Guest Post by Fed UP
It is time for someone else’s point of view to be heard.
Disclaimer: All guest posts are the opinion of the poster and do not necessarily represent the views of moonhowlings.net administration. M-H
I remember watching Martin Sheen in “Wall Street” shake his head saying, “If you live long enough, you’ll see everything” as his deluded son was helping criminal conman Gordon Gekko try to cheat employees of an airline into selling it to him, just to be liquidated, along with their jobs. The son thought he was doing the right thing only to find out later how badly Gekko had conned and lied to him.
Prince William County has its own Gordon Gekko in the form of Corey Stewart. Many people who are sincere about addressing the problem of illegal immigration are following this con man, but at some point the scales will fall off their eyes; hopefully not before he can do much more damage.
Stewart is attempting another of his scams now. With one hand he is professing to be the champion of the illegal immigration cause and with the other playing sleazy tricks to help his developer buddies rape and pillage Prince William County.
Stewart has put the Avendale development rezoning back on the County agenda for its meeting next Tuesday. This development would generate a massive influx of illegal aliens to work the project and exponentially increase the problems of residential overcrowding and other symptoms of illegal immigration his supporters passionately oppose.
The offer of some useless land to the Gainesville Grizzlies, a large local sports league, in exchange for their support of the Avendale rezoning by Stewart and his developer, attorney and lobbyist friends illustrates further a fundamental disregard of the ethical and moral standards that guide the behavior of most people.
The plan is to bus the Grizzlies to the meeting at the County center to argue for the football fields Stewart and the developers are promising them. Their role will be to serve as stage props in the theatrics Stewart and his developer allies are choreographing. The land promised for football fields will be very difficult to grade for sports use, and neither Stewart nor the developers have offered any funds to build or maintain the fields. A classic Gordon Gekko move.
Stewart professes to support the Arizona immigration bill but omits its key sections cracking down on illegal employment (which the judge did not strike down) that would give his Virginia Rule of Law Act some real teeth:
Section 7 of S.B. 1070
A.R.S. § 23-212: amending the crime of knowing employment of
unauthorized aliens
Section 8 of S.B. 1070
A.R.S. § 23-212.01: amending the crime of intentional employment of
unauthorized aliens
Section 9 of S.B. 1070
A.R.S. § 23-214: amending the requirements for checking employment eligibility
Of course, he won’t include these provisions because his paymasters in the development community and Chamber of Commerce would object.
This charlatan is exploiting children and families in his own community to serve the interests of his campaign contributors. He is using and lying to people who want progress dealing with the problems of illegal immigration. At some point, the scales will fall off of everyone’s eyes but will it be before Corey Stewart can further rape and pillage Prince William County, or even the Commonwealth of Virginia if his ambition to be elected Lt. Governor in 2013 is realized?
Come to the McCoart Building in Prince William County next Tuesday at 7:30 if you want to raise your voice against this fraud help stop Corey Stewart before he can go any farther!
-Fed Up
I readily admit that the developer- slave side of Stewart and Covington are NOT endearing at all.
This was in the comments section in response to one of the articles on Stewart’s Virginia Rule of Law on ww.insidenova.com today also. I hope very much that someone associated with the Grizzlies sees it here or there.
I hope also that the Grizzlies talk to Eric Finley and other Stewart victims from the past. Seems like they are next in line for a Stewart back-stabbing. They need to know that no one can trust anything Corey Stewart says or promises.
They should call the Planning Office and ask for whatever they have in writing regarding Stewart’s promises.
I urge them to get any promises Stewart makes put in writing and attached as an amendment to whatever the Board of County Supervisors passes. The version of the staff report available now makes no mention of football fields or any other specific use of the proffered land.
Moreover, nothing I have seen commits the Park Authority or the developers to pay one cent for construction or maintenance of any football fields. Again, the Grizzlies better get that funding in writing attached as an amendment to the proffers. Likewise for timing of their football fields. Leave it to Stewart and the developers, the fields might be built when those kids are on Social Security, if ever.
My warning to the Grizzlies, their leadership and families – DON’T TRUST COREY STEWART! He’s using you as tools to get what he wants for his campaign contributors. Once the Board approves the Comp Plan amendment and rezoning you become expendable. You will never see anything that is not in writing and formally approved by the Board as part of the proffers.
Don’t embarrass and humiliate your kids in the service of these crooks.
You are right, Slowpoke. It seems to me that anyone really that dedicated to stopping illegal immigration would not continue to cater to the developers who continue to use questionable immigrant labor.
Stewart will probably mandate the police sweep the development site for illegals or demand to see paperwork for every subcontractor used.
http://www.grizzlyfootball.org/#109962
Who pays for the chartered buses and the food once they are at the McCoart Building? My guess would be the developers involved in tonight’s vote.
This is the most shameful use of children for political profiteering I have ever seen.
What would the parents and supervisors think if these kids were from Bull Run Middle School or Marstellar Middle School and were being bussed down to be cheerleaders for developers? Someone would rightfully be having a hissy fit.
He sure didn’t for all the other housing he pushed through….His developer friends might not like that.
@Moon-howler
I feel confident the Grizzlies are paying for their own buses. Unless, Brookfield has made a generous donation to them recently. I will stick to my first comment. The Grizzlies are very well organized and have regular fundraisers. That’s the precise reason why they were chosen to be the “lucky ones” of being promised fields. I seriously hope the Grizzlies aren’t being used, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
Moon, there are quite few kids that are part of the Grizzly organization from Bull Run & Marstellar.
Hold everything – the public hearing is closed! Does this mean Rural Crescent supporters will stay home while the Grizzlies get to talk at Citizen’s Time? I don’t think the Chairman can make a last minute change to the agenda to re-open the public hearing, that requires a public notice two weeks in advance. What the heck is going on here anyway? The only thing we know for certain… it looks like a set up.
@ the queen
Doesn’t everyone have to talk at Citizens’ Time? I remember when there was a little slight of tongue back on October 16, 2007. Public hearing, Citizens’ Time, whatever, in the eyes of Corey Stewart.
This time the slight of tongue includes charter busses and a tailgate party. I wonder who is paying for that. At least he hasn’t sent out $30k worth of invitations, to my knowledge. Maybe one just didn’t come to my house yet.
I want to know why there is no public hearing on Avendale. Why wasn’t a public hearing scheduled in the first place?
Perhaps we need to buy some more blog space and have a dedicated blog to expose those who were willing to sell out the rural crescent. I expect our webhost might just donate the webspace.
Forget the rats… how do you think a dead Rural Crescent smells?
I’m feeling more and more sorry for Eric Finley as he was truly a Stewart scam victim. However, Finley is an adult who has been in business a long time and should have known better.
This time, Stewart is exploiting innocent kids and their families. I’m imagining the impact this episode is going to have on those kids. As I wrote above, they will never see anything that is not in writing and passed as an amendment to the proffers.
If Stewart wins next Tuesday, those poor parents are going to have to sit down with their kids in a year or two after the football fields don’t materialize, explain that mommy and daddy got snookered, and that the world has some really bad people in it.
Maybe it’s best that they learn that lesson now. Corey and Lubeley are the perfect people to teach it.
I’ll never be elected governor or be as rich as Lubeley, but at least I can look in the mirror when I wake up every morning and not feel ashamed. Maybe next Tuesday we should just let them have Avendale if they want it so badly as to stoop this low, and show up at citizens time speaking just in favor of common decency and compassion.
@NTK–
Can you refresh our memories on what happened when Avendale was heard last spring. What promises were made? Time to start holding the supervisors accountable. I have the blog space and the time. I don’t like seeing citizens exploited. Especially kid citizens.
@Not the Red Queen
Both the Rural Crescents and Grizzlies would need to be at Citizens’ Time. Remember, the Chairman can limit Citizens’ Time to thirty minutes and allow each speaker to speak for one or two minutes too. He’s done both of the moves time and time again.
@Moon-howler
At least you left the postcards out of the first paragraph. 😉 Where’s that clip of Supervisor Caddigan reminding Corey that he’d invited everyone to speak and she thought they should all be heard? Time was limited to two minutes that night I believe.
Corey probably wants to avoid reopening the public hearing at all costs. Thus, it is unlikely that the proffers will be amended prior to the meeting as that would likely require a new public hearing. Likewise, proffers can’t be negotiated during the meeting so it would appear that the Grizzlies will be screwed either way.
One good question for the Grizzlies is, why do they think they are going to get football fields? There is nothing in the proffers that says this. The proffers simply say the land is for parks and recreation uses. Exactly who has promised the Grizzlies it will be football fields?
@Mom – Some of the proffers for the rezoning have been changed. The Planning office says the changes are not “substantial” and therefore do not require another public hearing.
Excellent question Not the Red Queen. It sure would be nice for one of those Mama Grizzlies to stop by the blog.
Last January, Stewart held the public hearing for Avendale and citizens spoke at that hearing. Stewart and Covington realized that they didn’t have the votes to pass Avendale so Covington moved and the Board approved deferring it.
Stewart and Lubeley have obviously been busy little bees since then. They’ve orchestrated this abominable exploitation of children to create a public spectacle they hope will cajole one more supervisor to vote in favor. Stewart, Covington, Nohe and Jenkins always vote in favor of these development proposals. They need a fifth vote to pass it.
Stewart is not obligated to reopen the public hearing. Therefore, everyone including the Grizzlies, Rural Crescent supporters, and everyone else will have to make their remarks at Citizens Time. Stewart has put Avendale on the agenda in the middle of summer vacation time when many people are away. Indeed, one of the more active people who fights these developer scams is out of town on vacation, as are likely others, and won’t be able to participate next Tuesday.
Expect Stewart to limit comments at Citizens Time to one minute per person and parade a multitude of Grizzly kids through the podium saying how they want their football fields. The whole thing is bound to be disgraceful for anyone with any sense of common decency.
This charade will end, and then Stewart will allow brief comments by any supervisors who care to speak. He’ll then take a vote.
My guess (pure speculation on my part) is that Stewart became aware some time ago that John Stirrup, Maureen Caddigan, Mike May or Frank Principi will be away next Tuesday. If that’s the case, he, Covington, Nohe, and John Jenkins will win on a 4 -3 vote. We will witness shameless exploitation of children in the name of securing campaign contributions and the end of the Rural Crescent coming nearer.
Also, a new proffer has been added. It commits the developer to take certain steps to “ensure that the provisions of the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which prohibit employment of illegal aliens, are not violated.”
@Not the Red Queen
So they’ve been reading BVBL. Greg had a thread last week in which someone discussed I-9 forms. Problem with I-9s (required by the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986) is that employers aren’t required to file them with any government agency. Employers can simply take whatever documentation the potential employee offers and make no effort to verify its authenticity. They just hold the forms in their files. They’re never audited.
It’s good (and required byt the 1986 Act) to have them but they must be accompanied by something else, such as eVerify certification. Requiring the I-9 forms alone will be just another symbolic gesture.
Mom #16 and NTRQ#21
If they have this new proffer, they are required to reopen the public hearing. Stewart will probably do whatever he wants anyway and ignore the, “Rule of Law.”
Also, reopening the public hearing requires, I think, two weeks published notice.
Next Tuesday, come watch a spectacle where children are exploited so Stewart can deliver for his campaign donors, the law is ignored, and Prince William County sinks to an all new low.
Its all about campaign donations isn’t it? The hell with the rural crescent. The hell with what this does to the rest of the county.
Has anyone thought about the traffic involving football fields? Just thought I would throw that one out. I am not against football fields and I live with soccer and baseball traffic daily. But those things aren’t without environmental impact.
Also, I am still wondering who is going to grade those football fields. Who is going to sod them? Who is going to do trash patrol daily? Who is going to water the grass in hot weather? Is Parks and Rec going to pick up the tab? Is this going to happen magically?
NTK, “Rule of Law” is cherry picking at best when coupled with the Corey Stewart name, apparently. Perhaps we should apply “Rule of Convenience/”
@Lafayette
I would expect most of the Grizzlies go to Marstellar or Bull Run, if they are of middle school age. I was wondering, hypothetically, what people would think if the middle school coaches loaded them all onto busses and had the same kids lobby the BOCS for something under the school banner. People would be howling like stuck pigs.
It seems like chartered busses and tail gate parties are a tall order for a youth sports league. Most youth leagues aren’t fortunate enough to have that kind of money. I guess things have changed since young howlers were involved in GMFBL and the Soccer programs. I seem to remember lots of candy sales and bake sales.
That’s a GREAT idea!!
@Slowpoke Rodriguez
Thanks, but I just figure that’s what he will do when he hears people complaining about illegal immigrants working in the county.
If he wants to audit paperwork, I actually don’t care. I WOULD care about his advocating raids, however. Raids are traumatic for too many people and have other negatives such as citizens getting caught up in them, parents being detained, etc.
I want to just put this out there, during the Connaughton days, I went to speak at a citizens time regarding an issue, there have so many I can’t remember, however, I was going to speak and was told that because the item was on the agenda to be voted on, I was prohibited from speaking. Why, because it was a closed public agenda item. What I did instead was say, “in reference to an issue which shall remain nameless…….” I am not sure ANYONE has the right to address Avendale at all. Who do we ask to verify what the rights of citizens will be Tuesday? Is it the County Attorney?
I think a call to the county attorney might answer that question. Again, I smell that same rat I smelled last Tuesday. Is there an Inspector General at the State level who determines that the county executive paradigm is followed according to state law?
@Posting as Pinko
Pinko – effective enforcement of labor laws using a combination of I-9 forms, eVerify, personnel audits, etc. are by far the best way to go and are completely legal. The judge did not strike down any of the provisions in the Arizona immigration law aimed at employers. You avoid the raids that are traumatic for many people (including legal employees), put people at risk, and create photo ops for people like Corey Stewart.
Enforcement of labor laws is the single best, most effective way of curtailing illegal immigration. That’s why Stewart won’t go near it and earn the ill-will of his developer supporters.
Stewart reminds me of Southern politicians pre-Civil War who said slavery was bad but supported policies aimed at keeping it alive and well.
One correction – the developer is proffering $100,000 to the Park Authority. Still, however, the proffers do not specify construction of football fields.
The Grizzlies should study what happened in the Foley School District when they tried to build a high school football field:
http://www.sctimes.com/article/20100725/NEWS01/107250027/Foley-school-district-New-football-field-unusable
$184,000 for one, not four, football field and it’s still not usable.
Do the Grizzlies think Corey Stewart and his developer buds are any more trustworthy than the crooks the families in the Foley School District are dealing with?
Again, get any Stewart promises in writing and approved by the Board next Tuesday as amendments to the proffers or whatever they vote on. Otherwise, you will see absolutely nothing of what they are promising you.
I could not sleep last night, I am so upset about this obvious abuse of power. All these citizens show up to speak out against Finley based on environmental concerns, yet I doubt ANY of them realize that the destruction of the Rural Crescent will do more damage than any asphault plant. When Avendale is rezoned and goes from being able to a couple dozen homes to a possible 500, have they thought about THAT environmental impact. Have they thought about THAT fiscal drain on the county.
NTK,
The Grizzlies are being used and they don’t even know it, its a shame.
500 homes = 1000 school age kids. That sounds like 2 elementary schools and a middle school to me, give or take a couple of neighborhoods.
Elena, The names of the Board of Directors for the Grizzlies is listed on their website, http://www.grizzlyfootball.org/#109962. Why not contact a few of them and see if they are aware of how they and the children are being used? That way they can still make a great showing at the BOCS citizen time to talk about what they’re doing and model good leadership for the children present by explaining how they can’t be “bought” or used politically by politicians and developers, but are doing just fine fundraising on their own with their “Field of Dreams” campaign and corporate sponsorships.
Hi Cindy,
I believe Board members are getting information, I guess I don’t want to appear to be a know it all and overstep my bounds. However, there is nothing to lose by trying to reach out to them and share how people in the community have fought, for over a decade, to protect the Rural Crescent from destruction and Avendale poses such a threat.