Update August 20th: What do you know, change of plans, “children” not going there after all. Hat tip: Robin
A “financially troubled” Lutheran Church on Long Island riled the community of Commack recently when it said it was considering housing some of the ‘unaccompanied alien children’ flooding the US border in recent months.
A NYC fire fighter who lives next door said: “It’s basically going to be a hotel right next to my house.”
Who put them up to it—-Lutheran Social Services of New York *** which says it has the bucks to pay (an affiliate of the big kahuna Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service).
From Newsday (hat tip: Caroline):
A Lutheran church in Commack may host some of the tens of thousands of immigrant children illegally crossing the United States’ border with Mexico mainly to reunite with family here, the church’s pastor said Tuesday.
The financially troubled Holy Cross Lutheran Church had to cancel a meeting last week after outraged neighbors packed the church to protest the proposal, but Rev. Dennis Walker said the congregation is still considering it and hopes to meet in coming weeks to decide.
Walker said community opposition was being fueled by misinformation about the proposal, and he hopes “people will reconsider in a more rational light. This is minimal impact on the community with substantial benefits” such as jobs for workers who would remodel the building to create the living quarters. [Here is one of my questions, if the “children’s” border surge ended tomorrow and the church had already been remodeled, then what? Would it house other migrants of some sort?—ed]
The proposal calls for about 40 children, 4 to 17, to be housed at the church at any one time between seven and 30 days, Walker said. The children would be in transit from federal immigration detention facilities to relatives in the New York area, and would leave only for medical appointments or other important issues, Walker said.
So who does have moola (federal cash!)?
The proposal was brought to the church by Lutheran Social Services of New York, the Manhattan-based agency that would cover cost for the renovation, using federal funds.
Nearby residents firmly oppose the idea. “It’s scary,” said Sheryl Cambria, 35, a special-education teacher at Lindenhurst High School. “I have two little kids. Who’s to say my house is going to be safe?” New York City firefighter Michael Cantwell, 44, said, “It’s basically going to be a hotel right next to my house.”
Not just in Commack, New York, but from sea to shining sea, this is what it is all about, the good pastor admits—
—they get money (your tax dollars) and get to “do the Christian thing!” Who can beat that!
Walker said the Commack church is in dire financial straits after a day care business stopped renting space in June.
The immigrant children program could bring in $8,000 to $10,000 a month, help pay off a $25,000 debt — and allow the church to do the Christian thing, he said.
***According to Guidestar, Lutheran Social Services of New York does not file a Form 990 tax return with the IRS because it says it’s exempt as a “church.” I’ve seen that occasionally over the years (of course, it’s a way of hiding their financials from the public) and wonder that the ACLU isn’t interested in examining this situation—federal money flowing directly to a church (and not a “religious” IRS-approved non-profit group). Hmmm!
Any forensic accountants following the money trail?
Endnote: The AP has a longer story posted on this past Saturday, here. Note that the AP reporter tried to talk with someone at Lutheran Social Services of New York (offices on Riverside Dr at the “God Box” where God is a Leftwinger) and they refused to comment.
For more on ‘unaccompanied minors’ here at RRW, click here.