Of course I have been making the point for 14 years—these so-called religious charities that resettle refugees in the US (the Afghans are not legitimate refugees!) would quickly go belly-up if they had to find private money for their religious charitable work.
They can’t raise enough money to place thousands of refugees without the federal dole, so what does that tell you? It tells me that there isn’t popular support from average Americans for what they are doing!
I’m not picking on Massachusetts or this Jewish resettlement agency, it just happens that this story, of MANY stories that are coming to my attention, came to me as I sat down to write a post for today.
This complaint is everywhere—-too many evacuees, little payment for services for the contractors, no affordable housing and these Afghans, most of them, won’t be eligible for welfare including food stamps unless Congress changes the law.
Somehow the chosen towns and its citizens are going to have to cough up the financial support.
And, you can be sure they won’t be put up in Hyannis!
That would only be fair since it was ol’ Teddy himself who created the refugee admissions program and the Special Immigrant Visa program for Iraqis and Afghans.
You can be sure that no Afghans will be housed at Massachusetts’s Hyannis Harbor Hotel!
Before I give you the story, know that the contractors*** are knocking on doors that were previously slammed in their faces—like this one in Rutland, Vermont.
Nearly 1,000 Afghan refugees are set to arrive in Massachusetts – are we ready?
Roughly 1,000 Afghan evacuees are going to be rehoused in Massachusetts communities, Maxine Stein, president and CEO of the Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts (JFSWM), told MassLive on Thursday, although the specific date is yet to be confirmed.
The problem for non-profits like JFSWM is funding and permanent housing.
[….]
Republican Governor Baker: Welcome Afghans whoever you are!
Gov. Charlie Baker issued a public statement on Aug. 17, at the height of the crisis in Afghanistan that Massachusetts is ready to assist Afghan refugees seeking safety and peace in America, but little has been revealed on the state’s plan for the intake.
Where is the MONEY?
So far no money has been promised to aid the work the charities are doing to rehouse the refugees and Baker’s office has not laid out any guarantee of support.
“I think we’re getting to a point now where we’re being asked to do all of this work, and that’s wonderful, but we are given no resources to do it,” said Stein. “The state of Massachusetts is welcoming Afghan refugees, but we need to see some financial support.”
JFSWM is looking at three communities to house the 150 Afghan evacuees they can help: Framingham, Pittsfield and Springfield.
If you live in one of those Massachusetts towns and you aren’t happy with what you are hearing, you better speak up now or forever hold your peace!
Check out my archives to see that Springfield, Mass, a working class town, has been a real pocket of resistance over the years. Nevertheless, the State Department continued to shove refugees down the mayor’s throat.
***The primary contractors have around 100 subcontractors working for them….
If you wonder why more local elected officials aren’t brave. See what the Leftists do to those who go against them—mayors like Springfield, Mass Mayor Sarno!
Mayor Sarno has been trying tor years to get the State Department to stop the pipeline of refugees to Springfield.
The Open Borders Leftwingers are ruthless and this is the type of in-your-face agitation they have no fear of launching, but LOL! I think this one backfired.
The Interfaith Council of Springfield Massplaced a full-page ad in the Sunday edition of a local paper to shame the mayor—they don’t want Springfield to be the first city in America to say NO! to more refugees.
(If you are confused, according to the US State Department’s Funding Guidance it is county governments that must officially opt-in or opt-out of refugee resettlement under the President’s plan, but the Open Borders activists are going after cities probably because they think that mayors are an easier target. For the record, the first county to say NO is Appomattox County, Virginia.)
Here is the news, and then I’ll get to why the resettlement contractors’ (in this case primarily HIAS***) aggressive action, via the local Interfaith group, is backfiring! (I’ve warned you before about ‘Interfaith groups’as primary promoters of refugee resettlement.)
Interfaith Council challenges Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno on refugee resettlement
SPRINGFIELD – A full page taken by the Interfaith Council of Greater Springfield in the Sunday Republican today is requesting that Mayor Domenic J. Sarno bring unity rather than refusal around the issue of refugee resettlement in the city, saying in what it calls an open letter “no human is a burden.”
“Springfield is now the first city in the country whose mayor has refused to issue a letter of consent to allow refugee resettlement to continue,” reads the council’s letter.
“This is not a distinction we bear lightly.”
The statement, whose dozen signatures include those of the Western Massachusetts Conference of the Evangelical Church of America, Sinai Temple and the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts, adds, “Instead of assigning blame to a small and already marginalized group, what if we were to bring people together – across our divides – to create real solutions? If, as the Mayor suggests, neighboring communities need to do more, one wonders what can be done to bring people together around such a solution. Many or us are ready to step forward.”
Following a unanimous City Council vote Dec. 16 supporting local involvement in refugee resettlement, Sarno issued a statement of opposition and in a Dec. 18 letter to MassLive and The Republican outlined why he would not issue a letter of consent permitting refugees to be resettled in the city.
[….]
In his letter explaining his refusal to do so, Sarno said, “It’s time for other much more affluent communities to take on their fair share.”
“My position has been very clear on that this issue taxes our city and school services and calls into question the accountability and follow-through aspects of refugee agencies, who not too long ago, placed a number of refugees in condemned housing units,” Sarno wrote.
“We have a number of residents in Springfield who need assistance and that will continue to be the concentration of my efforts. Springfield has proudly done more than its fair share on this issue.”
In an Dec. 18 interview about its work with refugee resettlement, Maxine Stein, president and chief executive officer of Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts, the largest area agency doing such work, said, “Refugees are not taking services from our city.”
[…..]
JFS is the oldest and largest refugee resettlement agency in Western Massachusetts and works in partnership with the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society or HIAS and the State Department in what, prior to the Trump administration, had been resettling some 240 refugees annually in the area.
HIAS is among the organizations that have filed suit against the administration over Executive Order 13888. [We expect that case to be heard in a Maryland court in early January—ed]
As of this writing there are 98 of them, and based on a quick look the vast majority are in support of Sarno.
And, this is the ‘peoples’ republic of Massachusetts.’
Here are some screenshots of just a few recent ones (there are many more, but I had to quit for the sake of time!) Go read them yourself and maybe consider adding a few more.
If Allwornout is referring to refugees, they are here legally. Readers need to understand that our LEGAL immigration system is massively flawed and must be reformed. The UN/US Refugee Admissions Program in my view should be entirely repealed. We must not in the future turn over the power to place refugees where un-elected fake non-profits (funded by taxpayers) choose.
***Don’t miss yesterday’s post where I explained that this exercise is all about MONEY for the contractors.
It is kind of funny, in the Bible Belt, the contractors are using Leftwing Evangelicals to carry their water. In Minnesota it is Leftist Catholics and Lutherans, but in the more liberal north east they turn to extremely Leftwing Interfaith groups symbolizing multicultural mush—love and peace for one and all.
As a proud life-long resident of Springfield and in response to a City Council resolution – No, I will not be issuing a letter of consent to the White House, U.S. Department of State, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in support of continuing refugee resettlements in Springfield.
It’s time for other much more affluent communities to take on their fair share.
My position has been very clear on that this issue taxes our city and school services and calls into question the accountability and follow-through aspects of refugee agencies, who not too long ago, placed a number of refugees in condemned housing units. We have a number of residents in Springfield who need assistance and that will continue to be the concentration of my efforts. Springfield has proudly done more than its fair share on this issue.
As a recent Boston Federal Reserve report indicated about Springfield – “you cannot continue to concentrate poverty on top of poverty.”I ask, as those more affluent communities demand of Springfield, to step up to the plate and put their money where their mouth is — to take on their fair share of social justice responsibilities. The familiar tune I always hear from these much more affluent communities is that we do not have the capacities for refugees, the homeless, subsidized housing and methadone clinics.
Springfield is at capacity – the ball is now in their court.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays – God Bless.
Domenic J. Sarno, Mayor of Springfield
The mayors letter echos a common theme of many America Firsters! Take care of our own poor and vulnerable citizens first!
Also, readers should know that the rules that guide the President’s reform initiative say specifically that it is county governments that must opt-in or opt-out of the resettlement program.
For each state and locality where the applicant proposes to resettle refugees during the award period, the applicant should seek written consent for resettlement of refugees from the state governor’s office and the chief executive officer of the local government (county or county equivalent).
Springfield is in Hampden County and when I visit the State Department’s list of siteswhere elected officials have said, sure send us more poverty, I’m not seeing Hampden County listed. For Massachusetts at this time, I’m seeing five city governments are going to create an additional tax burden on their citizens, but no counties have weighed-in.
I have no idea what the feds are going to do about this apparently great misconception!
It is not too late! You should still be trying to get your governors and county commissioners to say NO, not this time!
Just when I thought I knew all the ways in which the federal refugee resettlement contractors were milking taxpayers, along comes ‘Switchboard.’
If the millions of dollars we dole out to nine refugee contractors isn’t enough, we, US taxpayers, are funding what is for all intents and purposes a federally funded Leftwing community organizing operation!
Continue reading!
This story’s headline at WickedLocal(wth?) caught my eye.
Chelmsford mosque hosts forum on immigration, refugee issues Billerica leader speaks
Gee, what kind of forum was a Massachusetts mosque holding I wondered.
Here are a few snips from the beginning of the news account:
A forum held Nov. 14 at the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell mosque explored issues of immigration and refugees — including changes, challenges, and uncertainties.
The forum was sponsored by BRIDGES — the acronym for Building Respect in Diverse Groups to Enhance Sensitivity.
BRIDGES represents a collaborative effort of state, federal and local government agencies.
Participants included religious leaders, law enforcement officials, a representative from U.S. Rep. Laurie Trahan of the 3rd Congressional District.
[….]
BRIDGES formed after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, explained Fatema Esmail, of the Anjuman-e-Ezzi Masjid in Billerica — a mosque that serves the area’s Dawood Bohra, a movement within Shi’a Islam.
Esmail said the organization began with a mission — “to start a better dialogue for understanding, between community leaders and government officials.”
Activities have included cultural sensitivity trainings for personnel at Logan Airport, and with police departments across the state, and across New England.
We will have to have a look at BRIDGES in the future, but here is what I was most interested in…
The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement sent a representative?
The federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) (this is Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services) is sending spokesmen out to forums like this and suggesting that everything should be fine and dandy (for more refugee arrivals) in New England as governors there would want more refugees.
But, Jason Crislip, “representing the ORR”, doesn’t work for ORR.
He works for David Milibandat the International Rescue Committee that has apparently recently created another avenue, called Switchboard,to siphon off more of your tax dollars!
These Leftist Open Borders groups are masters of deception as they create new groups, which is all fine and dandy as long as we aren’t paying for it!
Jason Crislip, of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, said the Trump administration has proposed reduction of refugee resettlements in the current fiscal year from 30,000 to 18,000. [Crislip is not on the staff of the Office of Refugee Resettlement!—ed]
ORR surrogate Jason Crislip
In addition, Crislip said a presidential executive order, issued Sept. 26, aims to provide state and local consent for the resettlement of refugees.
Not to worry assures Crislip, your New England governors will be on board with MORE refugees.
Governors of New England states have generally indicated support for local consent, said Crislip, who said, “This is a good thing for the refugee program in New England.”
The resettlement program will continue as normally until June 1, which [sic] expected changes take effect, Crislip said. Crislip said the Department of State has begun releasing some information to illuminate the changes.
June 1? What happens then? The Deep staters have their pipelines well established, and those of us whose communities will be changed by what they decide in Washington, DC will be the last to know!
I’m going to be paying close attention to Switchboard which is fully funded by you—the taxpayers through a $ 1.2 million grant from the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Dear Stephen Miller, if you read RRW, check out this latest federal boodle going to community organizers working against the President!
The IRC received $1,194,063 through competitive funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant # 90RB0052. The project will be financed with 100% of Federal funds and 0% by non-governmental sources.The contents of this website are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.
Just think about that!
WE supply the funding and Open Borders agitators do what they want (in our name!).
Here is a recent story from their blog (a blog that you pay for!).
The Leftwing propaganda machine runs on stories, stories to tug on your emotions. We need to be doing more of that with stories of our own like those I report at ‘Frauds, Crooks and Criminals!’ for free!
Waahhhh! The Harvard kids want refugees, but there isn’t any low income housing in Cambridge so the US State Department and its contractors send refugees to working class communities elsewhere in Massachusetts! Tony Cambridge, Mass. home to Harvard University won’t see refugees placed there anytime soon! More Boston photos: http://www.stevenedson.net/photographs-of-boston-01/rowers-at-weeks-bridge-cambridge-ma-35_6_767.html
Moral of the story: Wealthy communities don’t get refugees, but working class communities do. And, if you build low income housing, your town becomes a refugee magnet!
From the Boston Globe:
“Help us welcome local refugees to our community!” read a flier advertising the carnival in Cambridge, where attendees would later pose at a photo booth, mingle, and munch on baked goods inside a balloon-festooned gymnasium.
“We wanted to have . . . an opportunity for refugee families to come and have a fun time, relax, play games,” said Caitlin Nichols, a Harvard PhD student who helped organize last month’s event.
But notably absent from the event? Refugees.
[….]
In September 2015, after watching the number of Syrians displaced by violence soar, Cambridge City Councilor Nadeem Mazen decided the council had “a moral and economic imperative” to act. He won passage of legislation calling on city officials to determine Cambridge’s capacity to take in Syrian refugees and then provide those families with the housing and support they would need.
Cambridge “peace and justice” commissioner, Brian Corr. https://twitter.com/bcorr
But when peace commissioner Brian Corr — the local official charged with promoting “peace and social justice within Cambridge and in the wider world”— began reaching out to refugee resettlement agencies and government officials, he was told, politely, no thanks.
“I spoke to a lot of people and got a lot of e-mail information. Long story short . . . Cambridge is not the place where refugees get resettled,” Corr said.
Where refugees end up is largely at the discretion of the State Department and nine resettlement agencies nationwide. From 2014 to 2016, 233 Syrian refugees arrived in Massachusetts. More than half went to Lowell, Springfield, or West Springfield, according to State Department records. None wound up in Cambridge.
Financial support is limited for new arrivals. Representatives of the State Department and Massachusetts resettlement agencies said they consider two factors when placing refugees, in addition to family ties.
“The key factor is a combination of cost of living and employment opportunities that will allow them to become economically self-sufficient quickly because the support that the federal government provides is extremely limited,” said Jeffrey Thielman, president and CEO of the International Institute of New England, the area’s largest resettlement agency.
Here they are admitting it again, the contractor*** pockets half of the per head payment the refugee gets from the feds (no mention that all forms of welfare are available to refugees upon arrival). BTW, the contractors primary job is to get the refugees signed up for their services and then they move on to the next batch of paying “clients.”
Each refugee receives a one-time stipend of $2,075 from the federal government, and nearly half of that goes to the resettlement agency to help finance their work, according to a State Department spokeswoman.
Agencies sometimes provide refugees additional cash assistance, and some refugees can receive $428 per month from the state for up to 18 months.
Such small sums don’t go far in Cambridge, where two-bedroom apartments rent for around $3,000 a month. That’s twice as expensive as housing in Springfield or Lowell.
Throughout Greater Boston, inexpensive housing options are few and shrinking. Thielman said the only places in the area where his agency can find housing for refugees are shared units for single individuals in Lynn or Dorchester — places where they can pay $350 or less in rent per month.
Continue reading here because some refugee advocates have a new angle. See what it is!
This is my ‘laugh of the day!’post but it isn’t so funny!
The International Institute of New England (aka International Institute of Boston) works as a subcontractor for the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI).
Don’t forget to write to the White House!
***Federal contractors/middlemen/lobbyists/community organizers paid by you to place refugees in your towns and cities. Because their income is largely dependent on taxpayer dollars based on the number of refugees admitted to the US, the only way for real reform of how the US admits refugees is to remove the contractors from the process.
