Street-Level Report From Springfield
September 14, 2024
Former Ohio State Representative Kyle Koehler
describes the outrageous subsidies and privileges Haitians receive
and the strain they are putting on social services and education
in Springfield OH.
Speech by Kyle Koehler
(henrymakow.com)
My is Kyle Koehler and I am a former State Representative for Springfield Ohio and the Clark County area. I am currently a candidate for the State Senate covering Clark, Greene and Clinton counties.
There are going to be several very good speakers sharing tonight. I am going to tell you right now; I will not be remembered as someone delivering good news. Instead, I am bringing some bad news.
Chairman Dan Cecil has asked if I would share what is going in my hometown of Springfield and the Haitian REFUGEES that have settled in our community.
Over the last four years Haitians who are crossing the border (or in fact, flown to our country as refugees)... have been given Temporary Protected Status by the Federal Government. Under the Biden/Harris administration - they not only are protected but they are given between $600 to $1600/MONTH on Debit Cards through the Refugee Cash Assistance program and allowed access to all the public assistance programs available to US citizens.
Since early 2020, a temporary staffing company in Springfield, started actively bringing Haitian refugees to our city. First a few hundred, then thousands. As of this month, our local Job and Family Services has registered over 20,000 Haitian refugees in our county and city. Springfield, which had a steady population of 58,000...now has an additional 20,000 new residents in and around Springfield. 20,000 people in just under four years.
Our public school system (with just over 8,000 students) suddenly has over 1,600 non-english speaking students. Nineteen-year-old Haitian men and women are being enrolled as high-school freshman and are in class with 13-year-old boys and girls.
The staffing company that started this "migration" is owned by a man that has over 63 rental properties in the Springfield area. Instead of getting the normal $600-$800 in rent each month, he rents cots for $250/month to as many at 20 to 25 Haitians per home.
He charges them $25 for roundtrips to work each day. They work under contracts preventing them from being hired full time at their place of employment. This AND the barrier of not speaking English causes them to become basically indentured servants in my opinion.
Since no one over the age of 18 requires driver's education in Ohio - Haitians are allowed to take the permit test with an interpreter... who basically gives them all the answers.
Since "permit" in the Haitian language of Creole is interpreted "permission" most never take the actual driving test. This means hundreds of Haitians, who cannot speak English and have no idea what the driving laws actually say... are NOW causing accidents all over our community.
There are Facebook pages created by individuals dedicated to reporting accidents involving Haitians. The number of overturned cars being reported each day on streets where the speed limits are 35MPH or less... would shock you.
One year ago, a Haitian man pulled in front of the school bus causing the bus to overturn, ejecting children and resulting in the death of an 11-year-old student.
Our county health department has reported an increase in HIV cases over the last five years. Based on their numbers we will hit an increase of 871% over the previous five years. Nurses have confirmed that an entire wing of our regional hospital has nothing but Haitian patients being treated for HIV.
A delivery nurse reports that 70% of all scheduled Cesareans are for Haitian women who cannot deliver naturally because of HIV.
TB cases are up over 500% for this same period.
Our Federally Qualified Health Care (FQHC) called Rocking Horse is overwhelmed with the increase in Haitians that are automatically qualified for Medicaid services.
Our public safety officials have confirmed that charges against most Haitians who break the law are almost immediately dismissed because of lack of translators... meaning that courts cannot provide a speedy trial so they are simply arrested and released.
City, county, and state leaders are overwhelmed with complaints that they can do very little about fixing.
Last month, a group calling themselves the "Blood Tribe" marched past a Jazz and Blues Festival carrying large Swastika flags and rifles. Their leader showed up last week at a city commission meeting and publicly warned the mayor of impending "savagery" if he didn't stop the migration of Haitians to our community.
I told you I was bringing the bad news.
Let me tell you this is NOT about race. As a grandfather of seven children... FIVE OF WHOM are wonderfully loved children of color, I can assure you this has nothing to do with race or the color of someone's skin.
I understand that these folks are fleeing a "hellhole" of a country run by gangs. They are thankful to be here. BUT OUR COMMUNITY simply cannot handle an influx of 20,000 new residents who do not understand our language, our culture, our laws, and are being treated (in my opinion) as indentured servants.
The bad news - is that the current administration has allowed millions of individuals to come across the border and (and in this case) even be flown into our country. Our communities in Ohio are only just beginning to understand the full impact of the last four years. Your community could be next.
Now the good news. The good news is that the answer lies in your hands as voters. The good news lies in changing things in Washington. The good news lies in electing Bernie Moreno as our next US Senator from Ohio. The good news lies in putting Donald Trump back in the White House. The good news comes in 60 days when we take back our country, seal our borders and bring sanity back to the United States of America.
From the Ohio Supreme Court to the US Senate race. From electing local officials up to electing Donald Trump... our nation depends on your vote. Our state depends on your vote and the community of Springfield Ohio depends on your vote. Please don't let us down. Read this! And share!!!
