DUTCHESS COUNTY RESIDENTS AGAINST CWS AND A REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM

PETITION CREATED AND HEADED BY DAVID J COLE AND BOB “TINY” EGLIT,  ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF POUGHKEEPSIE AND SURROUNDING AREA’S IN DUTCHESS COUNTY THAT OPPOSE CWS AND THE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM ESTABLISHING A BASE OF OPERATIONS IN THE POUGHKEEPSIE AREA.

As you may know, Church World Services has recently disclosed a new Refugee Resettlement Program being established in the Poughkeepsie/ Dutchess County area. On November 10th, 2016 CWS assembled an informational Q&A at Christ Episcopal Church at 20 Carroll Street, Poughkeepsie NY. Many residents from the Hudson Valley and Poughkeepsie area showed up to listen and take in for themselves the idea’s and plans for this program. While some residents praise the humanitarian effort, others feel that this has not been discussed or disclosed with the community or its residents properly. A lot of residents feel that this is being forced upon us, while others feel that this is not the right area for a Resettlement program. Some residents also feel that we should be more worried about programs to help our local vets, local homeless, and local residents who are in need, instead of taking on the responsibility of Refugees from war torn countries. Our town is not a big city, and some even feel there is not enough resources to accommodate what CWS is trying to accomplish.

After speaking to many of our own peers and neighbors, friends and family, we have decided to respectfully  petition against CWS and the Refugee Resettlement Program. There are local Vets in the Hudson Valley sleeping on the streets and in homeless shelters. There are families that are living week to week, some of which cannot buy groceries. There is a heroin epidemic in this area, and it is taking our children, neighbors, and friends by storm. There are people in the area that need help, and we feel that they are getting passed by for the chance of a Government contracted Refugee Resettlement Program to move into town, almost unannounced. These people want to see our community fixed and its people helped, and bringing in Refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and so forth, will not help Poughkeepsie or its Residents. Included with this letter, there are signatures from Dutchess County Residents who oppose this Program, and would like to see it stopped, and or moved to another location with more Resources.

 The people signing this petition understand they are signing it with intent to stop CWS from bullying its way into our area almost unannounced, and with little information.  We feel if they would like to start a program to help our local vets get housing, our local homeless get housing, and our local residents get the help they need, they are more than welcome, and we will even volunteer. But we feel that it is time for us to take care of our own community before we move another community into it.

This petition and copies of the signatures will be sent to the following people in duplicate.

1.County Executive Marc Molinaro, 2.Senator Sue Serino,3. Governor Andrew Cuomo,4. Mayor  Robert G. Rolison, 5.Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, 6.The Obama Administration, 7, The Trump Administration.(Media) have multiple news stations and reporters involved.