Your tax dollars:
I told you a few days ago that I had all sorts of things piled up to post on, but every day I get distracted by something I find more interesting (that is the beauty of not being paid for one’s work, no bosses). Reader “Knowing” sent us a website link a couple of weeks ago. The site is called ExpectMore.gov for the US State Department’s Refugee Resettlement admissions program. Note that the State Department gets fantastic grades, no problem here!
Check it out and then come back.
However, this is what I would like to know: when they say that the total average cost per refugee admission in 2008 was supposed to be $3,400 but ended up at $4,195, does this include all the additional Office of Refugee Resettlement (not in the State Department) costs? Does it include the airfare that is never repaid? Does it include translation services for just about anything the refugee does for the next year or so? Does it include housing subsidies? How about food stamps and medical care cards? Knowing, do you know?
As a matter of fact, if each refugee admission ran over by $795 and we admitted 60,192 refugees that year, it looks to me that the cost overrun was $47,852,640. Wouldn’t a $47 million dollar overrun result in some bad grades for the State Department?*
Then check out employment. The expectation in 2007 was that 71% would be employed at 180 days (6 months) but 69% in reality found work. Not too bad, but 2007 was before the recession and note they haven’t posted the numbers for 2008 yet. Why is that? Imagine what they must be for 2009! We’ve heard guesses ranging from only 20%-45% finding work. I would also like to know what constitutes work? If they get employed for a holiday-season stint at Walmart for example, do they get tallied in the employed column? Knowing, do you know?
And then why is the State Department no longer reporting on security and fraud issues?
Security, health, and anti-fraud measures are fully implemented in refugee processing. This measure was completed in 2004. PRM continues to monitor security, health, and anti-fraud measures but will no longer formally report on implementation.
There is a lot more to question at this site, but I’m losing interest and want to get to more on Pittsburgh and the Burmese.
I don’t have a red phone like Glenn Beck (it was very funny when he had the guy in the Mao hat waiting for the White House to call and refute what Beck was saying!), but I would like some clarification for a few of the items I’ve raised. I’ll be waiting.
* What the heck, keep it all in perspective, this is a government that spends $54 million on a Napa Wine Train (hey, doesn’t Nancy Pelosi have a vineyard?), but I digress.