In order of appearance:
V.O.I.C.E. Questions and Fairfax County Vice Chair Sharon Bulova’s answers
Prince William County Chairman Corey Stewart’s answers:
Arlington County Chairman J. Walter Tejada’s answers followed by Alexandria Mayor William Euille:
Former Governor and 2008 Virginia Senate candidate Mark Warner’s answers:
NOTE: Below is the text of the original thread, written without the advantage of having video.
Thousands met yesterday afternoon at First Mt. Zion Baptist Church near Dumfries for the first meeting of VOICE, the Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement. This group’s goal is to provide more affordable housing, strengthen education for people who want to learn English and provide affordable dental care. Leaders from all over Northern Virginia also attended this gathering in addition to the religious representatives. Our own Corey Stewart attended.
A friend who attended emailed me the following account:
Corey Stewart was so incredibly inappropriate and disrespectful. There was a huge crowd, filling the entire auditorium and an overflow room, blacks, whites, latinos, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Unitarians, probably the largest, most diverse group ever gathered in northern Virginia. After all the inspirational speeches, they asked each elected official to come to the front and say if they would work together with VOICE on each of their 3 goals of securing funding for affordable housing, funding for ESL and citizenship classes, and funding for dental care. Sharon Bulova, vice Chair of Fairfax County went first, and she said Fairfax is committed to working in these issues. Corey went next. Not only did he say No he wouldn’t commit, he did it in such an abrasive way that completely negated the value of all these people who want to work for social justice. He said he knew he was in the lion’s den, and gave a long explanation about the economic crisis in PWC. But even if his county cannot commit at this time to increase funding for these issues, he could have at least acknowledged that the issues are important to the interfaith group. He was speaking as if he enjoyed being contrary and divisive.
Here is the most unbelievable part. At the end, they asked him (as all of the officials) if he would commit to meet with them in January to discuss their progress. He said yes, if they still wanted to talk to him. But he also said one issue that he would be willing to work with them on is ending “the scourge of abortion”, as THAT’s something people need to work on. , It was soooo out of line. There was shocked silence and some booing and hissing. They cut him off, and thanked him for coming, knowing that it must have been hard for him to be there.
Apart from Corey’s bewildering behavior, it was an exciting kickoff for this group, and I hope they keep the momentum going.
By the way, there were at least 4 other PW supervisors there. I wonder what they thought about what Corey Stewart said on behalf of Prince William County.
The MJM article can be found at http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/thousands_of_church_members_meet_near_dumfries/22231/
Since when is abortion a topic the PWCBOS needs to be addressing? We have far more critical “true crisis”. I would love to know what his fellow Supervisors thought of him throwing that in.
Anyways, what amount constitutes as a “scourge of abortion”?
I’ve thought about this a little more. Is there any video of this meeting yesterday? I would love to see this with my own two eyes, and hear with my own two ears too.
Chris,
Try this link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfPQVl1W5dQ
The account of Corey Stewart’s comments in the initial posting is not entirely accurate, but it is substantively very close (Corey actually made reference to what he termed the “800 [pound] moral guerilla in the room,” abortion; he was rotating around the microphone a bit, so perhaps not everyone heard exactly the same thing). What is important to keep in mind, though, is that Corey knew exactly what he was doing by making the abortion remark. He knows that VOICE is a long-term threat to his political career since it is committed to focusing on social justice issues that have wide appeal amongst various denominations. It focuses, in other words, on those things that can bring people together. Corey’s entire political career has been built on the very opposite, dividing people, and that’s what he was trying to do last night.
Each of the elected officials who spoke were specifically told they were only to speak about the three issues mentioned. But Corey knew there were a number of Catholic and Baptist churches participating yesterday, and if he could just get out the word “abortion” he would be planting the seed of a wedge between them and the Unitarians and other liberal protestant denominations participating. He knows he scored points with some members of the former congregations, and even their leaders, by doing so. He also knows that if VOICE does prosper he will nevertheless score points with his conservative base by dismissing the participating Catholic and Baptist congregations as not living up to all their values. Finally, Corey also knew he could milk getting credit for just showing up. In fact, the minister who introduced him was overly generous in praising him for even meeting with them ahead of time, something that was not done for the other speakers (though perhaps none of them did meet with the VOICE ahead of time), and seemed indicative of the fact that they knew he was not going to support the various VOICE positions. It also permitted him to perpetuate this gutsy “straight talk” myth he has created about himself (too many people claim to have heard Corey say one thing of substance in private and another in public to conclude it is anything but fiction).
To be honest, I think Corey played this masterfully, as he often does. It was cynical, divisive politics at its effective worst. From what I could see, he did not bolt out of the room after he spoke, but stayed a while. It also looked like a number of local religious leaders went over to speak to him as well, shaking his hand and patting him on the back. He knows that by playing the bad guy so openly front the start, that any concession he makes later, however small, will make him look reasonable, and elicit praise from the religious leaders out of proportion to anything he actually does (as occurred with the praise given in his introduction). And if VOICE does not publicly praise him for the minor concessions he eventually makes, he’ll simply argue that even the conservative congregations have been against him from the start because he has challenged them as not being true to their values, which will undoubtedly make sense to some of their members. It really was an impressive performance. The only question is whether or not the religious leaders recognize it for what it was and act accordingly, or if they fall into the trap he set out for them.
Please. Corey was absolutely right. We don’t need county government involved in Dental care. We have a glut of housing already. You’re all waaaay off the mark on this.
Why not wait until financial times get better for the United States before you’re stated goal of helping illegals can be undertaken? There’s nothing wrong with that.
And, abortion is a scourge. It is a horrible crime against defenseless beings.
Now, let’s see whether this gets posted or you moderate comments that you want to appear.
Over 40 religious institutions from Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William were present at the founding of V.O.I.C.E. – Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement. Over 2,000 asked elected leaders to act on its vision for change on affordable housing, immigration, and dental care.
Corey ought to watch his step touting housing for county employees but no one else. If you want to see a whole groups of citizens get incensed and start claiming government preference, then tell the rest of the county to go to hell when it comes to affordable housing and then brag about taking care of government people. While I think it’s great to help our county employees, you can’t ignore everyone else. Furthermore, I don’t get where Corey thinks the only way to work on affordable housing is through building more. DUH! We have thousands of empty homes right now. And you can’t figure out a creative way to use those? I’m sure some of the housing experts could give you a clue if you really wanted it–but you don’t.
As far as the abortion thing–Corey’s making up for all the Catholic hatred he’s brought on himself via Duescaster and the CLAN. Throw in the “A” word and hope you’re forgiven or hope, as Witness says, you can break VOICE apart. Guess what, Corey. These different religious groups with various opinions will not break apart the way you want them to. They aren’t like YOU and Stirrup trying to put a wedge of dissent and hatred into this community.
There are dozens of ways the County could work with VOICE but what it comes down to is they don’t WANT to.
Of course, I would love any on the BOCS to prove me wrong. But I’m not confident many on the BOCS with one or two possible exceptions have the balls to take a stand against the Chair and his VICE.
You know, listening to Corey, I can agree with him about the housing but….and a big but…did he have to say it that way? Could have have been less abrasive and said something like ‘Houses? we have LOTS of houses. I will not agree to build low income housing but I will help you coordinate where the homes are ….blah blah blah.’
There are ways to cooperate that don’t require spending money. Dental? There is a lot of medical care that is volunteer. You don’t have to provide the service. You can help locate the folks who will donate services. If you have 5 people receiving dental care, that is 5 who wouldn’t have received it. Every little bit helps.
Abortion was brought up to be divisive. I agree, Witness. Imagine that many different organizations coming together in agreement! Corey could not have THAT! It was a totally inappropriate remark to make, whatever reason. Nothing like bringing your own agenda to the party. Has anyone EVER heard Corey on the topic of abortion in the past?
Once again he thinks he can take a federal issue to the local level. He did the same thing with immigration. What an ass. Just a total ass.
MH, agreed: Corey wants to play Congress once again and ignore his COUNTY.
Fine. Then GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTY, COREY! Do us all a favor.
I was a witness too. What made Corey Stewart’s abortion stunt so ugly was how it spit in the face of the atmosphere up to that point, full of love and mutual appreciation for different people of different faiths. Everything up to that point was all about unity. Countless religious leaders had spoken, some at length, some briefly, about how they and their congregations were committed to working together across denominations and racial divisions to work toward goals that the great books of each religion shared in common, love for thy neighbor, walking humbly with God, help for the weakest among us.
Then came Corey Stewart, and he was not up 2nd, he was 3rd by the way. I don’t pretend to know the issues in Prince William with all its economic problems, so what he said to the three questions was fine with me. But, for some reason, perhaps he knew that his earlier questions weren’t going over well, he added the abortion thing at the end as a middle finger to everyone there. Two thousand people.
It was as if he was saying, “You want to all be united, well screw your united, here’s an issue that no one can agree upon, and for that I’ll be more than happy to join in.”
According to MJM:
“On the issue of dental care, Stewart said that’s not a county government’s responsibility. Those responsibilities include, public safety, education and transportation, Stewart said. ‘I do not think that that’s something local government can do or should do at this time. I think that should be left up to the state,’ Stewart said.”
This, to me, is LAUGHABLY funny. It is amazing that here, he actually calls for a clear delineation in responsibilities. Is this not the man who is famous for taking on the responsibilities of the federal government? If he were to follow his own pattern, I would expect him to be disgusted by the way the state is handling dental care, and demand that PWC draft a resolution to clean up the mouths of its constituents.
I just don’t get this guy. Aren’t his own colleagues embarrassed by his behavior and statements? Some of the BOCS members must hang their head in shame each time he publicly speaks.
I think what we have here is the next GOP “wedge issue” for future election cycles. Immigaration was a bust. They have already used guns and gay marriage. Abortion seems to be the next issue for Conservative Reps. to “push on” in future elections.
Guns of Love,
Thanks, for the video.
I do agree with Corey with regards to the housing. We have more than enough “affordable housing” with all the vacant homes due to foreclosures. I also, agree about the dental. However, I really think there could’ve been done with more tact.
Honestly, how this community get much more divided than it already is?
corr:Honestly, how *CAN* this community get much more divided than it already is?
Welcome Witness Too,
Thrusting a veritable middle finger to 2,000 people is nothing for Corey Stewart. The man obviously thrives on conflict, and there was none to be found in this particular place of worship so he decided to drum some up. Typical Corey.
Diversity Gal, you are RIGHT ON TARGET as per usual! I don’t know about his colleagues, but I am certainly embarrassed to have Corey Stewart speak for me. We are in stage two of the George W. Bush process of abuse of trust and abuse of power, disastrous policies too disastrous to deny, widespread exposure as an idiot, plummeting poll numbers. I hope that we get to stage four in time for the 2011 election. The way he behaved at this event, it seems like that’s Corey Stewart’s goal as well. He must LOVE George Bush as much as John McCain does.
Chris,
There is a way to “agree to disagree” without being in your face about it. Corey Stewart disagreed very disagreeably. He appeared to relish the role of spoiler. Instead of admitting that these were important issues but that it was not his job to work on them, he downplayed the issues and brought up one of his own instead.
Chris said: “how *CAN* this community get much more divided than it already is?”
I know that is a rhetorical question, but it did bring to mind an idea.
How about a Corey Stewart Crackdown on Abortion?!
At least two of the other four Prince William supervisors present at Mt. Zion Baptist Church made a point of speaking with the VOICE clergy leaders after the event ended to reassure them that Corey Stewart does not speak for them.
GoL,
What other supervisors attending this event?
I was also a witness, and I agree with the other accounts. We were absolutely flabbergasted by Corey Stewart’s performance. It made no sense, was divisive and demeaning to a group that has spent over three years coming together to form an agenda for social progress. But Guns of Love gave a good explanation.
Corey spoke second in a sequence of elected officials. Dick Saslaw spoke earlier in the program because he had to leave. During the elected officials segment, Fairfax went first, then Corey, then the leaders of Arlington and Alexandria, then Mark Warner. Gilmore had been invited but was unable to make it.
One of the saddest, most wrong parts for me was the groveling that dignified black pastors felt compelled to perform to this nasty, classless, pompous white guy (that’s how Corey comes across). IT JUST WASN’T RIGHT. In reference to Guns’ question, VOICE did indeed meet with all the elected officials ahead of time and it was well known that Corey would not be cooperative. See the attached article from Saturday’s religion section in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/03/AR2008100303168.html
He did NOT have to respond in the way he did. The video clip posted does not capture the complete lack of class and character that he displayed. The excitement of the room, blacks, whites, latinos, diverse religions, working together, was completely squashed momentarily by this guy, who seemed to revel in the role of nasty dude, the all powerful leader who holds the strings. He could have been much more respectful of their efforts, even if he couldn’t agree.
It was wrong on any level of human decency, and I don’t know how he can sleep at night.
Such a group “Interfaith Community Engagement” is a good thing only if it can focus on “interfaith issues”, more than non-denominational social issues. The social issues they are focused on have already been tried in some many ways by the US government and have failed miserably in every way imaginable.
1. Affordable housing. Define “affordable”. Does that mean its free? The soviets had “free housing”, and the quality of that housing was horrible. The inner cities (Chicago, New York) had “affordable housing”, huge blocks and tracts of housing, tract after track. Because it was affordable to the lowest income segment of the population, that’s the only segment of the population that moved into these neighborhoods. The people who lived in these homes in the 1960s were ALL low-middle class. In 10 years the homes were slums, the people did not take care of them. Crime increased (robbery, extortion), and GANGS took over. The drug trade protected by these gangs who claimed turf street by street, created a culture of “blood-in, blood out”, rat you die, leave you die, and became the only source of income for anyone living in these “affordable homes”. Generally they only killed each other, but many of the newer gangs (you know who they are), are now threatening non-members and killing innocent people just for fun, and just to show they do not have to follow the law. They are “run” by mafia bosses INSIDE of prisions. I cannot for the life of me understand why we allow any prisoner to have any “contact” with the outside world enough run a “gang” from a cell block.
So affordable housing is not an answer, jobs and skilled labor is the answer. Training and work ethic and job opportunity is the answer. That means creating innovative businesses that can operate in crime free neighborhoods, and pay above minimum wage to everyone (illegal immigration just keeps wages going lower and lower, eventually causing slums like you see in Sau Palo, Brazil.
So if they want to do something good, figure out how to get interfaith communities to stop creating black markets by only selling and creating jobs within just their own communities and start creating jobs for all Americans regardless of race, gender, religion or ethnic group affiliation and creating a common interfaith business ethic, that prevents crime, mafias and gangs from taking over communities.
2. Funding for ESL and citizenship.
“Common” Language is something that is an attitude, not a funded government handout. What good is it to have common language classes when people refuse to use it? Almost everyone in this country can speak English, “illegal or not”, and certainly has an opportunity to use it everyday every time they utter a single word. Language is learned far quicker when people choose to speak a common language so they can understand everyone (rather than just their own minority), and far slower when different ethnicities refuse to use a common language for a common understanding. Start giving “church” services in the same language, rather than have the government pay for ESL. Then you can actually understand another religion, if you are an interfaith organization, you should have interfaith services and interfaith common language spoken. That would may far more progress than any government handout toward “citizenship”. Citizenship is about national cultural immersion time and learning a national culture, not rejecting and ignoring it.
3. Dental care? How about “preventative care?” THAT would be far more beneficial to all genders, races, religions and ethnic groups. If you don’t have insurance, you MUST focus on “preventative medical care”. The means brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing, and telling people in your “interfaith church” about good dental hygiene. The same is true for health care. Stop eating foods that make 3/4 of your population and your children overweight, have diabetes, have liver disease and kidney failures because the “FAT” you have put on your body has destroyed 75% of your health liver cells (they burst, and they don’t grow back”. No amount of dental coverage or health care coverage can make up for races, religions, genders and ethnic groups whose basic cultural preferences for food, make them overweight and unhealthy. Preventative healt maintenance as a “goal” of the interfaith community engagement would solve 90% of all the disease and health problems of the lower and middle class. obesity and poor health maintenence is blind to a person’s ethnic, gender, religious and racial DNA, but not blind to the specific ethnic preferences for food that can kill you. Teaching people how to eat right, and exercise will drop the cost of all health care by 50% in one year if people will only focus on that and not “pills and dentists to fix their problems caused by poor self-maintenence. Then we need a National Health Care (NHC) system that removes the motive of profit, and removes the motive of “denying people care”, and one that gives benefits and incentives for maintaining good health through exercise and personal weight maintenence and proper diet, while covering all catastrophic disease (like cancer and heriditary disease), with government funded “free” catastrophic care for everyone regardless or race, gender, religion or ethnic group. Since NHC is a government issue, the Interfaith community engagement needs to focus on the “social” causes of poor heath maintanence, poor exercise, poor food preferences and poor personal hygiene, that are a reult of things associated with culture and religion, something the government can do nothing about. That is the proper focus of heath role of such an interfaith group.
4. Abortion is a moral issue, and since “faith” is a moral issue, the topic should be addressed from the perspective of all faiths, genders, races and ethnic groups and a common “ethic” worked out to everyones “moral” satisfaction. Again this is something inappropriate for government to do, but very appropriate for interfaith organizations to do, as the interfaith communities find ways to come together rather than remain separate and apart in “social political gangs” and divergent ethnicities.
Micheal,
Hello! They were to address three topics only. Abortion was NOT one of them.
Michael, I am not sure you understand the mission of VOICE. You sound very angry. If I read you correctly, there should be no poor people. Nice thought. I would love to see that happen.
Seems to me, Corey is practicing for LT Govenor. Here’s how goes…..Obama wins, Kaine gets a new position and Bowling moves up to Govenor. Hmmmm, sounds like an opening for Corey. Why else we he be so incredibly crass as to insert such divisiveness in a an event meant to bring people together. He must be testing out his stump speech. However, having said that, I am glad he has publicly stated he opposes any new housing proposals, that should make a vote to deny the Centers of Community a no brainer for him.
Chris,
The PW supervisors attending were Chairman Stewart, John Jenkins, Marty Nohe, Mike May and Maureen Caddigan.
Years ago during a board meeting, Occoquan Supervisor Stewart referred to affordable housing as “throwing money down a rat hole.” One of my alltime favorite board meeting moments.
Corey Stewart = lack of tact and respect. It was a complete embarrassment and I only wish I had been able warned my pastors about Corey. But then again it is probably a good thing that the faith community got to see him first hand. I do not believe Government should be running programs; however they can assist in opening doors for people and organizations willing to assist. The prescription discount card the county opened up to all its residents. For heavens sake get creative make a commitment to open a dialogue.
It is the same old shaky voice Corey that can turn you off in an instant!! Then to start rattling off on Abortion…..nit whit if you don’t believe the County ought to be assisting its citizens on the 2 other issues and you say those should be State issues does he really think the BOCS and PWC Government can work on Abortion….flipped idiot.
He had WEEKS to prepare for this meeting and this is the best he could do…..simply……pathetic
Another Witness has it right. I couldn’t remember Saslaw’s name, but he went ahead of turn because he had to leave.
Fear Not, if that quote is correct then that sells it for me. The impression Mr. Stewart left on all of us was not a gaffe. He really is a jerk. The opposite of the unity, community spirit, and inclusiveness that VOICE is all about.
I don’t know why Mr. Stewart thinks the Commonwealth is ugly enough to want him to behave that way as an audition for statewide office. I have never thought of Virginia that way.
There were a lot of other elected officials there, too, who didn’t address the group. Some I remember were Brian Moran, Mark Sickles, Chap Peterson, Toddy Puller…Corey performed for a wide audience.
I Give Up said of Corey “Flipped Idiot” Stewart:
My point exactly. PWC does not have the authority to legislate on abortion, just like it doesn’t have the authority to enforce immigration policy.
I’m not sure what a “Flipped Idiot” is exactly, but Corey Stewart is definitely an idiot of some kind or another.
Let’s not forget the reaction of Chairman Stewart when he was presented with a letter from 58 religious leaders in February offering to work constructively with county government to bring healing to a divided community during the discussion around the Immigration Resolution.
He called them “illegitimate and misguided” and cautioned them “…to do what they do best: serve their congregants and attend to their denominations and not get involved in partisan politics.”
Judging by his response to the formation of VOICE his position has not changed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/02/AR2008020201999.html
The Washington Post ran a short piece on VOICE Monday under the title “Politicians Urged to Target Poverty.”
“More than 2,000 people representing 40 church, synagogue and mosque congregations packed into First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dumfries yesterday to present elected officials with a list of priorities to help the poor in Northern Virginia.
About 20 public officials attended the service to hear the demands of the newly formed organization Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, or VOICE. It wants increased funding for affordable housing and dental care and a reduction in the backlog of U.S. citizenship applications in Northern Virginia.
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large) was answered with boos when he asked the group to also help eliminate the “scourge of abortion.”
— Jacqueline L. Salmon”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/05/AR2008100502097_3.html
LOL! Affordable housing… that’s what got us into this mess…
You all are such tools.
I agree in principle with everything that Corey said.
VOICE has three objectives – affordable housing, ESOL & dental care. Corey’s responses to these objectives were NO, legal immigrants only and not with County funds. I’m not sure why he said no to the affordable housing initiative. He should have told people to move to PWC because we have homes selling at half price. Additionally, Caddigan recently spoke about some homes that I thought were built for teachers and firefighters, so aren’t we already doing something in that regard?
The ESOL initiative is somewhat problematic as well, will they now check immigration status at these ESOL classes? And doesn’t Corey gloat on a weekly basis about losing ESOL students in the schools?
I agree with Corey on the abortion issue, and I don’t understand how this group couldn’t come to a consensus. But, from what I understand the organizers had very specific objectives and spent considerable time illuminating that these were the areas where a common ground was reached. And then Corey ignored those guidelines and entered into this other arena (abortion) and that’s why we he was interrupted by the audience and the moderator.
If I could also mention here an article that I read yesterday that I found equally as disturbing as abortion, it had to do with a half million frozen embryos that are in limbo.
If I had enough time I would like to write a thread about the issue but I’m so busy these days.
Here’s the article if anyone would like to read it-
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-embryos6-2008oct06,0,4090965.story
Mando,
Do you really believe this economic crisis can be laid at the feet of the affordable housing initiative? That is one component of a housing market allowed to digress into a feeding frenzy based on low interest rates set in early 2001 to avoid a recession. The continued focus on allowing the housing market to lead us out of a recession was clearly a long term miscalculation. For the last several years, when it seemed clear that an adjustment needed to happen, the Feds just were too afraid to slow the market down and unwilling to raise the interest rates in a any substantial manner.
I did not get the impression that the goals of VOICE necessarily targetted immigrants (except for learning English) or that it necessarily involved money.
More than anything else, Corey was negative. I agree with Corey that we do not have resources to make charitable donations. I do not agree with his rudness. People can donate time, meeting space, and they can volunteer. Offering those things in a positive light, or reiterating how many half price houses are for sale here would have gone a long way towards bridging the gap and healing community. Corey chose to be offensive and a ‘maverick.’
I am pro choice. Abortion had no business being mentioned at that meeting. It wasn’t on the agenda. It would have been equally inappropriate for me to have gotten up and shouted a pro choice slogan.
Actually, whether abortion is legal or illegal, it should be a national issue and what a person choses to do is based on their own religion, sense of right and wrong, and life circumstances. It should never be based on what the government decides is right or wrong for that person.
Who decides? You or the government?
Mando, why not think a little, just a little? It wouldn’t hurt. Affordable housing is GOOD for segregation. If we’d had enough affordable housing so that the new ethnic immigrants lived SEPARATELY from the old-timers who eventually became the backbone of Gospel Greg’s Help Save Manassas cult, there wouldn’t have been any public support for Corey “Flipped Idiot” Stewart’s rise to national embarrassment.
People live in crowded conditions when they can’t afford to live better. “I came here with nothing” is how most immigrant stories begin in American history, probably including your own family line. Affordable housing is another word for ghetto in many respects. And one of the things that kept the peace in more racist times (yes, it was worse in previous times) was separating the Italians, the Chinese, the Germans, etc. in separate neighborhoods.
We simply wouldn’t have had a Duecaster Disaster if we’d had affordable housing in those places that enjoyed the housing boom, Mr. Mando. Is that why you’re so against it? You enjoy the racial division brought to Prince William County by the Anti-immigrant Lobby and hate-mongers-for-political-gain crowd?
That little spongy schemer Corey Stewart got us talking about abortion. That little spongy schemer! He has no respect for God, religion, or religious people.
He thinks of us only as cows to be led to the voting booth and abortion is the only issue that is useful to him for that purpose. If Christians (can’t speak for other faiths) are at all aware of the contents of the Bible, they stand against Corey Stewart’s politics of scapegoating, hate, and division, and they’d align themselves with organizations like VOICE. Perhaps that’s why there were 2,000 people there and the active membership of Help Save Manassas is twelve.
Thanks for the reminder GLove, never forget that Corey Stewart is constantly jabbing his middle finger at the religious community, not just this time:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/02/AR2008020201999.html
Alanna, if Corey Stewart agreed with you on anything at all, would he come out and say so publicly? He and his buddy Greg Letiecq are alienating the entire religious community of Virginia right about now. It is very, very generous of you to come to their aid.
I have mixed feelings about abortion, just as I do about immigration. But one thing I know for sure, under the leadership of people like Corey Stewart and Greg Letiecq, this county has gone NO WHERE FAST, and their weapon of choice is an issue that divides the public. So I wouldn’t give too much ground. Who knows why Corey really brought up the abortion issue. But rest assured it is not for a good cause, no matter how you personally feel about the issue.
We can probably all agree, when it comes to the abortion issue, that the one person NOT fit to decide for us, is Corey Stewart.
I suppose now our board of supervisors meetings will be consumed by his desire to end the scourge. {rolling eyes}
At this point Corey’s not even fit to appoint the “dog catcher”, for crying out loud.
ShellyB-
Mr. Letiecq only has a real leadership role of his couple of dozen minions that attend monthly HSM meetings. I do think he’s Corey’s personal political adviser, and that’s the worst choice possible. Corey needs to grow a pair, think for himself and work with the other supervisors, and most importantly work for the good of Pr. Wm. Co.
Hiiiissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!
Corey needs to think about a better image for PWC. Does he needs a new handler? His former puppeteer is not so lucid these days. Has anyone else read his rant about Unitarian Communists? I imagine those Baptist ladies had a real cow!
Old Mr. Black Velvet himself had better think about how it looks for OUR BOCS chair to go speak before communists if he really believes his own bull snortle.
Mando,
Yeah, I see affordable housing paying the freight at Lehman, as they paid out 10 Billion in Bonuses last December as their financial foundation was shaking. And just as they were trying to get money from the Fed’s, they were paying millions to exec’s who were leaving the company – Even in bankruptcy, they set aside 2 Billion to pay bonuses.
Re Affordable housing – yup, it is a shame that a new Teacher or Police Officer in PWC cannot afford a house in their own county. Why can’t the foreclosures be part of an Affordable Housing opportunity?
–I do agree with Corey with regards to the housing. We have more than enough “affordable housing” with all the vacant homes due to foreclosures.–
Then why not work to make THESE “affordable housing”????? Who says we have to build ANYTHING?
Corey’s just making excuses for not wanting to help the poor….per usual.
The propblem with Corey Stewart is he thinks he makes ALL decisions for ALL people, which is a myth thousands of people are about to dispel for him.
kgotthardt,
I see you are back to hating on Stewart. Maybe you should read a book, jog, or get a hobby. Stewart did what to majority (83%) of American voters asked for.
Now call me a racist. I am waiting.
Dime
Chairman Stewart was presented with a pin from Minnesota from the Civil War(I think).
The Chairman said thank you, and “I’m a Virginian now”. He’s only a transplant Virginian. Please, Chairman Stewart don’t discredit the entire Commonwealth. You’ve done enough damage to this county.
Dime, I have told you before (but you don’t read) I don’t hate Stewart. I want him OUT of my local government, and I want him to take his CLAN with him.
Don’t know where you’re getting your stats, so I will ignore them. If you are referring to the almighty “resolution,” I doubt you would find many people voting for it after studying the PWC fiasco.
As far as what I do….you couldn’t even imagine the span of my activities so I won’t try to torture your little mind with them 😉 Besides, I wouldn’t want to hog this blog. Just because I’m more productive than you doesn’t mean you should be so overtly jealous. 😉
I’ve no idea if you are racist or not. If you are, please keep it to yourself. We have enough vocal racists in our government and little local CLANS.
Corey Stewart =1/8 of the vote of the BOCS no more no less and of course presiding over the BOCS meetings. The Chairman should be a well rounded and polished representative of the County however he can’t even manage to effectively communicate in a formal setting with THOUSANDS of people from the faith community….simply put…a pathetic communicator!
I don’t agree the county should be or even could be putting millions aside for different needs this should come though community and business donations or non profits, however for heaven sakes learn how to communicate in a civil and respectful manner when saying NO. His communication skills are an embarrassment.
Sometimes I think we (PWC voters) made a whopper of a mistake in making the Chairman of the BOCS an elective office. In the olden days the Chair would be forced to be more cooperative with his fellow board members. We might have sent a more agreeable type to represent us. As it is , we have a pig-headed egotist who is looking out for numero uno. And numero uno is not the county of Prince William.