County Mayor Coppinger,
I hope you will sign the bill allowing Bridge refugees to settle in Chattanooga. Although not personally involved with the Bridge resettlement program, I do know a family of refugees that arrived here within the past year through this program. The father works at a poultry processing plant and is the sole supporter of his family.
Contrary to what some people say, they do not live like kings and queens. They are self-supporting and have been indoctrinated into the U.S. culture by volunteers.
Every day these refugees say they are "in heaven" because they are in a free country and do not have to fear for their children's lives any more. When the refugee family came here they did not even know what a stove was as they had been living in a refugee camp with an outdoor fire for a stove, no running water and no toilets.
Chattanooga is becoming a "go-to" city so let's keep this city moving forward and show everyone our true giving spirit in giving people a second chance. We need to show the world that Chattanooga has a heart -- even Grinch changed his heart.
Vicki Hill
* * *
Contrary to the belief that refugees will not cost taxpayers additional stress upon arrival to our county, the average family of five, two parents and three children, will cost $10,000 over eight months, plus health care coverage for all. If the health care coverage were only $600 per month for the family of five, which would be a bargain, the cost for this family for eight months would be $14,800 before any other benefits.
Why should the hard working, tax-paying citizens have this money come out of their pockets when we can’t take care of the homeless that are now sleeping on our streets?
Oh well, just thoughts from a Grinch.
Michael Mansfield
* * *
In all fairness, the refugee and immigration issue is a growing industry facilitated by Democrats. The homeless issue is growing social industry facilitated by Democrats. It seems that to get into line at the soup kitchen and work your way up is the American way and not go to the front of the line ahead of the next that is in line already.
The homeless services in Chattanooga are deplorable, as funds are handed out to nonprofits to make profits off of and the homeless population are forever in the rain instead of real bona fide quality intent to access a hand up. But, what is offered is money swallowed up by 'providers' as it will be in California where $1.4 billion are allocated for the homeless crisis they socially manufactured which became a city, county, and state crisis.
In California migrants and refugees can get a state welfare check, plus. In Tennessee they get a old building, a business loan and grant. 'What is wrong with that'/ well, what's wrong with dealing out some money to Americans? The Democrats humiliate so-called minorities into thinking they will have more by over-populating for welfare, and that is the way it is with refugees, who otherwise might be in genuine plight but the Democrats or the entire government wants to play money games around and cause more refugees around the world like the welfare families and homeless ones plight in social manufacturing of plight.
While 'Rome burns' figuratively in these political gambits, 'Nero' the Democrats wanted to take down Confederate historical persona and direct blame toward the unbreakable past, rather than betterment of the present and future for Americans.
Robert Nix