Our very own Elena is quoted in this article in the Washington Post which captures the sinking spirits of the PWC business community:
County business leaders have created “image committees” to examine the direction Prince William is heading. Now, some analysts said, the economic downturn makes it a bad time to carry out the immigration measures.
“It undermines the image of the county as a good place to invest,” said Stephen Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University. “The political environment has made people feel unwelcome.”
Richard L. Hendershot, who chairs the Prince William County Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce, said it has been hard to sell Prince William as progressive, dynamic and thriving.
“There’s been a challenge. The only way that we can counteract the image, and I’d say it is a false image, is to continue to look for opportunities to share the positive messages of the county,” he said. “There’s clearly been some controversy over the immigration stance that the board of supervisors has taken.”
Many blame Stewart (R), who put the county on the map nationally for its tough approach on illegal immigration. As the top elected official, Stewart is the most visible face of the county and nominally its biggest cheerleader. But his colleagues and some residents are starting to question his leadership.
Just saw this thread! I just posted on the thread below with some stats on our service business based out of PWC. It is UP 27% over LY, but the percentage of clients we have served YTD in PWC is a lowly 5%! Last year at this time, our PWC clients accounted for 29% of our business. I think those figures are an eye opener and offer a small snapshot of the difference between our local economy and neighboring jurisdictions.
From the article:
I’m not sure what to make of that, and it’s reiterated later in the article. What, exactly, does “stop dwelling on it” mean? The article states that “no one” (and that includes the supervisors) wants it repealed. That means it will still be enforced. What would stop dwelling on it accomplish? And who is to stop dwelling on it, other than Stewart? Those opposed to the measure? Does not dwelling on it mean hoping that people will just go along with it to get along?
Help me here. Is that what you all want?
I’ve been away from the blog (give or take a post or two) for the past few days. Now I’m off to see what you’ve all been discussing.
The article is wonderful. Finally someone has published what is being said all over the area. People in Prince William who never paid attention to local politics are begining to speak out. We do not want our tax dollars spent on a resolution that does nothing. The police have said, the criminals arrested to date would have been arrested without the resolution. We can’t afford this kind of nonsense. People have to let thier supervisors know they don’t support spending 6.5 million dollars to enhance Corey Stewarts political ambitions.
What it means to me is that the County’s attention is focused on a bad initiative…the resolution…which, it is becoming more clear, was developed at t he behest of FAIR, and not the people of PWC. IT was rammed thru by HSM and now we must all pay for it in terms of the crappy image it has given us and also because we must pay more taxes to support it….even though it is a minus worthlesss!!! If we did not have the resolution, we could address the other problems the County is faced with….without getting mired up in immigration…
Hi, Kenneth,
I get what you’re saying. But the article says that some supervisors and county officials are on record that they don’t want to see the resolution repealed (why not is beyond me, frankly), instead preferring that Stewart “stop dwelling on it.”
And I ask, again, what does that mean??? We’ve still got a resolution and it still has to be funded. The supervisors intend to fund it, despite its origins (slimy, at best, and seriously lacking in any due diligence on the part of ALL of the BOCS), and despite the cuts that have to be made elsewhere in the budget.
They bemoan the economic impact the resolution is having on essential spending, and express dismay at the increasingly negative perception the rest of the region, the state and the country now have of PWC as a result of the resolution and the continuing debate and publicity.
And the only response they have is that they wish Corey would “stop dwelling on it.” The inference being, would you all just shut up about it already?
This is leadership? How?
I’m glad Rick Hendershot spoke up. I wish Sean Cannaughton had done so as well.
The letter to the editor in today’s MJM (4/20), “These people are intent on defying our laws” by A. Vic Poilllucci is EXCELLENT and RIGHT ON. It’s a great letter with many truths. VIVA LA MIGRA! (Hey, Firedancer, fyi, that means LONG LIVE ICE!)
Has anyone checked out the COMMENTS on the Wapo article?
The anti-immigrant lobby is resorting intimidation tactics to suppress those who speak out against their hate agenda. This is Nazi / KKK territory beyond disgusting. Another screamingly obvious reason why we cannot allow our local government, or our Federal government, to be hijacked by racists.
I’ve noticed that every time the Post writes an article that exposes the folly in Prince William County, there is a flood of usual suspects cutting and pasting anti-immigrant talking points from FAIR and HSM. Obviously, the anti-immigrant propaganda department sends out an email blast to the clones is one of the tactics they use in trying to create the illusion that the entire area is anti-immigrant.
I’m not sure what this gains them, because the only people who jump to do as their told sound so mindlessly racist…
But it probably does create the illusion that the anti-immigrant lobby is a significant voting block.
The comments section of the WaPo is the best evidence yet that the resolution has unleashed the hatred that perhaps had been held in check in PWC. It’s certainly not a mantra that any thinking member of the BOCS would want to repeat or savor. Of course, the Post has a national/international readership, so the comments section there could just be a sampling of nation-wide nutjubs.
That’s why I quit reading the comments sections in the Post and MJM months ago. Nothing really intelligent or insightful ever gets posted in their comments sections. Just a lot of spewing. No need to ruin my day.
I went on WaPO and posted our Mailbox Junction video, which supports the thesis of the article, AND undermines their group-think assertion that the only real Americans are Caucasian and Republican.
Hope to see you all tonight at the Casablanca Party this evening. Don’t let the rain or the racists scare you (=
I think that one of Eric’s videos indicates that S&S had no emprical data to support the wording of the resolution regarding harship and lawlessness. I don’t think it needs to be rescinded, I think it should just be annulled – for that reason.
Juturna,
Agreed! Chavez had Stewart there…he stumbled and said something like “resident’s complained about this and that” not evidence that their complaints were valid. I loved when she looked at the crime statistics and said…”it appears they are going down…”
Gardener said on 20 Apr 2008 at 8:17 am:
The article is wonderful. Finally someone has published what is being said all over the area. People in Prince William who never paid attention to local politics are begining to speak out. We do not want our tax dollars spent on a resolution that does nothing. The police have said, the criminals arrested to date would have been arrested without the resolution. We can’t afford this kind of nonsense. People have to let thier supervisors know they don’t support spending 6.5 million dollars to enhance Corey Stewarts political ambitions.
From Kenneth – Yes, it is wonderful……the biggest messsage for the last year was developed by FAIR and HSM. The surveys of what PWC residents by UVa always end up on the last page……great job Elena and Alanna!!
casual observer said on 20 Apr 2008 at 1:17 pm:
Hi, Kenneth,
I get what you’re saying. But the article says that some supervisors and county officials are on record that they don’t want to see the resolution repealed (why not is beyond me, frankly), instead preferring that Stewart “stop dwelling on it.”
And I ask, again, what does that mean??? We’ve still got a resolution and it still has to be funded. The supervisors intend to fund it, despite its origins (slimy, at best, and seriously lacking in any due diligence on the part of ALL of the BOCS), and despite the cuts that have to be made elsewhere in the budget.
They bemoan the economic impact the resolution is having on essential spending, and express dismay at the increasingly negative perception the rest of the region, the state and the country now have of PWC as a result of the resolution and the continuing debate and publicity.
And the only response they have is that they wish Corey would “stop dwelling on it.” The inference being, would you all just shut up about it already?
This is leadership? How?
From Kenneth – That is the key question!! I just got back from the Library which was packed as usual on Sunday afternoon and i asked the desk person about the status of Sundays and she said the latest is that there will be some cuts somewhere but no ono seems to know. What I am hoping is that lots of people are startng to raise hell with the BOCS and the resolution will go up in flames as part of the budget process!! Library (and all other programs) vs. Resolution!!!
maribel said on 20 Apr 2008 at 1:33 pm:
The letter to the editor in today’s MJM (4/20), “These people are intent on defying our laws” by A. Vic Poilllucci is EXCELLENT and RIGHT ON. It’s a great letter with many truths. VIVA LA MIGRA! (Hey, Firedancer, fyi, that means LONG LIVE ICE!)
From Kenneth – BARFFFFFF Maribel!!!! I am writing a response to Vic as you write…..read the whole thing again..especailly the part about undocumenteds playing the system!!! right…..in front of 7-11 begging for work…..
WhyHereWhyNow said on 20 Apr 2008 at 1:39 pm:
Has anyone checked out the COMMENTS on the Wapo article?
The anti-immigrant lobby is resorting intimidation tactics to suppress those who speak out against their hate agenda. This is Nazi / KKK territory beyond disgusting. Another screamingly obvious reason why we cannot allow our local government, or our Federal government, to be hijacked by racist
From Kenneth – EXACTLY WHWN….you are right on target!!!!
maribel said on 20 Apr 2008 at 1:33 pm:
The letter to the editor in today’s MJM (4/20), “These people are intent on defying our laws” by A. Vic Poilllucci is EXCELLENT and RIGHT ON. It’s a great letter with many truths. VIVA LA MIGRA! (Hey, Firedancer, fyi, that means LONG LIVE ICE!)
YO MARIBEL – will you please proofread my letter to the Potomac News about Vic’s letter before i send it in? Thank you!!
To the Editor:
The arguments on all sides of the ‘immigration resolution’ have some, well-informed people who articulate their messages well. In his letter of April 19th, however, Vic Pouillici went bottom fishing when he said that “before 1965 about 95 percent of immigrants came from Europe to work, pay taxes, and assimilate into our culture. The ‘new breed’, Latinos, Russians and Asians have arrived with their hand out. They know how to get bennies….” This is one of the most bigoted remarks I have heard in these discussions. In his evident fury, Vic makes statements that have no basis in fact. If HE took the time to learn the system, he might learn that undocumented residents get very few bennies (including use of our Senior Centers since the famed Resolution passed!!!!). Vic would also learn that they occupy the lowest positions in the agricultural, service and construction industries; without them, these industries and all of us for that matter would be in trouble. And apparently Vic hasn’t seen their work ethic either, which might even surpass those of Italian-American immigrants from another era.
Many pay withholding taxes but receive no benefits or refunds. Others are cheated and robbed. All pay taxes when they shop at 7-11’s and everywhere else where 10-12 million consumers go every day. Many studies, including the June 2007 Report by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers find that immigrants provide a net plus of $30 billion a year to the U.S. economy.
when I look at this blog the old song “freaks come out at night” comes to mind. You apologists are beyond twisted.
gfrdrdtytdyd
Typo, the post article stated anti immigrant several times when it clearly should have read anti illegal-immigrant. Sort of tells you about the author’s bias doesn’t it.
http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/article/exploring_the_stories_behind_the_numbers/14129/
I like my letter more. No bias here or anything of course : )
Yours was an excellent letter K…….mine is still a draft and suggestions are welcome!!
KG,
I really enjoyed your letter, very good and to the point. Life is all about making the right choices.
Whatwherewhenwhyhow,
I was truly taken aback by the viciousness of most posters. What was interesting to me was the disconnect between the factual content of the article and the hate spewed by most posters, some of it directed at me. Even all my personal info was posted at one point until the Post deleted the comments. I want to say a special thanks to a specific supervisor that called to let me know he was taking care of it. You know who you are, my sincerest heartfelt thank you!
KG,
Nice letter. It is so important to put a face on these stories and how decisions made at one level impact things we would not even think of.
Elena,
The person who posted that information is a low-life. The writing style looked very familiar to me. Several other folks agreed with me.
The specific supervisor is a wonderful person. That was very kind of him. He restores my faith in elected officials.
Elena, you are beautiful and brave. A wise man said to me recently, “A bully is only a bully until you stop backing up.” You are holding your ground and inspiring me and countless others to do the same. I’m in awe of your courage.
You can give up, though, if you expect anti-immigrant clones to respond to the factual content of Washington Post news articles. This would require thought. And thoguht is not why they were recruited. They were sent to the comments page of that article to cut and paste the same ignorant lies that have been repeated over and over on the TV shows they watch and the websites they go to.
Most likely they didn’t read the article. If they did, they are too brain-washed for the content of the article to register.
Someone ought to join one of those hate group list serves. There are probably bigots all over America who get an email alert every time a news article contradicts FAIR’s mythology. That’s why there’s never an intelligent response, and that’s why they never seem to have read the article.
Too bad our Board of Supervisors didn’t notice every email they got had a different name signed to the same false talking points.
I applaud the Supervisor …there are two who come to mind Marty or Frank!!!
This becomes full time to block all the ants out there!!
One would hope that any of our eight Supervisors would take steps to shield a county resident from hateful intimidation tactics. It’s a sad commentary that you narrowed the choice to two, Mr. Reynolds. I can think of 3, 4, maybe even 5 more who would have done the same.
Bad policy is at the heart of the problems we face as a county, but anyone with a moral compass of any kind should have been able to sense which way the hate was flowing A LONG TIME AGO. And yet, it’s not too late.
We must get through to our Board of Supervisors!
As history has shown, hate and intimidation are employed to sell bad policies. You don’t NEED those things to sell good policies. That should have been the first hint we were headed in the wrong direction when FAIR came to town.
I notice a post made with my moniker that I definately did not send. It sort of confirms my suspicions that some of these posts are staged. They aren’t offering a real persons legitimate position but instead attempt to create a general impression amoung readers that this blog (or at least many posters) is over the top. It is ridiculously childish, particularly when the same person(s) I suspect is involved in these “fake” posts have a blog (BVBL) so censored, contained, and controlled it’s as though it it was sponsered by a military dicatorship.
On a side note- I am so sorry that I wasn’t able to make the party last night. I had two sick kids with high fevers 🙁
Cindy B said on 20 Apr 2008 at 1:28 pm:
I’m glad Rick Hendershot spoke up. I wish Sean Cannaughton had done so as well.
As a presidential appointee, Connaughton has to be very careful about making political comments.
Elena, I read the article later and some of the comments you received. I couldn’t read them all. It’s too sickening. You have all the facts. And the fact you actually supported Stewart before says a LOT. You are so continuously impressive….grace under fire.
Thanks, everyone, for compliments on the letter. It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten one into a bigger newspaper so I’m kind of giddy (writing-geek thing you know).
This is Wally Covington’s chance to make a stand. We’ve had several incidents in my neighborhood, and he cerainly doesn’t want that kind of thing spreading, especially when he’s been forewarned. Here’s a tip, Mr. Covington: don’t take your policy from a hate group and ask us to pay for it.
Today is another day. I understand the jail has requested another $600k to be able to do its job. Since the jail is keeping criminals off the street, I say we give it to them and stop this faux ice agent business.
Today the Black Velvets are again after Chief Deane for requesting the money needed for patrol car cameras. Was he not told before the Resolution was passed that he would be given what he needed to get the job done?
It looks like the worm has turned…again. Operative word here…WORM.
Acknowledgement: Thanks to MISTER Censored bybvbl for the use of the name, the BLACK VELVETS. I just thought that said it all.
WhyHereWhyNow said on 21 Apr 2008 at 12:47 am:
One would hope that any of our eight Supervisors would take steps to shield a county resident from hateful intimidation tactics. It’s a sad commentary that you narrowed the choice to two, Mr. Reynolds. I can think of 3, 4, maybe even 5 more who would have done the same.
Bad policy is at the heart of the problems we face as a county, but anyone with a moral compass of any kind should have been able to sense which way the hate was flowing A LONG TIME AGO. And yet, it’s not too late.
We must get through to our Board of Supervisors!
As history has shown, hate and intimidation are employed to sell bad policies. You don’t NEED those things to sell good policies. That should have been the first hint we were headed in the wrong direction when FAIR came to town.
From Kenneth – It doesnt take much for lies and bigotry to take on sound bites that then prevail…..we need truth from all sectors…and of course supervisors are or should be in the best position to know the truth!!
“and of course supervisors are or should be in the best position to know the truth!!”
Yep. But they are ignoring it.
KG,
I do not think all our supervisors are ignoring it. I have hope that some of them will do the right thing, or at least what I consider to be the right thing.
Moon-howler said on 21 Apr 2008 at 9:06 am:
Today is another day. I understand the jail has requested another $600k to be able to do its job. Since the jail is keeping criminals off the street, I say we give it to them and stop this faux ice agent business.
Today the Black Velvets are again after Chief Deane for requesting the money needed for patrol car cameras. Was he not told before the Resolution was passed that he would be given what he needed to get the job done?
It looks like the worm has turned…again. Operative word here…WORM.
Acknowledgement: Thanks to MISTER Censored bybvbl for the use of the name, the BLACK VELVETS. I just thought that said it all.
From Kenneth – MH – I dont understand your point about the “faux ICE” ???? – Thanks for the info on the > by $600 thousand …these are the damn down payments for a continuing caastrophe !!
Why does it somehow seem appropriate that the random banner ad displayed on BVBL when I just went to see what MH was referring to was an ad for DepressionTribe.com | Online Community For Depression Support Bipolar Symptoms Blogs Help Forum? Aren’t Google Ads usually context sensitive? What did their ad tracker figure out that so many others have missed?
kgotthardt said on 21 Apr 2008 at 8:32 am:
Elena, I read the article later and some of the comments you received. I couldn’t read them all. It’s too sickening.
Sickening? Why? Because *most* of the comments are against your position?
Is there a reason that the article in the Post has not been mentioned today?
I’d like to see the comments, Kgotthardt, did you save them? PWCR, post the link and we’ll comment on the “I’m glad my house is going to lose value as soon as possible, and you should be glad too” article.
I should have said “lose value as fast as possible for as long as possible” … while housing markets in surrounding counties recover. Here’s my first comment: I agree these two ladies had some neighborhood issues to deal with. A better solution would have been to start a Home Owners’ Association. Important an DC lobbying firm’s anti-immigrant legalese was unfair to those of us who DO have Home Owners’ Associations, because our houses are dropping in value too, our local economy is failing too, our schools will be under-funded too, our firemen will be under-funded too, our libraries will be closed on weekends too.
When a bad business base leaves a community, what little revenue it put into the community is lost. A temporary downturn in the economy results. However, that revenue is soon made up as demand for services and cost of services, equalizes again. It is simple financial mathmatics. The cost of goods and services will again rise as the demand for them again rises, based on the current population and the current business competitive offerings. Currently services are cheap, and loss of those services created a Cheap labor hole. As business pay workers fairer wages, the cost of those wages will create a small inflation. That inflation will stop when the cost of the services and the demond for those services comes into balance again. I am not worried about the future economy of PWC. It was fine before, it became undervalued, and it will return to fine again. I am happy to see the tax base decline temporarily as it gets rid of extraneous social services and extraneous social service engineers.
Ken Reynolds at 9:09
Define moral compass. Following the law is moral. Not following the law is immoral. Just because some people have sympathy for “illegal aliens”, does that mean they are moral? Does that mean they are following a moral compass? Does that mean people who oppose “illegal aliens” are immoral, and have no moral compass?
For that matter since it is a popular “hate control” weapon that can backfire, define “racist”.
Does racist mean opposing “illegal aliens”? Does racist mean demanding a society follow existing law? Does racist mean identfying yourself with a specific group, based on ethnic group, gender, religion, or racial group and asking for special laws and priviliges that others of the same but opposite “group” profiles do not get. Does racist mean, self-identifying and self-segregating yourself with an ethnic, gender, racial, or religious group and claiming that you deserve special consideration more than others not of your own kind. That your “group” is above the law, does not need to follow the law, does not like others that do not want “illegal aliens” in our neighborhoods? Does racism mean, identifying yourself with a special interest group, or legal law center or not-for-profit organization whose charter it is to define and make laws that are targeted to help only certain groups of people based on their race, religion, gender, or ethnic group? Does racism mean that these special interest groups who self-identify, self-segregate and self declare political power to be better than others based on their race, gender, religion, or ethnic group be more moral than others? Does racist mean that there is a belief in “diversity” or “one of each” concepts that demand a numbers “balance” based on Group rights, numbers by race, religion, gender, and tthnic group rather than skill, performance, ability, Test scores and other measures of individual proficiency or suitability for a competitive opportunity? Does racism mean a belief in “Group rights”, instead of individual rights? I think the definitions some of you believe in are all screwed up based on social engineering concepts that advocate there are priviliged (minority) group rights, and those of you who keep these diversity concepts and ethnic group privilige concepts are entirely ignoring the concept that rights are only given to individuals, blind to what race, religion, gender or ethnic group they belong to. “illegal alien” is not based on any gender, religious, racial or ethnic group or group rights concept. It is based only on a definition of “illegal” applied to each individual who breaks our nation’s laws, and people who defy and evade the police force entrusted and obligated to this community to enforce it. Just bcause you feel sorry for someone, does not give you or them a right to be here “illegally” or to conduct illegal acts, nor does it make any one who wants the law enforced a “racist” or lacking in moral character, or moral compass. The greater moral compass is compassion and sympathy for all those “legal” poor affected and undermined by the “illegals” using up all the resources and causing even more poverty, crime and lawlessness. Wanting to prevent that chaos is the “greater moral compass” which can be done without even mentioning gender, religious, racial and ethnic group focused “laws”. Laws and people who support Group rights, and who claim the moral compass to do so, and promote “diversity are breaking the US supreme court ruling that “Equal opportunity is guaranteed, but not equal outcomes”. That one concept makes a selection of “one of each” numbers affect the individials who are less qualified but select due to diversity over other more qualified individuals, “majority group identity” victims who are denied this opportunity, because of “one of each” enforcement concepts and illegal policy concepts drawn along gender, religious, racial and ethnic group lines. Unless you redefine “racism”, being against “illegal” immigration is not based on any of the legal concepts I mentioned above, and exists only in the confused minds of people who think in terms of “group rights” and “minority underdogs” rather than “individual rights”.
Sorry Ken, maybe that comment should be addressed to WHWN.
Michael, see my post on the new thread. I don’t speak of racism much with regard to what happened here except when it comes to FAIR. I can’t blame people who got snowed by them. I was too at one time. At one time I supported the Iraq War. And at one time I thought global warming was just a rumor. But when new information comes along, you have to adjust your thinking. The things we learn about FAIR if we research the organization, it’s employees, and it’s funders, should force us to reconsider whether we want to be their lab mice. But I have no ill will toward those who were mislead. (And I include Chairman Stewart in this category).
People can call “activism” what they want, a lab experiment name just puts an improper label on a much more complex issue. If you can put a damning label on a concept that distorts it, then that concept is easier to defeat. Having said that, I am looking at the “facts” and drawing a different conclusion than you are. Since neither of us are actually aware of all the fine factual details, we will never be able to see the entire truth, only the “spin” that different interviewers put on it. That easily changes people’s perception of “truth”.
I look at the bottom line, it has removed “illegal” aliens that are breaking the law, and it is doing so legally. I believe we must follow our immigration laws to protect the citizens who are legal residents from unreasonable growth and decay in communities caused by “illegal” influx and subverting cultures. I could care less who owns the original idea, but care more about the reality of the result of active and informed citizens, standing up to do what must be done to protect their communities. Since they are closest to that community, I believe they have a credible voice that becomes part of the solution, even if outside expertise is provided, especially legal experetise to avoid the minefields of special interest “Group rights” activists and lawyers who are disguised social engineers. One local community effort cannot succeed without the legal advice and expertise of others. I don’t see the proof yet that people were intentionally misled, especially about any existing conditions of “illegal” alien problems. Everyone in the cummunity who lives in it sees it everyday. The fight and opposition is mostly from outside the community, and will become an “inside” fight for those communities, once they have the same out of control “illegal” alien growth rates affecting their communities. The rest of the “issues” are just “social engineers” against non-social engineers, each spinning the evidence as they see it. One side is right, the other wrong. Personally I side with the ones following the law. I think those who are breaking the law are going to lose.
The “mad scientist” analogy was testimony from the FAIR lawyer. It’s on a previous post. I don’t want to consider myself a lab experiment, but that is how FAIR sees our county.
The testimony was implicitly led, and the experiment concept suggested by the interviewer, sheepisly acknowledged by trusting interviewee who was at a los for words to describe the activism concept for what it was, a policy concept and legal strategy. I’ve seen interviewer leading questions all the time, when a hidden agenda is pre-determined. It’s a blown up, half-truth concept designed to undermine credibility by mis-use of words and half-truths of the interviewer. That is obvious in the interview.
“Lab experiment” moniker is not even close to the correct concept of legal advice given to get through a social engineering minefield created by decades of group rights advocacy abuse of the unsuspecting public.
Michael,
Believe what you will, the reality is that FAIR/IRLI has been instrumental in orchestrating the anti-immigration movement and they are proud of it.
As they should be, in an advisory legal capacity. Enforcing the law is vital to our national welfare for all the reasons I mentioned above, no matter how much our existing social engineers would like to create another Russia or another Cuba.