Episcopal church vote to remove George Washington memorial is just outward sign of a politicized church

10/29/2017 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

It is everywhere on the news in the last 24 hours!

In case you happened to miss it, here is Daniel Greenfield on George Washington’s Virginia church and the vote. (hat tip: Ed).

Christ Church Alexandria — Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia where both Washington and Robert E. Lee worshiped. More details: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/oct/27/george-washingtons-church-tear-down-memorial-honor/

So what does this have to do with refugees?

It is a news hook to tell you about Episcopal Migration Ministries!

We tell you daily that there are nine federal resettlement contractors*** placing third world refugees in to unsuspecting American towns and cities. Six of those, depending almost completely on taxpayer dollars, are supposed to be ‘religious’ church groups largely controlled now by the political LEFT. (The Socialists and Communists understand that in order to bring down America they need to control the churches and break up the family.)

The one federal resettlement contractor surviving almost exclusively on federal tax dollars is Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) that admitted in its own publication recently that it is 99.5% funded by the federal government.

And, it gets worse! The other eight federal contractors at least have set up separate legal entities as non-profit groups to receive their federal payola, not so EMM. The federal money destined to EMM goes directly to the Episcopal Church (USA) making it harder than normal to follow the (your!) money! See my post here.

I had always wondered why I couldn’t find an IRS Form 990 for them! Churches don’t have to tell the feds about their money (apparently even if it is the feds’ money!).

Screenshot (1027) — Check out this recent annual report from EMM. Have you ever seen an annual report that does not mention their income and spending at all? https://episcopalmigrationministries.org/wp-content/uploads/AR2017.1.pdf

Let me be clear, this Virginia church and the Episcopal Church (USA) can be political all they want to be, but not with taxpayer dollars!

From an April 2017 article in Episcopal News Service:

The executive order’s impact on EMM’s bottom line is especially drastic because EMM is a unique ministry of the Episcopal Church, both structurally and fiscally. While not separately incorporated, as is Episcopal Relief & Development, EMM receives very little money from the church-wide budget, instead receiving 99.5 percent of its funding from the federal government.

(By the way, if you are still an Episcopalian, you do need to either speak up or find another faith group! Just saying!).

Are federal dollars propping up the Episcopal Church (USA)?

This is not the only place I’ve heard this over the years, but here is one writer who believes the money the church gets from the feds for refugees, helps prop-up the failing church. Read the article which is focused on the US State Department’s travel loan repayment plan where the non-profit, in this case EMM, acts as a loan collection agency and pockets some of the money it wrings out of the refugees.

The Episcopal Church (USA) has two primary sources of income: according to its latest audited financial statements for the calendar year 2013, it received a little over $27 million from its member dioceses, and it received half as much again, or $13.8 million, from the federal government.

Where is Congress?

So why isn’t the House Immigration Subcommittee holding “oversight” hearings on the rackets these ‘church’ contractors have going for them?

***The nine federal refugee contractors who live off the taxpayer’s dime. Go here to see if EMM is operating a refugee resettlement office where you live.

Federally-contracted resettlement agencies do hold secret refugee planning meetings

10/29/2017 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

We have been over this ground so many times I want to barf.

St. Cloud council meeting (2) — If the program is so wonderful for St. Cloud, OPEN THE MEETINGS!

US State Department contractors (non-profit groups paid with taxpayer dollars and hired to resettle refugees in your towns), hold quarterly “consultations” where they meet with other government agencies and sometimes representatives of ethnic groups they serve to discuss problems with refugees and to make plans for the next batch they are bringing in.

The US State Department in Washington says such “stakeholder” meetings are open to the public, but apparently that message hasn’t reached the arrogant contractors.

A picture is worth a thousand words and I am surprised this one is being used to illustrate an otherwise mealymouthed editorial in the St. Cloud Times.

Taxpaying citizens in St. Cloud have been barred from federal contractor Lutheran Social Service’s “quarterly consultations.”

By the way, federal law requires the consultations, but they only started following the law in about 2013.

(I have links for everything above… search RRW for “stakeholder meetings.”)

See my ever-growing archive on St. Cloud, Minnesota by clicking here.

Shame on the House Immigration Subcommittee for never getting to this huge and growing problem (citizen anger in refugee-saturated cities!) with the US Refugee Admissions Program in its rare “oversight” hearing this past week.

What you can do!

LOL! Have some fun in Minnesota and complain about closed meetings to your US Senator Amy Klobuchar who was running her mouth about more openness in government earlier this year! She wants increased government transparency and accountability. Tell her to start here! We are told after all, that this is a federal program!

Maryland Democrat Senator Ben Cardin wants more Muslim refugees

10/28/2017 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

That is how you have to read his opposition to Trump’s latest effort to keep us safe and reform how refugees (coming from terrorist hotbeds) enter the US.

This is rich! In March Senators Cardin and Klobuchar (D-MN) called for more government transparency and emphasized the importance of OPEN government! Gee sounds exactly like what we want and what those Minnesota citizens were asking for in St. Cloud. http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Ben+Cardin/Senate+Democrats+Call+Increased+Gov+t+Transparency/aRv5FV3Pyi3

Here, in yet one more whinny article (believe me there are dozens!) where the contractors and others in the refugee industry are wailing about Trump’s latest effort to bring the UN/US Refugee Admissions Program under some reasonable control, Cardin throws his two cents into the debate.

From ABC News:

Even members of Congress weighed in strongly. Cardin — a vocal opponent of much of Trump’s foreign policy — released a scathing statement Thursday on what he called Trump’s “odious” effort to “completely disrupt and dismantle the U.S. refugee resettlement program piece by piece.”

In particular, he accused the new restrictions of being an “unreasonable ban that largely affects Muslims” and “more evidence of the Trump administration’s indifference and lack of humanity towards thousands of vulnerable refugees.”

Cardin has a lot of Muslim constituents in Maryland—rich ones—building new mosques. Of course he is pandering!

For more, click here.

Former Obama State Department official tells Idaho audience to use political pressure if they want more refugees

10/27/2017 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I told you about this upcoming conference here.

Just noticed now that the event was held at the SIMPLOT auditorium. Thought I recognized that name—-first saw it here when we heard that the JR Simplot Company was building a new meatpacking plant near Boise. Of course! Cheap refugee labor! So much for humanitarianism!

Here is the news from Boise Weekly about the event this past Monday (emphasis is mine):

Screenshot (1025) — Anne Richard: Get involved to help us diversify Idaho. George (Soros) wants it that way!

President Donald Trump’s name doesn’t appear on the agenda for the 34th annual Frank Church Conference, titled “America’s Future: Refugees, Migration and National Security,” but discussion of Trump’s restrictions on refugees and immigrants took center stage Monday at the filled-to-capacity Simplot Ballroom at the Boise State University Student Union.

[….]

The Frank Church conference was packed with panel discussions and addresses from a number of experts on the issue of refugees, both national and local, including representation from the Idaho office of Refugees, the Idaho chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Boise office of the International Rescue Committee. The conference’s midday address was delivered by Anne C. Richard, former Assistant Secretary of State.

[….]

In her conclusion, Richard offered a question instead of a statement.

“What are you going to do about this?” Richard asked the gathering. “Will you vote? Will you write a letter to the editor? Will you visit your member of Congress? Will you stay abreast of current events? I put it to you.”

I’ll repeat for the umpteenth time—you have to match them with political action if you want the truth to come out. That is, if you want to preserve western civilization (in addition to your home town!).

When I look at the Boise Weekly story I’m seeing only one comment at this time. Where are you Idahoans?

Soros groupie!

About Anne Richard, former Obama Asst. Secretary of State and former Veep at one of the nine federal contractors—the International Rescue Committee:

Richard, like so many in the refugee industry has revolved in and out of government for decades. She says on her biography at wikipedia that in 1994 she helped create the International Crisis Group. Sometime when you have a few minutes it might be worth your time to understand what that group was (and is).

Here is just a bit of their history:

Discussions continue throughout 1994 as to what form this new organisation should take. There are heated debates about whether the organisation should be an operational outfit directly involved in delivering aid, or an advocate for action by others.

On 17 November, Abromowitz’s Carnegie Endowment publicly announces “a concerted effort to consider the launching of a new International Crisis Group” with three main functions: assessment, advice and advocacy. George Soros’s Open Society Institute provides US$200,000 to finance continued planning activities. Over the latter half of the year, former US Congressman Stephen Solarz travels to over twenty countries to discuss the proposed organisation and raise funds. Not everyone welcomes him, One senior European government minister complains, “What you are trying to do is to get us to give you a golden stick with which to beat us over the head, in order to get us to do what we’ve already decided we do not want to”.

Continue reading here to see who else was involved and note Soros’s continued funding role.

See my ever-expanding archive on Idaho (a target state if there ever was one) by clicking here.

Where are you Rep. Labrador? Are you looking for more refugee labor for the state too?

Idaho folks need to look very carefully at who is funding political campaigns in the state especially as the 2018 governor’s race rolls around. That race is a perfect opportunity to focus attention on the issue of refugee resettlement in the state. Make it a pivotal issue in the campaign.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service trying to raise $5 million from private funding sources

10/27/2017 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

It’s about time!

And, if they raise $5 million privately this year it will be an all-time high for the CEO Linda Hartke who took the reins in 2010 of a refugee contractor that is on average 95% taxpayer funded.

As the refugee numbers decline under Trump, LIRS, like all of the nine contractors*** are facing financial woes because of laziness and maybe mismanagement (there is a rumor along those lines at LIRS!) having become so dependent on taxpayer funding that most have made little or no effort to raise PRIVATE money for their charitable ‘good works.’

I notice that at LIRS website they have launched a campaign to raise a whopping $5 million in private money.

Screenshot (1021) — If LIRS raises $5 million this year from private funding it will be the highest in the last 6 years, maybe ever!

I’m wondering if those meatpacker contracts reported here recently are part of that $5 million goal? Foreign-owned BIG Meat hires LIRS!

Again, if they manage to raise $5 million in private money they will be doing better than any year under the stewardship of CEO Linda Hartke who arrived there in 2010.

Going back to Form 990’s beginning with the tax reporting document for 2011, this is what I noticed:

(By the way, I’m rounding numbers to make this easier on me and I didn’t get into side income/contracts including their travel loan deal with the State Department. Form 990’s (except for 2016) can be found on LIRS website, here. )

Most salary information is on page 7 or 8 and income on page 9.

Form 990 (2011)

Total gifts and grants (inc. government grants) $31.6 million, $1.3 million private money raised. Most of the other funding from the US Treasury (roughly 95% taxpayer funded)

Hartke’s salary: $182,000 plus $21,000 from other compensation

Form 990 (2012)

Total gifts and grants (inc. government grants) $40 million, $1.5 million private money. Most other funding from the US Treasury (roughly 96% taxpayer funded)

Hartke’s salary: $191,000 plus $23,000 from other compensation

Form 990 (2013)

Total gifts and grants (inc. government grants) $43 million, $2 million private money. Most other funding from the US Treasury (roughly 95% taxpayer funded)

Hartke’s salary: $203,000 plus $24,000 from other compensation

Form 990 (2014)

Total gifts and grants (inc. government grants) $57.8 million, $2.5 million private. Most other funding from the US Treasury (roughly 96% taxpayer funded)

Hartke’s salary: $210,000 plus $25,000 from other compensation

Form 990 (2015)

Total gifts and grants (inc. government grants) $53.8 million, $3 million private. Most other funding from the US Treasury (roughly 94% taxpayer funded)

Hartke’s salary: $274,000 plus $33,000 from other compensation

Form 990 (2016)

Total gifts and grants (inc. government grants) $67 million, $2.5 million private. Most other funding from the US Treasury (roughly 96% taxpayer funded)

Hartke’s salary: $293,000 plus $34,000 from other compensation.

Screenshot (1023) — LIRS headquarters building in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor neighborhood

Think about this, CEO Linda Hartke went from making $182,000 in 2011 to making $293,000 in 2016 running a RELIGIOUS charity funded largely by the US taxpayer. Stunning isn’t it!

This year, because the number of paying clients (aka refugees) will be lower than normal they HOPE to raise a whopping $5 million (to tide them over?).

For those of you feeling squeamish about reporting salaries, remember this is not a private corporation or a true non-profit, it is a quasi-government agency which we all pay for.

Government salaries are known to the public for members of Congress ($174,000 for example) and even your local elected officials, so it is our right to know and comment on salaries being paid to the nine federal refugee contractors.

If you are a Lutheran, check out the LIRS leadership page here. See if there are people you know! Let them know how you feel.

See LIRS subcontractors here. Is there one near you? Remember they work for LIRS in Baltimore! LIRS in Baltimore is sending refugee cases to your towns and cities! Hello St. Cloud!

*** The nine federal refugee contractors that monopolize all refugee resettlement in America are here. Hartke’s salary isn’t even the highest of the nine. That honor goes to David Miliband of the International Rescue Committee whose salary is approaching $600,000! Doing well by doing good!