Republicans have been licking their chops at the news that Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson of Orlando requested $350,000 in federal dollars for the Florida Civil Rights Association. That’s the group whose president, J. Willie David, became notorious for seeking payment from people whose causes he has taken up. In 2007, he tried — but failed, thank goodness — to claim 10 percent of a $1.75 million settlement for the orphans of a couple killed in a botched police chase. He submitted an itemized list of tasks he performed, at $85.62 an hour, that ranged from attending the funeral of the couple to writing press releases to picking up trash at the crash memorial site. Circuit Court Judge Lawrence R. Kirkwood was not impressed. "Why are you trying to take money from these two children?" he asked.
Grayson’s request said the money would provide free legal assistance, particularly for people facing foreclosure. Surely he could have come up with a more reputable organization, with a real record of accomplishment, for that worthy purpose.
The congressman told Politico that Mr. David’s group, which named him its "Humanitarian of the Year" in 2007, "is perhaps the most experienced group in Florida in providing housing counseling to people." Really? There’s no mention of the group among dozens of counseling agencies in Florida approved by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In a written response to questions from the Sentinel, Grayson said David's group "represented and helped" a homeless woman who begged President Obama for help at a town meeting in Fort Myers. "More importantly, FCRA was an organization that asked for an earmark to meet an overwhelming social need," the congressman said. Sorry, but taxpayers have a right to expect a little due diligence from their representatives in scrutinizing the organizations asking for federal dollars, to ensure those dollars will be spent wisely. Congressmen aren't supposed to be mere conduits for funding requests.
Mr. Grayson’s office has pointed out that a congressional panel rejected the earmark — as if that makes the issue moot. No, but it shows the panel demonstrated far better judgment and much more regard for taxpayers than the congressman.
Republicans would love to recapture the 8th Congressional District after Mr. Grayson ousted incumbent Ric Keller last year. If he keeps providing ammunition like this, they just might.
Read this editorial here on the Orlando Sentinel website
