A recent study on immigration from George Mason Univsity seems to have brought out the worst in our County Chair, Corey Stewart and newly appointed CXO, Melissa Peacor. Perhaps Ms. Peacor should be forgiven. She is a newly hired CXO who apparently came in under the auspices of Mr. Stewart. She hasn’t been around long enough to be an independent thinker. Even if she is, perhaps it is wiser to quote the party line. However, in the case of Corey Stewart, there is simply no pass. He is his usual bigoted, uninformed, blow-hard, name-calling, opportunistic self.
From the News and Messenger:
A new study from the George Mason University’s Project on Immigration finds many immigrants have lived in fear since the passage of Prince William’s 2007 resolution that requires police to check legal status of those who are arrested.
The study was conducted by Debra Lattanzi Shutika, an English professor and folklorist, and Carol Cleaveland, a professional social worker. Lattanzi Shutika also said they were both “ethnographers,” which she defined as a research methodology that focuses on in-depth interviews with people.
“We go into communities for long periods of time and talk in depth to people,” Lattanzi Shutika said, adding that the GMU study conducted interviews in two communities in Manassas called the Weems Neighborhood and Sumner Lakes. “In some cases, we had two-to-three hour interviews.”
For the study, headlined on a press release from GMU as “Strict Immigration Law in Virginia County Adversely Affecting Well-Being of Latino Residents, New Survey Shows,” the two researchers interviewed residents of 60 Spanish-speaking households and 104 English-speaking households, Cleaveland said.
The goal, according to Cleaveland, was to “understand the true experiences of Latino immigrants living in a certain area of Prince William County … [and] to understand what kind of experiences they were having since the resolution.”
Those experiences, she continued, were that “people are afraid to leave the house, people feel that if they go to work they could be picked up or deported while their children are in school, and people have abandoned their homes because of this law.”
The study, according to both researches, did not differentiate between legal immigrants and illegal immigrants – and that is problematic, said two county officials.
The goals of the study were clearly outlined and the results compiled. Now Mr. Stewart objects to that fact-finding mission and even goes so far as to name-call the 2 women who conducted the study, “Illegal alien apologists.” Stewart further insulted 25% of the county population by stating:
“They’re doing exactly what all the other illegal immigrant apologists do and that is to lump all the illegals with legals, so their findings are useless,” said Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of Supervisors. “If you’re here illegally, you should be living in fear of getting deported, because you should be deported.”
Apparently Stewart still doesn’t grasp the concept of ‘blended family.’ He doesn’t realize that while some Latino folks have full documentation, many of their friends and family might not. Thus, he insults everyone.
He continues:
Stewart called the findings “useless,” however, and issued harsh criticisms for the year-long research.
“The job of academia is for logical debate, not to keep the dialogue going,” he said. “If it’s not scientific, they why even produce this information? This survey was conducted by a group that is more interested in political agenda, than in objective analysis.”
Useless? Perhaps Stewart has forgotten the butt-ripping he got from Linda Chavez over his anecdotal documentation of the immigration problem he said existed in Prince William County. He told her during the fact finding hearing of the Human Rights Commission that he had gotten his information from the community.
Obviously he does not know or understand what the job of academia is. ” Logical debate, not to keep the dialogue going?” Does he realize how stupid that statement is?
Actually, I don’t expect more from him. He will discredit anything and anybody to get a vote, apparently. Was it not just 2 months ago that he went down to Stafford and whooped it up, good ole boy style, over refusing to process paperwork for newly qualified medicaid potential recipients? The closer he got to home, the more he wimped out. First the Tea Party Rally where he handed out fliers toned it down a bit. By the time his rash ideas made it to the board of supervisors, it was but a tiny whimper and a non-scientific study.
Ms. Peacor probably needs to do a quick review about scientific surveys. The UVA survey is missing a few components before it could truly be considered a scientific survey. Just a little more oversight and control of survey conditions is needed. Furthermore, theUVA survey questions people’s reaction to how the police do their job…not what people think of the resolution. Ms. Peacor stated:
Prince William County Executive Melissa Peacor, meanwhile, pointed to “serious errors” on the GMU press release that indicate the survey could have been skewed from the start. The GMU release refers to the county’s “Rule of Law ordinance [that] requires that police check immigration status of all who could possibly be in the country without authorization.” But, as Peacor said, the resolution actually requires that legal status be checked on all who are arrested.
“If the researchers misrepresented the actual position of the county to the respondents,” Peacor said, in an e-mail, “then that would bring their findings into serious question and more seriously lead to greater fear in the Latino community.”
The study is neither “statistically valid nor scientific,” unlike the county’s annual citizen survey from the University of Virginia, which found in 2009 that nearly 86 percent of Hispanic respondents expressed satisfaction with the county government, Peacor added.
Peacor has no reason to think that anything was misrepresented to those surveyed. The PWC Immigration Resolution evolved many times. I have lived here for decades and it is difficult to keep up with exactly where we are in the evolved process. Imagine being a relative newcomer to the area. More importantly, perception is reality. Many involved in the Immigration Resolution development have since admitted that the “scare and fright” aspect of the resolution actually accomplished what they wanted to do. Therefore, any noises made by county officials that implies that ‘isn’t what we meant’ is just pure bull crap.
Can we accept that both surveys question different aspects of life here in Prince William County? Hopefully our county officials know the difference. According to the researchers:
“…their survey was not intended as a political commentary on the county’s resolution, or as a means of pushing a change in policy, but rather a conversation starter that could also, according to the release, “predict consequences of new Arizona law.”
Corey Stewart keeps switching hats, depending on which paragraph he is on. On the one hand, he wants to be Mr. Bad. He plays the tough guy–let’s arrest all them thar illegals. In the next breath he switches hats, puts on his Mr. Feel Good face, and says ‘oh no one has anything to fear, we only look at status of those arrested.’
Meanwhile, anyone who doesn’t want to round up ILLEGAL immigrants, drive them to the border and shove them out of the bus in the desert and drive away must be an ILLEGAL ALIEN APOLOGIST.
“He is his usual bigoted, uninformed, blow-hard, name-calling, opportunistic self.”
Hmmm, I get the feeling that you don’t care much for Mr. Stewart… you sure did seem to do your fair share of ‘name-calling’ in just one sentence.
I am not the chairman of the board of supervisors. My standard isn’t as high.
However, I am glad you picked up on the point I was making. Thanks.
Moon – I beg to differ about Peacor. She was Gerhart’s second in command for years, including during the immigration debate, and the OIT bid-rigging scandal that cost PWC taxpayers millions went on right under their noses. She covers up the misdeeds of senior management and has a reputation for incompetence. Peacor would not have the job except that Corey Stewart bullied the other Board members into hiring her. There is now no distinction between Corey Stewart and Melissa Peacor.
NTK, I am not sure what you are differing with me on. Bluntly put, I said she got a pass because I didn’t feel she could speak for herself now.
She is appointed. He is elected. That makes them different. She could not come out in opposition to him regardless of how badly she wanted to.
Moon – You are certainly correct that Peacor is appointed and that Corey is elected but the difference stops there. Given Peacor’s record of incompetence and corruption she would never have been hired in a fully open and fair process. I’ve heard it said and agree that the relationship between Stewart and Peacor is much akin to that between Don Corleone and Luca Brasi.
The only pass Peacor deserves is straight to the unemployment office when we elect a new BOCS Chair in 2011.
MOM – help me out here. You know something about this situation also.
Well, that point was taken Moon but your others were kind of lost with your own ‘name-calling’. You brought up some good points but then lose merit when you not only stoop to the same level but tunnel under it, again.
I in no way speak for everyone but when it comes to ‘name-calling’ your a bonafide professional at it while at the same time criticizing other for the same. Do you see how it can become the subject of the conversation rather than your initial argument?
Ill agree with you that our elected officials should be held to a higher standard but even our President does it. (calling tea party people ‘tea-baggers’) http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2966324/obama_calls_tea_party_protestors_tea.html
When (if, and that is a BIG if) you ever call him out Ill stand with you in Mr. Stewarts ‘name-calling’ but for some reason I don’t think that will ever happen. Not only does our President use the ‘tea-bagger’ term but you do (or did) as well as the founder of the very influential (sarcasim alert) coffe party and 9500 Liberty partner Annabel Park.
From the N&M article, it appears the study was poorly done.
Why, for example, did they declare their study about the impact of the
PWC resolution, but focus on two communities, Weems and Sumner Lake,
in the City of Manassas?
First off, calling him “bigoted” isn’t fair, accurate, reasoned, or productive. It’s de riguour (sic) though.
Stewart called the findings “useless,” however, and issued harsh criticisms for the year-long research.
“The job of academia is for logical debate, not to keep the dialogue going,” he said. “If it’s not scientific, they why even produce this information? This survey was conducted by a group that is more interested in political agenda, than in objective analysis.”
Gospel truth!
“Lattanzi Shutika also said they were both “ethnographers,” which she defined as a research methodology that focuses on in-depth interviews with people.
“We go into communities for long periods of time and talk in depth to people,” Lattanzi Shutika said”
Comical! Sepaks for itself!
“Perhaps Stewart has forgotten the butt-ripping he got from Linda Chavez over his anecdotal documentation ”
From my perspective it was Mrs. Chavez who left town with blood dripping down. First off, the comedy of this woman who is famous and known primarily for having hired an illegal alien as nanny and not paid taxes on her to come here and lecture us is surreal to start with. They couldn’t find someone better to come in on a high horse and lecture us? Obviously she called in some chit with someone and they let her come here and tilt at the windmill, Stewart quite rightly went right after her, and she left town having acheived absolutely nothing and to further your metaphor, leaving blood all over the seat.
“Many involved in the Immigration Resolution development have since admitted that the “scare and fright” aspect of the resolution actually accomplished what they wanted to do.”
Well thanks to apologists like these two buffoons at GMU for propogating it then.
This is completely ludicrous. Students’ tuition and tax dollars presumably paid in part for this asinine study where an English professor and a Social Worker tell the rest of us how to live and what to think. I hold the report in total contempt, and Stewart and Peacor represent me, and many other PWC residents, well in talking out loud about how stupid it is.
I went back and read the article again after Poor Richard’s comment. In the article is says:
“We go into communities for long periods of time and talk in depth to people,” Lattanzi Shutika said, adding that the GMU study conducted interviews in two communities in Manassas called the Weems Neighborhood and Sumner Lakes. “In some cases, we had two-to-three hour interviews.”
So the study was done by Lattanzi and Shutika on the PWC immigration resolution doing “two-to-three hour interviews” of people who don’t even live in PWC? Say Whaaaaat? Why do a study of the PWC resolution interviewing people who DO NOT LIVE IN PWC? How many 2 to 3 hour interviews did they do
I agree with Poor Richard that this ‘study’ was poorly done but the article was poorly written as well. Isn’t it Sumner Lake, not Sumner Lakes? Great job Cheryl Chumley, kudos. Also, why do they do this at the end “Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-530-3903.”? Just curious…
I did a lengthy interview with some of my neighbors. They felt strongly that Lattanzi and Shutika were imbeciles who should find a more direct purpose for their lives than to subsist as GMU employees berating the good people of PWC with their naive positions on immigration matters. One man who I interviewed at length even went so far as to call them “stupid c****”, which i of course wouldn’t say myself, but will include in the footnotes to the report. I’ll be publishing in the near future.
I focused on the Sudley area.
Hello, I believe that names are nouns. My ‘name calling,’ as you put it, are all adjective used as descriptors. Which descriptor do you feel is untrue and please give reasons why you feel it is untrue.
Again, no one has forced you to come here.
I do know that they spent a couple of hours on one block in WestGate. 😉 I doubt those views were reflected in their “report”. They were told at the time that Weems & Sumner Lake were not in the county. Those neighborhoods don’t have jack to do with PWC.
I don’t think any study is useless. However, this post was not intended to reflect on the value of the study. I don’t know if it was a good study or a bad study. I certainly felt the reaction of the county spoke volumes.
Poor Richard brings up the point that 2 of the areas were not in Prince William County. He is most correct. However, I don’t know why those areas were chosen.
I don’t think overall attitudes know boundary lines, however. While our laws and resolutions have boundaries, I doubt if the people feel one bit safer once Lomond Drive turns into Liberia. Just a hunch.
@Rick Bentley
I sure would have liked to taken part in your interview, Rick. I look forward to seeing your report. I trust it will get more to the heart of the matter than these two women’s report did. Please, be sure and have both Greg & Moon do a guest post for your report.
I’ve also done some ethnography in some local trailer parks, interviewing 104 white residents. The findings are fascinating. My report “Obama’s Muslim Heritage Adversely Affecting Well-Being of Trailer Park Republicans” is on the way. I am available to the press for interviews, and am available for speaking engagements for a nominal fee.
As another side project I’ve done some ethnography in Northwest DC and will be publishing a report “The Julios Tear Up Properties That they Move Into, and it’s Adversely Affecting Well-Being of Many Black City Residents”.
I have another ethnographical “field report” on the way where I interviewed some old hippies at a methodone clinic. It will include some poems I wrote and some song lyrics about what a difficult place the world is and how we can all get along if we discard laws and do what we feel is right.
I don’t know why county officials felt the need to even comment, much less deride the women doing the study. There are all sorts of things to say that aren’t demeaning. How about something like ‘I expect this is just one of many studies that will be done since we were one of the first local jurisdictions to address this problem.”
Corey threw down the gauntlet by calling the women ‘illegal alien apologists.’ That kind of rhetoric is simply unacceptable for an elected office holder.
Well they were defending our county against a scurrilous attack, as I see it.
attack by ethnography.
Yes, I have done my own study of the PWC immigration resolution with 3 HOUR interviews (is that supposed to make it more credible) of residents of Germantown MD. They all agree that the PWC resolution was good for PWC, for them… not so much.
Now where is my GMU grant money!
He doesn’t need to be incendiary. Stewart needs to stop with the opportunist (apologies to hello) comments he thinks will get him re-elected.
How do we know this is the same report as the ‘Sumner Lake’ report?
I just fixed the link to the press release. It was a bad link previously.
Once more into the breach.
The principal reason I’ve shied away from topics regarding the “Resolution” is that by and large, regardless who pitched the first rock, most on both sides seem unable to put their big boy pants on and deal with the issue in a reasonable and civil manner. That being said, the onus for the tone falls principally on Corey. As result I’ll leave it to the rest of you to debate (if that’s what you want to call it) the merits, results, benefits and costs of the “Resolution”. There are however several other things upon which I will comment.
Sorry MH, Peacor doesn’t need to be forgiven, she needs to be fired from a job she never should have been given. As NTK has indicated, she has unclean hands, even more unclean than Corey’s simply as a function of her longer tenure in county government. The OIT scandal and DRIVE fiasco are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her incompetence and in my view corruption. She served not only as Gerhart’s right-hand man but also stooge, willing to sign anything and everything that he (wisley) wouldn’t put pen and ink to.
I would however disagree that the blame for her hiring lies solely at the feet of Corey as all of the BOCS members are aware of her history (some even have the documentation) and I thus hold them all equally responsible for her hiring. (that she must have compromising pictures of the Coles and Neabsco Supervisors strike me as both funny and horrifying)
Much as it pains me, a study by GMU is not likely to be any less valid than a study by UVA. One may disagree with the results or the parameters of one but can not point out the flaws in that study without pointing out similar flaws in the study they support. Moreover, Peacor should just STFU on the issue. It’s not her place, last time I checked it was the BOCS that made policy and policy statements not the CXO. For that I will blame Corey as he enables her to act in that regard.
The only comfort I can take in the situation is that the day is nigh on hand when much of this (and its documentation) will be publicly revealed.
G-d help us all with the wishy washy opportunistic stance of politicans like Corey. I will post the video where Corey tells linda chavez the “community brought the problem to him”. So citizen input with absolutley NO hard evidence is enough to drag an entire county through hell and back and waste tax payer dollars? Here is one for you Corey…..”pot meet kettle”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙄
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnF2vVir7js&feature=channel
Oh, wait, does anyone remember the citizen satisfaction survey done? Where trust in police dropped for the first time within the latino and african amercian community? I do, and Corey asked if the “spanish speakers” surveyed were questioned about their immigration status! Was THAT study also invalid?
MoM, the only thing I called Melissa Peacor on was her comments about the GMU study. I felt she made erroneous statements. However, I will forgive her for those because I understand she cannot speak freely.
Do I understand you correctly that you would want her fired just for making those remarks? I would not. I just wish she would not comment on things like an external study.
I do agree with you that the UVA study probably is no more valid than the GMU study. Corey needs to not open his mouth every time he sees a mic.
I remember, Elena but I better not answer because the B word might slip out again…that one I used as an adjective….
You misunderstand, I don’t want her fired for her comments, I wanted her fired before she had the opportunity to make the comments. There is ample documentation in all manner of media that evidences her incomptent, illicit, dishonest and mercenary ways. The county had the opportunity to clean house and its image when Gerhart left and instead chose to continue with more of the same, likely because it gives the BOCS a potential scapegoat for what is likely to be revealed in the future.
What does Linda Chavez have to do with any of this? Linda Chavez is a Republican woman
and, Chairwoman of the northeastern panel of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, introduced the hearing held in Prince William County, VA on Dec. 14, 2007.
Her introduction to the US Commission on Civil Rights can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_WX0MpwxBc&feature=channel
BREAKING NEWS ALERT!
Hello has just completed ‘X’ amount of ‘3 hour interviews’ on the PWC immigration resolution of people who live in Chaves Portugal. They all agree that PWC did the right thing.
CASE CLOSED! The study speaks for itself!
I just did a survey of Mr. Beam, Mr. Daniels, Mr. Cuervo, Capt. Morgan (Ret.). Mr. Walker (Red) and Mr. Walker (Black). I asked if anyone had anything positive to say about Corey and/or Ms. Peacor. All I got was silence, the study speaks for itself, there is nothing positive to say about Corey and/or Ms. Peacor.
I tend to leave employees alone other than on very specific subjects. why? 2 reasons. 1. They can’t talk back to defend themselves. 2. I am a granddaughter of a former City Manager.
However, I see no reason why we have to accept inaccuracies either. Politicians are fair game. And I never have met one who didn’t defend him or herself.
“Politicians are fair game”…. and so are bloggers.
@hello
BREAKING NEWS ALERT.
Immigration law enforcement brings fear and trepidation to illegals fearful of deportation! Wow! how much did that cost us.
Moon, First, have you read the report and can you assure us that it is statistically relevent, independent or peer reviewed and not skewed to pre-established conclusions? The background of the “researchers” given may give some to pause to consider the agenda here before going off half cocked – again – on Corey.
And second, explain what the concept of ‘blended family’ has to do with it. Is it your view that a mixed family of legals and illegals make the illegal legal or should be otherwise treated differently.
Ha ha! Kinda like Corey’s cost/benefit analysis prior to the Immigration Resolution? And the anecdotal info he relied on when initiating the process of making PWC seem ever more the hick cousin than it already is thought to be.
Mom and NTK, good luck in getting to the bottom of any recent county shenanigans that should see the light of day. And bring on some better candidates for the BOCS!
Weren’t UVa and GMU to study our resolution’s impact and report back in a couple years? Is this part of that mandate or a totally different study?
Mr. Beam, Mr. Daniels and Capt. Morgan are white southern PWC bigots so they don’t count. Only illegals and other oppressed minorities fearful of immigration and other law enforcement have a right to speak about this.
PWCT, although there are certainly hundreds if not thousands of Beams, Daniels, Cuervos, etc in PWC, I can assure you that the gentlemen I spoke to were definitely various shades of brown and certainly not “white”. Perhaps you were thinking of Mr. Bacardi or Mr. Gilbey.
@Moon-howler
If having made those remarks were her only short-coming, I would not bother writing a post about it. She should not be fired for that one transgression.
However, her incompetence and corruption are profound and go back many, many years. MOM is correct that all of the supervisors voted to hire her and therefore share some of the blame. Some did oppose her in private (quite adamantly) but bowed to Corey’s will in public.
There’s a long history to this situation that we should probably do a whole tread on sometime. In a nutshell, the BOCS (that was then even more developer-friendly than now) fired then-County Executive Bern Ewert in 2000. Bern was daring to try to work in the best interests of the County rather than developers. They hired Gerhart as a team player who was willing to take orders to keep his job. Gerhart knew that the developers controlled the BOCS through their campaign contributions and as long as they were happy the BOCS would never vote to can him. They can fire a County Exec at any duly-called meeting with five votes.
Gerhart hired Peacor as his henchwoman because she was equally compliant and corrupt. Moreover, she understands very little and, as Mom wrote, was willing to put her signature and name on things the cleverer Gerhart did not want tied back to him.
Gerhart and Peacor embarked on a process of cleaning out the Planning Office of anyone with integrity who would not deliver for Mike Lubeley. That’s why they cover for the numerous incidents of sexual harassment on the part of Ray Utz in the Planning Office.
Lubeley is the leading land-use attorney in PWC and is more powerful than Stewart, Peacor and the others combined. He directs where much of the developer campaign finance money goes via contributions directly from developers, attorneys, front LLCs and corporations, and even spouses.
When the previous Planning Director, Rick Lawson, retired Gerhart passed over tremendously qualified people in the Planning Office to bring the hack/stooge Steve Griffin in from Spotsylvania. One of the planners who was ultimately forced out documented in a memo to Human Resources that Griffin describes Lubeley as his best friend and that he attacked planners who did not expedite Lubelely’s projects. That’s why all of the developers who are willing to pay whatever it costs to get their projects approved go to Lubeley.
Enter Corey Stewart and his complete betrayal of people who supported him on land use issues. The developers and Lubeley have paid up (look at Corey’s stats on http://www.vpap.org) and expect service. Gerhart’s mismanagement catches up to him in the form of the OIT scandal and he has to go. Thus, Corey bullies Peacor’s hiring through the BOCS over the objection of many other supervisors.
Bottom line – we as a commmunity must work to get a nearly complete turnover in the BOCS next year, and elect people who will clean out the ranks of the senior management in the PWC County government when they take office in January 2012.
More to come.
@Censored bybvbl
We, and others, are working on that. We need your help, however, MOM and I can’t do this by ourselves. Do you want a BOCS that represents the citizens, and an honest, professional senior staff enough to help us?
Stay tuned. More to come.
Craig Gerhart is currently mourning the recent loss of his only son. I am just not comfortable with past sins of hired people right now. Elected officials are ok. The hired people really make me ill at ease. I am a big friend of the public servant./ (see other thread)
@Moon-howler
I certainly extend my sympathies to Craig Gerhart on the loss of his son. I don’t wish such a thing on anyone.
Keep in mind that County Executive in many jurisdictions is an elected position as is mayor in many cities.
Mike Frey and Al Dwoskin undertook some ethnography in the Centreville area recently – http://novatownhall.com/2010/06/02/centreville-immigration-forum-meeting-june-1-2010/
Sorry MH, can’t buy into that premise. “Public Servants” such as Peacor are by definition public figures and subject to the same criticism as that doled out to the BOCS, it goes with the pay grade.
Similarly, is the public servant who embezzles public funds any less guilty than your typical private white collar criminal or less deserving of scorn or condemnation. In my book they are even more accountable as it is generally the public’s money’s that is stolen or misappropriated by those endowed with some measure of the public trust.
Here is the link to what Corey was referring to that Linda Chavez had written about.
http://townhall.com/columnists/LindaChavez/2007/05/25/latino_fear_and_loathing
Iam not saying no one is to say anything bad about them, Mom. I said I was uncomfortable with them being discussed on this blog.
Let me put it another way…it would make me too much like another blogger I am thinking of. That is yet another reason and truthfully, the main reason I don’t want to do the county thing here other than elected officials, unless it is something very specific, like a statement in the newspaper.
Elena and I both have county connections that make discussion of specific individuals very awkward for us. None of them have been mentioned here, before anyone asks. However, there are degrees of separation….
I agree NTK. I came entirely too close to that myself and I just feel horrible for anyone who has to go through a tragedy like that.
Wow what a column by Chavez. Very subtle. Now I feel even more supportive of Corey Stewart for not letting this ridiculous woman talk down to him, and insult the County.
Here’s a reminder of what Chavez is most famous for – personally harboring an illegal alien/immigrant – http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/08/us/onetime-illegal-immigrant-sheltered-by-chavez-recalls-painful-past.html
“Ms. Chavez knew of her illegal immigration status. ”
And having become famous for this act, Chavez now is pathologically devoted to calling anyone who doesn’t want to harbor illegal immigrants a xenophobe, bigot, etc. Well to hell with Linda Chavez.