Tonight I got a Delegate Jackson Miller conference call. Delegate Miller and I don’t agree on too much politically but actually, it was pretty neat. How did it work?
Well, let me reconstruct the event. I was sitting there, watching TV, minding my own business. The phone rang and a robo caller said it was a conference call and if you wanted to comment push zero. I did. I hung on the line and could hear all the other callers. It was like being a political voyeur.
Finally someone came on the line and asked for my name and what my question was. I pulled a question out of …my ear…and went back to listening. They never did get to my question and I think I know why. But nevertheless, it was really interesting to hear what people thought were important state issues. Dillon rule, immigration, e-verify, transportation, cigarette taxes and bans in restaurants and the budget seemed to be hot topics.
Delegate Miller did a very good job with those questions. Even though the helper who you actually spoke with took down the nature of the question, he really was taking cold calls. I thought he gave very reasonable, well-thought out answers, even those I didn’t agree with. He was also very personable and professional. It resembled your own personal fireside chat.
I hope he will do many more of these conference calls and that I will be included again. I am not wild about Jackson Miller’s politics but I was impressed with his conference call.
tbl, I have met and talked to Del. Miller on several occasions. He is quite an engaging and well spoken person. He would make a fine neighbor or friend. However, as an old high school teacher told me once, “son, you’re judged by the company you keep.” I was at the first HSM meeting in April 2007 and heard him talk for 35 minutes. He emplored the audience to “get behind these people”. He said that they could do alot of good in this community. I wonder if he could share with us some of the good that has been done in the last year or two.
As to the Housing Ordinance, there was someone who occasionally posted on this and other blogs that was employed by the City Ordinance Dept. If I remember correctly, he stated that the final Ordinance was not the same as the one presented by the staff. Additionally, I was told that the City Attorney did not recommend that the final draft be passed as it was written. It’s been awhile and some of this is second hand info, but I believe it is basically correct.
M-H, and tbl, the parallel tbl is trying to make fails because Letiecq was operating in concert with politicians like Jackson Miller and Corey Stewart. This blog is not part of anyone’s campaign.
Hi IVAN, I’m not a HSM member, nor do I want to be, but you asked “I wonder if he could share with us some of the good that has been done in the last year or two.”
If I’m not mistaken they go out every now and then to clean off gang graffiti. It’s just one thing but it means allot to me since where I live MS-13 gang signs pop up on a daily basis. What have you done?
Miller was part of HSM back in April 2007????!!!!! That just proves my point.
Ivan, I too dont recall EXACTLY how the housing ordinance came to be. But if my understanding and memory serves me right, the council voted on what was created by the staff at the direction of the council – so yes, of course, they are the ones who are ultimately to blame. I dont think however that the council tried to change what was created.
Ivan, do you remember what the vote count was? I think it was unanimous, but cant say for sure.
Hello, I patrol my neighborhood and pick up trash on a regular basis. I am also active in my HOA. It’s not as “flashy or news worthy” as washing off a few fences, but we don’t have any foreclosures in my neighborhood, no flop=houses, and no overgrown yards either.
Oh, did I mention, I did all this without the help of FAIR or any other “hate groups”.
Hi IVAN, that’s great, I’m glad to hear that your active in your community. However, not all of us can afford to live in a community that has an HOA and no flop houses. I’m not sure where you live but it sounds really nice. Are you familiar with rt.1, I live next to Marumsco plaza (yuck!). HSM has been around and cleaned gang graffiti and pick up trash left behind by day laborers. While I don’t share all of the same view points they do I do commend them for that and they should be recognized for it.
This site has held economic parties at local restaurants and I commend everyone who participates in that as well, however, to me some of the things that HSM makes more of an impact to me and for me.
ShellyB, just because I am happy to defend Jackson on this site I am sitting in his office sending out messages? Are only people who are against him allowed to post on this site? I was an early opponent of Jacson when he ran for city council. I have sense come to trust and respect him.
You are correct that he is a part of HSM. My guess is that he is a founding member.
Moon-Howler, what did he say in the call about immigration? Did it sound like he was trying to back peddle on the issue?
You also mentioned that he was questioned on some of the tabacco issues. Can you fill me in on his answers with that issue.
Anti is a blog and not an organization or political action group. Plenty of people here do community service type things. Just a few things I am aware of would be volunteering at schools, at senior centers, pet sitting, tutoring English to adults, picking up neighborhood trash, driving the ill to medical appointments, donating hair to cancer patients, voluntary child care, volunteer work with community clean up, volunteer work with study circles….just off the top of my head…I am sure there are lots that I am not aware of.
Many things happen that I hear about but no one else does, simply because we are not an organization and no one goes around with an ‘anti’ camera. Most folks were doing these things long before there was ever an anti blog.
The economy parties were 2 fold. Restaurants were chosen because they needed an infusion of money caused by the economic downturn. We also socialized. Again, since we aren’t an organization, there was no chance to meet and greet other than that.
Rumors of drunken parties are simply not true. All parties were for families.
On immigration, he said it had been very frustrating to get bills through at the state level to help with some of the concerns local jurisdictions were having. He also referenced the Dillon Rule several times. He did not seem to be back peddling. I don’t remember his stance in 2007. He wasn’t rabid last night but I did get the impression he felt illegal immigration was a serious concern.
On cigarettes, he spoke to 2 sides of the issue. A woman who was a smoker groused about restaurants being smoke free. She suggested allowing the individual restaurant having the choice. He addressed some of the expenses associated with cigarettes. He wasn’t conclusive. He did tell her she probably wouldn’t like all his answers.
Now please, no one go attacking Delegate Miller over anything I have said. I am trying to go over it in my mind….and I might have not heard right or forgotten. Lots going on during that phone call.
One thing he spelled out real well is the difference between carrying concealed vs carrying open and the laws that people wanted enacted. You didn’t ask about that but I just remembered.
tbl,
My son got the same letter from Miller with the MLK quote last year when he was in Kindergarten. I don’t know how closely you follow this blog, but my son is “1/2 illegal” according to some people, in that his father doesn’t have a green card and his mother (me) is an American. It incensed me to get that letter from him praising my son for his accomplishments while actively working with people for bills that could destroy his life by taking his father away from him. He disgusts me and I don’t particularly like Jeannette Rishell either. She tried to jump on the antiimmigrant sentiment her first go ’round with Jackson with an offensive postcard. I don’t remember what it said exactly, but I do remember calling her office and speaking with an aide venting my anger that the Democratic candidate was spouting the same kind of garbage as her opponent. I voted for neither of them. Then, last year she was actively campaigning in my neighborhood and came up my driveway. I told her exactly how I felt about candidates trying to use immigration as their ticket into office and she tried to explain that “it is a wedge issue” or some other such nonsense. Again, I voted for neither last year either.
tbl, I don’t make the rules and even if I did, I would welcome you and your opinion whether you work for Jackson Miller or not. It was just a joke. It occurred to me because you take the offensive rather than simply explaining your point of view. Calling people radicals is over the top. Just because we are concerned about Miller’s ties to hate groups and such. You seem to have the same concern. And that’s all we’re saying. Anyway, sorry if I offended you by joking about you working for him.
Speaking of welcome…did we welcome all the newcomers on this thread today? Some people slipped by I think. At any rate, welcome to anti blog.
And please, feel free to visit the site and post during your lunch hour(even if that extends into the late afternoon) 🙂
Bottom line: will Jackson Miller come clean about his political relationship with Greg Letiecq, or will it be up to citizens to come forward to attest to what Ivan and many others saw at HSM meetings? I think the best thing is for him to nip it in the bud now and make a statement.
Jackson is a very nice guy and is one of the more independent Republican’s in the House.
Hello,
I want to clarify, for the “record” that your statement suggesting antibvbl cannot be viewed from your work, but bvbl.net can, I believe, is a complete fabrication. I want to make sure, for all new visitors to anti, what has been said about Greg and HSM from two credible organizations.
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, has written extensively about the extreme rhetoric directed at Latino’s. They have documented a rise in membership with the KKK and the Neo-Nazi’s surrounding this immigration issue. ADL specifically mentions Greg and HSM in their most recent update : http://www.adl.org/civil_rights/anti_immigrant/
The Southern Poverty Law Center has also explicity mentioned Greg and HSM, and in fact, has deemed HSM a nativisit group.
Antibvbl has NEVER been named, by any credible civil rights organziation, a nativist group, hate group, or any disparaging label.
tbl,
If Jackson Miller is a founding member of HSM, I would strongly urge him to disassociate quickly.
Hello,
There is alot to do in ones community besides focus on grafitti. Grafitti has been around for decades, it is not just an immigration issue. If people want to get out their and clean up their neighborhoods, that’s great! We all make contributions to our communities in our own way, it isn’t for anyone to judge what is worthy volunteer and what is not.
I’ll say this for Jackson Miller. By deciding to ride sidesaddle on Greg Leteicq’s clip-clopping horse, he’s made himself quite a famous figure ’round these parts.
He’s already got more comments on this thread than Barack Obama’s ice storm comments from the other day….
Elena, haven’t you heard, HSM does grafitti clean up. Anyone who isn’t out there helping them is not a good citizen of the world.
This dog and pony show has many HSM members swaggering all over the place. Some organizations have pin up calendars. HSM has their Gregories of Grot, out there ridding Prince Willie of the heartbreak of grafitti. The scrub brush is their scepter as they cast out illegal demons with the power washer wand.
Someone sent me an HSM quarterly and it had several pages of the gregories working hard. The only problem was someone was missing, presumably Gregory.
“I am not sure exactly who Miller’s core group is. There seem to be several.
It bothers me that Jeanette Rischell was skewered and trashed (much like Colgan) and Jackson profitted from it. He might not be at fault though. ”
I seem to recall that it was Rishell who did so much skewering. He campaign made accusations that were completely discounted. Some were proven to be outright lies, like the claim the “Jackson Miller voted himself a raise”, when in fact, it was a rules change regarding per-diem, that he never voted for. It was passed before he was even seated as a delegate. Rishell’s campaign was so negative that the Potomac News OpEd team wrote a special editorial about the false claims and half-truths the Rishell campaign was making. How could Jackson “profitted” from an competative campaign against Colgan? the assertion is gratuitous.
“This dog and pony show has many HSM members swaggering all over the place. Some organizations have pin up calendars. HSM has their Gregories of Grot, out there ridding Prince Willie of the heartbreak of grafitti. The scrub brush is their scepter as they cast out illegal demons with the power washer wand.”
Any law enforcement officer will tell you that gang grafiti is more then just a blight. It is an escalation of gang territorial struggles,and perpetuates increased gang activity. How does HSM cleaning graffitti not improve the community? They aren’t making claims that if you don’t join them in the clean-up, you are a “bad citizen”. They are doing something positive. Maybe you disagree with the tone and positions of the bvbl blog, and that is fine. Maybe you were against their efforts to get illegal immigrants who commit crimes deported, of have tax-payer funded services denied. Ok. But HOW can you fault several good citizens cleaning up gang graffitti, on their own time, on their own dime?
That’s hilarious Rhoda, but I feel a lot better about a small group of fanatics with scrub brushes but no credibility or influence than I did when it seemed a half dozen people controlled our county government. Hate is just too dangerous an emotion to rally people around. Thankfully that period of PWC history was short lived.
Notes:
– Archived minutes going back even before Jackson’s service on the council
can be found on the Manassas City website. (The family definition was
Item #19 on 11-25-2005.)
– To help understand the dynamics of that time, Google “Manassas
definition of a family” – One interesting article “A Family or a Crowd” appeared
in the New York Times Magazine – 2-26-2006. It noted “Manassas has seen a rapid influx
of immigrants over the past decade. As in suburbs and smaller cities elsewhere,
this has created quality of life issues .. When crowding becomes commonplace
neighborhoods change. Parking disappears and mountains of trash appear …
Huge extended families including distant and sometimes dubious cousins were
making virtual boarding houses out of homes built for a couple with two kids.
… Manassas could not change the rules on how much living space wach resident
requires, those are set by state law, but the city can regulate how buildings
are used.” Or so it thought.
– The point is this wasn’t an issue that started with BVBL, HSM or Jackson
Miller, but, with hundreds of ordinary citizens who felt under siege and when
the federal and state governments failed them – they turned to local government.
No question, mistakes were made, the locals were out of their traditional
area of knowledge and experience, but they were attempting to respond to
the voice of hundreds of their friends and neighbors saying – “Help Us!”.
– Greg Letieq and his band seem like Rush Limbaugh – grab anything, anywhere
to grab attention, which they crave, and be “outraged” at those who don’t agree.
-Jackson Miller is a smart decent guy, who has grown a great deal in Richmond –
he seems to understand better that many things aren’t black or white –
but a shade of grey. There often is no perfect decision, only a better one.
Great post Poor Richard.
Jackson Miller has a reputation for having a great relationship with extremists in the county, Letiecq, HSM, etc. I think it’s high time he try to rebuild his relationship with the rest of us. I want to hear an explanation for his past deeds, not just from his supporters and apologists, but from the man himself. Because as someone said above, he used to say that “immigration” was the reason he got into politics. Is that still true? Or has he grown as you say?
I don’t know. But I’d like to because I don’t want to see another election where we have all this hate and scapegoating and attack politics. I’m done with it and I hope Jackson Miller is too.
Concerned Citizen, you know and I know that Jackson Miller’s attacks on his opponent went through Greg Letiecq’s blog, just like Corey Stewarts’ attacks on Chief Deane and his fellow Supervisors went through Greg Leteicq’s blog.
That’s a far cry from the usual campaign literature where the candidate has their name at the bottom. You have been agitated into thinking the two things are the same, but think about it.
I agree with you that cleaning up graffiti and garbage is a good use of HSM’s loyalty to Mr. Letiecq. Let’s hope it stays limited to such helpful things.
Thanks Poor Richard for the mini history lesson. I think the time line and the order that events happened is particularly important to note.
I do know that younger people opposed the crackdown on overcrowding because of the roommate situation. (having nothing to do with immigration and everything to do with young folks not having enough money)
Someone wrote a very interesting comment about 6-10 months ago about what happens to infrastructure in a place like Point of Woods when you have houses built for 4 people being occupied by 12 people. It impacts everyone. I hope that person will repost. Name started with an I. ,— i not ell.
ShellyB, I am not so sure how much Jackson Miller had to do with all that. I do know that his opponent (or someone on her behalf) sent out 2-3 mailers, under her name, that just had ridiculous information in them. I think this was something that the state Democrats did for their candidates. In other words, who needs friends. This was a great exercise in shooting one’s self in the foot. I tore up my check I had written to contribute to her campaign when I got the third piece of mail.
Now, having said that, I am not so sure he is the best candidate. He and I disagree on several critical issues. However, his opponent needed to run a much better campaign– one that disturbed the comfort level of his platform, not inaccurately count how many times he was late.
tbl, 30. January 2009, 18:00 said “You are correct that he is a part of HSM. My guess is that he is a founding member.”
It would be nice if you knew what you were talking about before you post something as fact.
Jackson Miller did not help form Help Save Manassas and is not a founding member of HSM.
Delegate Miller was asked, along with other politicians to speak on the issue of illegal immigration at a HSM meeting. Delegate Miller was also asked to come speak on what the General Assembly was doing about the issue of illegal immigration.
Do all of you also have a problem with Chief Deane speaking at HSM meetings? Neighborhood Services?
Maureen
One is an employee, the other is a politician. You are comparing apples to oranges. I don’t have a problem with either of them speaking before HSM and answering questions.
Therefore the remark
It is that all of you remark. Please put away the broad brush. Try ‘some’ and I will crawl back into my shell.
“I want to hear an explanation for his past deeds, not just from his supporters and apologists, but from the man himself. ”
Shelly, before you demand an explanation for someone’s alleged “misdeeds,” you might want to consider getting your facts before you claim that “misdeeds” exist…or, at the least, be specific and, more importantly, properly informed before you make accusations. Even then, I would suggest that you take your questions to a public forum where your representative is taking questions, or pose them to him by either written communication or simply address them to him personally in either his Richmond or local office (if he has one). DEMANDING something of an elected official on a blog he may not even read, and certainly has no obligation to do so, hardly seems productive…or even reasonable. Of course, you’re not the only one that does that.
Are we the only blog who has addressed his conference call forum? Does anyone know? Did anyone else receive the call? Were the calls selected randomly or by neighborhood?
I really thought it was a very informative way to dipstick the constituents and a cheap (good cheap not bad cheap) to get your name out there. After all these comments, I still am impressed that Delegate Miller attempted this technology and that he did such a good job with it.
I don’t understand why the conference call wasn’t covered on Black Velvet Bruce Lee. One would certainly think this positive outreach to the constinuents would be discussed. The “negative nelly” attitude prevails on Black Velvet Bruce Lee.
Once upon a time(election season 2007) promoting Del. Miller was done on a near daily basis. With the promotion of Del. Miller came the trashing of Ms. Rishell. Oh, during that same time our senior state Senator was trashed too. I would like to see Del. Miller and Sen. Colgan working together to serve their constituents. Colgan and Parrish held town hall meetings together, and this has not happened to my knowledge with Miller.
I really wish I’d picked up that call. I’m sick of “dumpster-divers” in residential areas. I mentioned this yesterday. Has anyone seen this happening in their community? It’s going on hot and heavy in my community of forty-six years. This is sickening to me that someone would want to go through my trash and my neighbor’s too. Not to mention it gives these dirty “dumpster-divers” an excellent opportunity to steal your identity.
silver fox, I am curious if the people going through your trash are on your private property or on the street or in some inbetween area? I just remembered about a Supreme Court case that says there is no 4th Amendment protection regarding going through trash. It has come up in cases with law enforcement that I remember hearing about. I don’t know if you could still apply trespass laws, but I do know there is no automatic protection of property once you have left it out as trash.
Ruling on trash: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_v._Greenwood
Maybe you could make the trash unpalatable for the divers.
silver fox, It is my understanding that Colgan and Miller get along and work together very well. A city school board member told me that they had a meeting with Colgan and Miller over some city issues just a few weeks ago. I was told that the senior senator was very complimentary about the junior delegates reputation and ability in Richmond.
BTW, my wife attended a town hall meeting that they held together last year at the Manassas City Hall.
It is good to know that our local politicians can work together despite party lines. I know Senator Colgan works well with others and I am glad to hear that Delegate Miller does also.
Silver Fox, I know that kids come by sometimes on recycle days and pick up the cans. That enrages Mr. Howler and he yells at them. Was it this type of thing or was it actually pilfering through your trash? Why would someone do that?
Leila had a good idea about making trash unpalatable to divers. Do you have a dog?
That’s good advice AWC. I would not do so since he’s not my delegate, but others may wish to. I hope he behaves better than John Stirrup though. I don’t mean to present myself as wishing that Jackson Miller distinguish himself from Greg Letiecq. I’d prefer he not, and lose the election. But others are on this thread trying to rehabilitate his image, and that is where my idea came in. Jackson Miller should address his Greg Letiecq problem himself. The longer he waits, the longer the public will assume he’s just a Help Save Manssas plant in Richmond.
Silver,
I don’t know why the Jackson Miller conference call wasn’t discussed on the dark screen. Maybe none of them got called? I would like to know how the numbers were selected. It would be great if Del. Miller and Sen. Colgan could team up and do this.
I need to email Del. Miller’s office and encourage him to do more conference calls like that one on Thurs. night. The only thing I think would enhance the event would be knowing it was going to happen. I didn’t have what I considered a good question in my mind. Maybe I did get a heads up and missed the call or didn’t see the mail. I just don’t know.
Leila,
My trash is between the sidewalk and curb. That is my property. I set my trash outside for the garbage company to pick up and dispose of properly at the county landfill, and NOT for anyone else to rummage through, and help themselves to what they like. Thank you for the ruling link you posted.
My grandson just reminded me of something from a few years back. We’d thrown out a sleeper sofa, and called the trash company to arrange for such a pick up. Well, when the trash man came that day the sofa was gone. The trash man came to the door to see if I’d forgotten to set the sofa out. I told him we put it out last night. Well, it did save me the additional pick up fee, but the joke is on the fool that felt in necessary to take. The sofa bed had been the recent “birthing center” for a litter of ten Huskies.
tbl,
I know Colgan did this for many years, and I didn’t think it would change when Miller took office. I’ve heard Del. Miller speak of wanting to work with Senator Colgan. I believe he was sincere. With that being said, I don’t think Monsieur Letiecq would like that idea very much. I believe Delegate Miller to be more of an indenpendent thinker than the others Monsieur Letiecq has backed in the county.
I’m glad your wife attended a town hall meeting last year. I wasn’t saying that the town hall meetings had not happened, but I’d not heard of any. I know there was recently a legislative meeting for the public, and Delegate Miller was unable to attend due to his police duties. I would like to think that the job of Delegate would take precedence over that of his part-time police officer job.
I found this article about the settlement Manassas city had to pay because of the Jackson Miller redefine the family ordinance that carried him to state office:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/24/AR2008092400088.html
Is this about the size of it?
Shelly, you said previously,
“Jackson Miller has a reputation for having a great relationship with extremists in the county, Letiecq, HSM, etc. I think it’s high time he try to rebuild his relationship with the rest of us.”
And then, when I suggested that you get your facts together before throwing around accusations against elected officials and then address them directly rather than through a blog, you said
“That’s good advice AWC. I would not do so since he’s not my delegate, but others may wish to.”
Yet THEN you continue to accuse Delegate Miller of being solely responsible for the family ordinance that allegedly “carried him to state office” after you had been corrected by tbl (tbl, 30. January 2009, 13:09 )! Why don’t you just admit that you have no desire to deal in facts, only in casting aspersions upon those elected officials with whom you do not agree, REGARDLESS of whether you are a constituent or not. Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe anyone is entitled to their opinion regarding ANY elected official, regardless of constituency…unless they use that as an excuse not to bother to get facts before they blather. Was this another “joke” as you claimed when you accused tbl of defending Miller because, according to you, he worked for him?
By the way Shelly, if you actually believe that you have not been casting aspersions against a good and honorable man who has served his actual constituency true to his word to that constituency, I should like you to note that, by my count, out of your 16 comments on this thread you have done exactly that 11 times…going so far as to say “Del. Miller is like Dr. Frankenstein and HSM is Frankenstein’s monster.”
I can tell you this…I, as a long-time admirer, friend, and finally campaign manager in that final, arduous campaign for his re-election, firmly believe that Harry Parrish would have been proud of Jackson Miller’s representation of his beloved district in Richmond, and his service to the people that Harry loved so well.
AWC, All I am saying is that Jackson Miller has a Greg Letiecq problem. If you want to defend Miller, you have to either deny the connection, or defend Letiecq. Most people see Letiecq as a racist, propagandist, bully, and hate-monger, etc. And most people see his handiwork as having damaged this county. This reflects poorly on Miller, in my opinion. There are people who think it reflects well on him. But I think there are more who have a negative of Letiecq, especially after the Chief Deane attack and the vigilantism meltdowns. All Miller would have to do is say, “I didn’t know Letiecq was that crazy.”
Not even Harry Parrish said that of Steve Chapman, even when he screamed (literally) out in front of a Pro-Life audience that Harry was, essentially, a baby killer (supported partial birth abortions)…and as far as I’m concerned, Chapman was not only crazy but an idiot!! Whatever Jackson may or may not think of Greg, he (Miller) is far more a gentleman than you are a lady!
…and me too, for that matter.
Also, Shelly, you have not only been focusing on the Letiecq connection, but also on everything else that you can possibly pull out of the air…or agree with when someone else posits a negative (i.e. Manassas family ordinance). Ergo, your protest rings rather hollow. All else aside, your (and your fellows) determination to demonize Delegate Miller for the friends or acquaintances he might have is rather disingenuous. It seems to happen quite a lot around here, although I challenge ANY of you to claim that there is no individual(s) of your acquaintance with whom someone or another might find fault.
Letiecq will be a problem for any politician who has used his services in the past. All of them need to start planning another way to get their message out. Letiecq has attacked way too many people that the people of Prince William hold in high regard.
AWC, you know I bear you know ill will. I’m fond of you and have defended you in the past. But you aren’t going to get anywhere in rehabbing Jackson Miller’s reputation by attacking me. Either Letiecq is a liability or not. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know very much about the back story. I only ever really heard of Miller because of two things: immigration and Letiecq. Now that immigration has blown up in all of our faces, I agree with Rhoda: it’s time Miller find another way to get his message out.