Month: October 2008

Earlier this week the US Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal case concerning an ‘illegal’ immigrant who allegedly used a social security number belonging to another person. This case concerning a charge of aggravated identity theft will be heard sometime in 2009. It is significant because federal prosecutors have used this identity theft charge against many of the 300 immigrants caught up in the raids at the meat packing plant in Postville.

This charge which is based from a new law adopted in 2004 originally was intended to combat identity theft but has now found new purpose in the federal government’s attempts to ‘combat illegal immigration’. The punishment for this crime is much greater than a simple violation of immigration code which has made it a popular ‘tool’ for prosecutors who appear anxious to throw the kitchen sink at these people in the hope that it sticks.

What’s troublesome to me is that the federal government has no qualms about accepting social security, medicare, and federal employment tax withholdings from these individuals paychecks. Presumably this person was paying the feds using this invalid number and name, the Internal Revenue Service ans Social Security Administration knew that the names and numbers didn’t match but apparently they don’t care as long as your PAYING THEM MONEY. My question is, wouldn’t the feds acceptance of this money from these people’s paychecks make them an accessories to a crime? I mean if this really is aggravated identity theft then couldn’t it be construed as the equivalent to receiving knowingly stolen property on the part of the IRS and SSA?

Anyways, to the best of my knowledge a number in and of itself doesn’t identify a person, someone would need the name and the number used in conjunction. And to the best of my knowledge this individual just used a random number without having the corresponding name. Not sure how much theft could be done with just a number. Also, what about those individuals that used numbers that were invalid such as those that started with the number nine? For example, 999-99-9999, if someone used that number could they be charged with identity theft since there’s no individual with that number. Are prosecutors checking each of these social security numbers to see if there is a real person currently using that number?

In summation, the case appears to have merit and hopefully the Supreme Court will throw out this conviction. If the government wants strong convictions with long sentences then they should instead make an immigration violation something greater than a civil violation.

Last minute thoughts about the election? Halloween? Local events? Perhaps its time to have an open thread without topic. Too much structure is not always a good thing, even though we aren’t the structure police. Enjoy.

HUH? What kind of fiscal republican does not want to “save money” ?

By KEITH WALKER News & Messenger
Published: October 21, 2008

The Bull Run Mountains Conservancy has dropped out of negotiations with the Prince William County Park Authority over the property at Silver Lake.

A conservancy statement released Tuesday stated that the organization pulled out of negotiations because a stalemate on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors negated further negotiations.

“At this point our continued involvement can only delay opening the property to the public,” the release stated.

The property was proffered to the county by Toll Brothers in 2006 in exchange for 420 additional houses in Dominion Valley.

The conservancy was offering to combine an additional 268 acres with the county’s 233 acres at Silver Lake off Antioch Road near Haymarket if the county deeded portions of the property to the conservancy.

Additionally, a private grant would have allowed the conservancy to open a park at no cost to the public.

The conservancy was prepared to guarantee public access and certain recreational uses and accept deed restrictions that would return the land to the county if the conservancy ceased to exist or failed to allow public access.

Prince William Chairman Corey A. Stewart, R-at large, didn’t want to give away the property in order to save money.

Opening the property could cost the park authority as much $215,000 annually.

Supervisor W.S. “Wally” Covington III, R-Brentsville, didn’t like the plan because it hadn’t been subjected to the budget process.

Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan, R-Dumfries, said having the conservancy run the park was a “no-brainer” that carried obvious benefits.

The Prince William Conservation Alliance favored the conservancy’s proposal, said Kim Hosen, the alliance executive director.

“In our view we have a problem here,” Hosen said. “We have a severe shortage of parkland and a severe shortage of money. It appeared that this was a win-win for everybody.”

It’s difficult to protect green space and open parkland in Northern Virginia, Hosen said.

“I think it takes partnerships to pull things off,” she said.

Hosen wasn’t worried by the prospect that the conservancy would have owned portions of the property.

“They were willing to sign a contract with the county and accept deed restrictions that would define the uses and public access,” she said.

Michael Kieffer, the executive director of the conservancy, said the conservancy’s withdrawal allowed the park authority a chance to move ahead on opening the park.

Thanks to Chris for this find.

There are lots of McCain signs over in that area of Loudoun. Does this Virginia saturation by the candidates increase the chances of winning or is it just preaching to the choir?

October 21, 2008 – 4:43am

Barack Obama, the Democratic Party’s candidate for President, plans a late afternoon rally at Leesburg’s Ida Lee Park on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Gates open at 3 p.m., with the rally scheduled to begin at 5:30.

Although the event is free, Obama campaign officials urge individuals attending the rally make reservations at www.VA.barackobama.com. For security reasons, no banners or signs will be allowed. Also, bags will not be permitted and personal items should be limited.

The visit to Loudoun County will be Obama’s first of his two-year-old campaign for the nation’s highest elected office. He appeared at Robinson High School in Fairfax County for a rally prior to the convention, while his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, recently held a rally in Sterling

From the Loudoun Times-Mirror

In today’s Washington post, columnist Marc Fisher quotes Corey Stewart as taking credit for yesterday’s McCain campaign rally where approximately 10,000 Virginians gathered to cheer on their candidate.

According to Stewart the entire election hinges on Prince William and Loudoun Counties:

“I literally begged the campaign to have McCain or Palin visit…Prince William and Loudoun are the swing counties where this election will be won or lost. This is the battleground, and Obama and Biden have been here four times.”

Fisher further elaborates in his article,

Stewart, who won statewide notice by pushing for his county’s tough enforcement drive against illegal immigrants, says McCain has done himself and the party a disservice by steering clear of that issue. “But the reality is that McCain has never been strong on this issue,” Stewart says, “and his differences with Obama on it are not very big.” McCain has alienated some conservatives by proposing to let illegal immigrants stay here as guest workers and earn U.S. citizenship.
Although the emotional power of the issue has dissipated in Prince William — Stewart says that’s because the get-tough policy is working and many immigrants have left the county — he’s confident that a presidential candidate who emphasized a crackdown would be rewarded with victory in Virginia.

Was this the same Corey Stewart who was out cheering up Senator McCain at County Complex yesterday? I wonder if that was before or after he threw the candidate under the bus in his interview with Marc Fisher.

Did someone forget to reset Stewart’s robo-chip? Does he ever think of anything other than illegal immigration? No one can accuse Corey Stewart of getting off task, regardless of how much the data changes.

Fisher explains how Ken Cuccinelli and Jeff Frederick see things differently in an election year in his column.

It’s so reassuring to be led by an individual with so much personal stature and so much influence on a national campaign here in little old Prince William County.