The High Cost of Charity

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, December 4, 2015 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

The next presidential election might be decided on what the candidates would do about the biggest elephant in the room – illegal aliens, refugees, and mass migration. Wrapped up in that massive issue is the burdensome cost of welfare benefits, education, medical care, housing, transportation, and job training.

The Government Accountability Office outlines benefits available to refugees and special immigrant visa holders in the U.S. Initially and for three months every refugee – each adult and each minor – receives $1,850 per person to cover the cost of getting here and being settled here, such as their reception, initial housing, food, clothing, referral services and social programs. It’s unclear whether the grant is $1,850 per month or for all three months.

There are three cash programs. They can get TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) for up to five years. If they don’t qualify for TANF, low-income individuals with dependent children get refugee cash assistance up to eight months. Or they get SSI, supplemental security income, up to nine years if they are low-income, elderly, blind, or disabled.

For up to seven years, low-income refugees receive healthcare under Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), or refugee medical assistance from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) that provides an eight-month healthcare program similar to Medicaid for those who don’t qualify for Medicaid. Low-income individuals receive unlimited food stamp coverage.The cost of these massive programs is astronomical with no guarantee any refugee will become a self-sufficient taxpayer. And don’t forget, their relatives will be allowed to enter the U.S. and join them. The tax-payer burden of supplying unlimited food stamps for the 680,000 Syrian refugees that were resettled in the U.S. since the 9-11 tragedy cannot be calculated, nor can the additional innumerable tax-payer funded welfare benefits they continue to receive.

Now, consider the taxpayer burden for 85,000 more refugees in 2016, plus another 100,000 scheduled to enter the U.S in 2017. Their allotment for food stamps alone would be astronomical, and additional benefits are beyond estimation.

The 2016 total of 85,000 refugees is up from 70,000. The extra 15,000 would be Syrian, who would come without foolproof screening for terrorists. Syrian migrants are referred by the U.N., screened by the Department of Homeland Security and resettled around the country, whether we like it or not. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.