‘‘]
From insidenova.com:
An estimated 150 to 175 individuals from 35 to 40 families from the Marumsco and Holly Acres mobile home parks were left homeless when more than 10 inches hit the U.S.1 corridor in Woodbridge last Thursday. The heavy rainfall caused massive damage to the parks; 66 out of 108 units in the Holly Acres park were declared unsafe to inhabit.
Many of the displaced flood victims are staying at the Dale City Recreation Center because they have no where else to go. This arrangement will be very short-lived because the county is shutting the shelter down at 5 p.m. on this coming Friday.
Those still staying at Dale City Recreation Center – between 35 and 40 families – have until Friday at 5 p.m. before they have to leave the Red Cross-administered facility. Many of those families came to speak to the board on Tuesday, relaying their plight.
Prince William Countydoesn’t have Section 8 housing vouchers at this time. And Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart reiterated to the crowd gathered at Tuesday’s meeting that the county could not provide permanent housing to the victims of the storm.
Residents and community activists appealed to the county at the BOCS meeting.
Meanwhile, sparring between Representative Gerry Connolly and BOCS Chair Corey Stewart was heard on WTOP this morning:
But Prince William County Supervisor Chairman Corey Stewart says the county simply does not have the means to help more.
“We don’t want to give them the impression that we are going to be able to take care of their housing needs past Friday,” he said before the board of supervisors meeting Tuesday.
At the packed meeting, Stewart gave out the phone number of Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., telling the petitioning residents they should ask him for federal help.
On Monday, Connolly was critical of the county’s response to the crisis. After giving those displaced some clothes to wear and some initial food, other forms of assistance, especially alternative housing, have been slow to come.
“There aren’t a lot of affordable housing opportunities in Prince William County, and a lot of these folks are going to be in a place of deep pain,” Connolly says.
He says closing the shelter on Friday is premature.
“Declaring an arbitrary deadline doesn’t mean the problem goes away,” Connolly says.
The owner of the Holly Acres Trailer Park, Hank Ridge, admitted that he hadn’t been to the property site in a decade. He told WTOP that the county has been trying to shut the trailer park down for years:
“What is being done, can be substantiated that there are some discriminatory attitudes,” Ridge says.
Stewart called that charge “BS.” He says the park should have been condemned years ago for safety reasons and because of flooding.
If it should have been shut down for years for safety reasons, why wasn’t it? A concerned land owner would have checked on things sometime over 10 years. There is just no end to finger pointing. Perhaps an even better question might be why weren’t improvements made to the area to control flood waters? I have a sneaking suspicion that this isn’t the first time the creek has risen. Marumsco Creek is not some little tucked-away stream that no one knows about.
While all the finger pointing is going on, There are some 140 people who will have no where to go. There are not vacancies in low rent units in the county to accommodate these families. There is a relief fund posted on the county school website that reads:
PWCS and PWC Government Establish Relief Fund for Flood Victims, Housing is Immediate Need
Thank you for your show of support for those who have been displaced from their homes and experienced other difficulties due to recent flooding. These families’ immediate and greatest need is housing, as the shelter will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16. If you own property or know of properties available for rent – and willing to waive the security deposit, and first and last months’ rent – please let us know at www.pwcgov.org. The other donation needed is cash; and Prince William County Public Schools and the Prince William County Government are working together to collect monetary donations for the families impacted by the flood. Donations are tax-deductible and will be handled by SPARK, the School Division’s education foundation. Your donations may be submitted by credit card online, via Pay Pal, or by checks (made payable to the PWCS Education Foundation) or mailed to SPARK at P.O. Box 389, Manassas, VA 20108. Please make sure that your check mentions “flood relief” in the memo line, or that your Pay Pal donation mentions “flood relief” in the payment notes. To donate, go to poweredbyspark.org.
No way that’s not Mexico! Are you sure you copied a US website? California maybe?
“If it should have been shut down for years for safety reasons, why wasn’t it?”
Yeah right! That’s what PWC has been trying to do for years. Prevent situations like this from getting a foothold in the county to begin with, hence the Resolution, but you don’t want to hear it. Now we have large pockets of similar environments cropping up all over. Thanks!
Huh? SA, are you suggesting that the flood happened because many of the residents were hispanic? Holly Acres was over there before there were even that many Hispanics in the county. I don’t think the ethnicity of those living there has a damn thing to do with the flood. If the trailer park is in a low-lying area, then it has flooded before. It is right over near Veterans Park/Marumsco Creek.
If Prince William had wanted to close it for safety reasons, it would have been closed.
What exactly is it that I don’t want to hear? If you mean an original resolution that didn’t allow kids in school, in libraries or swimming pools, you are right. I don’t believe in pulling people over on ‘probable cause’ that is often bogus. Silly me. I don’t believe in begging for a law suit.
I have very little problem once the local laws were changed so that people were treated equitably. It probably isn’t a great idea to assume you know what I think. I am fairly unpredictable.
By the way, how come you didn’t come to our meet up?
Hmmm–didn’t the county have a $40 million surplus? And they are spending it on trails and such stuff. So much for helping those less fortunate. There are other pockets like this that need to be “fixed” whatever that means. The county has steadfatly refused to get involved in large low cost housing efforts and so we really do have a large group of what might well be thought of as third class citizens–and they ain’t just Hispanic Second Alamo. They have many faces and differeing amounts of melanin. I don’t know how many of these folks vote, but I suspect not many–the poor have no voice and no vote. A good solid opponent could make a lot out of this at the upcoming election but Lateef is tainted and Gray has no money.
I seem to recall something about a $40 million surplus that was spent on trails. There are several pockets of distress here in the county starting with the residents who live in the freaking woods. They get rooted out when they irritate elected officials.
When I first came to the county many enlisted men with families lived in Elm Farm Park. Elm Farm isn’t on low lying land though. The mobile home park over in Yorkshire gets water occassionally, if I recall correctly. So do parts of the Loch Lomond and Yorkshire areas.
There just seemed to be a lot of finger pointing with Holly Acres and very little action to fix the problem. It looks like many of those trailers were damaged beyond repair.
We have a huge problem with tax paying people out of work, and losing there homes, not due to floods but financial hardships. These very same people are the ones burdened with supporting groups as seen in the video. Groups of people, who in all likelihood are here illegally, and yet receive substantial support from the tax payers in the state. How many of you have banned together to help those tax paying citizen workers who are in similar straits? We have young citizens with positive futures in support of this country going off to be maimed and killed, and yet I have to be so concerned with those whose only attribute is being poor, or from some third world country. This nation was built on tough love, not sympathy, as we all go through bad times in our lives, and without a state supported safety net to boot! Many of these folks made it here with nothing, and if it wasn’t for us tax payers would have gone back with nothing, and so I’ve done my part. I’m just tired of constantly being asked to do more, because as soon as you get one group on their feet another mass of poor from some other country are heading your way needing support. My income can’t sustain more burden from others. That’s my point!
Why do you suggest that they are here illegally, SA? Is it because they are Hispanic? All Hispanics are not here illegally and what you just said is why I am opposed to allowing probable cause to be part of our laws here.
I believe that Prince William people help any flood victims. They certainly did after Hurricane Agnes when so many people had water up to their roofs. I don’t know. I just never think to ask about ethnicity or race when people are hit with a disaster. It doesn’t matter. They need a place to live. Most people get to high ground with the clothes on their back and little else.
I don’t think anyone is asking us to get the flood victims back on their feet. I think they just need a roof over their heads until they can find other housing. have we been asked to do something for other groups recently? No one asked me. Any charity I do is always up to me. No gun at my head.
In fact, if the people had been allowed to stay in the shelter for a while longer, I probably wouldn’t have even done a thread on it. How about fire victims? Can we provide shelter for them? I don’t know. I don’t think the county providing emergency shelter until other low income housing is found is too much to ask.
If everyone piles in to one house, someone would bitch about that.
I am not certain that we have too many illegal immigrants in the county at this point but I believe you may have discovered SA true bias. If you have an Hispanic sounding name, you must be here illegally and therefore are not deserving of any empathy. It is amazing what a disaster can do to bring out people’s true colors. I think Stewart may have taken some lessons from Scott Limpandfalter when it comes to people and homes. Am sure you recall he had the homeless folks flushed out of the woods–he said it was a safety issue but I think it was because they were too close to his home. Funny how those things work out.
Here is the video from the county. Listen to citizen time. I think some of it would melt the hardest of hearts. All they want is housing. They aren’t asking for anything for free.
These kids don’t even know where they will go to school? They have nothing.
http://pwcgov.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=1160
Basically, 12 houses lost EVERYthing they owned. They have no place to live. They are looking for affordable housing.
I sure hear a lot of people speaking English. Imagine that! Many of the flood victims are speaking to the supervisors. Good for them. The squeaking wheel sometimes gets oiled.
That landlord sounds negligent and sorry assed from what the people are saying.
Ok George, I’d venture to say that there is more evidence that some of the folks may be illegal aliens than that they are all citizens. After all, I can only go by appearances since no one is allowed to question their citizenship status. Let’s have a bet shall we. Your house against mine. If not one person there is an illegal alien, then I’ll donate my house, but if there is then cough it up. Now, what’s your opinion on the group’s status? Stop with the race card, it’s so over done.
People don’t have to be citizens to be here legally. There are many ways a person can be here legally from tourist visa, student, job, TIPS, to permanent resident.
You see hispanic and you assume illegal. Now who is playing the race card. I don’t think it was George. For God’s sake, they are flood victims. That’s what this is about. There is no evidence that they are illegal immigrants and there is no evidence they are citizens. There is evidence that they are homeless flood viictims.
I have a question. Were these homeowners/renters covered by their own flood insurance policies?
If flooding was a known hazard in this area and people willingly did not get policies…. I can feel bad for a persons situation but doesn’t mean as a taxpayer that I should make them whiole.
What am I missing here? (no points for saying compassion)
Marin, very few people have flood insurance. Most renters have no insurance since they don’t own their home. The people who owned trailers outright might not have had insurance. Those with a loan on their trailer might have had insurance but even then,, it probably would not have had flood insurance.
Most policies don’t have earthquake coverage either. That quake 2 weeks ago could have knocked your house to the ground and you would just be out of luck.
“You see hispanic and you assume illegal.”
Not all Hispanics are illegal, true, however most illegals are Latino (Hispanics included).
@Moon-howler
@Second Alamo
Yes–I believe it was SA who flipped the race card out there. To further that see his comments in #14. I suppose SA is one of those people who say, “I once saw an Indian walking single file, therefore all Indians walk single file.”
He also says there is more evidence that, “there is more evidence that some of the folks may be illegal aliens than that they are all citizens.” Yet he offers no evidence except some thing that looks like (oh that word again) racial profiling. I wonder if it is painful to be a bigot.
This is the game that has been played since day 1.
It’s either “but how do you know they’re illegal?”, or
“Just because they’re Hispanic doesn’t mean they’re illegal.”
I’m not going down the old tired road of the southern border, and obvious geography lessons, as we all know how most illegals get here, and from whence they came. Without questioning individuals, profiling is all we’ve got, and of course that’s the way you want it. It’s your only defense:
Profiling |ˈprōˌfīliNG|
noun
the recording and analysis of a person’s psychological and behavioral characteristics, so as to assess or predict their capabilities in a certain sphere or to assist in identifying a particular subgroup of people.
SA, you know, I have never ever said there wasn’t a problem in PWC or in the City of Manassas. Those who know me know I have always backed up those who lived in proximity to problem houses and I have often validated their concerns. Some people seem to think in only black and white. yes or no. zero or one. The story was about people who had lost everything in a flood. It wasn’t about blacks, whites or hispanics. Who really gives a rat’s ass?
You turned the discussion in to ‘illegals’ then accused George of playing the race card and then started singing the song about the tired old road of the southern border. You are who brought it up. Can’t you see that?
I don’t need an effen defense. As a human being, I can declare that it doesn’t matter what the status is of the people who are homeless. No one is asking you to give them one rotten nickel or dime. As human beings, in times of trouble, we help out those who have fallen on hard times, without a hint of papers please or green card.
As for profiling, the law currently is that you start collecting evidence and data after they have been detained for doing something wrong rather than detaining because they don’t pass physical muster. (translation: they have brown skin.) The former is acceptable. The latter is not.
although I not a County Resident, my view at the moment is every dang dime committed to building a dog park ought to be diverted to provide shelter for these folks as they transition to finding new homes.
Also smart enough to understand diverting that money would have people growling at the BOCS at next Citizens Time.
I don’t think the county paid money for a dog park. The residents of the area assumed that responsibility.
Now, being a dog person, I think that the county should provide recreational areas for pets because that is an extension of human recreation. I was majorly irritated that the people had to foot their own bill on the dog park.
I am all for supporting the folks who lost their home. I would suggest some conference money being used, especially that money that takes municipal people over to the Homestead for a weekend. I see no reason why they have to leave the Dale City Rec by 5 pm Friday. It is an emergency. How about renting out Clifton elementary for a week for them? That is sitting vacant, much to the residents of Clifton’s disgust.
@Moon-howler
I gonna tread a little on rough waters with the discussion since I’ll be naming a facility and I am not a spokesperson for the owners. My thought runs to the Old Marstellar here in Manassas owned by MBC. There is space available in unused classrooms, and even though the gym and cafeteria are used for other purposes, my belief is it would be another example of a good facility to contract for. Also being on PRTC OmniRide & OmniLink routes, people without cars have a way to get to work. In terms of meals, a cafeteria with the public health certificates sit right there.
I ponder where the PWC Homeless Task Force is in all of this – to my knowledge, they have not jumped into it.
Great idea Raymond. That facility has a kitchen, a gym and you are right about omni link. I would call Frank Principi’s office and alert them. He seems to be a driving force behind all of this since I believe they were his constituents.
Well, Moon, every time I see areas turning into third world enclaves I can’t help but think of the big picture as it relates to this nation’s future, and that of my grandchildren. We have enough people born into poor environments already. We don’t need to import tens of thousands each year from south of the border, and then dilute the help needed for our own citizens. I don’t see any sympathy for those going through the system to become legal citizens, just people doting on illegals, and don’t tell me that all those folks passed a citizenship test either. I’m not that gullible. I agree these people need all the help they can get, but if any are here illegally, then that should be dealt with also.
I don’t think their status is of importance at the moment. We have plenty of Americans living in trailer parks everywhere in America. Is that what you are calling third world enclaves? I got the impression that the problem was the flood.
I believe our disagreement here is over whether or not legal status is a factor in providing relief for flood victims. I say it is irrelevant.
Would you be amenable to these folks, if they are not documented, getting a status adjustment if they have no criminal record? They would probably like that, if they don’t have legal status.
Legal or illegal, those people should receive support from the developers, construction companies, restaurants, hotels, Burger Kings, etc. that benefit from the exploited labor. This should not be an additional burden on taxpayers who are already struggling. Any such money would just be another taxpayer subsidy to support corporate welfare, in this case facilitate cheap labor.
If the price of a Whooper goes up, I can chose not to buy it. Tough for the fast-food investor. If I’m taxed to support the cheap labor to subsidize the Burger King, I either pay or go to jail.
Do you have specific evidence that those Burger Kings hire undocumented workers?
Theseus, I am going to ponder that one. Why are you assuming that the people in the flood are victims of exploited labor? If I go work at Starbucks, Ryan homes, or McDonalds, I would expect to be paid the going rate. I am not sure why that would be considered exploitative. Since I am a county resident, I would expect to be treated like any other disaster victim in the county. During floods, storms, blizzards, tornadoes, county residents have been provided shelter.
And by the way, look at all the campaign contributions A&R Foods has given to get their way in Prince William County:
http://www.vpap.org/donors/profile/index/109891?end_year=2011&filter_cmte=all&filter_cmte_radio=all&lookup_type=year&order=amount&page=1&start_year=1996&submenus=donors
A&R is a major Northern Virginia Burger King franchise operator. Connaughton, Nohe, Stewart, Covington (leaders of the pro-development block on the board) are huge recipients of their largesse. A&R should be ponying up some of this political money to help the people who provide their cheap labor, instead of buying politicians.
Maybe Connaughton (who still maintains a large campaign warchest), Nohe, Stewart and Covington should cough up some of their money to help these people, since much of it comes from the businesses that exploit their cheap labor.
Yes, Moon, they need to be helped no matter their citizenship status……for the moment. Can’t you see that help comes from others who can provide it? That is you and me and others with an income. Our help to our own countrymen will increasingly be diminished if we are forced to spread it among mote and more people who we shouldn’t have to be responsible for. When we allow people to become citizens, then yes, it becomes our responsibility, but not just because they sneaked across the border. I’m talking in general terms, and not about these folks specifically. So where is the compassion for those citizens who would receive less of our help due to the ever increasing dilution of support? You mentioned that many people live in trailer parks, and so I rest my case.
@SA, I would rather not have to pay for a whole lot of people I see with their hand out.
Remember that many people live in this country as legal residents but who aren’t citizens. I don’t care about citizenship too much. I have several friends who remain foreign nationals.
@Moon-howler
Moon, I did not allege “illegal.” In fact, I stated upfront, legal or illegal. However, like SA, I would be willing to make a huge bet that if we had any sort of effective employment verification system many BK employees would be proven to be people not eligible to work in the US.
That’s beside the point, in any event. The fact is that BK, developers, other service sector employers, etc. hire the people who are now displaced, pay them a pittance, and provide no benefits. They are exploiting cheap labor, most of it immigrant labor (legal and illegal) and pushing many of the costs off on taxpayers. They and the politicians they buy should be paying to help the people rather than imposing another burdern on taxpayers.
Also, I agree that in humanitarian situations where people are suffering everyone should be helped without regard for immigration status.
who gives a crap about status? Are there families in need, children in need? How can I help should be the question from people in this community!
“Latinos are always hogging the crap jobs and substandard housing
for themselves.”
Barbara Ehrenreich
@Theseus
Most of the food service industry does not have benefits for the worker bees. Starbucks is the one company I know who does. They have health care for anyone working over 20 hours a week I think.
When I went to VPAP it looked like the company had donated a whole lot to Republicans including the governor and people in Fairfax. He also had donated a few years ago to Mike May. I am trying to read between the lines here but am coiming up with nothing.
SA,
If I were you, I just stop typing now. All you are doing is proving a point that people like me have been making for years. You ASSume someone with a hispanic surname is latino, and since all illegal immigrants are latino, they must be “illegal” (not a noun BTW, but why let proper grammer impede gross generalizations), and since “illegals” are “criminals” we should not help them anyway.
I am really disappointed in you SA, I always thought more of you, that you did not play that race card so flippantly.
Corey needs to lead, and he just plain is not doing that, not at all. Shame on him, shame on him.
Corey is not going to do anything becasue if he doe sn’t, it may force these folks to go elsewhere to find adequate, low cost housing. I wouldn’t be surprised if the governor does not go to the federal goverment for disaster relief for the same reason.
Of course Theseus thinks that because A&R Foods has given money to one of the county’s biggest xenophopes (Stewart) that Corey will suddenly turn around and help these folks. Somehow that just doesn’t make any sense at all. Has Theseus forgotten the anti-Latino resolution?
Sorry, Theseus. I didn’t mean to imply that you would cut off help if out of status. I know you didn’t say that.
Just received a press release:
I expect Mr. Gray will be issuing a press release also. Please post it if someone receives it.
@Moon-howler
I have no objection to charity groups giving money, aid and support to victims of the flood but I’m still concerned that taxpayers are being tapped here.
My house has flood insurance. Costs me $20/year. Granted I’m not in a flood zone but I got the policy – just like with any type of insurance – just in case. Heck, even a renters policy should cover at least the value of real property within the home which would give a victim a small pot of money to get started over with.
So, I feel bad for these people – I could give a flip about their legal status – but I also don’t think that it’s any business of the taxpayers to provide a bail out.
Doubly so now that I’ve started getting the bills from the hospital for Mrs. M and the babes.
Marin, that sounds like flood insurance from pipes and backup, not from outside the house.
Flood insurance from outside house is much more expensive and is fairly standardized by the industry and the feds.
You might want to check and see if you have earthquake insurance also. Most policies don’t have it.
Marin, are you saying that you don’t think a govt should provide emergency shelters? They have done that since WWII. You know, like an air raid shelter? Also there are hurricane shelters. I think it is govt’s job to protect the safety of its residents. If it cant do that, lets just go to anarchy.
Taxpayers should be helping out. Next time it could be them. Even if we don’t live in a flood plain, things can happen. If not taxpayers, then who will provide shelters. Marin, I hate to tell you but that just sounds stingy. What if a gas main exploded, a tornado blew through your neighborhood, a hurricane damaged your home and made it unlivable, a small plane hit your house….the list goes on. These are unexpected things that disrupt lives. Often govt is who can coordinate efforts to return things to normal.
My sources tell me that the county is finding another shelter for the flood victims. Corey is backing down into kinder, gentler Corey. Good for Corey.
BTW, all the residents of this community are not Hispanic. Some are just plain old white people.
@Moon-howler
I’m certain I don’t have earthquake insurance. A coworker was complaining that her damage wasn’t covered under her USAA homeowners policy. We have the same so I’m pretty confident we lack it.
So, I as an individual I assume the risk of earthquakes as I have not transferred that risk to someone else. (I can’t avoid the risk [of an earthquake] so I either transfer it or accept it [self-insure or pray a lot])
An emergency to me says “short term”. So, if we concede that emergency shelters are a valid function of government it then becomes a debate over how long constitutes an emergency. To the victim it may be for the immediate-near term future or even longer. For a taxpayer it may be just long enough that the reason the emergency occurred is over and that a person’s insurance kicks in, personal savings are used, charitable groups step in, or whatever.
Last I checked it ain’t raining no more. The ’emergency’ is over.
Stewart is simply making ‘Last Call’ to mentally prepare those impacted to motivate them to figure out their next steps.
I feel for the people but I think the county has been more than fair here.
@marin, the emergency isn’t over for the people who are still homeless. There is not that much available low income housing in this county. And the people have lost everything they owned. They first went to Woodbridge High School, then to the Dale City Rec Center. I understand that they couldn’t stay in the high school and then I understand they couldn’t use the rec center indefinitely. It was WHAT was said and how it was said more than anything else that was so offensive. WTOP featured the audio. I wish I could find it again.
I don’t think that anyone should have to permanently take on the life responsibility of another family. However,, most people do give to those in need. I made a small donation through paypal. Maybe more next week. Red Cross won’t take items but the Baptist Church is handling non cash donations and food.
now…insurance policy…read your policy carefully. Flood insurance is tricky. If it falls from the sky or is comes from backed up pipes that is one thing. If it comes from creeks outside your home, very often you aren’t covered unless you have the fed backed flood insurance. I am going over all this now with my agent.
The earthquake really rolled us around. I thought the roof was going to come off. I called and asked them about it and basically, if my house had fallen down I would be out of luck. I found out today that is has a very high deductible. I am still in inquiry stage.
EEEeeekkkkk.
Not sure how but that rider was ‘dropped’ from my policy – I just checked. I recall seeing something from USAA about changes to my policy but IIRC it was around the time the better half was admitted.
So, I need to make some policy mods. 😉
Thank you MH. I wouldn’t have caught the issue until sometime next year.
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2011/sep/15/new-shelter-open-woodbridge-flood-victims-ar-1313213/
Residents from the Holly Acres mobile home park displaced by last week’s severe flooding have to leave the Sharron Baucom Dale City Recreation Center, but a new shelter is opening at a local church.
Sources told insidenova.com that the American Red Cross, which is operating the shelter, will open a new shelter Friday at First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dumfries.
State Del. Luke Torian, D-52nd, is pastor at the church on Dumfries Road. He could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday evening.
@marin, Mt Zion Baptist Church is where the VOICES people met when Corey refused to participate in finding affordable low income housing. How ironic.
Good for Del./Pastor Torian for making these arrangements for the flood victims.
Thank you for keeping us updated.
Elena, I think the whole problem I have stems from what we went through here years ago. I’ll support people who need help even if they are illegal, but I refuse to support people who march in the streets carrying signs and erecting banners stating that I, as a citizen of PWC, am the bad guy when it’s my tax dollars that are enabling them to survive. And then I have to listen to these ungrateful individuals speak of their rights as they stand in defiance of our laws. No, that makes me sick. If those same people had come forward and expressed gratitude for the assistance that they were receiving, and were thankful for the opportunity of a better life, then things would have gone much more differently, and we wouldn’t be having these arguments. Instead I feel they are playing us for suckers, and laughing behind our backs as they travel to the food store in their upscale SUV, and pull out taxpayer funded food stamps to pay for it all. Multiple child births and no bills while my daughter is on the hook for thousands. Now we have a POTUS who only wants suck more money from my earnings to support even more.
SA, I understand how you feel to some degree. No one wants to be the bad guy and there certainly was some of that. I agree. In fact, there was a big huge sign that validated what nasty people we all were.
Now, having said that, there are also a lot of decent folks who didn’t support that in your face kind of swaggering. I hope you can differentiate between those people and some little 14 year old girl crying because someone called her a spic and she is afraid her mom will be sent back because her father is legal on a TIPS and her mother is not. Meanwhile, the little girl worked her rear end off and made good grades in hopes of going to college one day.
There are all sorts of stories about immigrants, some good and some bad. I dealt with them every day. Like every other group of people most were nice, decent human beings. There were a few real bastards who I could have thrown under the bus in a NY second. Fortunately I never had the urge to lump all the good (and there was a lot of it.) in with the bad. There is bad in all groups.
There are lots of people who abuse welfare type assistance. Probably the biggest group of abusers are white. We just don’t recognize them in our area. And I don’t like anyone pulling that off, but it happens. I can’t single out one ethnicity as the cultprits. My daughter also still on the hook for thousands and it was a long time ago. She simply didn’t fall in the right demographic I guess.
The problem in this and other countries is that natural selection is working in reverse due to all the socialized programs that have been created. Those that are successful are too busy working to have large families that need constant attention, while those less successful are rewarded for having children, and are able to stay home on the workers’ dollar with socialized supports in place. Eventually the number of successful people diminishes, while the numbers of unsuccessful increases until there are fewer taxpayers left to support the socialized programs that provide for the rest. We are rapidly approaching this dilemma. So how is it that there are no labor jobs available in this country, and yet thousands of laborers flood across our border each year and can survive? Simple, they are getting socialized assistance due to the nature of their demographic whereas the majority of unemployed workers are of the wrong demographic. Yours and my daughters are a perfect example. We are the suckers!
I think a lot of the immigrants are flooding back home because the jobs have dried up.
SA, I am just as concerned over home grown Americans becoming slugs and gaming the system. Just take a look around. That gaming syndrome seems to cross all races. And no I don’t approve of anyone doing it. People think someone owes them something for nothing.
On the other hand, look at Social Security and Medicare being called “entitlements.” That just frosts my tail because I have paid into those programs my entire working life. I will take mine without apology. More has been taken from me than I will ever take from the system.
I guess that is why I cannot fathom why more people don’t support for the DREAM act. Most of the DREAMers are kids hoping to make a better more productive life as a legalized citizen, being a productive member of society. Seems to me, you can’t have it both ways, complain that people here are only parasites to the economy (which, BTW, I disagree with that premise) or complain you want to ensure that those who WANT to be educated and productive are denied the right because of what their parents did. Can’t have it both way in my opinion.
Elena, no one is arguing wanting to improve our state of the nation, but how in the heck can we ever accomplish this when more and more, by the tens of thousands, of poor people flood into this country? The boat is sinking, and no one is plugging the holes! As I stated, the ones who have the means to help are strapped, and becoming a smaller percentage of the ever increasing population. The end result is that our nation’s standard of living is being affected. How can I be compassionate about people coming here uninvited, and using the resources that should be used to educate OUR own citizens instead. If I walked into your house uninvited, and sat at your table with a hungry look, you would probably feed me. However, if I and several hundred others walked into your house and sat at your (very large) table, all with a hungry look, you couldn’t possibly feed us all no matter the level of your compassion. That is what this nation is rapidly facing.
The good news is that the displaced persons will go to Mt Zion Baptist Church for up to 2 weeks until they can find permanent housing.
Corey can be seen going from gruff and abrupt to a much kinder and gentler person. That was good to see. I don’t know who got to him but someone needed to.
I have had many phone calls about what a weazel he appeared to be over this disaster.
The turn around is nice to see. However, there should have never been a need for a turn around. I’ve talked to many, that like myself are opposed to illegal immigration. Status is a non-issue when a disaster like this strikes. Furthermore, like it, or not, I bet the vast majority of the kids are US Citizens. I’m so very pleased to see a church has stepped up to the plate.
Me too, Lafayette. That’s sure a good example of people who talk the talk and walk the walk.
You are totally right. There should have never been a need to do a turn around. It was inexcusable for there to have been a need. However, Corey likes to posture to his base. Let it be known though, that I believe in being fair and accurate. If he changes, I will make note of it. Many a stone heart has been turned and I am glad his has.
I worked with a lady many years ago who lived on Lake Jackson Drive during Angnes. She and her family lost everything. Can you imagine just starting over, the archives of your life just wiped out? I can’t. And cleaning up after a flood is dirty, nasty work. I was pleased to see that FEMA was in Holly Acres also.
And you are right. It has nothing to do with status when disaster like this hits.
My question to you Moon in reference to your #49 post is which came first, the “nasty people”, or the “big huge sign”? I think that sign, along with those idiots from Mexican’s without borders ( the name alone is pure arrogance, and in-your-face ), caused many to join those “nasty people”. I certainly was one of them. I honestly can’t imagine what my community would now look like if things had not changed in 2007. Woodbridge definitely comes to mind only worse. Just saying.
Actually I think the “nasty people” came first, SA. And I am not saying all the people were ‘nasty.’ Again, we are talking about perception. The Immigration Resolution had been introducted in Prince William County before the sign went up. There were 3 different signs. The 3rd sign was horrible, in my opinion and was directed against all of us ‘nasty people.’
What really changed in 2007? I still haven’t figured that out. Was it the economy grinding to a halt or was it the perception that people were being run out of town? I don’t know the answer.
What I really think is that the sign was not productive. the first sign was ok. I understood that. It was ugly, it was where it should not have been (according to city code) but its sentiments…I can understand. Mr. F used the sign as his blog, in many ways. However, when people were trying to help the situation, calling us all racists was not helpful. It was counter productive and took people who might have been willing to listen and alienated them. He was told by many people that his words were contrary to what was needed and he chose to ignore those who gave him good advice.
He might be a hero to a few people but I sure don’t see him as such. He took an unstable situation and threw a match in a gas can in my opinion. I have always been very open in my feelings on this matter. Many people with whom I have associated on this subject also tried to tell him. They just haven’t been as public about it as I have been, for their own reasons. Everyone had place to be. Perhaps mine has become a little more apparent.
Perhaps Chris will post the 3 different signs, in order. I will ask her to.
SA, those were unpleasant times for our county. Things were coming to critical mass. I am glad we are past those days.
I fear our chairman wants to squeeze the last bit of political life he can out of the controversy, however,
I think I saw her on her broom headed towards the courthouse. 👿
Who was that masked woman??? (on the broom)
I am not so so certain we can say “we are past those days” from the tone of many of the postings I have read on this thread. It seems to me there are many who believe that anyone with an Hispanic sounding name is here illegally. As I wrote earlier, that the fact that Stewart and the governor are doing nothing says a lot–by doing nothing, the displaced people will have to go somewhere else because they can’t stay in the church forever either.
As to the Liberty Street signs–they did a lot to set the racial tone here in Prince William. As you said, Mr. F had a chance to be a hero but he let his emotions take over and thus he lost the battle. I will say though that the signs were a sort of mirror that made us all take a look at ourselves and many did not like what they saw.
I am continually torn as to how this whole thing should be dealth with. I don’t think there is a person on here who can understand what would cause a person to leave their native land and their family, then face untold horrors in trying to cross who knows how much hostile territory in an attempt to get to a place where they can at least make a minimum wage and have a chance at bettering themselves. None of us have ever know the grinding poverty that would drive a person to do that and I would say many have never even seen such poverty. I was pretty damned poor for parts of my life, but I was never so bad off that I felt like I needed to go somewhere else. I knew that it would be better somewhere along the way if I worked hard enough. In most of the countries these folks are coming from, there is no way for them to make it better–there are no resources for them to call upon because uncaring, corrupt governments have taken everything.
I can’t believe that marinm would ask if they had flood insurance. What a stupid question. If these people could afford flood insurance they wouldn’t be living in such crap places. But his approach is just the kind of thing I was talking about when I say people don’t have a clue Second Alamo’s response at #53 is another example. Forrest Gump was right–Stupid is as stupid does.
@George S. Harris
“crap places”
And we’re stupid and/or incensitive?
Hey George, with all due respect, kiss my a$$! You can attack my opinions, but don’t get personal for you know nothing about me. #53 was a reasonable explanation for what I was trying to portray in terms of the ability to support people. Nothing stupid about it. Besides, I wasn’t talking to you anyway. BTW, Forrest Gump was a great movie.
Here’s the links to two of the signs. It seems as though my first sign picture has been deleted. Grrr! I’m working on getting a clear picture of the first sign.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2559607040102412507duDERM
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2045157450102412507zkaqWB
Thanks Chris. Can you snag it back from somewhere?
@Second Alamo
Mark the spot SA–you are all ASS to me.
@marinm
YTes, t hey wer e “crap places”–they couldn’t afford anything else. It is not a reflection on the people, it is a reflection on the situation they find themselves in.
Well said George, well said. Don’t hold back. Let it out. Count to ten. Feel better now?
O.K. boys, take a deep breath and count to 10, you too SA.
SA,
Jumping to illegal is illegal was not productive to this conversation. Figuring out solutions is more valuable that wallowing in floolwater trying to place blame when in some situations, life is just life and stuff happens. People needed help, not derision.
How do we move forward is the obstacle at hand.