Refugee Relief?

For those of you who hadn't noticed, $20.3 million dollars of immigration aid has been quietly appropriated by Congress and signed by President Obama in House Bill 1388 way back on January 27, 2009. Sailing under the radar of discussion on Stimulus Packages, Bailouts, Cap and Trade, and Health Care Reform going on in this country; this seemingly paltry sum has been allocated for use under executive order without fanfare. 

Now I know that $20 million seems like nothing these days when billions of dollars are tossed about like coins in a fountain , but this one caught my attention because it is to be used for "migration assistance" of people from Gaza. 

Now let's be clear here. Gaza has not been a tourist destination for some time now, and anyone wanting to get out of there probably has their head on straight. That being said, at this time of rampant unemployment, soaring government debt, and an economy that's in the tank, is it really time to be paying people to come to this country? 

In light of some of the recently foiled terrorist plots admitted to in this country, I likewise have to ask myself if this is the right time to use government funds to provide refugees with airline tickets and food and housing support to do so; knowing that many of these people may well have ties to Hamas. 

Don't get me wrong. I understand the desire of someone to leave such a troubled area in the hopes of a better life in the US. I am also sure that they will find one in this country (we don't have nearly as many mortar and missile attacks as they do in Gaza) I simply don't understand how our government, in the midst of transition and with all of the crises that it was facing at the time, could place this at the top of their list in January when so many other things could have and should have been there.