North Dakota: Will Burleigh County Vote for Unspecified Number of Refugees in Coming Years

I told you here last week about how county commissioners in Burleigh County (Bismarck), ND had postponed a decision about whether the county would ‘welcome’ refugees or not after President Trump has gone out on a political limb to invite states and mostly counties to say whether they want more refugees (or not) now, and into the foreseeable future.

(Have you taken 15 minutes to make your calls?)

So many people turned out at the meeting that the decision was postponed, but will be on the agenda tomorrow night in Bismarck.

One of the smartest things I’ve heard from any elected official is this from Commissioner Chairman Brian Bitner:

“I haven’t seen anything in this package, anywhere, that tells me that we’re consenting to five or 50 or 500 or anything. So North Dakota is already the highest per capita state for refugee resettlement in terms of number of citizens, so in the absence of any sort of number, there’s no way we could know the cost to the state or the county, and I simply can’t support that,” said Bitner.

And there won’t be any number given in advance!

When a governor or local elected official sends permission to the US State Department it is an open-ended invitation for any number from anywhere in the world.

It also signals that the state and local government agree to take on the financial burden of the social service costs refugees rack up.  (State and local taxpayers carry most of the tax burden for their care as the federal government has over time shifted the cost to the states.)

That 50-100 mile radius issue!

So, know this, if Burleigh County says yes tomorrow night they are saying yes for placement of third worlders in any location within a hundred miles of the county.

I couldn’t do what some Tennesseans did (draw circles on a map), but I did find a radius calculating tool and this is what I learned.

If you can’t read the small print:

This region includes 22 counties: Burleigh, ND; Dunn, ND; Emmons, ND; Foster, ND; Grant, ND; Hettinger, ND; Kidder, ND; Logan, ND; McHenry, ND; McIntosh, ND; McLean, ND; Mercer, ND; Morton, ND; Oliver, ND; Sheridan, ND; Sioux, ND… plus 6 more counties.

So all of you who live within a hundred miles, know that you are not off the hook!

Refugee advocates in ND are claiming that incoming refugee numbers are so low under Trump that there won’t be that many coming to Burleigh County anyway.  Those refugee promoters also say Bismarck needs more diversity!

Stop and think!  When Trump is no longer in the White House, the refugee spigot is going to be opened wide and your county will have said—bring ’em in!

Here is the news about the meeting tomorrow night.  If you live in Bismarck  or anywhere within a hundred miles try to get there!

Even if you can’t beat Open Borders Inc, you can at least show up and thank the President for giving you an opportunity to help decide the future of your community.

Burleigh County to Hold Special Refugee Resettlement Meeting

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota county will hold a special meeting next week to take comments on whether it should resettle additional refugees.

Burleigh County commissioners postponed action on the matter at a meeting Monday after an overflow crowd showed up to address the issue.

A recent executive order by President Donald Trump stated that new efforts to resettle refugees would have to receive permission from state and local governments. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced last month that the state would continue to receive refugees as long as local governments agreed.

The public will be able to voice opinions Dec. 9 on whether to allow Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota to continue resettling refugees in the county. Commissioners could vote on the matter at the special meeting Monday.

The Cass County Commission voted unanimously Monday to allow Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota to continue its refugee resettlement program.

This post is filed in my “Where to find information” category here.  Find recent posts about the President’s Executive Order archived there.

Oh, and did I ask:

Have you taken 15 minutes to make your calls?