Update: Michael Patrick Leahy has a much more understandable story on what the governor has done (or not done), and what it means. Click here for more. The Tennessean titles this breaking news today a lot more optimistically (from our point of view) than the article actually indicates:
Haslam will allow Tennessee to become first to sue feds over refugee resettlement
Tennessee Immigrant Rights spokeswoman: “… the governor has helped secure Tennessee’s reputation as the most unwelcoming state in the country.”
Regular readers know that the Tennessee legislature overwhelmingly resolved to sue the federal government on 10th Amendment grounds and rather than sign the measure, the governor is going to let it go forward by not vetoing it either. No matter! The reaction of the refugee industry activists tells me it must be good news for us!
Here is just a bit of the story, read it all:
Despite having concerns, Gov. Bill Haslam will allow Tennessee to become the first state in the nation to sue the federal government over refugee resettlement on the grounds of the 10th Amendment.
On Friday, Haslam announced his decision to allow the measure, which directs Attorney General Herbert Slatery to sue the federal government for noncompliance of the Refugee Act of 1980, to become law without his signature.
[….]
Explaining his decision, Haslam noted the provisions in the bill that allows the General Assembly to hire outside counsel if Slatery refuses to pursue the case.
“I trust the Attorney General to determine whether the state has a claim in this case or in any other, and I have constitutional concerns about one branch of government telling another what to do,” Haslam said. “I am returning SJR 467 without my signature and am requesting that the Attorney General clarify whether the legislative branch actually has the authority to hire outside counsel to represent the state.”
Slatery’s office has not indicated whether he would follow the legislature’s directive.
Haslam also questioned whether it was the “proper course” for the state to attempt to dismantle the refugee act. [Shouldn’t it be a Republican governor’s job to stand up for states’ rights?—besides, the state isn’t dismantling the act, it is only asking the courts for a ruling—ed]
Read on here to get the full flavor of the waffling going on!
Regarding Ms. Teatro’s comments about “unwelcoming” states, it would be so much fun to have a competition for the most unwelcoming state in the Nation! You could all send in your nominations!
They think that just by uttering the word “unwelcoming” you will be shaking in your boots and begging for forgiveness.
Come on Kansas, come on New Jersey!
Invasion of Europe news…..
African migrants claiming to be asylum seekers (they are not, they are economic migrants and criminals) set fire to a refugee center on the Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this week (Hat tip: Pamela Geller).
Pope Francis went to the Italian island of Lampedusa in July 2013 and blessed the migrants while lecturing the Italians to be more welcoming! Migrants are trying to find “serenity and peace” said the pontiff. https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/2013/07/09/pope-lectures-on-lampedusa/
A group of Tunisian migrants set fire to the main pavilion in a Lampedusa refugee welcome center Tuesday night, causing severe damage, after learning they would be repatriated to their home country, according to reports. [They were determined to not be legitimate refugees.—ed]
The fire enveloped the first aid and reception center of Imbriacola in Lampedusa, which presently houses some 530 asylum-seekers, though no injuries have been reported. This is not the first time that migrants have set the pavilion ablaze. Similar acts of arson occurred in 2009 and then in 2011.
After hours battling the fire, which was set around 10:30 pm, teams of firefighters stationed on the island were finally able to get the blaze under control in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
[….]
Reports suggest that in recent weeks tensions had already been growing inside the Lampedusa welcome center, linked to the refusal by a group of African migrants, mainly from Eritrea and Yemen, to submit to identification and registration procedures including the taking of fingerprints.
More here.
When is the last time you have seen news like this at any mainstream media outlet or on cable news? One day America will wake up to the fact that Europe is lost and they will wonder how that happened so quickly. It hasn’t been that quick! We have reported on the invasion for many years now and chronicled the inability (unwillingness) of European leaders to stop it!
See our complete ‘Invasion’ archive here.
Warning! If you go to the IRC’s webpage you will notice that you are being followed henceforth with a ‘cookie’ with this logo and a plea for money.
This is just a quick mention, way too much happening today!
We have been telling you about how the UN/US State Department Refugee Admissions Program is rapidly expanding to new sites—Rutland, VT, Missoula, MT, Reno, NV, Ithaca, NY and so on. These new offices are to accommodate the ever-expanding program because Obama has said we will take 85,000 refugees this year, by September 30th and 100,000 in FY2017. Here the IRC toots its hornabout its new office in Richmond, Virginia.
If you are a new reader, you probably don’t know that the IRC is being investigated for fraud in Turkey where it works to ‘help’ Syrian refugees.
If you have never seen the list of resettlement sites in the US, click hereto learn if your city is on the list. The newest ones are not listed yet.
You will see that there are already a couple of contractors working in Richmond, why do they need more?
It is not too late to weigh in and send (polite and professional) testimony to the US State Department today, here.
Raheem Kassam writing at Breitbart London reported a very edifying bit of information yesterday, namely that Syrians are not all running from war (they really want a good and free education for their kids), and that the Gulf states are taking not a one of them (we knew that!). “Most of the seven billion opinions on the internet are very ill informed….”
I would love to spend some time on this story, but you will have to read it for yourselves.
Besides his two important revelations, according to reporter Kassam, the UN official bemoans the fact that through the internet you can get too many differing views of what is going on and claims the media has shirked its role of educating the ignorant masses!
I read this to mean that no longer can the UN gets its propaganda planted and disseminated so that your minds will be made right on the subject of refugees and migration generally!
Viva la free speech!
….And, if so, have they shared the document with the general public, the taxpaying citizens? Dear readers, do not be deterred by the length of this post—this is some of the most important information you need to know if you are in a target community! In Refugee industry parlance, it is called an “R & P Abstract” and every town that will be ‘welcoming’ refugees for FY2017 has prepared one, or is in the process of preparing one, to be sent to Washington. It will be the document on which their federal funding will be based!
And, here is the kicker—I will bet a buck that most elected officials (let alone the citizens!) in the targeted towns have never seen the Abstract which lays out the plan in great detail. It tells how many refugees are coming and from where. It tells what amenities your town is offering by way of medical care, subsidized housing, schools for the kids and where the refugees might find employment. Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve originally had concerns about refugee seeding in Reno, but according to the refugee resettlement contractor’s report to Washington, she is now on board.
It has been our contention ever since we became aware of these closely held documents that citizens are entitled to know what the resettlement contractor is offering up in their cities and towns.
After I wrote about yet another new resettlement site the other day—Reno, Nevada—I came across the R & P Abstract that has apparently been in the possession (since at least last November) of a reporter who is on the side of MORE refugees to Nevada.
If you live in Reno, or its surrounding communities, and have concerns, you should go to the mayor and ask her to produce the R & P Abstract drafted by the Northern Nevada International Center (NNIC) which will be working as a subcontractor for the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). Ask her to hold a public hearing on it!
If NNIC was giving its “proprietary document”to friendly reporters back in November, surely the citizens of Reno are entitled to see it! Again, I will bet the mayor and other elected officials in Reno have not seen the plan for their city! [Pay attention citizens of Rutland, VT, there is a document just like this one for your city too! It lays out what your town is offering the refugees!]
Here (below) is a screenshot of the front page of the Reno document. The abbreviations for where the FIRST 75 refugees for Reno will come from are as follows: AF (Africa), EA (East Asia), ECA (Europe and Central Asia), LAC (Latin America/Caribbean), NE/SA (Near East/South Asia). Tie capacity indicates whether they have any relatives in the area.
Page 2 of the 16-page documentlists the following countries from which they will come: Colombia, Cuba, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Iraq, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Syria.
Here is some of the text, just to give you an idea of the detail involved in R & P Abstracts (this one is 16 pages long!):
Health Care Access and Refugees with Special Needs:
The Northern Nevada International Center (NNIC) will be able to accommodate refugees with special needs through the wide range of services available in Reno and Sparks. Housing for families with over 8 members may be difficult to secure. Wheelchair-accessible housing is available, but such housing would require additional time to access. Although Reno is home to many free and low-cost clinics and health resources, NNIC will need additional time to ensure that timely and culturally appropriate mental health services are available before accepting clients with serious mental health conditions.
Public Outreach:
NNIC has a long history of collaborating with local, county and state officials through its public diplomacy, language services, and educational outreach programs. NNIC serves as the link for community members interested in international affairs and programs, and assists visitors and newcomers to the community. The City of Reno Mayor,Hillary Schieve, as well as the City Manager’s Office, are supportive of NNIC’s efforts to establish a refugee resettlement program. NNIC has also consulted with the Washoe County School District, the Washoe County Health Department, and other local service providers,and all have enthusiastically supported NNIC’s application to become a resettlement affiliate. NNIC also has the full support of the University of Nevada, Reno.
Employment Services:
The Reno-Sparks economy is well known for its hospitality and leisure sector, with seven large casino-hotels employing 9,500-13,000 people. It is also home to the University of Nevada, the single largest employer in the county (after the school district), employing over 4,500 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs). The Truckee Meadows Community College also employs 1,250 educators and staff. Two major hospitals (Renown and St Mary’s) and other large healthcare providers in the areas employ over 3,500 healthcare professionals, technicians, and staff. The location – four hours by highway to San Francisco, and seven hours to Salt Lake City – is also logistics hub, hosting many warehousing and fulfillment establishments including UPS (1,000 employees), and Amazon.com (650 employees). Tesla is slated to open its “Gigafactory” outside of Sparks in 2017. By 2020, the Gigafactory will be at full capacity, employing 6,500 FTEs and producing more lithium ion batteries annually (for electric cars, for example) than were produced worldwide in 2013.
Housing
Average apartment rental prices in Reno are very affordable, and well maintained units are readily available. NNIC has worked with Board members and University contacts to build relationships with area property managers. Housing will be sought primarily (but not exclusively) in areas where the school district has established ESL for newcomer and intake centers. Two middle schools and three high schools are currently designated to assist immigrant children to more easily phase into regular classes. The Reno Housing Authority (RHA) provides affordable housing to clients in seven different locations in Reno and Sparks. Public housing units are available for both singles and families and the majority are handicapped accessible.
Here is a page indicating the tiny bit of private money that NNIC is offering up for its share of the supposed public/private partnership. It is offering $133 per refugee and that includes volunteer hours counted as cash!
Then get this, there are many letters of support attached, but the one that caught my eye was this one from the Northern Nevada Muslim Community. So, why is their endorsement so important?
So, for citizens who might be forming a ‘Pocket of Resistance’ in Reno,first call the mayor, Hillary Schieve, and ask her to produce (for the public) the FY 2017 R & P Abstract for Reno.
Then if you live in Nevada and want to tap into the national ‘Pocket of Resistance’ movement, write to me at refugeewatcher@gmail.com and put ‘Reno’ in the subject line so I can find your e-mail in my messy inbox. I will put you in touch with leaders of the national movement.
For our readers nationwide, keep hammering your local refugee offices (click here) for these R & P Abstracts—clearly they aren’t so secret if they are in the hands of friendly reporters! (By the way, R & P stands for Reception and Placement.)
If they turn you down be sure to complain to your elected officials in Washington—make them do some work!—even if you think they are useless! Tell them this is your money and they are changing your community and you have a right to know what the plans are!
