this "over taxation" is needed for thre services that make our economy not like Somalia.

As far as Immigartion, this mayor is feeling the heat because of a CHEAP federal givt that would rather blow a few hunfred billion in the mid east then make sure immigrants are welcome, the same immigrants that eventually make buisnesses and jobs, kind of the way thos eirish, Italians and Germans did when they came here, and the grandchildren grew up to be antiu immigration folk.

and by the way, the same assholes who are disgusted by any assistance to poor people cheered for the Iraq war; they're against assistance to at-risk youth but are A-OK with spending millions on more prisons - conservatives priorities are FUCKED UP and they have no business judging ANYONE

Immigrants from all over the world, who came to America, were part of the work force, part of the public that made this Country so strong, so wealthy, at one time. Now immigrants are painted as the monsters coming to take our jobs away, increase our taxes and overwhelm our resources.... so many Americans are angry at - and blaming the wrong people.

We do not have such few good jobs because of immigration (illegal or otherwise) but because the better part of our manufacturing industry and countless jobs have been sent overseas where labor is cheaper - and our government and the wealthy ruling class have encouraged and enabled it. I think that some of these trade deals do a whole lot of damage, too. Then of course we have the semi-legal tax evasion of people like the Romneys, our corporate loopholes and corporations earning insane profits that actually receive tax RELIEF.

From all I have experienced, the overwhelming amount of "over taxation" falls upon the middle class, far more than the wealthy (IMO). How can I say this when the top 10% pay the vast majority of the taxes? Income inequality. A CEO who earns say, a million a year and pays 15-20% in taxes will ultimately pay out a great deal more than someone working for 100,000 a year - even though they may be taxed at 30-40%. There are exceptions to this, of course, and wealthy people who believe in progressive taxation, but they are not terribly common. Who struggles more? The millionaire who has accountants and accounts overseas? Or the more common worker who has a family to provide for? From which should we be taking the lion's share?

If you think the so called damage done by immigration and taxation is bad, then you should consider how much damage is done by enabling business practices which ought to be criminal.

Immigrant and immigrant workers are not the problem. There is enough WORK for everyone in America and then some. There simply aren't enough jobs, because they've been shipped overseas, because we spend far too much money on military adventures as opposed to domestic improvements. There are so very many things we could do as opposed to pointing fingers at immigrants and blaming them for our failing economy.

Those who say "It's our Country! We were here first!" should consider that their ancestors were immigrants at one point, too. The Native Americans were here long before the white men, so, when it comes right down to it, the majority of us living here in America are as much immigrants (or the descendants of immigrants) as the refugees.

The problem isn't with immigrants - the problem is with idiots and assholes who rape our economy, screw our poor and working class, cut the hell out of our education and social safety net... and then point the finger at the poor, the struggling and powerless. Think about it.

I truly hope this Mayor is just attempting to get attention brought to the plight of these people to help them. Somehow though, I think it far more likely that he has fallen into the republican trap of blaming all the wrong people.

he'd feel the exact same way if the refugees were Irish or Italian

They aren't sending the refugees to Dover or Westwood or Wellsely.....They are sending them to the towns with the least ability to help a large amount of refugees.

and fwiw I live in a city with large multi national refugee populations including Somali, Hmong, Khmer, Karen, Lao ..... I don't have a problem with refugees

I don't have a problem with refugees, glad they are here. Just saying that the choice of towns was probably not well thought out.

there.

Hard examples and evidence for the mayor’s stance are scant. The problems in the Somali housing have largely been attributed to neglectful landlords. The government does not track the number of refugees who rely on social services. The refugee population in Springfield of about 1,500 — around 380 of them Somali — represents about 1 percent of the city’s total of 153,000. And a 2014 report by the U.S. government found that Massachusetts ranked third in the nation for refugee employment, with 73 percent of refugees enrolled in state programs finding work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/massachusetts-mayor-stop-sending-my-city-refugees/2014/06/23/41a5bee4-fa9a-11e3-b836-a372189b76a6_story.html

The largest Somali communities in North America are in Montreal and the Twin Cities.

Somalia is a hot place. Why does the State dept send them to cold places? I suspect that liberal places might be more welcoming than some of the red states in the south and west, but not sure.

why do any immigrants head for cosmopolitan cities?

I'm sure the Canadian government was involved somehow. Refugees settlement is quite different from other immigration.

Or at least is registered as one.

Cities are already broke. His demand shouldn't be that the federal government stop bringing in more refugees it should be that the federal government ponies up and doesn't put all the strain on local municipalities.

As far as I know, there is no upper limit defined. As we all know, the noise increases as the unknown limit is approached.

Last edited Tue Jun 24, 2014, 01:13 AM - Edit history (1)

Hard examples and evidence for the mayor’s stance are scant. The problems in the Somali housing have largely been attributed to neglectful landlords. The government does not track the number of refugees who rely on social services. The refugee population in Springfield of about 1,500 — around 380 of them Somali — represents about 1 percent of the city’s total of 153,000. And a 2014 report by the U.S. government found that Massachusetts ranked third in the nation for refugee employment, with 73 percent of refugees enrolled in state programs finding work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/massachusetts-mayor-stop-sending-my-city-refugees/2014/06/23/41a5bee4-fa9a-11e3-b836-a372189b76a6_story.html

I'm going to edit or delete that, as my misconstruction of the OP created my comment. I had a construction crew working in my home and it was very distracting.

thank you

Burlington, VT, e.g.: http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/twenty-five-years-and-6300-people-later-a-vermont-refugee-report/Content?oid=2296187

in Burlington/Winooski there are 6300 refugees out of about 55,000 residents.

In springfield, they are talking about only 1% (1500 of 153,000), with the emphasis on the number of Somali refugees (makes you wonder why).

Anyway, I agree that we need to somehow stand down from fighting (and positioning for a fight) all over the world and instead help communities deal with the results (refugees, etc.). In the meantime, it can be done well. Even by a state with much fewer resources than Mass.

Now that Springfield recived Mass. 1st casino license it will bring in the revenue to help strapped city. Doubt it. It certianly won't help those in need. the rich get richer the poor...eh

help anyone except for the capitalist owners. They suck the working man dry.

should be settled in Red States. Once they become citizens, they will overwhelmingly vote Democratic. It's just a matter of documenting the undocumented in places like Texas and Arizona to turn it Blue. Sending them to a deep Blue state makes sense because... ?

about the huge resettlement program back in the late 70s and 80s when Vietnamese, Russian Jews, and Central Americans and non-black Cubans were resettled throughout the mid-west and south east. You will only hear about this now that those being resettled are attempted to be resettled are people of color...real refugee cases.

helping a lot, the more the merrier.

I just read that 98% of Somalian females have had F.G.M. Female Genital Mutilation done to them. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/
If you can stand it, try doing a google image search for "FGM III "

Anyway, sorry for the minor thread hijack.

Grow a heart and shut up.

It doesn't matter where the hell they're from, because you know the rest of the city's poor aren't living any better.

Asshat.

place the refugees in a safe environment. If the government is going to choose to accept refugees, then they have to pay up. That means helping the cities who are taking them. Of course we have a Congress full of clowns so that will never happen.

...we'll get right on that as soon as we have a sane government again. But everyone's being asked to do more with less.

Why I understand the army is way under their 2012 estimated Afghan Troop Tent Air-conditioning expense of $20 billion, by a few percentage points. (Not counting interest of course). Keeping cool in Afghanistan in July ain't easy, you know.

And if you don't count the health and other social costs of the illegal heroin that ends up in the arms of America's youth which comes from the poppies that our troops are guarding for our friendly neighborhood warlord allies -- why the cost-benefit numbers don't lie! It's a bargain! Nuthin's too good for the troops! And it keeps them from passing out from the heat too, also!!!

- So buck up, everybody's having to tighten the old belt!! {No pun intended}

K&R

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Maybe send some heroin tents to Springfield???

people need to live, no matter where they came from. Some program to build affordable housing, could create jobs and help with other issues. Coastal areas have lots of surplus shipping containers that could be turned into housing.

I wonder what the state dept is thinking just bringing people over without a plan for what happens to them.