Friday afternoon (Sept. 11th), the Burien offices of ACORN were busy with volunteer “Foreclosure Fighters” who were dialing phones on behalf of Maria Morales, a White Center woman whose home is facing foreclosure (see our earlier post here).
Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture these photos:
Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow
The big push – aside from saving Maria’s house – was for state legislation that would call for mandatory mediation and force lenders into negotiations before foreclosure happens.
Washington State President of ACORN, John R. Jones Jr. (the African-American in the photos wearing a black shirt and straw hat), when asked what he would say to the President/CEO of Goldman-Sachs, replied:
“You are a terrorist!”
He later added: “America is about second chances.”
According to a press release we received from ACORN:
Morales and other ACORN members were stymied June 30th as they tried to confront the Goldman Sachs financial firm in downtown Seattle. Ms. Morales (whose mortgage is held by Sach’s Litton and scheduled for sale on Sept. 25th) was actually locked out of the building. ACORN members believe this to be the lender’s general attitude regarding their mortgage clients.
ACORN “Foreclosure Fighters,” outraged at not only the treatment of their members, but also the ongoing foreclosure crisis that is tearing apart families, neighborhoods, and the economy, took grassroots action today to try and save members’ homes. In March, President Obama announced Making Home Affordable, a $75 billion effort to prevent 4 million foreclosures. However, many who SHOULD qualify are not receiving modifications from their lenders.
ACORN is the nation’s largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, with over 450,000 member families organized into neighborhood chapters in 100 cities across the country. Since 1970 ACORN has taken action and won victories on issues of concern to our members. Our priorities include: better housing for first time homebuyers and tenants, living wages for low-wage workers, more investment in our communities from banks and governments, and better public schools. ACORN stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
Why is she in foreclosure?
It doesn’t matter why she is in foreclosure. What do you want to be the one to throw her out in the street? Maybe she should set up a tent in your front yard? You republidumns are done. Go dig a hole and sit in it.
Way to go ACORN! In this modern super rich America I believe everyone deserves to have their own home, just because you can not afford it does not mean you do not have the right to own a home. We are way beyond that. There is enough wealth in this country that if we just took half of the money away from everyone with over 1 million dollars, then we could afford to buy everyone in this country who doesn’t have one their own home a decent house. The real payoff would be the virtual dissappearance of crime because almost all crime is committed to keep a roof over the criminals head. This is the direction America said we wanted to go when we elected President Obama.