Meskhetian Turk refugees headed for Laconia home

donsmith · 09-12-2005, 05:04 PM

Open letter to the mayor of Laconia and People Of Laconia

----------------------------------
It seems to be a present issues that the State Department, Lutheran
Church and the City itself, is intent on accepting refugees. It is in my opinion that this should not be happing with out the peoples vote. I mean were does the State Dept, Church and city get off doing this without a vote. Manchester has suffered, by their own admittance, by taking in over 500 refugees and now they are looking to Laconia? Our services are already strained. Plus is the church or state department held accountable for the actions of these people once
the city takes them?? It seem like we do not have enough jobs for our
own people.

Why do we accept these people and what kind of government subsidies are
given?? I have heard that Portsmouth and Nashua is now a target for the
Lutheran Church to settle more.

I say let the church pay for all the cost!! And any legal issues that
arise from this!

Thank You Don Smith
---------------------------------------------------------------
Meskhetian Turk refugees headed for Laconia home

LACONIA — City and school officials have been informed that upwards of
90 Russian-speaking Meskhetian Turks are slated to be resettled in
Laconia by a nonprofit refugee placement group working with the U.S.
State Department.

While the city has long been among the handful in the state to receive
people from around the world needing homes, officials have begun giving
thought to how they will handle services for the estimated 30 foreign
students that could be coming into the district to stay.

On Tuesday Superintendent Bob Champlin told the Laconia School Board
that the district welcomes any student, but will need to take a serious
look at an English for Speaker of Other Languages budget, from which a
teaching position was cut last year.

Ann Dancy of the Concord-based Lutheran Social Services of Northern New
England confirmed that Laconia is among a handful of New Hampshire
cities slated as a resettlement destination for dozens of Meskhetian
Turks. While the process of getting exit visas from Russia has been
slow, organizers say upwards of 90-100 people could be "trickling" in
over the next year.

"[The number of students] could be that high," said Dancy.

The non-profit agency is among two in the state that works with the
federal government's refugee program to place people who face
persecution in their own countries. Dancy noted that refugees are
different from immigrants in that they are people who must flee their
country after facing religious or political discrimination.

According to Lutheran Social Service Program Manager Amy Roach, the
United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees decides who qualifies as
refugees in countries all over the globe.

She said the commissioner's first preference in deciding a matter is to
see whether a given group can "repatriate" in its homeland with the
second choice being for the people to seek asylum in a neighboring
nation. However, in certain instances, varying factors contribute toward
a situation where a group cannot live freely or safely in its own nation
or one nearby, she said.

Such has been the case for the Meskhetian Turks — an Islamic group which
had been residing in southwestern Georgia until 1944, when then-Soviet
dictator Joseph Stalin had them deported to Central Asia where many died
from starvation and cold.

Dancy said debate continues as to whether they are ethnic Georgians who
adopted Islam or Turks who were part of the Ottoman Empire's expansion.

One thing that has little debate is that the Eurasian group is a people
without a true home.

In 1989 the Meskhetian people suffered a second time when they were
displaced by ethnic violence in Uzbekistan. There are several
populations that still remain to resettle and a stable area.

"Basically they are stateless and have been persecuted," said Roach.

Dancy said Laconia saw an influx of refugee resettlement in the 1990s,
but the trend slowed following the 9/11 attacks. Dancy added that most
refugees are resettled in Manchester, Concord, Franklin and Laconia.

Roach said the federal government provides approximately $400 per
refugee to help with the initial cost of housing, furniture and food,
with the Lutheran Social Services group providing additional money
through matching grants. Refugees are immediately eligible for many
federal programs that immigrants have no access to, such as Medicaid.

The students coming to Laconia will be enrolled in the local school
district just as any other child would.

Organizers of the resettlement effort say people should not assume the
group will be a drain on the community and its resources. Dancy said
studies have shown that most refugees who have moved to New Hampshire
have achieved 90 percent self-sufficiency within eight months of moving
here."Refugees are very resilient people ... they are survivors," said
Dancy. The refugees can apply for permanent residency after one year and
can apply to become full citizens after five years.

One challenge is placing Russian-speaking students in a school district
that last year cut funding for its program dedicated towards teaching
English to speakers of foreign languages. Champlin told the Laconia
School Board that it will need to take a hard look at the situation to
prepare for the students' arrival.

"This is a major initiative," said Champlin.

School Board member Beth Arsenault said that the exact method of
introduction of 30 students will not be fully understood until they
arrive and the district can see how they are spread throughout the 13
grade levels.

School Business Administrator Ed Emond said last year the district cut
its English for Speakers of Other Languages budget by one position, or
$46,000. The district had four teachers for people speaking foreign
languages, and now has three who work at Laconia High School, Memorial
Middle School and one that splits time between Pleasant Street School
and Woodland Heights.

Emond noted that the budget for such teachers is largely made up of
staffing costs, which currently run around $160,000 per year. Those
interested in helping with the refugee resettlement effort may contact
Lutheran Social Services Volunteer Coordinator Shelley Lathrop at
603-224-
8111 or via e-mail, slathroplssnorth.org. Those seeking more information
on Lutheran Social Services and their efforts can go their website at
www.lssnorth.org.

johnsalt · 10-18-2005, 06:18 AM

Nice to see someone is paying attention to this issue. As stated below NH cities risk being subject to something they have no VOTE or way to stop. If this keeps happening each town will loose jobs, social services etc. The Refugees cannot afford to live in Lakes Region and make a significant repayment to the towns or the tax payers.--My opinion. It has been stated by the refugees themselves, some have to move to Portland ME as the cost of living is lower.

Let’s get this under control and make the people have a VOTE on the control of immigration to NH towns. Any legislators who read in this forum please act to aid legislator Ralph Rosen.

----------------------------------
Rep. Rosen questions refugee program [10/9/05]
www.limitstogrowth.org/

Ralph Rosen of New Hampshire is a rare legislator to question the sacred
cow program of refugees. Under it, the most culturally inappropriate
groups (e.g. FGM-practicing Somalis, polygamist Hmong, etc.) are
resettled in this country. The American people don't want these groups
dumped in their communities, but the State Department finds refugees a
useful pawn to play in its various dealings with foreign governments.
In addition, church and other resettling agencies make a pile of
money from the government. And the more unsuitable the culture, the
more the refugees require well paid minders to show them the ropes.

Last month officials from the Concord-based Lutheran Social Services of
Northern New England confirmed that Laconia is among a handful of New
Hampshire cities slated as a resettlement destination for dozens of
Meskhetian Turks. The U.S. State Department gave the displaced Eurasian
people refugee status as a result of ethnic violence and discrimination
in Georgia and Uzbekistan.
Ann Dancy of Lutheran Social Services said the people are expected
to be gradually moved into the city over the next year as part of a
resettlement program that has seen Laconia receiving refugees from
all over the world over the past decade.
The federal government provides approximately $400 per refugee to
help with the initial cost of housing, furniture and food, with the
Lutheran group providing additional money through matching grants.
Refugees are immediately eligible for many federal programs that
immigrants have no access to, such as Medicaid.
However, residents and officials have expressed concern on how their
resettlement will impact local taxpayers as the city and school
system will incur costs as a result of their resettlement here.

Lakewinniboater · 10-18-2005, 07:34 AM

I have to say that I am all for helping people!! HOWEVER, if the church is hell bend on helping. Let them start at home first. There is too much going on in that area of the world and we have plenty of troops trying to help in many countries. Our young men are dying over in the region.

START helping here at home. I am sorry. There is no reason to bring them here. I am generally very open to being hlepful and non discriminatory. HOWEVER, I feel strongly that this shouldn't be done.

I won't go into the many reasons ...... it is just wrong.

Joe Kerr · 10-18-2005, 08:37 AM

How many of us had ancestors who immigrated to the USA or were refugees?

If you (or me) were displaced or had to leave our home country where would we go?

SAMIAM · 10-18-2005, 10:13 AM

I don't know about you....but I'm on charity overload.We raised huge amounts of money after 9/11,the tsunami,hurricanes ,floods and earthquakes.All this while being dunned about 3rd world poverty and AIDS in Africa.
These new immigrants will need food stamps,housing subsidies,welfare,medicare and fuel subsidies.......taking these already scarce resources away from those in our community.When they get arrested....you'll be paying for a court intertpreter.....the ACLU will see to that.
We cheerfully support our local charities and there are many good ones that give back and provide vital services to our own friends and neighbors.
Lewiston Maine accepted nearly 2,000 Somalian refugees from one of these same church groups and services are all overwhelmed.These people are from a different culure and need assistance with everything from using a toilet to operating a can opener.When the mayor pleaded with them to stop sending people they promptly marched through town,joined by a few local activists,calling him a "racist"
If these church groups are so determined to bring these people over here,they should be responsible for their care....and not us taxpayers.

Ski Man · 10-18-2005, 10:43 AM

Yeah, screw them, let someone else deal with them.

I never understood the whole, "Don't help anyone else until every problem in America is fixed" mentality. We should help those who need it most, regardless of nationality, race, or religion. To say that American poor are more valuable or more deserving of basic necessities than non-American poor is, in my mind, highly bigoted.

johnsalt · 10-18-2005, 01:24 PM

I would mention here is Rep Rosen, I think he is doing a great job to find out WHY!

I would also ask we all contact the Laconia Citizen to get some attention on this issue!

We should all get involved, if this slips through, like the other poster said, Lewiston Maine!!

Mr. V · 10-18-2005, 02:47 PM

There's good and bad sides to it, as with pretty much anything else.

The Good: An influx of new people, new cultures, is one thing which has fueled the explosive growth of this country.

After a bit, a couple generations, they get Americanized, and our country is the better for their intellectual and genetic contributions.

"The Land of the Free" must be seen as more than a mere abstract notion, or else we'll lose perspective as a people.

The Bad: A drain on social services, at least until they get up and running.

If they have a decent work ethic (Mexicans do, Russians most certainly do NOT), they compete with locals for lower paying jobs.

With less economic opportunities available, they more frequently turn to crime.

FWIW, out west we have a huge Russian community (over twenty thousand in my town, thanks to the Lutherans!), and they are without peer so far as being completely worthless. The men are scamming thieves, and sell shoddily repaired used cars when they bother to work: usually they live off the earnings of their women, like the Gypsies do. Their kids pack the Juvenile Detention center).

If I lived in Laconia, I'd do what I could to keep these people out.

Not because they're immigrants, but because they're Russian immigrants.

"We will bury you," indeed.

webmaster · 10-18-2005, 02:58 PM

FYI, johnsalt and donsmith have the same IP number and appear to be the same person.

johnsalt · 10-18-2005, 03:20 PM

Yes, John Salt and Don share an internet connection in the same company, Whats your point Pal. Regards John - We both Share similar views ON THIS ISSUE!

Plus we have a static IP, is that OK?

09-12-2005, 05:04 PM	#1
donsmith Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Meskhetian Turk refugees headed for Laconia home Open letter to the mayor of Laconia and People Of Laconia ---------------------------------- It seems to be a present issues that the State Department, Lutheran Church and the City itself, is intent on accepting refugees. It is in my opinion that this should not be happing with out the peoples vote. I mean were does the State Dept, Church and city get off doing this without a vote. Manchester has suffered, by their own admittance, by taking in over 500 refugees and now they are looking to Laconia? Our services are already strained. Plus is the church or state department held accountable for the actions of these people once the city takes them?? It seem like we do not have enough jobs for our own people. Why do we accept these people and what kind of government subsidies are given?? I have heard that Portsmouth and Nashua is now a target for the Lutheran Church to settle more. I say let the church pay for all the cost!! And any legal issues that arise from this! Thank You Don Smith --------------------------------------------------------------- Meskhetian Turk refugees headed for Laconia home LACONIA — City and school officials have been informed that upwards of 90 Russian-speaking Meskhetian Turks are slated to be resettled in Laconia by a nonprofit refugee placement group working with the U.S. State Department. While the city has long been among the handful in the state to receive people from around the world needing homes, officials have begun giving thought to how they will handle services for the estimated 30 foreign students that could be coming into the district to stay. On Tuesday Superintendent Bob Champlin told the Laconia School Board that the district welcomes any student, but will need to take a serious look at an English for Speaker of Other Languages budget, from which a teaching position was cut last year. Ann Dancy of the Concord-based Lutheran Social Services of Northern New England confirmed that Laconia is among a handful of New Hampshire cities slated as a resettlement destination for dozens of Meskhetian Turks. While the process of getting exit visas from Russia has been slow, organizers say upwards of 90-100 people could be "trickling" in over the next year. "[The number of students] could be that high," said Dancy. The non-profit agency is among two in the state that works with the federal government's refugee program to place people who face persecution in their own countries. Dancy noted that refugees are different from immigrants in that they are people who must flee their country after facing religious or political discrimination. According to Lutheran Social Service Program Manager Amy Roach, the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees decides who qualifies as refugees in countries all over the globe. She said the commissioner's first preference in deciding a matter is to see whether a given group can "repatriate" in its homeland with the second choice being for the people to seek asylum in a neighboring nation. However, in certain instances, varying factors contribute toward a situation where a group cannot live freely or safely in its own nation or one nearby, she said. Such has been the case for the Meskhetian Turks — an Islamic group which had been residing in southwestern Georgia until 1944, when then-Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had them deported to Central Asia where many died from starvation and cold. Dancy said debate continues as to whether they are ethnic Georgians who adopted Islam or Turks who were part of the Ottoman Empire's expansion. One thing that has little debate is that the Eurasian group is a people without a true home. In 1989 the Meskhetian people suffered a second time when they were displaced by ethnic violence in Uzbekistan. There are several populations that still remain to resettle and a stable area. "Basically they are stateless and have been persecuted," said Roach. Dancy said Laconia saw an influx of refugee resettlement in the 1990s, but the trend slowed following the 9/11 attacks. Dancy added that most refugees are resettled in Manchester, Concord, Franklin and Laconia. Roach said the federal government provides approximately $400 per refugee to help with the initial cost of housing, furniture and food, with the Lutheran Social Services group providing additional money through matching grants. Refugees are immediately eligible for many federal programs that immigrants have no access to, such as Medicaid. The students coming to Laconia will be enrolled in the local school district just as any other child would. Organizers of the resettlement effort say people should not assume the group will be a drain on the community and its resources. Dancy said studies have shown that most refugees who have moved to New Hampshire have achieved 90 percent self-sufficiency within eight months of moving here."Refugees are very resilient people ... they are survivors," said Dancy. The refugees can apply for permanent residency after one year and can apply to become full citizens after five years. One challenge is placing Russian-speaking students in a school district that last year cut funding for its program dedicated towards teaching English to speakers of foreign languages. Champlin told the Laconia School Board that it will need to take a hard look at the situation to prepare for the students' arrival. "This is a major initiative," said Champlin. School Board member Beth Arsenault said that the exact method of introduction of 30 students will not be fully understood until they arrive and the district can see how they are spread throughout the 13 grade levels. School Business Administrator Ed Emond said last year the district cut its English for Speakers of Other Languages budget by one position, or $46,000. The district had four teachers for people speaking foreign languages, and now has three who work at Laconia High School, Memorial Middle School and one that splits time between Pleasant Street School and Woodland Heights. Emond noted that the budget for such teachers is largely made up of staffing costs, which currently run around $160,000 per year. Those interested in helping with the refugee resettlement effort may contact Lutheran Social Services Volunteer Coordinator Shelley Lathrop at 603-224- 8111 or via e-mail, slathroplssnorth.org. Those seeking more information on Lutheran Social Services and their efforts can go their website at www.lssnorth.org.

10-18-2005, 06:18 AM	#2
johnsalt Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Why To Go- legislator Ralph Rosen Nice to see someone is paying attention to this issue. As stated below NH cities risk being subject to something they have no VOTE or way to stop. If this keeps happening each town will loose jobs, social services etc. The Refugees cannot afford to live in Lakes Region and make a significant repayment to the towns or the tax payers.--My opinion. It has been stated by the refugees themselves, some have to move to Portland ME as the cost of living is lower. Let’s get this under control and make the people have a VOTE on the control of immigration to NH towns. Any legislators who read in this forum please act to aid legislator Ralph Rosen. ---------------------------------- Rep. Rosen questions refugee program [10/9/05] www.limitstogrowth.org/ Ralph Rosen of New Hampshire is a rare legislator to question the sacred cow program of refugees. Under it, the most culturally inappropriate groups (e.g. FGM-practicing Somalis, polygamist Hmong, etc.) are resettled in this country. The American people don't want these groups dumped in their communities, but the State Department finds refugees a useful pawn to play in its various dealings with foreign governments. In addition, church and other resettling agencies make a pile of money from the government. And the more unsuitable the culture, the more the refugees require well paid minders to show them the ropes. Last month officials from the Concord-based Lutheran Social Services of Northern New England confirmed that Laconia is among a handful of New Hampshire cities slated as a resettlement destination for dozens of Meskhetian Turks. The U.S. State Department gave the displaced Eurasian people refugee status as a result of ethnic violence and discrimination in Georgia and Uzbekistan. Ann Dancy of Lutheran Social Services said the people are expected to be gradually moved into the city over the next year as part of a resettlement program that has seen Laconia receiving refugees from all over the world over the past decade. The federal government provides approximately $400 per refugee to help with the initial cost of housing, furniture and food, with the Lutheran group providing additional money through matching grants. Refugees are immediately eligible for many federal programs that immigrants have no access to, such as Medicaid. However, residents and officials have expressed concern on how their resettlement will impact local taxpayers as the city and school system will incur costs as a result of their resettlement here.

10-18-2005, 07:34 AM	#3
Lakewinniboater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Westford, MA and Alton Bay, NH Posts: 225 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I know I will certainly get flamed for this but...... I have to say that I am all for helping people!! HOWEVER, if the church is hell bend on helping. Let them start at home first. There is too much going on in that area of the world and we have plenty of troops trying to help in many countries. Our young men are dying over in the region. START helping here at home. I am sorry. There is no reason to bring them here. I am generally very open to being hlepful and non discriminatory. HOWEVER, I feel strongly that this shouldn't be done. I won't go into the many reasons ...... it is just wrong. __________________ Wendy "Wasn't Me!"

10-18-2005, 08:37 AM	#4
Joe Kerr Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 92 Thanks: 23 Thanked 16 Times in 5 Posts	My ancestors were refugees How many of us had ancestors who immigrated to the USA or were refugees? If you (or me) were displaced or had to leave our home country where would we go? __________________ ~ Joe Kerr

10-18-2005, 01:24 PM	#7
johnsalt Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	The Refugee Issue and Rep Rosen I would mention here is Rep Rosen, I think he is doing a great job to find out WHY! I would also ask we all contact the Laconia Citizen to get some attention on this issue! We should all get involved, if this slips through, like the other poster said, Lewiston Maine!!

10-18-2005, 10:13 AM	#5
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,891 Thanks: 334 Thanked 1,673 Times in 584 Posts	I don't know about you....but I'm on charity overload.We raised huge amounts of money after 9/11,the tsunami,hurricanes ,floods and earthquakes.All this while being dunned about 3rd world poverty and AIDS in Africa. These new immigrants will need food stamps,housing subsidies,welfare,medicare and fuel subsidies.......taking these already scarce resources away from those in our community.When they get arrested....you'll be paying for a court intertpreter.....the ACLU will see to that. We cheerfully support our local charities and there are many good ones that give back and provide vital services to our own friends and neighbors. Lewiston Maine accepted nearly 2,000 Somalian refugees from one of these same church groups and services are all overwhelmed.These people are from a different culure and need assistance with everything from using a toilet to operating a can opener.When the mayor pleaded with them to stop sending people they promptly marched through town,joined by a few local activists,calling him a "racist" If these church groups are so determined to bring these people over here,they should be responsible for their care....and not us taxpayers.

10-18-2005, 10:43 AM	#6
Ski Man Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 50 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Yeah, screw them, let someone else deal with them. I never understood the whole, "Don't help anyone else until every problem in America is fixed" mentality. We should help those who need it most, regardless of nationality, race, or religion. To say that American poor are more valuable or more deserving of basic necessities than non-American poor is, in my mind, highly bigoted.

10-18-2005, 02:47 PM	#8
Mr. V Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: the left coast (Portland)and West Alton Posts: 1,388 Thanks: 63 Thanked 253 Times in 172 Posts	There's good and bad sides to it, as with pretty much anything else. The Good: An influx of new people, new cultures, is one thing which has fueled the explosive growth of this country. After a bit, a couple generations, they get Americanized, and our country is the better for their intellectual and genetic contributions. "The Land of the Free" must be seen as more than a mere abstract notion, or else we'll lose perspective as a people. The Bad: A drain on social services, at least until they get up and running. If they have a decent work ethic (Mexicans do, Russians most certainly do NOT), they compete with locals for lower paying jobs. With less economic opportunities available, they more frequently turn to crime. FWIW, out west we have a huge Russian community (over twenty thousand in my town, thanks to the Lutherans!), and they are without peer so far as being completely worthless. The men are scamming thieves, and sell shoddily repaired used cars when they bother to work: usually they live off the earnings of their women, like the Gypsies do. Their kids pack the Juvenile Detention center). If I lived in Laconia, I'd do what I could to keep these people out. Not because they're immigrants, but because they're Russian immigrants. "We will bury you," indeed.

10-18-2005, 02:58 PM	#9
webmaster Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 2,451 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 456 Thanked 3,802 Times in 837 Posts	FYI, johnsalt and donsmith have the same IP number and appear to be the same person.

10-18-2005, 03:20 PM	#10
johnsalt Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	To The Webmaster of this site Yes, John Salt and Don share an internet connection in the same company, Whats your point Pal. Regards John - We both Share similar views ON THIS ISSUE! Plus we have a static IP, is that OK?