SENATOR KAY HAGAN FUNDS ILLEGAL ALIENS

I believe we can all agree that the vaunted American Recovery and Investment Act is a complete bust; and has not provided the jobs that our sage, democratic politicians promised us plebeians. Now, they want to pass another such bill? It seems that the beltway echo-chamber is oblivious to their failures. Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina is one of them.

Senator Hagan bragged about taxpayer monies she obtained for businesses, and industries that she favors: the so-called green jobs. You can read this missive on her website: http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=382 .
Duke Energy and Raleigh’s Progress Energy each received $200 million in grants to update their current grid; and to invest in a “smart energy” grid. Celgard received $49 million in stimulus grants to produce components for batteries. And the North Carolina Employment Security Commission is to receive $946,000 in grants to collect information, and publicize its findings about green jobs; in effect to propagandize the “good works” of Senator Hagan.

The one company that is most interesting on her select list of recipients to bilk the taxpayers of their hard earned money is Telamon Corporation. Telamon is a non-profit organization whose mission statement is to provide human services to populations not easily or readily served by government institutions. Those services are the following:

1) Employment and training--classroom training, work experience, on the job training, supportive services and counseling to MIGRANT & SEASONAL FARMWORKERS, and other rural poor. Funded by the states of : IN, NC, WV, MD, MI, SC & GA
2) Child care--consist of head start day care services to MIGRANT CHILDREN and other rural poor. Funded by the United States Dept. of Human and Health Services and States: GA, NC, DE, TN, MI & The East Coast Migrant Head Start Program.
3) Housing--provide housing rehab, self-help housing, and counseling, housing training & technical assistance. Funded by HUD, FEMA, USDA, and DOE & STATES: IN, WV, NC, SC, VA, GA, MI, DE, TN & MD.
4) Community Services--provide education & training in nutrition, language, family planning, immunization, health, pesticide safety and supportive services. Funded by: USDOJ & STATES OF IN, MI, GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, WV, Sisters of Charity & others.

I would say that Telamon’s mission statement is misleading since most of its funding comes from government institutions; and the populations that are not easily or readily served are undocumented workers; in other words illegal aliens.

Telamon in 2007 received a grant from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission in the amount of $150,000. The reasons for this grant are stated as the following: “Project will provide workforce development training to dislocated farm workers in Johnson and Sampson Counties to increase the target populations basic educational qualifications and employment skills, prepare them for post- secondary education, broker their access to employment in high growth occupations, improve language abilities, and open communications between them and targeted communities.”

The Tobacco Trust Fund Commission was established by the North Carolina General Assembly in response to the shakedown of four of the nation’s largest cigarette manufacturers by state governments. The manufacturers agreed to pay 46 states $206 billion dollars over the first 25 years. Of that North Carolina’s share is about $4.6 billion dollars after 25 years. Ostensibly, “the Commission” was created to assist tobacco farmers, related businesses, and individuals who were adversely affected by this settlement, through disbursement of funds administered by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Commission met for the first time in February of 2001.

Senator Kay Hagan was first elected to the North Carolina State Assembly in 1998, and became co-chair of the budget committee, and served in the state senate for 10 years. It is safe to say that she is well aware of Telemon and in particular its state director Thom Meyers.

Thom Myers has worked with Telamon since 1970. He is also a board member and former president of The National Trade Association for Farm Workers Employment and Training Organization. Along with many of his affiliations, Mr. Myers was also appointed to the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina: The very same commission that received $946,000 in federal grants. Thom Myers term started in 2005 and ended on 6/30/09.

It seems a cozy relationship exist between Senator Kay Hagan and the ubiquitous Thom Myers. I only wish that they would keep their hands out of the taxpayer’s wallet