Guest poster Chris has contributed this article about the lastest Tele-Town Meeting hosted by Jackson Miller. Thank you, Guest Poster Chris for keeping us informed.
Delegate Jackson Miller was out and about again last evening with his tele-town meeting. This method of reaching the voters is very effective for Jackson. He is very knowledgeable about most of the topics his audience hurls his way.
Last night’s town meeting lasted a little over an hour. Recipients could listen, or listen and ask a question. Some of the topics last night dealt with loop holes in gun laws, home schooling, boating restrictions on Lake Manassas, stimulus money being turned down, widening route 28, restrictions on nursing homes because of location, home foreclosures, rebates for private schools, state and local election recalls, unemployment benefits and one lady even thanked Delegate Miller for the letter her child got for doing well in school.
If Delegate Miller didn’t know the answer, he promised to get back to the caller. He certainly covered a myriad of topics and had an answer for most of the questions he was asked. We do have a delegate who thinks well on his feet. That is an even better trait since Delegate Miller is also one of Prince William’s finest. A good police officer needs to think fast on his feet also.
While it didn’t come up last night, this weekend is the 42nd birthday bash fundraiser for Delegate Miller. Happy Birthday Jackson.
Word on the street is that Miller said even though your friend Gotthardt wasn’t nice to him, he didn’t hold anything against her. That says something about HIM I think.
He looks younger than 42.
Thumper,
Agreed, he looks younger than 42.
I’m not quite sure how to take your other statement. Care to elaborate?
I’m not getting the lovefest. Miller and Letiecq are too closely aligned for my liking.
Miller has a Letiecq problem that follows him everywhere he goes. I can’t even look at him without his hair falling out and eyes bulging hatefully. It’s like when a movie star becomes labelled for only one role. Miller has starred in a few too many Church of Gospel Greg horror flicks. And word on the street is Miller was the Letiecq monster’s creator. We would not have had two years of Letiecq bullying and lunacy without Jackson Miller’s political cynicism and mean-spiritedness.
“Boating restrictions on Lake Manassas”
– The primary purpose of Lake Manassas is to provide safe, clean
water to over 100,000 area people (all of Manassas City and
portions of PWC and Manassas Park).
– Boating and fishing on the lake might be possible if they
were carefully controlled and regulated to insure no harm to
the lake’s main purpose.
– The lake is owned by the City of Manassas, but surrounded on
all sides by PWC. The city needs the full cooperation of the
county for a marina to be built.
@ShellyB
Honestly, horror flicks? A few too many? Jackson spoke at few HSM meetings. Now, how is that starring in horror flicks? Remember, these “horror flicks” you speak of were filmed by others outside of HSM. And YES they had their own agenda. I really think you are little over the top this morning, Shelly.
Have you ever even spoken to Jackson?
@NotFeelingIt
Where’s there a “lovefest”. I would hardly call a review of the tele-town hall that. It’s just a recount of the issues. Geesh!
I don’t believe Jackson Miller was ever a member of HSM, although I am sure they courted him like they did other politicians. I think the important thing here is that Jackson as delegate of the 50th state district is reaching out, even to people he knows disagree with him on some issues.
He has never called any one of us an illegal alien apologist like some folks I can think of. (or at least to my knowledge) Jackson Miller is also far more mainstream than the delegate of the 13th district. His main job is out in the real world where he sees the good and the bad.
Does that mean I will vote for him this fall? Not necessarily. But I will give him a fair chance because he is approachable.
Chris, If I see Jackson Miller I will ask him how he let himself become so firmly associated with Letiecq. He does seem like a nice person, but so does Corey Stewart. And both clearly have anger management problems.
I felt that Miller was using Letiecq to express his rage at Hispanics and Jeanette Rishell. Letiecq was saying all the dirt and hate that Miller wanted to say. And if Miller didn’t want to be associated with unbridled hate, he should have said so. But he has not to this day.
And Chris, it really is not HSM members that were so frightening. It was the kind of disgusting hatred Greg put on his blog. And unfortunately that was one of the things that gave HSM the bad name. Greg attacked everyone including Chief Deane and even the Republicans on the Board who were not bowing to him like Miller, Stewart, and Stirrup do.
I try not to say bad things about HSM because I know you and a lot of good people used to be members. It was the manipulation of the HSM members from the top down thay bothered me. And that’s where Miller falls in the chain of command, right below Letiecq. Or he is sitting next to Letiecq in the dark room behind the curtain pulling all the levers.
But you know, I will ask him if he meant for it to be this way. Maybe he didn’t KNOW what Letiecq was writing and others were writing on Greg’s blog. But I think he did know because Greg’s blog was basically an arm of the Jackson Miller reelection campaign. If Miller didn’t enjoy seeing all that hate being spewed at Jeanette Rishell and Hispanics and gays and Muslims, he should have let us know that. Instead he appeared at Greg’s meetings, and who knows what else in the dark room behind he curtain.
There has never been a clean separation between the hateful blog and HSM. Greg is now classified as a nativist. But Miller has yet to explain. Did he always know Letiecq was this way? Did he not know and find out later? What makes it okay for Miller to have such associations? And how true are the rumors that Miller was the first politician in Letiecq’s pocket, even before Stirrup and Stewart?
-Would ask Jackson if he would stop trying to reduce the local
Machinery and Tools tax or the local business tax (BPOL)?
If he wants to cut something, cut STATE taxes. Attacking local
revenue sources at the GA level is slime politics – grab
the credit, but not live with the fiscal consequences.
County boards and city councils are elected to balance
local resources and needs.
-Would also ask Jackson about voting down accepting Federal
funding to help unemployed Virginias in the biggest recession
in decades. What is the monthly max – years from now –
a company might pay more per worker under the worst scenario?
Does $4.50 a month ring a bell?
Jackson Miller is an intelligent friendly family man, but that
doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be questioned on issues of the day when
he seeks elective office.
I do know Miller knew who owned BVBL and refused to say anything about it when asked. Perhaps he has decided to disassociate himself, which would be wise of him.
Chris, I can’t tell you any more than I already have about Miller’s attitude about Gotthardt (because as I said, it’s the word on the street), but I would encourage anyone here to ask and see what kind of answer you get.
I dont think saying that Miller used Letiecq to express his rage at immigrants or at the other candidate can in any way be backed up with facts. Back in 2007, Letiecq was on a roll. Heaven help the politician who got in his cross-hairs. Miller was part of the Republican machine that rolled through Prince William County. Not many Democrats survived. However, I have never felt that Delegate Miller in any way acted dishonorably or showed particular malice towards his opposition or any group of people.
He is not a single issue candidate like some I know. I have always felt that he works toward the good of his constituents in a fairly bi-partisan way (like Harry Parrish did when he and Chuck Colgan did when they went to Richmond). If someone knows information I don’t know here would the place to discuss it.
I have several issues having nothing to do with immigration that I differ with Delegate Miller over, but I have found him to be fair and also a gentleman, like his 50th District predecessor.
Agreed, Poor Richard. He should be questioned about things. I would give him kudos for making himself available for such questioning. I have several ideological differences with Delegate Miller. I am not sure I can reconcile those differences either. However, far be it from me to be a single issue voter.
I don’t think that Miller needs the Letiecq albatross around his neck at this point. The political reality is, Miller would be stupid to throw his base under a bus. It will be a balancing act for him if he is going to be seen as a mainstream candidate vs a mini-me Tom Tancredo.
Miller was angry and probably still is because his friend was killed by an illegal alien in a car accident. It has been a personal issue for him. I don’t think that has worked in his favor. His rage came through loud and clear last election time.
@Thumper
Thumper, fair enough.
I’ve done my homework(not word on the street), and am inclined to agree with you. I think it would be wise of any politician to distance themselves from Mr. L.(imho)
I don’t agree with Jackson on all issues, and he’s very aware of that. He’s always been respectful of my view, and I of his. I certainly don’t think he’d call me “Godless” as others have.
I’ve never been one of those that Jackson was the “mad man” behind bvbl. I don’t blame him or anyone for not saying who the original owner of bvbl was.
I do like Jackson’s reaching out to all of his constinuents, and not just the chosen few. Hopefully, other poliiticians are paying attention, and may consider something similar.
Chris, you just hit the nail on the head. He reaches out to everyone and makes himself available to all constituents, not just the ones who he knows support him. I know people who never get a newsletter from their supervisor because they are not politically on the same sheet of music. To me, that is just wrong.
That’s just not how Jackson Miller does business. He serves all his constituents.
Anesthsia, what is this best friend killing stuff you are talking about?
Jackson Miller is someone who has learned and matured in public
office. (I wonder what he now thinks of the ill-fated “family
definition” ordinance he championed on the Manassas City Council
with its “second degree of consanguinity”?)
Elections are tent shows to attract the largest crowd –
governing is the art of the possible – legally and fiscally and
it is about balance and fairness for all those you represent.
Jackson has always been a good man – he has become a good
Virginia Delegate.
Readers need to be reminded that the Jackson Miller Hour, or so it seems, is really about how he is serving the people of the 50th state district, rather than about his re-election campaign. When the election gets going, it would be my hope that we give everyone equal campaign coverage in the 50th.
I don’t know how people are selected for the tele-town meetings but I would think you could call his office and be placed on the phone list.
I generally think political calls are annoying but this isn’t like a political call. It is like someone really gives a damn about what you are thinking.
The only thing I would do differently, if I were running the show, would be to somehow get out advanced notice to think up your questions. When I got my call, a couple of months ago, I had to think fast. I didn’t have time to put much thought in my question. I didn’t know the bill number, etc. I also wasn’t selected to ask my question so it didn’t matter.
“Anesthsia, what is this best friend killing stuff you are talking about?”
Miller said in his last campaign that his friend was killed by an illegal alien. I can’t remember if it was a fellow police officer or not, but he was so furious when he talked about it, I think he underminded his own argument.
Miller is a police officer. The last thing we need is a police officer openly furious about the immigration issue. That kind of attitude can only lead to more anger in citizens and eventually, racial profiling.
M-H and Chris, I am willing to believe you about Jackson Miller being a decent and good person. Being as such, I will be greatly relieved when he publicly denounces the tactics of Greg Letiecq, distances himself from hate-based attacks, and asks Letiecq to stop running attack ad’s on his web site in support of the Miller reelection campaign.
I would be very glad if this happened, and much prefer this to having this unspoken smear on the Manassas area with a public official having such an ugly connection.
Also, I would love it if Miller would come clean with what he knows about the origin of Letiecq’s hate blog. Because many people around here believe Miller was one of the original creators, and his silence when that law suit popped up was to protect himself.
The election this fall should be a referendum on Miller and his connection with HSM and Letiecq. If it’s not, he wins in a walk. If it is, we’ll have to wait and see. Town meetings and out-reach are all well and good, but I judge a man(candidate)by the company he keeps. In several posts letiecq has referred to Miller as “my good friend Jackson Miller”.
I guess the question to ask is, has Jackson ever called Greg his good friend? I don’t think that is an unfair question.
On the other hand, the political reality is, Jackson cannot renounce Greg and HSM, nor would I expect him to. If he is smart will distance himself. Why alienate some of your past supporters?
I never heard the illegal alien story killing his best friend. I hope he is past that now.
“With the exception of Georgia, Virginia is the cheapest state
in the union when it comes to the unemployment premium.
Raising the ANNUAL tab by $4.50 per employee – which is what
Gov. Kaine proposed – isn’t going to bankrupt anyone, and
would push Virginia from the second cheapest state all the
way to the third.”
Loudoun Times-Mirror
(April 21, 2009)
But most important is it would help Virginia families
that are facing the challenges of unemployement in a really
tough job market. It would be a boost for those most in need
at a very modest cost.
Jackson Miller should be ashamed of joining with Republican
sycophants in the House of Delegates to defeat this measure
on party lines. I expected better of him.
@ShellyB
You know NOTHING about Jackson Miller, and what you wrote…
…is one of the most mean-spirited things I have ever see on this site, particularly coming from someone who obviously has neither met nor spoken to Jackson Miller. Of course, I really shouldn’t be surprised…you often tend to make mean-spirited statements as fact about people you’ve never met nor had any association with whatsoever.
I am also disappointed in Jackson Miller and his ties to Greg Letiecq. I do recognize that when their ties were first formed many years ago, Miller had no way of knowing what Letiecq would become. But now that Letiecq has infected our community with hate, bullying, intimidation, and threats of violence, it is time for Miller to make a public statement.
This would not only allow Miller to do a better job of representing us and earning back our trust. It would also demonstrate the courage and the leadership that our Board of Supervisors has lacked. As a police officer, I’m sure that Jackson Miller has faced down tougher customers than Greg Letiecq.
Someone has to stand up and say that this culture of intimidation, hatred, and vindictiveness needs to be exorcised from our community. No one should fear to speak their mind in a functioning democracy. But that is what Letiecq and his followers sought to create, and have created to some degree.
Perhaps Jackson Miller is the man to stand up and say no to Letiecq’s extreme and hateful bullying.
@Poor Richard
Poor Richard, is there another way to accept this stimulus money? What a shame for Virginia’s families and for our economy. One thing I’ll say for Jackson Miller, he sticks with his party even when they’re wrong.
Perhaps, Witness Too, you should get the facts about the “stimulus” money turned down by Virginia. You might want to check out this article in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/18/AR2009041801945.html
“In addition, the expanded benefits would apply to part-time workers, even if they were offered and refused suitable full-time work. That scenario is a current disqualifier for full-time workers. An expansion to include part-time workers strikes at the fundamental definition of unemployment insurance: an insurance program that pays defined benefits to individuals who become unemployed through no fault of their own and who are available for and are looking for full-time work.
Even without the controversial amendments to expand benefits, the state’s trust fund solvency level — determined by dividing the balance in the trust fund by the statutorily determined adequate fund balance — will dip to 38.5 percent in June and to about 20 percent by June 2010, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. This decline will trigger new taxes on employers and force Virginia to start borrowing money from the federal government for current existing and extended benefits only. Furthermore, the federal stimulus bill requires that states permanently expand benefits without expiration, even when the stimulus money runs out, leaving Virginia employers to foot the bill.”
Doesn’t sound that great anymore, does it? I am so frustrated by uninformed people who are CONSTANTLY making assumptions based upon absolutely no evidence beyond, “How can they not support something that sounds so great,” without knowing the first thing about it. Got help us if those people ever become elected officials themselves!! Of course, it often seems that a majority of the U.S. Congress works exactly that way, and has for a long time…which is why we’re in the trouble that we’re in now.
Correction: GOD help us…Got is God in German (with an umlaut over the “o,” of course), but it was a typo anyway.
During his Town hall telephone conference Delegate Miller explained his reason why he voted against the increased unemployment benefits. Without getting into them on here, his explanation made sense to me. I will say it had to do with including benefits to part time workers and his concern was it would cripple businesses.
It is true that the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund is rapidly
depleting its resources due to rising unemployment. This depletion
is occuring now and may well continue to increase – with or
without the stimulus assistance. Refusing the $125 million dollars
only exacerbates the problem for Virginia’s unemployed and their
families.
This should not have been a partisan issue. It is about helping
hard working fellow Virginia citizens who have lost their jobs
and are now struggling.
(And A.W. Cheney – the WaPo “article” you note is, in reality,
an opinion piece by the vice- chair of the Fairfax Chamber of
Commerce – a little like Rover Rugpiddle doing a story entitled
“Why All Cats Are Bad” – hardly objective journalism.)
A.W. Cheney and Poor Richard, thank you for the information.
I’d afford more credence to opinion pieces like the one A.W. Cheney sited, if it hadn’t been for the various Republican governors and presidential hopefuls trying to play politics on this issue. They leaped before looking, and most have been forced to back down by their own Republican legislatures.
Not so in Virginia, and I’m still looking for a genuine explanation. There has been way too much grandstanding from the right on this issue, in particular from ambitious politicians who are simply looking for a way to say “no” as a path to higher office. The fact that it was a party line vote in Richmond tells me that Virginia Republicans, including Mr. Miller, are taking their orders from political strategists and not from a policy making standpoint.
From that perspective, I don’t mind the fact that Chairman Stewart talks out of both sides of his mouth, decrying stimulus money when he speaks to right wing activists, but complaining that there is not enough of it to the Washington Post.
In any case, Poor Richard, thank you for holding Mr. Miller and our other representatives in Richmond accountable, and A.W., thank you for pointing us to an excellently written justification of this strategy, and for the German language lesson!
Just because it was an opinion piece does not mean that you should ignore the facts cited in it. It is ridiculous to offer unemployment insurance for part-time work, particularly when they turn down full time employment! THAT is one of the amendments to unemployment required for acceptance of the stimulus money. You’ll be seeing a lot more wages paid “under the table,” untaxed because that’s the only way some businesses will be able to survive.
There’s also the over-all matter of the Federal government controlling another of the prerogatives of state government, side-stepping the 10th Amendment. Virginia has always been considered a pro-business state, thereby attracting business and, heretofore, partially immune to recession cycles. Very few parts of the Commonwealth have suffered as severely as other parts of the country in past recessions. Thanks to the Federal government’s over-borrowing, over-spending, over-printing (currency), and over-manipulating the economy, we’re ALL in bad shape now. Do you REALLY want them bringing that “economic sense” into our state government more than they already have? That’s what this “stimulus” is all about…more abrogation of local control and more side-stepping of the Constitution. There’s no such thing as a free lunch folks…much as people seem to believe there is nowadays.
Much of far right-wing Republican dogma sounds better in the
original German.
What?
@Poor Richard
If you consider my comments to be representative of “far right-wing Republican dogma,” you really haven’t educated yourself on the subject. Besides, historically the Republican Party never existed in Germany, either in the 30’s-40’s or at any other time in their history. I’d begun to think that your head might not be screwed on quite right, Poor Richard, and I think this probably settles that for me.
“This should not have been a partisan issue. It is about helping
hard working fellow Virginia citizens who have lost their jobs
and are now struggling.”
By the way, Richard, this is NOT a partisan issue for me. It is an issue and my position is based upon my knowledge of Virginia and common sense. The fact is, twerp, my husband has been unemployed for over a year now, and ALL unemployment has run out!! This is not about me, or you, or anyone else…this is about the future of Virginia, and perhaps you greedy, selfish carpetbaggers should take that into consideration now and then!!
Richard, I think you’d better apologize for the “original German” line. There are many German Americans who are not right wing at all. That’s a huge stereotype. I assume a joke.
AWC, I was following you until you said that our economic troubles are due to the Federal government doing too much. I think just about everyone except John McCain and his lobbyist economic adviser now realizes that our economic bubble burst because government didn’t do enough to regulate the banking, credit and home mortgage industries. I know you don’t like all the spending to dig ourselves out of the whole. But if you are not honest about what PUT us in the hole, it’s harder to trust you on what to do or not do to get out of it.
Shelly, after all your unfounded statements about Jackson Miller, I don’t think that I can take your opinion seriously on anything, ever again.
My reference was to the comment made by the late writer Molly Ivins
on Pat Buchanan’s “Culture War” speech at the 1992 Republican Convention
that it “sounded better in the original German”. The GOP meeting
that year clearly jumped the shark and it helped to open the door
for the election of Bill Clinton. (Dems, of course, run the same
risk of going to extremes).
Some apparently see this as “standing up” to massive spending
in Washington which I understand. On the other hand, many of us
focus on thousands of our fellow Virginians unemployed and near the
end of their rope in tough times and a 125 million package that
would offer aid. This is standing up for those in need – not
fat cat political donors – but decent families pounded by economic
forces far beyond their control.
The lockstep Republicans in the GA are on the wrong side of
this issue – fiscally and morally.
Yeah, well this is one family that, although we’re just about out of savings, out of unemployment benefits, and barely hanging on, we are educated to, and recognize, what got our country to this point in the first place…and what the government is offering is only more of the same. Whatever happens to us, we’re not going to become part of the problem that will continue to send this country down the toilet and have to face our children to explain why we were part of the problem that mortgaged their future, and their children’s future…our conscience will be clear. I wonder what you’ll see in the mirror one day.
– Note that money provided to families on the brink normally
gets spent PDQ on food, shelter and medical needs – it has a
well known mulitplier impact on the local economy and that helps
our entire community.
– Since the Republicans in the Virginia House voted to refuse the
$125M it will be used in other states, eager to use it
to help their needy citizens. Clearly, all the GOP plans
to offer unemployed Virginias and their families is – the finger.
– AW Cheney, consience is my guide on this issue. Without it,
I would be on your side.
– That said, I do wish you and your family well – even as we will
just have to agree to disagree here.
There is also the issue that many part time workers are part time because they cannot find full time work. I was not pleased the decision made by the state GOP either. Someone is using that money that Virginia turned down.
I might be more forgiving about it if I didn’t already hear at least one of our local politicans talking about how HE saved us tax money.
All generations incur debt for future generations. I don’t doubt for a minute that I am still paying for WWII, Korea and Vietnam. For all I know I am still paying for the Great Depression. I believe Virginians finished their last payment for the Civil War in 1929.
‘
Well, it sounds like everyone is going to get the future they deserve…and your children won’t.
I should say, children and grandchildren.