Texas Gov. Greg Abbott boasted shortly after he began soliciting private donations for his controversial migrant busing program that there would likely “be no cost to the state” given the outpouring of support from concerned citizens across the country.But after nearly more than two years of fundraising to offset the program’s costs, Abbott’s operation has collected less than half of 1% of the roughly $150 million spent on busing migrants to sanctuary cities, according to a review of state records. And CNN found that the largest donation –$900,000 – never made it into the state’s coffers, either because it was a mistake or a prank.
  • daikiki
    60•9 months ago

    What kind of world do we live in when a fundamentalist authoritarian lunatic can’t even successfully crowdfund his human trafficking operation?

  • ZerlynaEnglish
    30•9 months ago

    I don’t get how these millionaires give money to people like Trump (who SHOULD be rich enough to use his own money, didn’t he say that one time?) but that kind of money could be helping out homeless and hungry families. Medical bills for uninsured kids vs the family going bankrupt. That’s just a start.

    • @freshcow
      24•9 months ago

      It’s easy to understand when you realize that the system they benefit from (capitalism) relies on the fear of poverty / homelessness to keep people working long hour and low wage jobs, without time or financial stability to organize and make demands of their employer or government. People are far easier to exploit when they are desperate and living hand to mouth.

      • ZerlynaEnglish
        16•9 months ago

        Sounds like a form of slavery. 🧐

  • @[email protected]
    6•9 months ago

    Bwahahahaha! Way to go, shithead. Doing the best job at spending state funds improving the lives of your fucking constituents. Of course, he’ll never be held to account for the losses. And schools and infrastructure and ordinary people will suffer for it.

  • AutoTL;DRBEnglish
    1•9 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Greg Abbott boasted shortly after he began soliciting private donations for his controversial migrant busing program that there would likely “be no cost to the state” given the outpouring of support from concerned citizens across the country.

    But after nearly two years of fundraising to offset the program’s costs, Abbott’s operation has collected less than half of 1% of the roughly $150 million spent on busing migrants to sanctuary cities, according to a review of state records.

    Reporters tried to reach the woman behind the supposed $900,000 donation, but they could not locate the person with the name provided, and the phone number submitted to state officials was disconnected.

    Mellon donated $50,000 to the busing program, far less than the tens of millions of dollars that the Texas Tribune reported he contributed to the state’s border wall fund.

    He has also donated millions to Super PACs supporting presidential candidates Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this year alone, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

    “Texas drew the short straw being on the border, but it’s a national issue and they need some relief, and these folks need to find refuge in the sanctuary cities that invite them.”

    The original article contains 1,042 words, the summary contains 194 words. Saved 81%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

    • Atelopus-zeteki
      4•9 months ago

      Feed a lot of people, buy a lot of books, do a fair amount of fixing up infrastructure, with $150M. smh.