Newsgroups: biz.americast.samples
From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com
Organization: American Cybercasting
Subject: Shaw businessmen complain of group's strong-arm tactics
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 11:09:31 EDT

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\SE A
\HD Shaw businessmen complain of group's strong-arm tactics
\SH ACORN pitch included threat, merchants say
\BY Brian Reilly
\CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Tony Chan was scared when the young men dropped off the flier at his
Shaw carryout and, he said, threatened to picket his store if he didn't
give them $100 to improve the Northwest neighborhood.

"The only reason I gave them the money was because I was scared," said
Mr.  Chan, owner of Yum's Carryout at 1919 14th St.  NW.  "I help out a lot
of other organizations and charities, but they all ask, not demand."

Yum's is one of dozens of Shaw businesses that have received fliers and
oral warnings from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform
Now (ACORN).

For years the housing activist group has conducted sit-ins, boycotts
and marches to challenge federal and local governments and big businesses
to contribute more to low-income residents, but until now no one has
complained about feeling threatened.

The Metropolitan Police Department is reviewing possible extortion or
fraud charges against ACORN, police sources said.  A police official,
echoing the complaints of many business owners, likened the group's tactics
to threats made by organized crime.

Through the fliers and in person, ACORN members have demanded that
businesses give between $100 and $500 to "benefit the Shaw community" and
that they hire a greater percentage of local residents.

But the business owners are fighting back, calling the demands
"strong-arm" and "extortionist" tactics by a group with no proven record of
improving the conditions in the community.

The newly formed Shaw Coalition, which represents about 20 activist
groups, distributed a letter yesterday in which it "strongly discouraged"
the businesses from responding to the demands.  It also said ACORN is not
welcome in Shaw.

ACORN, businessmen say, is trying to extort money from them at a time
when they are handicapped by a recession and struggling to rebound from a
business slump suffered during construction of Metro's Green Line, which
ended there last year.

Much of the pedestrian and commuter traffic through the U Street
corridor in Shaw was blocked along several blocks for more than two years
as workers tore up sidewalks and roads during construction of the first
stretch of the new subway line.

"The recession put a hardship on the merchants of Shaw right after the
troubles from the Green Line construction ended," said Edward Archie, owner
of the Tuxedo Valet at 1715 Seventh St.  NW.

Jeff Koenreich, vice president of the Cardozo-Shaw Neighborhood
Coalition, said he fears ACORN may be targeting Korean-owned stores.

Three of the five shops that have given money to the group in the past
week are owned by Koreans.

"I am greatly concerned that they are playing on racial tensions
between Asian and African-American businesses," he said.  "A lot of Koreans
got the notice, and the follow-ups on them were a lot stronger."

Eun Yong Baek, co-owner of the K&D Food Market at 1201 S St.  NW, said
yesterday she canceled payment this weekend on the $100 check she gave
ACORN members.  "Next time I'll be more careful," she said.

Mr.  Koenreich has said ACORN should either return the reported $600 it
has collected so far or donate the funds to the Green Line Merchants
Association.

ACORN officials denied the charges of exploiting racial tensions,
saying that the entire Shaw area, including local Giant and Safeway
supermarkets, was blanketed with the fliers and that no individual
businesses were targeted.

"Every business in Shaw got a letter," ACORN organizer Christine Bond
said.

But several prominent black-owned stores, including Ben's Chili Bowl at
1213 U St.  and Sid's Auto Body shop at 2018 12th St., have not received
fliers.

"We have not received the flier, and we're not going to be threatened
that way," said Virginia Ali, co-owner of Ben's.

ACORN officials attempted to distance themselves from the flier
yesterday, saying that it was written by one organizer, Soul Evans.

The Rev.  Charles Cummings Jr.  - co-leader of the Shaw ACORN group,
which he says includes 250 neighborhood residents - said the letter does
not represent a consensus of the members.  But, he said, the threats of
protests stand.



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