Your tax dollars:

I see on the news this morning that negotiators in Congress have a deal—we taxpayers will buyout bad home loans and bailout lending institutions who were given a free rein by Congress in the first place to loan money to people, including immigrants, who should never have gotten loans.   Since it appears we are about to have something shoved down our throats, I am hoping that at least they got the infamous ACORN’s grubby hands out of the pot of gold.

All of this home loan discussion reminded me that refugees get special help in buying homes.   It is an issue that came up a year ago in Hagerstown, MD in conjunction with the public meeting held in our city to try to explain how the refugee resettlement program works.    A long-time resident noted that at least one very recent refugee had purchased a home already.  In that case, it appears the refugee actually came to this country with assets (don’t let them fool you, some refugees had homes to sell and did not live in squalid camps, especially the Russians).

Anyway, that comment led me to look into a federal program that does give refugees a special deal for home ownership, education, and business ownership.  It’s called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and administered through the Office of Refugee Resettlement.   The objectives of the program:

The objectives of the IDA Program are to increase the ability of low-income refugees to save; promote their participation in the financial institutions of this country; assist refugees in advancing their education; increase home ownership; and assist refugees in gaining access to capital.

Under this match grant program, the refugee sets up a savings account and the taxpayers match him or her dollar for dollar.   Just think about this!   Where is Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform (oh, silly me, he is busy promoting that we take more refugees and immigrants)?

Individual development accounts are matched savings accounts available for the purchase of specific assets. Under the IDA program, the matching funds, together with the refugee’s own savings from their employment, are available for purchasing one (or more) of four savings goals: home purchase; microenterprise capitalization; post secondary education or training; and in some cases, purchase of an automobile if necessary to maintain or upgrade employment.

IDA grantees provide matched savings accounts to refugees whose annual income is less than 200 percent of the poverty level and whose assets, exclusive of a personal residence and one vehicle, are less than $10,000. Grantees provide matches of up to $1 for every $1 deposited by a refugee in a savings account. The total match amount provided may not exceed $2,000 for individuals or $4,000 for households. Upon enrolling in an IDA program, a refugee signs a savings plan agreement which specifies the savings goal, the match rate, and the amount the refugee will save each month.

Is it any wonder there is animosity toward immigrants and refugees.  When struggling hard-working Americans hear about these sweet deals they get angry.   How many Americans have a house, a car and less than $10,000 in assets and are not eligible for this handout because they were born here!

To add insult to injury, go to the Office of Refugee Resettlement to see who holds the pots of money for the refugees, it’s not some government office accountable to elected officials, it’s a gang of leftist non-profit groups, some of them churches.  Among the duties of these NGO’s is to teach the refugee how to access our “financial systems” and get those loans that are now bringing down our economy.   So where is the ACLU on the separation of church and state?

To learn more, go here.  Note (scroll down) that there is a link for how to get sharia finance for Muslim borrowers into the IDA’s!