Your tax dollars:
One hears over and over from the proponents of more refugee resettlement how refugees are industrious and start businesses that help revitalize cities. Surely some do—-with a little help from the Feds. A few days ago we addressed the issue of how refugees get cars. In that post we mentioned Individual Development Accounts as a way of saving to get a car, or start a business. But, there is yet another way you subsidize refugee businesses with your tax dollars. It’s called the Microenterprise Development Program.
The federal government (Office of Refugee Resettlement) gives grants to volags who in turn use the money to give refugees a leg-up in business. I’m just wondering if the average poor American schmo in Hagerstown could get in on this, or do you have to have been persecuted somewhere else in the world for this sweet deal? The answer: No schmos accepted; persecution is a prerequisite.
The microenterprise development projects are intended for recently arrived refugees on public assistance, refugees who possess few personal assets, and refugees who lack a credit history that meets commercial lending standards. The projects are also intended for refugees who have been in the U.S. for several years and wish to supplement salaried income.
The grants are administered by the volags which of course must endear them to their refugee clients. I’m not a business person but these numbers don’t sound so great to me.
Excluding loan funds, the total amount of ORR operational funding expended for these microenterprise projects was $26,846,726 over the fourteen-year period. For 5,275 businesses assisted, this represents an average cost-per-business start or expansion of $5,089.
——–
The total number of jobs created by new and expanding/strengthening businesses (including the business owner) was 5,218 which translates to $5,145 per job created.
So, let me get this straight? Almost $27,000,000 was expended just to administer the program, and that doesn’t include the loan itself? And, these grants given out by the likes of Jewish Family Services, Church World Service and Catholic Charities to name a few cost us over $5000 per job created. Hey, ACLU where’s the separation of church and state? Nevermind that, where is Grover Norquist and the Americans for Tax Reform? Oh, yeh, I forgot Mr. Norquist is lobbying for more refugees.