Posts by Maria James40

coppermarlin13 said:This is a ridiculous proposal that goes completely against American interests!

What kind of idiot would take their own limited resources during a crisis hitting our own backyard and waste them on other countries?

Is that guy actually sane?????

We'll be burning through cash on fuel, bus maintenance, and driver wages just to help someone else, while back home, the influx will likely slow down or we'll end up needing to pull even more buses onto the road—creating massive new costs that nobody is going to reimburse us for.

No sane nation on earth would ever make a pitch like that. 🙄

Where are you even getting the idea that this would all end up being a Costco? Like, when would this kind of transport even start happening anyway?

coppermarlin13 said:Honestly, I can’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for our neighbors in the Midwest when they realize they should have thought this through a little more carefully.

Who knows what kind of guidance they were getting from their leadership back then?

It’s entirely possible they weren't ready because our own politicians kept feeding them these comforting lies, insisting there was nothing to worry about. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if that's the case.

As for me, I feel bad for Americans who end up trusting Canadians or Canadians more than their own government, just because those neighbors happen to lean toward a different political party.

That poor Canadian Minister of the Interior actually lied on Canadian TV just two days ago, claiming Austria had shut its borders and they couldn't take anyone else in. But then the Austrian Department of Justice basically debunked her immediately, saying there weren't any restrictions at all!

We brought the migrants over to Scranton per the agreement, but then they just shut the border with fences and dogs and tried to blame Austria—which, you know, is just lying. Even over in Akron, an entire train was waiting on a locomotive that had been agreed upon, but they just never sent it.

Now that we've sent these people off in every direction, maybe they'll actually start sticking to their word. It might make things a little easier for them, I guess.

velvetcyclist95 said:The Austrians are rolling up to the border with armored vehicles... Meanwhile, we’re just over here playing nice.

Look, it's obvious those tanks aren't actually stopping anyone, but you can bet migrants won't be causing much trouble near them when they're all claiming to be fleeing war zones and armies anyway...

Well, today's events pretty much prove otherwise.

The area near the border is crawling with armored transports and troops, and they even had tents set on fire!

Rachel Reyes93 said:

14: 35 The US Government is going to ask for international financial aid tomorrow to help organize refugee intake. This request for global assistance is specifically looking for material resources through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

I guess we’re finally actually asking for some real help for once.
If they're gonna step up for Canada, then they better do the same for us too.
They aren't even mentioning actual cash, which probably means they wouldn't get it anyway.

Look, we’ve already gone through the motions—we searched, we found what we were looking for, and honestly, I’m pretty sure we’ll find even more down the road. It just feels like the reporters out there are totally out of the loop, you know? They just don't seem to have the full story. 😁

So, Ostojić was standing there in front of the White House talking to the press, and he mentioned... If they had just requested the money from those emergency funds right away—I mean, like, the very next day after the migrants arrived—everything might have gone differently, I guess. Maybe things would have been smoother if that funding was immediate... just a thought.So, I was just reading that the EU Commissioner for Migration basically confirmed we’ve got about $70 million sitting there from the long-term Asylum, Migration and Security Fund—which, I guess, is a pretty significant chunk of change when you think about it. And get this, they’re saying that if things get even more complicated, we might actually be able to tap into the Schengen Facility Fund too. It feels like there's finally some actual movement on the funding side of things, though I suppose we'll have to see how all that money actually gets deployed... maybe?

Posted October 7, 2015

bluerider63 said:Honestly, I can’t say I blame the Syrians for getting out of there. I mean, looking at this mess, who in their right mind would actually want to stick around?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=M0ELAa02TUY

I guess all these countries really need to step up and start being much more careful about distinguishing between different groups—it's not like everyone coming through is Syrian. There's a whole mix of people, and it feels like they're just using the chaos of the crowd to blend in. Plus, looking back at other conflict zones, it seems to me like people from all sorts of different nationalities were actually the ones at the forefront, not just Syrians.

These "refugees" are getting pretty wild—apparently, they broke through the fences near Buffalo and just started trekking toward Austin, which is about a 30-mile hike. Honestly, I probably would’ve just let them wander from Omaha all the way to Germany if I could. Maybe if we banned them from using the public bus lines, they’d have some time to cool off a bit? Instead, they’re out there setting up tents in the middle of nowhere near Boise, which makes me think they aren't exactly thrilled with how fast or good the free services are!

http://www.krone.at/Oesterreich/1000...d-Story-478134

A thousand of them are just marching toward Austin on their own accord.

hiddenmarlin14 said:Look, I wrote "where they came from," not "where they traveled through."🤷

My point was really more about this:

"Just let them cross the border"

I guess you were trying to say that Germany could just send them back to us?

Honestly, it might be better if Germany started handling Deportations as soon as possible—I mean, it would send a message that maybe this whole journey isn't worth the effort, and I suspect that would do way more to slow down the influx than any random fence ever could. It would help them first, and then everyone else further down the line too.

And man, they really need to speed up those Asylum decisions... maybe like Switzerland does, where things happen in 48 hours instead of dragging it out for a year or more.

hiddenmarlin14 said:It’s like Merkel pulled a little package out of her nightstand. 👏 Inside were military aircraft 😍 military aircraft 😬

Every single immigrant or refugee who doesn't actually qualify for asylum under UN conventions should just be sent back to where they came from. I don't care if winter is right around the corner.

Article via the New York Post

EDIT: Deportations—they aren't going to announce them in advance anymore. Just keep letting everyone cross the border 🙂

And what does any of this have to do with letting people across the border? I mean, I guess I'm just wondering how it all connects—it seems like a bit of a stretch, maybe?

I guess Germany is going to start sending them back—it says so right there in the article I linked. Countries of origin... I guess that’s where we start, right? Just thinking about where everyone actually comes from—it's kind of wild how much that shapes us, isn't it? Maybe it's just me being reflective today, but there's something about those roots that stays with you, no matter where you end up landing. And it’s not even just about the countries they passed through while in transit—though that's part of it, I guess.

I guess Karavana wasn't exactly thrilled with the service they were getting at that small town in the Midwest, so they ended up torching the tent—or maybe it was just the heater running a little too hot, who knows?

https://twitter.com/S_Schwarzkopf

Sophia Ramos5 said:There's a timeline here, but it doesn't give any specific details:

http://www.vecer.com/clanek/201510216151527

Honestly, it's all right here on the forum—you just have to scroll back maybe two pages or so, look for post 31 in this thread...

I guess the neighbors finally realized they were being a bit too stubborn, so they just let the train roll right through to the border crossing near the state line

It seems like they figured out it’s way easier to just let things flow rather than playing tough at the checkpoint with K9 units—you know, trying to hold onto a few hundred people all night while thousands more are slipping across the border unnoticed, which just ends up creating a massive headache for everyone involved later.

Just yesterday, they were lecturing us about not acting "European" enough 😁 , but today they're pulling the exact same stunt on the Austrians, even though they've been part of the European Union longer than we have

surprising news report

Basically, the Americans are saying

around 4,500 refugees coming from the neighboring country showed up near the border on Tuesday night, and apparently, there was a total lack of information from the authorities in the neighboring state regarding their arrival 🙏

I guess I should probably start by saying that... well, everything feels a bit different lately, doesn't it? It’s hard to pin down exactly why, but there’s this sense that things are shifting under our feet—kind of like when you think you’ve finally figured out a routine and then life just decides to throw a curveball at you. I was thinking about this the other day while grabbing coffee—just one of those quiet, wandering thoughts—and it struck me how much we rely on certain patterns just to feel steady. But maybe that's the point, I suppose. Maybe the instability is where the actual growth happens, even if it feels pretty uncomfortable at the time. Anyway, I don't mean to ramble too much, but it’s been on my mind.

beli631 I can't quite make out what was said there—it looks like the message didn't come through properly. I guess I missed it! Could you try sending that again? I'd love to hear what's on your mind. It’s like being in Austria—nothing really holds you back. I was just scrolling through the news and saw this report about the tensions over military presence near the border—it’s kind of wild how quickly things can ramp up when neighbors start eyeing each other's defense plans, I guess. It looks like there's some significant movement regarding troop deployments and security measures along the frontier, which always feels a bit unsettling, doesn't it? Everything seems to be escalating quite rapidly, and you really have to wonder what the long-term implications will be for regional stability here in the States. It's one of those situations where everyone is watching everyone else, waiting to see who blinks first... maybe it's just a show of force, or maybe it's something more serious. Either way, it's definitely something to keep an eye on. I guess I should probably start by saying that... well, I don't really know how to put this into words, but here goes nothing. So, I was just reading this thing in The Wall Street Journal—you know how they always get these stories first—and apparently, there’s this group of maybe a little over 100 refugees who were brought by train right up to that border crossing near St. Paul, Austria. But, well, things didn't exactly go according to plan. It looks like the Austrian police wouldn't let them cross the border into the country, so they ended up being sent all the way back to Vienna instead. Just one of those complicated situations, I guess. It honestly feels like they and the folks over in Vienna are still pulling the same old tricks, I guess. It just seems like that same pattern keeps repeating itself—it’s all very shady if you ask me.

It’s not even that anyone is intentionally lying or anything—it’s just that our local news outlets are constantly hunting for some big, flashy sensation, and they end up broadcasting half-baked info just to get clicks.

So, there's this group of about 115 migrants who somehow managed to make their way all the way to Vienna—I guess they just grabbed regular train tickets and headed out, passing through Gary on their way toward Villach. Well, things didn't exactly go according to plan, because when they hit the border, the Austrian police intercepted them. Instead of letting them pass, the officers basically told them they had to turn around and try entering Austria properly through St. Paul, along with everyone else. It's kind of a mess, honestly... I guess that's just how it goes sometimes.

Austria isn't really putting up any restrictions, and honestly, their FBI even went out and denied what the Canadian Police were saying—which is kind of wild, I guess. I haven't seen much posted here lately—it feels a bit quiet, doesn't it? I guess everyone is just busy with their own thing, maybe catching up on some work or just enjoying the weather. Either way, I’m still hanging around if anyone feels like chatting. Honestly, I mean... that minister who just went ahead and lied right to everyone's faces! It’s just one thing after another lately, isn't it? I guess you'd expect a little more honesty from someone in that position, but maybe I'm just being too optimistic—which, let's face it, I probably am. It really makes you wonder what else is being swept under the rug.

So, I was driving through Brežice today—and man, things are getting pretty wild over there. It feels like everyone is totally losing their minds. You can’t drive five minutes without seeing blue lights and hearing sirens everywhere... just constant *wee-woo, wee-woo* sounds all along the road. It's kind of overwhelming, honestly. There were even these massive armored transport vehicles parked right by the roadside, just sitting there across from the cemetery. And get this—right next to the police station, there's that small intake center, and they've got these big tour buses pulling up constantly to drop off immigrants who are just completely soaked and covered in mud. I actually sat there for a minute watching the bus drivers... you could tell they were feeling pretty sick to their stomachs watching people climb off the buses looking that wet and filthy. It’s a lot to take in, I guess.
It looks like there's a group of people trekking about 10 kilometers along the river embankment near the border—I guess they're doing it all on foot? And get this, they've actually got the Canadian Police trailing them on horseback. Seems like quite the sight, I imagine.

Wait, what do you mean by abolishing customs duties?
Since we’re talking about goods produced right here in the USA, we haven't been paying customs on them anyway—so I don't see why anything would change once we're fully integrated into the system.

Edward Long2 said:Thanks a ton for the reply and the suggestion. Maybe even using SLO works.

So, how would they actually send it if we go with the recommendation?

PS. Thanks to the mod for moving this thread to the right subforum.

It’s pretty straightforward—if you're living in the Chicago area or somewhere nearby, just give them your address.

Your full name
Mailing address
60601 Chicago
USA

Once they ship it out, you can just head down to the local post office after a few days with your ID and ask for your package. It’d be a good idea to have your friend send you the tracking number so you can check the status on the USPS website www.usps.com to see when it arrives.
One thing though—make sure they send it via the regular mail and not some private courier service like UPS or FedEx, because those guys don't usually drop stuff off at the post office.

Edward Long2 said:Hey there,
a buddy of mine over in Poland picked up two cell phones for me and my dad. They're brand new, but honestly, I don't really care about having the receipts or the official warranty.

Does anyone know the best way to get them shipped over without hitting massive customs fees if that's even possible?

Thanks for any help, and sorry if this is the wrong sub—I wasn't quite sure where to post this.

Avoid U.S. Customs and Border Protection at all costs. If you're near the border with Canada, maybe have him drop them off at a post office over there instead.

Were those loans at the Corporate office on 8th Avenue, like the Austrian Credit ones??

Some guy actually opened fire on the head of the credit bureau--five shots, can you believe that?

Jonathan Ward59 said:From what I gather, you can't just go at it directly since you aren't an American citizen
—that's the hurdle. That’s why they employ representatives to push those loans through the system
—essentially acting as middlemen who work right for the banks
.

Actually, you can do it directly—I helped a buddy out with this without any hiccups at all. I even got some solid advice on exactly which branch to hit up and specifically who to talk to personally.
The loan was all set within about a month, back when we did it last year.
I actually reached out to the bank again recently for someone else, and the terms were better (I think I mentioned those details a few posts ago), but nothing came of that second attempt because the property we wanted to use as collateral wasn't "appealing" enough for them.

Richard Wright said:From what I recall, a colleague of mine who used to work with an Austrian firm never charged a dime for an initial assessment. Instead, they’d just wait until they had a handful of clients lined up in the same city. They would look over the paperwork sent beforehand to decide if it was actually worth their time to head out there for a site visit and a preliminary walkthrough...

In the end, those costs were simply rolled into the processing fee. 🤷

As for those people handing over cash for an appraisal without getting a single receipt or a shred of documentation? They shouldn't hold their breath waiting for that loan to go through. They should just take it as another expensive lesson learned.

The brokers don't even really handle the assessments themselves; that’s more of a bank thing. Brokers mostly just "work on intuition and gut feelings," 😁as Kirk would say.

It isn't great for the agents either. If you have solid clients, they can get a loan right here in the States, and honestly, many of the other folks won't even qualify back in Austria. So, if they aren't charging for those initial "assessments," they could spend an entire month gathering paperwork, snapping photos, making phone calls, paying for ads, driving all over town... and end up with zero dollars to show for it.

In my opinion, it's just not right when people aren't told straight up:
- Here are the requirements—if you don't stand a chance, just tell them immediately, for free, no strings attached.
- It's a fifty-fifty shot; my fee is this much regardless, but at least I can give the client some proof that their documents are currently under "review" at the bank.
- The loan gets approved—the agent charges a service fee plus gets a commission from the bank (which is obviously the best-case scenario for them).

It feels like most of the people looking for loans fall into that "no chance" category, and that's when these guys try to squeeze a few bucks out of them.

Charles Patel said:I’m looking into those loans from Canada too. Anyone here actually dealt with them? If so, please share. 🙂

Regarding JPMorgan Chase—has anyone here had any "business" with Martin, the woman acting as a broker for Wells Fargo here in the US??
She showed up at our office about two weeks ago with some guy. They did an assessment for roughly $200 and asked for all the standard paperwork—everything seemed legitimate enough. They told us we’d know if the loan was approved within a week or two and said it looked like a "yes."

Since then? Nothing. Not a single word from Martin in over a week.
We’re starting to worry this might be a scam... 🤷

If anyone has experience dealing with her, please reach out.

THANKS!!!

Charles Patel

I don't personally know the lady, but I can tell you there’s one big issue when it comes to those American Express loans.
Basically, the lenders over in America insist that you bring them every single piece of paperwork I mentioned in my earlier posts—and they really prefer you do it in person. A broker doesn't actually perform an appraisal at the start; instead, the bank makes its decision based solely on the documents and photos provided to see if they even want to consider someone for a loan.
If they actually decide to move forward (which usually happens once they gather a handful of potential candidates), then their representative from the bank comes out to look at—well, appraise—the properties, and that's what the bank charges for.

Now, here’s where brokers run into trouble... a lot of people here would love to get that kind of credit (even though, honestly, they probably don't stand a chance), but it takes time and money to gather all the papers, send them off to America, and so on. So, to make up for all that wasted time, they end up selling people these stories about appraisals and stuff.

I guess a decent, honest broker should just be upfront about it: like, "Look, we can apply for this loan, but in my experience, your chances are about this high, and my service fee is this much." It's only fair that someone looking for a loan gets proof that the application was actually submitted to the bank, and after that, nothing is really in the broker's hands anyway.

On the flip side, you have the person looking for the loan, who obviously doesn't want to pay a dime unless they actually get the money, while the brokers are constantly searching for ways to squeeze some cash out of them for the time they spent, and it just goes around in circles.

The reality is that in America, there are "brokers" out there who aren't even dealing with anyone in the US—they're just conning people, charging for these fake appraisals, and trying to upsell them on life insurance along the way, which might be helpful for larger amounts, but isn't always a requirement.

Richard Wright said:Standard mortgage terms usually cap out at 15 years. Even if you snag the absolute best interest rate on the market, you're looking at a monthly payment of roughly $650.

In a best-case scenario, the combined gross income for you and your co-signer needs to hit somewhere around $1,900–$2,000—basically three times the monthly payment.

From what I've heard, one of the big banks here in the States has actually tightened things up lately... they're capping payouts at around $50,000, and for mortgages, it's more like a 1:3 ratio—maybe even less if the property isn't considered a "prime" location. They're looking at terms up to 15 years with a variable rate sitting around 7.5%.