Salishan "Refugee Housing" Project Video Is Thoroughly Debunked
Alleged doctor William Mount posted a video on YouTube in February about the Salishan housing complex in Tacoma. In the video, Mount says a bunch of scary words, like the complex is "Social Security housing for foreigners," and that each illegal immigrant who lives there makes thousands of dollars in "Social Security refugee pay" every month.
And since people saying scary words on YouTube apparently have the power to convince other people those words are true, Mount's video has gone viral.
But, as The Tacoma News Tribune deftly elucidates this week, Mount's video is essentially 10 minutes of pure horseshit.
Here's Mount's video.
Now here are just a few of the TNT's Kathleen Merryman's debunkings.
Claim: "What you are looking at is a $225 million complex, $225 million complex, of housing out of the Social Security budget for 1,300 units."False: No Social Security funds were used to redevelop Salishan.
Claim: "All welfare housing. All Social Security housing for foreigners will get $2,642 a month. All of that comes out of the Social Security budget."
False: Of Salishan's renters, 97 percent are citizens of the United States, according to THA Executive Director Michael Mirra.
"We know of no government program that pays $2,642 per month to foreigners," Mirra said. "Persons who have entered the United States with refugee status may receive Refugee Cash Assistance of $478 per month for a family of three, if they have no other income. Elderly or disabled individuals may receive Supplemental Security Income of $545 per month. SSI clients must meet citizenship criteria or lawful admittance status criteria."
Claim: "The average income in here is about $13,000 per year, not including welfare, not including Social Security refugee pay, not including Women, Infants and Children."
False: The $13,000 figure is based on out-of-date 2000 Census data. As for the other sources, Mirra said: "We do not know of anyone who gets something called 'Social Security refugee pay.'"
Claim: "This school was built by Tacoma specifically to house foreigners and welfare recipients."
False. Lister Elementary School does not "house" any foreigners or welfare recipients. Its teachers have educated the ethnically diverse East Side's students since 1950. Tacoma voters approved a bond to replace Lister, and several other schools, and the new school opened in 1998. Its magnet program attracted students from all over Tacoma.
The debunking goes on for some time, but we won't punish you with an extended blockquote.
Seattle Weekly reached out to Dr. Mount, a man who claims money was outlawed in 1913 and that the FBI is in the business of framing people for child molestation.
He hasn't returned our call.
At any rate, the video and the free-form bullshit spouted off in it certainly says something about certain members of the public's willingness to believe what supports their preconceived notions.
Something tells us that the TNT's expert debunking has received decidedly fewer views than the half-million who have watched Mount's hack job.
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