM · #
No, jd, you’ve got it all wrong. It was the jews.
— Tony Comstock · Sep 30, 09:04 PM · #
I blame snarky, hipster creative types myself.
— Adam Greenwood · Oct 1, 12:02 AM · #
Precedent? A large five-sided office complex springs to mind.
— Jim · Oct 1, 03:17 AM · #
Remarkable restraint, Tony. Because when Tony Comstock accuses someone of conspiratorial thinking, this is the response we would expect: “No, jd, you’ve got it all wrong. It was the fucking Jews.”
— jd · Oct 1, 02:20 PM · #
Anybody ever heard of Tammany Hall? “EVERYBODY is talkin’ these days about Tammany men growin’ rich on graft, but nobody thinks of drawin’ the distinction between honest graft and dishonest graft. There’s all the difference in the world between the two.”
— Greg · Oct 1, 04:56 PM · #