Americans For Prosperity's Insane Ad Against Popular Housing Bill Is Insane

The New Jersey legislature is pushing a bill that "would establish a temporary agency, the New Jersey Foreclosure Relief Corp.," which "would acquire houses in foreclosure and make them available to towns, non-profit groups, or private investors as low- and moderate-income housing." The corporation would be similar to the RTC, which helped clean up the mess left behind by the savings and loans crisis; and this proposal has the backing of the "state League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Builders Association, the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, the New Jersey Bankers Association, and other groups not often found lined up together." Sounds good. What's the problem? There isn't one... but according to this lovely ad from Dave & Chuck Kochs' Americans for Prosperity, this bill will FORCE DRUG ADDICTS, EX-CONS, SEX OFFENDERS AND HOMELESS MONSTERS INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, TO KILL YOU.

Watch this horrifying ad about all the homeless drug addict ex-cons (wink wink) scaring the nice old white men in the neighborhood, which will happen because of this evil bill backed by everyone:

But wait, it's a specificamendmentto this bill that makes it so awful -- it would allow those foreclosed properties to be made available to "special needs" people. We just can't have that. 

If philosophy is at the heart of the debate, the advertising thrust aims elsewhere. The TV spot zeroes in on an amendment to allow state agencies to acquire foreclosed properties for use as halfway houses, assisted living centers and other facilities for "special needs" populations.

In the language of the bills, that "means individuals with mental illness, physical or developmental disabilities, victims of domestic violence, ex-offenders, youth aging out of foster care, disabled and homeless veterans, individuals and households who are homeless, individuals with AIDS/HIV, and individuals in other emerging special-needs groups identified by state agencies. Individuals shall be at least 18 years of age if not part of a household."

So that's how Americans for Prosperity is going out of its way to screw over the disadvantaged for no real reason other than mean-spiritedness today, at least.

[ NJ Spotlight via Digby ]