June 1, 2007
SLIMED AGAIN
 |
He slimed us! |
You know, we at Housing Works should just be proud to be attacked by the conservative Republican Study Committee and placed in the good company of ACORN and the National Council of La Raza.
But the RSC got its facts wrong!
Housing Works got a nice, slimy mention in the RSC's "Q&A" sheet on H.R. 1427, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act and the Affordable Housing Fund that's part of the bill. The document was distributed to GOP House members last week, and you can read it here.
The RSC asserts that the Affordable Housing Fund won't actually fund low-income housing — its stated and only purpose — but would actually be used by wily activist groups like ACORN, La Raza and Housing Works to fund "partisan, liberal political activity."
The full slime:
Should I worry that some housing organization will have its spending offset by some additional grants?
Yes.
The largest organizations (and thus the most able to commit resources to apply for federal grants) who work on affordable housing issues include, for example, ACORN (led voter registration efforts against Republicans, with allegations of voter fraud in Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina), National Council of La Raza (allegations of voter fraud in the Bob Dornan-Loretta Sanchez election of 1996), and Housing Works (led a demonstration against Senator Rick Santorum for his anti-needle exchange and pro-abstinence voting record). These entities unquestionably, and sometimes unabashedly, engage in partisan, liberal political activities.
The RSC hit-job distinctly reminds us of a similar accusation the right-wing Washington Times made in 2003 but had to retract. And we weren't surprised to find out that Paul Teller, Legislative Director for the RSC, was a senior executive at the Times.
2003 mud-slinging led to correctionIn October 2003, a Times "Inside Politics" column claimed Housing Works-led demonstrations at the 2004 Republican National Convention would be funded by "tax dollars," suggesting we illegally misuse government health care, housing or job training funds.
But we sure don't — Housing Works is careful to separate restricted funds, including those from government or foundation sources, from unrestricted funds like proceeds from the Housing Works Thrift Shops or the Bookstore Café.
And we never engage in partisan political activity: All of our advocacy work is legal, nonpartisan issue advocacy that's allowed by law and protected by the Constitution.
And we have plenty of friends—and enemies—in both political parties. We dish out praise and criticism based on principle, not politics.
Back in 2003, after a vigorous, respectful discussion with us, the Times ran this note:
Correction
An item in yesterday's column incorrectly stated that planned protests by a New York AIDS advocacy group at the 2004 Republican National Convention were funded by "tax dollars." Michael Kink, legislative counsel for Housing Works, writes: "Housing Works received $3.919 [million] in government contracts out of $26 million in total revenues last year, and that government funding was used solely to provide housing, services and medical care for homeless and formerly homeless people living with HIV/AIDS. We don't use a dime of taxpayer money to carry out our vigorous AIDS advocacy."
It would be nice if the RSC does the same. So far Teller has failed to respond to inquiries by e-mail and telephone.
Maybe we'll have to call the lawyers...or maybe we should just be proud.