xenophobic e-mail I got & my reply to it

[canuckforpeace]

Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 2:13 PM
Subject: Fw: Fwd: This just makes you proud to be a Canadian


> Hi everyone, I don't even know if this is the truth, but wouldn't surprise
> me.
>
> > >>>: This just makes you proud to be a Canadian Hi All: Here is an
> > >>>interesting FACT that should make your blood boil - according to the
> > >>>Toronto Star April 18 - 2004 the following was printed. Pensioners VS
> > >>>Refugees - The government provides a single refugee with a monthly
> > >>>allowance of $1,890.00 each and can also get an additional $580.00
> SOCIAL
> > >>>ASSISTANCE to the tune of $2,470.00. Now this is how very well it
> > >>>compares to a single pensioner, who after contributing to the growth
> and
> > >>>development of Canada for 40 to 50 years can only receive a monthly
> > >>>MAXIMUM of $1,012.00 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income
> Supplement.
> > >>>I think all pensioners should apply as refugees. We should send this
to
> > >>>all Canadians so we can all be pissed off and maybe we can get the
> > >>>refugees payment cut back to $1,012..........00 and the pensioners up
> to
> > >>>$2,470.00 and enjoy some of the money we were forced to submit to the
> > >>>government over the last 40/50 years.
> > >>>
> > >>>

***Here's my reply. Edited to protect the innocent.

Thank you for forwarding this. It gave me the opportunity to spend some
time doing research , since, there was no LINK from an independent or
mainstream source.

The information is cited as being from the Toronto Star, April 18th. I did
a search and could not find the article. If any of you can find it, please
feel free to forward it to me. I did however find the website that this was
copied from; www.conservativetruth.org. It is an American, right wing,
pro-Bush website. This piece as well as others on the site all had one
thing in common - NO LINKS TO CREDIBLE SOURCES. All the pieces were
OPINION, and were not signed by an author.

As to the content of this opinion, I did a little digging. While I did not
come up with exact dollar figures for refugees that need support, I did
find this out about immigrants in the Business Immigration category
"investors must demonstrate business experience, have a minimum net worth of
$800 000 CDN and investment of $400 000 CDN." We had such an immigrant in
**** that built a resort, employs local people, and contributes to the local
economy.

There is also a Skilled Workers category. My doctor here in **** is an
immigrant from South Africa. There are four South African immigrant doctors
in our little town.

If you would like to find out more about immigration policy in Canada you
can go to www.cic.gc.ca

As for those of you that would like to pay less tax rather than be "forced
to submit to the government" here are some countries with lower personal
income tax rates than Canada (31%) that you may find more appealing: Cyprus
(4.25%), Hong Kong (15%), Russia (13%), Saudi Arabia (2.5). But don't take
my word for it. Check out www.worldwide-tax.com.

My parents were immigrants to this country and yes, I am proud to be a
Canadian!

P.S. I tried to "reply to all" but was unable to. Feel free to forward to
all the "undisclosed recipients"

[WMliberal]

1. wow, there's blowing them out of the water...

and then there's taking their bullshit and cramming it back into their assholes.
whichever of my mixed metaphors you prefer as a compliment, accept.

[canuckforpeace]

2. Thank you, this crap really pisses me off

I was trying to be diplomatic. Too harsh ya think?

[Spazito]

3. Great response!

I love the ease in which you countered the distortions in the e-mail. The e-mail reads like something a supporter of the faux Conservative party might send.

[iverglas]

4. some more facts for ya

This is dated -- it's from early in Harris's common sense revolution -- but gives some background:

http://www.welfarewatch.toronto.on.ca/wrkfrw/immigran.htm
WELFARE REFORM & IMMIGRANTS
Ontario Social Safety NetWork Backgrounder

From the BC end, the "Newcomer's Guide":
http://www.mcaws.gov.bc.ca/amip/rpts/newcomers_guide/nc_ch1.htm

Social assistance ("Welfare")

What if you have no job and no money to live on?

Government-sponsored refugees may get financial help from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. For information, contact an immigrant settlement agency or the Citizenship and Immigration Canada Call Centre.

Some immigrants and refugee claimants may qualify for financial assistance from the provincial government. This help is called welfare, or B.C. Employment & Assistance, or income assistance. To find out if you are eligible, contact the nearest Employment & Assistance Centre. Look in the Blue Pages of the telephone book in the Government of British Columbia section under "Human Resources – Ministry of, Employment & Assistance Centres."

Food banks ...

Few refugees are "government sponsored" -- those who are have been selected by the government outside Canada, found to qualify as refugees (i.e. to have a well-founded fear of persecution by reason of race, religion, political opinion, national origin or membership in a particular social group) and (the unspoken criterion) to be likely to successfully settle in Canada, i.e. not to be a "burden".

Most refugees are self-selected -- they manage to come to Canada somehow and make a claim for asylum on the grounds that they have such a well-founded fear. Until relatively recently, they were issued employment authorizations (work permits) by the federal govt that permitted them to work while awaiting the decision on their claim, which not infrequently took years. It was thought that this encouraged people to enter Canada and make specious refugee claims, i.e. just to be able to make some money, and maybe get to stay under an amnesty, or just illegally, so work permits are no longer routinely granted, I believe.

The Canadian Council for Refugees is the best NGO source to look to for info about refugee claimants in Canada: http://www.web.net/~ccr

http://www.web.net/~ccr/escrrep.htm

Some categories of non-residents, including refugee claimants and refused refugee claimants, suffer discrimination in terms of social assistance. Refugee claimants may not immediately be granted social assistance, because of requirements that they provide certain immigration documents, including in some cases a decision on the eligibility of the refugee claim (a process which can on occasion be delayed). Rates of welfare granted to refugee claimants are in some provinces below the standard rate. Non-residents can also face difficulties when eligibility for a higher rate of welfare is conditional on good faith in seeking employment and when the person has no work permit.

The new requirements instituted a few years ago that prevent people who have been recognized as genuine refugees from formally becoming permanent residents (and eventually citizens, if they wish) unless they can present official identity documents -- often a little difficult to do if you have fled persecution by your own government -- means that many refugees remain unable to obtain much of any employment at all for long periods even after being "accepted".

Basically, the best description for the statement The government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890.00 each and can also get an additional $580.00 SOCIAL ASSISTANCE to the tune of $2,470.00 is LIE.

[canuckforpeace]

5. Thanks Iverglas

I will look through through the links you've provided.

As an update, my response did get forwarded to the "undisclosed recipients" as well as the original person that forwarded the e-mail. I haven't heard back from any of them yet.