Well, well, well… has Corey finally turned the corner? In the Washington Post article, entitled Stewart Softens Tone, Shifts Focus From Immigration to Economy, we learn that Stewart wants to
navigating Republican loyalists out of the immigration debate with the same vigor he used to help draw them into it
and
to become a consensus-builder.
What has caused these changes in attitude? Is he serious? Will there now be an overture of welcoming and inclusiveness? What can we expect from the newly defined Chairman? So many questions. What does everyone think, is he for real?
WHWN, you mean like the “Statue of Liberty” lady from New York, and the multitude of out-of-staters who spoke at that marathon “Citizen’s Time” session regarding the Resolution? The majority of speakers were not from Prince William County, yet they were allowed to speak. Then there was that massive demonstration where people were bused in from all over. Perhaps those things should be investigated as well.
AWCheney, where do you get the “fact” that the majority of speakers were not from PWC? Are you talking about the marathon meeting?
From their sign-ins…I was there.
Perhaps I should have said the VAST majority of people speaking in opposition to the resolution were not from Prince William County.
AWC, I think we are on the same page here. It’s not ideal to have your local officials make important decisions based on emails from out of state, but it’s not illegal either.
I watched the entire thing from the comfort of my sofa at home and I remember the Supervisors telling a few people that they’d have to go back and wait until PWC citizens had spoken, but I didn’t get the impression that citizens were outnumbered by non- residents.
If you read up further on the thread, you’ll see I am more of a free speech type of person.
Censored, you are correct about that. The non-residents always go to the back of the line. Statue of Liberty, in fact, got turned away when she did not present a PWC address. But really, does it matter? If we recall, the Supervisors had already brokered a deal before Citizens Time began that day. Those 13 hours were just an exercise in futility.
AWC, I don’t know what you are trying to say, but there were quite a few speakers against the Resolution who were neither ethnic nor hippie-looking.
WHWN (re lobbyiests), that’s where the term “Conspiracy” comes in.
(re your later comments) I agree with the exercise in futility… and I was one of those who spoke against the resolution (and, for the record, I am neither particularly “ethnic” nor “hippie-looking”… perhaps my loss). Those thirteen hours were another example of political theater staged to give citizens the feeling that the process works. As with real theater, the script is written in advance and the real work is behind the curtain.
I don’t make assumptions based upon appearance WHWN…I’m sorry that you feel the need to.
Actually, I do agree with you that the opinion of the citizens of a jurisdiction on matters before a local governing body should dominate. Unfortunately, we have not only witnessed interference from outside of our county on this matter, it has actually extended from outside of our country. I agree that this is totally unacceptable.
Corey has made a decision to break with Greg, for whatever reason, we may never know. I am a firm believer in “redemption”. Look at Robb Pearson, he made a clear choice to look inward and make a change. I think that Corey deserves an opportunity to show his word has meaning. I knew Corey personally, and at one point, believed very strongly in his ability to make the right decisions. Obviously, I was extremely disappointed in his choices and its ultimate negative impact on PWC. We will have to wait and see how Corey implements this new direction, but I await, the eternal optimist, that Corey will once again, make me proud to know him.
Opinion,
Although I understand your premise, I have no desire to see anyone “prosecuted” for the endeavor in PWC. All I want is some sanity to return 🙂
AWC, there were some speakers at Citizens Time who said their papers had expired recently, and even some that came here without status. I hope that’s what you mean by “outside our country.” I can only think of one person who is deranged and hysterical enough to believe there is an actual invasion funded and perpetrated by foreign governments…. Barring that, we do agree.
Opinion, I don’t think the 13 hours were designed as political theater. I think that Corey Stewart (who sent out the postcards), Greg Letiecq (who rallied the Help Save Manassas crowd), and (Ricardo Juarez who rallied the Hispanic community) all believed that the vote might be influenced by citizen input.
My understanding is that Supervisors May and Nohe tried to form a moderate version of the resolution that included provisions for community outreach and independent studies to protect against racial profiling, and this was agreed to prior to the meeting, but not prior to the sending of the post card and other efforts to recruit speakers on both sides.
Elena, I share your sentiment. I have been incredibly disappointed by Corey Stewart, but then again all Republicans have had to do some soul searching during the past 8 years. If he could summon the courage to seek the kind of redemption we saw from Robb Pearson, that would be the greatest public service he could ever provide for his party and his county. I share your optimism. But as I said above, I fear that Greg Letiecq has something over him … some sort of threat, that would preclude him from making his true feelings known.
Well WHWN, we’ll just have to let this journey continue and see where it leads 🙂
No WHWN, I cast a farther net that with my remark. I was referring to the government of Mexico, as well as other Latin American countries that saw fit to stir things up around here.
Correction: than that with my remark.
The first time I ever met Corey Stewart, he said he was a fiscal hawk. His mission was to cut taxes and reduce spending. I thought that man was lost and gone forever when I watched as he proposed that the board raise taxes in order to maintain a costly Immigration Resolution that was already raising taxes, already hurting our economy, and destined to saddle us with millions of dollars in legal fees on our way up the federal court system.
Luckily for the Corey Stewart I once knew, his fellow Supervisors held firm, the law was changed, and, although taxes still went up last year, at least we aren’t making opening arguments before the Supreme Court in a racial profiling law suit right about now.
This left Corey with an opening, thankfully for all of us. I imagine the Board wants to reopen the doors to economic recovery that have been slammed shut in the past 2 years. Corey needs to be a part of that if his career is to survive. If his fellow Board members are gracious and forgiving, they’ll let him in on some of that. Our economy has no where to go but up, and it would be nice to see a united BOCS working to ensure that recover is sooner rather than later.
AWC,
HUH?
Is it just me, or are people being way too quick to join the Corey Stewart fan club after years of really poor, really disastrous leadership???
I prefer fiscal conservatives to social conservatives as well. But for a long while now, the two have fed off of one another in a not so healthy way. Corey Stewart represents both, in my opinion. He doesn’t want to be a social conservative right now, but what happens when the next hate-based initiative comes along?
Also, fiscal conservative is great but right now that’s not what this country needs. We need the government to spend money to dig us out of the whole we are in. The feds can borrow money, the county can’t. Okay. But this unwillingness to raise taxes in the face of the tough budget year, I’m not sure if this is practical or simply an ideological application of a preconceived notion, and a play to the other half of the conservative base.
What is it about Corey Stewart that everyone wants to be his friend all of the sudden?
“What is it about Corey Stewart that everyone wants to be his friend all of the sudden?”
Doesn’t everybody feel sorry for ‘Ruprecht the Monkey Boy” or the “Elephant Man”. It’s really not all that difficult to feel sorry for the bottom 10% of the class.
Elena (re, “Although I understand your premise”). If there is no price to pay for what happened in PWC, we are doomed to see it happen again. I would think a Grand Jury investigation is in order to hold those who “stole” our County Government from PWC’s legal resident’s accountable and prosecute based upon the evidence.
I don’t plan to re-join the Corey Stewart Fan Club any time soon (and I was a member once, like Justin T. and many others). He has shown his true nature. What a man says may change; however, his nature doesn’t. To ignore his nature is to risk a repeat of “The Immigration Resolution” using some other County issue as the vehicle for his “ruthless self-promotion.”
There’ll be no rush on my part to join his fan club either. His conscience didn’t seem to bother him when he was spouting off to the media about how much money we’d save by implementing the resolution or how much crime we’d prevent. Cost/benefit analysis wasn’t his strong point. We’re stuck with him for a couple/few more years, but this county deserves better than what he has provided in terms of his chameleon-like leadership.
Actually, I think he should apologize to the residents of this county for the further crappy reputation he’s helped us acquire. He shouldn’t be let off the hook so easily.
I, too, think we need to invest in our county. I live in the Northern Virginia area because of the amenities. If I wanted crummy services, underfunded schools, no parkland, I could chose from many other Virginia locales. There’s more to life than “no new taxes”. I don’t think Stewart has any more brilliant ideas on handling the economy than he did on immigration.
Doesn’t anyone remember the fable about the frog and the scorpion?
I am fairly speechless over much of what I have read here this afternoon.
Here is an review. I feel confident that Corey speaks with forked tongue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6rZjrPTI14
Corey forgets the nasty, insulting set of questions he sent to Chief Deane.
Those questions were posted on a blog! I feel Corey knew darn well where those email exchanges between supervisors regarding Chief Deane were going. How else did his puppeteer get hold of them? Way too fast for the emails to come via FOIA.
I will remain skeptical. Leopards don’t change their spots.
Mr. Make Over is going to be anything that creates the most votes for his next election.
From the WaPo:
Go read the thread on e-verify and the Town of Herndon. Look at what Corey says.
He has not abandoned immigration. I do not knock e-verify. I don’t know enough about it. (other than it is supposed to expire in March)
As for the emails our supervisors got, it was dead wrong. It is very different from people coming here face to face and giving an address. I see no comparison to an email from Arizona (and not stating it was from AZ) and a speaker who states they are from another area.
Mackie, I found the PERFECT T-Shirt for you and your “civil disobedience”
http://store.theworstpageintheuniverse.com/shirts.html#CIVILBLACKRED
WHWN,
The notion that the immigration resolution hurt OUR economy is pure BS.
Slow, do you feel the Immigration Resolution HELPED our local economy?
Let me put it another way, can you say with fair certainty that we would have the same number of foreclosures and failed businesses had the Immigration Resolution not gotten people rattled and fearful?
How come we are the foreclosure kings and queens of Virginia?
Slow, give up. Why do you think Stewart is backing down. The Resolution hurt our economy on every level, and ultimately that matters a lot more than “social” issues.
Ah, it’s just like watching the History channel. I think I’ll pull out my box set of DVD’s and re-watch the entire Citizen’s Time (what a misnomer) regarding the Resolution vote. I think I may have picked up a little Spanish from all of that! How soon we forget.
Economies recover, but social issues last forever! We’re still fighting about slavery for God sakes. I’m suppose to feel responsible for slavery because I was born white. Judge a man by the content of his character, and not by the color of his skin I always say, and we have a lot of people with little character in some neighborhoods these days! I’ve even heard that some people are erecting huge signs in their yards as if they are the only ones with a gripe about something. All replies welcome, it’s a free speech thing you know.
Slowpoke “Rodriguez,” you celebrate the Immigration Resolution because the people you dislike have left the county. If so, then admit that those people owned businesses, owned houses, and shopped in stores. It really damaged the economy and all the numbers prove it.
I also heard rumors back then that if they left we wouldn’t have enough people to fill the jobs. Any McDonalds closed down for lack of workers recently? Businesses have closed due to lack of sales, but not workers, or at least that’s not something that has taken center stage in the news. Do we really need to hash this all out again? Talking about the economic survival of US tax paying citizens is where we should be focused. Let Fernandez wallow in his own vacuum.
Moon-howler… I like the way you think.
This isn’t about being a Corey fan or not being a Corey fan, this is about the health and well being our County, and frankly, our country. If Corey can demonstrate, concretely, how he plans to put his new turn around into action, I will listen.
I listened once, Elena. What’s that chinese proverb, “fool me once…” This is politics (where we can change leadership), not church (where we forgive and forget). He failed the test of public service. We should give someone else a chance.
Who among the board members has shown the honesty and integrity we look for in a Chairman? Why wouldn’t we give this person the seat? That’s the discussion we should be having.
2nd Alamo, I don’t think you probably heard that here on this blog as a theme. No one here said everything was wonderful. We accepted that there were problems with overcrowding, bad neighbors, etc.
I think where we part company with other groups is how we handle problems. We didn’t vilify illegal immigrants and use terms like parasites and dog food.
I don’t think much will be said about Fernandez either. I don’t see his objective, therefore, his antics are not worth discussing.
What we are hashing out, and will be for several days, is the direction Corey Stewart will be taking with the BOCS. I am one who is not willing to forgive and forget. You know, it was really his tone that just pissed me off so much. I felt he was a bully and he was opportunistic. He played on people’s discomfort with their neighborhoods for political gain and basically to get elected. He played upon the fears of those living in the older neighborhoods and he fanned the flames that have been used for decades, perhaps centuries in this country over immigrants and immigration.
Thanks, Opinion.
Perhaps someone new will run for chairman at large in 2011. That seems so far off. Right now, there is nothing we can do about who is sitting in those magisterial district seats. That ship has sailed.
Who was it that brought up the frog and the scorpion? You mean, its just my nature?
http://www.allaboutfrogs.org/stories/scorpion.html
We probably all should reread this animal story.
Moon-howler, three years is an “instant” in politics. It will be 2011 sooner than you think. If we want different choices, the time to start the process is now.
Moon-Howler,
I’m not saying the Resolution helped or hurt our local economy…I’m saying it had absolutely nothing to do with our economy. I’ve heard and read all the BS reasons offered as to why Corey Stewart is personally to blame for a financial cycle. Not one of them holds a drop of water. You could sooner convince me that the Resolution caused the hole in the Ozone layer, or Global Warming.
Slow, I probably couldn’t convince you of those other things either.
I don’t think that Corey Stewart is entirely to blame for what happened to Pince William County, nor have I ever suggested that he was. I think that the policy set and actions taken by Prince William County created a situation that took a bad situation and worsened it. Therefore, we ended up being having the most foreclosures in the state.
I think these things were done to win elections. It worked, but the price was very steep both in terms of the local economy and in terms of county reputation.
Opinion, I hope there are those who are working on doing just that. It is my understanding that several wheels are in motion.
Dark Screen is summarizing this article as the WaPo calling Stewart a liberal.
Now that’s some spin.
Slowpoke,
The numbers of foreclosures and drop in home values are available again from the Center of Regional Analysis. I don’t have time right now to post a thread but clearly from the charts Prince William is experiencing something quite different from the other counties.
AWCHENY is right on target as usual, Corey does go where the political winds blow, as do MOST other politicians. They lie about just about anything to get elected, and tell everyone what they want to hear to get elected.
I prefer a person of honest character anyday. I believe Obama will turn out to be such a leader.
Moon Howler, I agree with you that things were made worse by the political nature of 287G. I don’t think anyone really understood what it meant (deport criminals) and make mandatory the checking of all encounters with police, a mandatory check on legal status.
People who advocated against 287G, simply did not want “illegals” to be caught or deported. We HAVE a large number of those who support illegals “mostly former illegals who are family members or related to illegals in some way” that moved into PWC, in larger numbers than in most other counties. PWC had the larger numbers of people in these demographics ALSO take out mortgages they could not pay for. They are the cause of the economic collapse, not the 287G program.
Elena and others railed against 287G, because they saw some people angry at “illegal” immigrants also were unable to seperate the numbers of certain “ethnicities” who commited such unlawful acts as simply “illegal” people from different ethnicities, and caused the problem to be about RACE and ethnicity, instead of what it was really about, legal and illegal. Although she and others correctly focused on those who directed such hatred toward groups rather than “individuals” who broke laws and committed crimes, they failed to make the community better and less impoverished, and actually created conditions for EVEN more poverty (the economic collapse) and more crime and undermining of society and the law.
I think they actually enjoyed this and still enjoy it, much to the communities’ economic and social detriment.
It did not help that activists who love illegal aliens, insist on blurring the issues into just “immigration” rather than specifically focusing ONLY on “illegal” immigration.
Michael, why are you confusing 287G and “Probable Cause?”. We had 287G before John Stirrup joined Help Save Manassas, before Corey Stewart even knew who Greg Letiecq was. Chief Deane recommended it in 2006 and to my knowledge no one publicly opposed.
When Elena became active on the issue it was to repeal probable cause, which was in essence manditory racial profiling and likely to be proven as such in a court of law.
Michael, I must correct you. Elena, Alanna and I have never railed against the 287(g) program. In fact, that component was not part of the Immigration Resolution of July 10, 2007. At the time that measure passed, the 287(g) program was up and running at the jail. We were pleased when the BOCS finally voted to check status after arrest. That was a far better plan than the ‘probable cause plan.
None of us has advocated open borders. Collectively, we have called for civilized discussion by our politicians and policy setting that is based on what is best for all residents of the county. We have decried the fact that hispanics have been singled out because regardless of great protest, most people have failed to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. There is no clear distinction when most remarks are being made.
We also support comprehensive immigration reform.