Give elderly refugees a pass on English test?

According to the palmbeachpost.com:

Immigrants who intend to stay in America and collect federal benefits should be required to seek U.S. citizenship. For most immigrants, that means passing an English language proficiency test.

But one group of immigrants is being treated too harshly. As The Post reported Tuesday, low-income elderly immigrants who came to this country to escape persecution are starting to lose Supplemental Security Income payments — they tend to be about $600-$700 a month — because they can’t pass the English requirement for citizenship.

SSI payments are intended to be interim help while the immigrant goes through the citizenship process. But for those who came to this county when they were 60 or older, learning a new language can be impossible.

President Bush extended payments in 2008. This year Congress adjourned for the elections without an extension.

There is an issue for South Florida, where there are numerous elderly refugees from Cuba. There is bipartisan support for an extension of benefits to these legal immigrants, but one Republican senator has put an anonymous hold on legislation to extend benefits.

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Here's what some bloggers wrote:

Hell NO! I almost passed out when I read this article. This is the first cut we need to make. If you didn’t pay in to SS you get NO return. I can’t stand it. I am 41 and have been paying in since I was 14. For what? For these greedy witches to take my money. Let their GD families take care of them!!! WTF??? What is worse? Being in the US with no benefits or being in Cuba with Castro? End this program now!!!!!!!!!!!!

They want to raise my age for SS to 70 and cut my measly future check to maybe 700 or 800 and these old folks get it for FREE! Never worked here, Never paid, Get free healtcare too?

Try going to another country and saying, ” Here I am now take care of me”.

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A lot of people say that Social Security (SSI) is a "SOCIALIST" program. . . .It is not "SOCIALIST" if you pay into the system and then collect. . . .It is "SOCIALIST" for all these motherf*ckers that have never paid into the system but are then allowed to collect. . . .This is exactly why Social Security is bankrupt. This is nothing but "Redistribution of Wealth"  which of course is "SOCIALISM".

You think your 401k is safe? You better think again, . . .The government is already plotting to seize portions of your retirement savings accounts. . . .

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To read about the actual government website go to:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40566.pdf

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2010/11/09/give-elderly-refugees-a-pass-on-english-test/

To read about the government coming for your 401K go to:
http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2010/05/obama-is-coming.html