Even if Governor Lee doesn’t care about people with disabilities, at least the leftist Tennessean newspaper does. In December, the paper ran a pretty detailed story about Tennesseans born with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are supposed to get services from TennCare, but aren’t.
Right now there are 5,000 of these folks actively trying to get services but instead, they are “stuck on a waiting list.” TennCare, one of the worst agencies in the Tennessee state government, isn’t even asking the Governor or the legislature for enough money to serve all these people. TennCare says it’s willing to wait for however many years it takes for the money to be there to help these people.
There’s been no mention that the Governor included the money in his budget either. Instead, he’s been talking about spending down the state’s TANF (cash welfare) reserve probably as a way to funnel more money to the refugees he’s trucking into the state. Unlike most other legal immigrants, refugees are immediately eligible when they get here to apply for all forms of public assistance, including cash welfare.
In fact, the federal government mandates that refugees be enrolled into TennCare if they’re eligible. The federal government admits that they used to reimburse the state for the money the state spends on TennCare for refugees, but then stopped because Congress decided to spend less money on refugees. Congress decided to let states that wanted refugees use state money instead.
That’s why Tennessee has sued the federal government – because the state is being forced by the federal resettlement contractor-profiteers to use state money to fill the money gap created by the federal government which the Governor apparently agrees the state should do. Like pay for TennCare for refugees.
And that leaves less state money to pay for people with disabilities who are waiting for help from TennCare.
So next time you read or hear folks from Bill Lee’s administration say nonsensical things like “if we don’t take refugees, the state won’t get the federal money to support them” realize it’s the same political propaganda put out by the federal resettlement contractors.
In and amongst Bill Lee’s rambling and disconnected first radio interview trying to justify his decision to keep the refugees flowing into Tennessee, he said he was following his heart, his Christian faith, his (supposed) conservative values – “It was a decision based on a number of factors. Including my heart. Including my faith belief that we have a Biblical mandate to provide refuge for those who are persecuted and oppressed.”
So where’s his HEART for the state’s disabled?
Tennessee’s 2019 overall ranking for intending to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is 26th among states. BUT Tennessee is 48th in actually delivering the services to those who need it Ten years ago, Tennessee ranked 43rd in this category. The number of families receiving the needed supports in terms of state spending has been virtually stagnant since 2011.
Someone should remind Lee that whether or not he likes it, the decision he made is about state policy, not his Bible, his heart or even finding cheap labor for the Lee Company or his corporate cronies at the Chamber of Commerce. (You know, “business decisions” like his campaign donations to pro-abortion candidates Megan Barry and Phil Bredesen).
He has a duty to care first and foremost for the citizens of Tennessee.
And if he can’t find the ethical courage to honor the oath he took when he became governor, he could defer to 1 Timothy 5:8 which we presume is in the same Bible he consulted for his decision on refugee resettlement:
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Bill Lee wants Tennessee voters to accept that his decision to resettle refugees is just about disagreeing on the issue. Fool us once, shame on you, fool us twice shame on us.
Your help is needed in Tennessee…We now have 1,639 signatures…Tennesseans, please sign and share this Petition, “Governor Bill Lee, reverse your decision” out to all of the Tennesseans that you know…We need at least 10,000 Tennessee Voters to sign it and make a big impact when this petition is taken to Governor Bill Lee…
For you out of State people, please send this to all of your Tennessee friends and family…
We The People, The Voters, from Tennessee, call on our Governor, Mr. Bill Lee, to reverse his decision on the Refugee Resettlement Program.
WHEREAS,
The federal Refugee Resettlement Program is operated today by the Global Left, the UN, Islam, and religious frauds. The goal is to Change America by Changing its People; and,
WHEREAS,
We the people, the voters, consider the issue of resettlement of refugees from the Middle East and other illegal aliens to be a matter of the most urgent concern, as it involves vital issues of national security, terrorism, public health and public safety, and expenditures of public taxpayer funds; and,
WHEREAS,
As a result, we are drowning in refugees who are destroying our Constitutional freedoms, overburdening our welfare system and posing a genuine national security threat; and,
WHEREAS,
FBI Director Comey has declared the complete vetting of foreign (Kurdish, Syrian, etc…) refugees to be impossible, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Stewart states ISIS will attempt direct attacks again in the U.S.; and,
WHEREAS,
that enemy, the Islamic terrorist, is being allowed to live among Americans at the invitation of the United States Government; and,
WHEREAS,
the funding for this program is taken from the Federal government and the economic burden undeniably rests with the citizen taxpayer for the refugees’ welfare to include: housing, healthcare, food, education, language courses, job training, legal and community support making this program unsustainable and unacceptable to the American worker; and,
WHEREAS,
The Refugee Resettlement Program is bringing people into our state that can carry TB and all sorts of other diseases; and,
WHEREAS,
We the people, the voters, strongly recommend that our Governor, Mr. Bill Lee take a leading role in refusing to establish havens here in Tennessee; and,
WHEREAS,
the refugee who is truly fleeing for his life should be cared for in close proximity to his home country as it costs the American taxpayer twelve times the cost to resettle one refugee here as it would to shelter that refugee near his homeland; and,
WHEREAS,
there has never been a time in the history of this country where the government of the United States has worked so diligently against the interests of the American citizen; and,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT,
the State of Tennessee Legislators and the Tennessee State Governor shall immediately pass a bill with a Veto Proof and if possible an Executive Order proof that halts and defunds the Refugee Resettlement program, until deemed appropriate, in order to bring about a more robust national security, and a healthy economy which seeks to put Tennesseans first, not refugees who have no vested interests in our State of Tennessee; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT,
the State of Tennessee Legislators and Governor Bill Lee will act promptly and without delay to the wishes of the Voters of Tennessee.
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/gov-bill-lee-reverse-your-resettlement-program
i think i made a bad choice for voting for Bill Lee.
Lee Harris has just bankrupted memphis . It will become an infested poor poor city. Our taxes will go up to pay for illegals who want to change us into the country they left . How terribly sad . I will not be retiring here for sure . Crime is all ready way way out of control . Lee Harris you are a huge idiot who let down every one still living in this filthy place called memphis . It was already crawling with more democrats than cock roaches. If you think 900 blighted homes are high multiply that by thousands. Citizens will be racing to get out of memphis and you sir started the race to bankrupt this city . Never seen a city so full of SCUM and carpet baggers except Chicago. So tell your new voters welcome to the destruction of yet another city in America. Me and my tax dollars will not be here by next year . Take that to the bank . You can have my spot .
We need you consideration on the disabled and homeless,elderly in Tennessee!
Stop opening our state up to be like the other states that are broke from funding everyone you let walk in to this state.
This is a decision that should be made by the citizens of Tennessee not a organization that is not of TN citizens. I am pretty sure this organization is being funded and directed by people that are globalists and not nationalist. This day and time is very dangerous to take in people that can not be vetted. We are already have muslim enclaves in TN that refuse to assimilate and are aiming at getting into our government to change our laws and constitution. You are not doing the job you were elected to do. I am very sorry I voted for you since you do not put Tennesseans first.
i think i made a bad choice for voting for Bill Lee.
dear gov lee.what are you doing to the people who voted for you. i wonder if u will have a second term.
I sure hope this isn’t true.
Why did you Gov. Lee hide this fact from us before we voted for you? You cannot be trusted. You have a duty to the Tennesseans first. I am very sorry I trusted your word and that you got my vote. I won’t let it happen again!
Dear Governor Lee, I’m a Christian also, as well as many others here in our great state, but you have misused the trust of the voters who believed in you. Our fellow citizens of Tennessee with disabilities need to be taken care of first before and any foreign alien that probably do not believe in our standards. You sir will not get any vote from myself or family members. Gov. Bill Lee… do what’s right and not what Money wants.