{"id":255,"date":"2009-09-23T10:32:32","date_gmt":"2009-09-23T08:32:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/boboh\/2009\/09\/23\/acorn_and_casting_nets_too_widely\/"},"modified":"2009-09-23T10:32:32","modified_gmt":"2009-09-23T08:32:32","slug":"acorn_and_casting_nets_too_widely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occamstypewriter.org\/boboh\/2009\/09\/23\/acorn_and_casting_nets_too_widely\/","title":{"rendered":"ACORN and Casting Nets Too Widely"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wouldn’t comment on this, as it’s another country’s politics. But it’s just too good to pass by, and also has scientific relevance.
\nThe US Congress has just passed legislation with the aim of defunding ACORN. This is an organisation that helps US voters register. As these voters tend to be supporters of the Democrats, the Republicans would like to stop them.
\nBut the bill was written rather broadly, so that it would defund<\/a><\/p>\n

\nAny organization that has been indicted for a violation under any Federal or State law governing the financing of a campaign for election for public office or any law governing the administration of an election for public office, including a law relating to voter registration.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

These organisations would not be able to receive any federal funding at all, or even any promotion by the federal government.
\nWell, someone looked into this<\/a>, to see who would be affected. They have created a top 100 list<\/a> of organisations which would be banned from any federal funds under the act. This includes several arms companies (oops, there goes the industrial-military complex), and computer firms.
\nBut the following are also on the list:<\/p>\n