Corey Stewart lives in Fantasy Land. Apparently he simply cannot separate truth from fiction. He plays Lucy Goosey with the truth every place he gets his words in print. Take the Richmond Times Dispatch for example:
But fellow Republican Corey A. Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said he was gratified that the court upheld a key provision of the Arizona law that requires law enforcement officers to determine immigration status during a lawful traffic stop if there is a reasonable suspicion that the person is not legally in the country.
The court upheld the “show me your papers” requirement that police check suspects’ immigration status, but it said the provision could be subject to additional legal challenges.
Stewart said that portion of the Arizona law was modeled after immigration policy enacted in 2007 in Prince William.
“I am thrilled to see the high court uphold common-sense legislation that will help protect the citizens of Arizona just as it has done for us,” he said.
Stewart said that since Prince William implemented the policy, county law enforcement has turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement more than 4,700 illegal immigrants charged with crimes, and there has been a 47.8 percent drop in violent crime.
Does Corey not realize that we don’t have a “show me your papers” policy here in Prince William County? I find it rather horrifying that Corey is in that much denial. Our local law states that immigration status will be determined on all people who are arrested. It is done through out 287(g) program. This was a major change from an earlier resolution that arose out of budgetary restraints, supervisor and citizen concern. The quoted 47.8 percent drop in county violent crime is also a figment of Corey’s imagination. The Prince William County police statistics simply do not bear his allegations out. He either doesn’t know the law in his own county or he doesn’t care about misrepresenting the truth.
Stewart also fabricates more in his campaign literature where he begs money. The numbers are mine, for reference:
- lead the 2nd largest county in the Commonwealth for the last six years, and have implemented a conservative agenda, achieving results that speak for themselves:
- Cut spending by $143 million
- Reduced taxes by 13%
- Led the nation’s toughest crackdown on illegal immigration
- Eliminated more than 300 county positions
- #1 in jobs in the Commonwealth
- AAA Bond Ratings from all three major ratings agencies
- Defended the 2nd Amendment
Let’s take a look at these claims to fame. #1, ok. #2 Cut spending by $143 million? I don’t think so. A quick glance at the record shows the county budget tells another story:
Here are the facts. Corey Stewart was elected Chairman of the Board of Supervisors on November 7, 2006 in the special election after former Chairman Connaughton resigned. Fiscal year 2005 General Fund expenditure was $657,356,000. Expenditure for fiscal year 2013, which the Board recently approved, is expected to be $919,455,000. That’s an increase of $254,828,000 or nearly 40% during the time he’s been Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
Corey wants to pick and choose the years he wants to compare, but the only honest and relevant comparison is what he’s done during the entire time he’s been Chair. He was more than willing to shell out any amount needed to do his own projects like what he later called Rule of Law. However, he didn’t even wince over not including more money in this years budget for teachers who have not had a step increase for several years
#4 I don’t think that he led the toughest crackdown. That is BS and bluster. Arizona and Alabama have had far more draconian laws. Corey’s immigration regulations got neutered before going into the final phase.
#5 I don’t think anyone eliminated more than 300 county jobs in Prince William County. I would like to know exactly what jobs were eliminated. I believe this statement is just an old fashioned LIE.
#6 claims that Prince William County is #1 in jobs in the State. You have to be kidding me. What is he talking about? PWC can’t even compete. What kind of jobs is he talking about? We aren’t #1 in contruction and I doubt seriously if we can make that claim in number of dishwashers employed in the county. Corey needs to document this claim also.
He can have the rest of his claims. I don’t know what he did to defend the 2nd amendment but ok. Hopefully those challenging Corey will ask his to defend and document his claims here. Those of us who have followed his supervisor’s career can tell a different story. Predictably, he tried to hop back on the immigration train today. It is not going where Corey wants to go, I fear.
That’s the irony in this entire outcome. The first Resolution did have the “show me your papers” part, and that is what got everyone soooooooo upset, and yet the court has upheld it. It just may make its way back into version 3 if things ever start looking like they did in 2007.
Actually, the high court has not upheld “show me your papers.” Cops still cannot see someone on the street, think …hmmmm…illegal alien…and stop and ask them for papers. If they have detained a person then they can ask. The original resolution in PWC most certain did allow for what I first described. Many of us found that to be unacceptable. It also contained a component to keep kids out of school which was illegal and also to deep illegal aliens from the library and swimming pools. As it turns out, we settled, in the end, for keeping the elderly illegal alien off the Blue bird Bus. Not ever sure they still have that service. Raymond will know.
Calling the claim, “cut spending by $143 million” bogus is being very generous. It falls in the Bernie Madoff category of financial lies. Moon, your numbers are accurate. Following is a table of total general fund expenditures, including the transfer to the school system, since fiscal year 2005. The numbers come from various editions of the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFR), various editions, and the recent fiscal year 2013 fiscal plan. The CAFR represents the audited financial information that bond issuers and others use. It has the relevant, objective data that should be used in evaluating trends in County expenditures.
2005 657,356
2006 732,894
2007 782,000
2008 812,661
2009 849,870
2010 845,539
2011 844,033
2012 919,455
2013 912,184
I don’t see any way you get a $143 million reduction anywhere in these numbers representing the time Corey has been Chairman of the Board.
By the way, the numbers I presented are in thousands, so add three zeros to each. For example, 2005 is actually $657,356,000.
Thanks NTK. Its so hard to format numbers.
Most of what he said to the press is a lie and what he said on his beg letter for the most part is a lie.
Surely he couldn’t have been serious about the jobs. Do you think he really thinks that?
@Need to Know
No doubt this is the same type of argument that both parties use in Federal government. They are probably speaking of “based on the current rate of increases, the amount would have been X, but we cut that number by $143 million from what it would have been had we not cut spending.” No spending cut just cut from “future spending”. It is why we have a huge deficit.
All politicians use that method of accounting and it doesn’t matter what party they belong to.
Corey makes up this stuff, with Peacor abetting him all the way. Believe nothing coming out of the Board of Supervisors or the County Executive’s Office.
Fortunately, accurate data are available. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports are audited by independent third parties. They include data on revenue and expenditure. The bond issuance statements must pass muster with the Securities and Exchange Commission, among others. Mispresentations in those documents can land them in prison. Jobs and wages data are available from the Census Bureau, the Virginia Employment Commission and others. Regional and local economic data are also available from the Census Bureau. I could go on writing about independent, third-party data that people (mainly those associated with other candidates) will be studying.
My advice to Corey and Peacor is to stop putting out this bovine scatology immediately before they get buried even deeper in it.
@Clinton S. Long
You are absolutely right. As I wrote in the post just after yours, we will need to go to the sources to find out the truth.
If Corey is using the kind of argumentation you describe to get his numbers, he’s running seriously astray of how true conservative Republicans look at the budget. Our point all along is that not increasing spending by as much as you wanted does NOT count as a cut.
I have to jump in here and say something. Why do Republicans think they always have to use the word “spending.” What a meaningless word. Being the cheapest isn’t always best; in fact, it rarely is.
How about using money the most prudently and to give us the best return. That is a common value that all people want. This “conservative”/”Republican”/”spending” chant just turns the independent off.
Who cares about cuts? Most people care about quality of life and good governance as it relates to the times. Why the times? If Apple or google wanted to come in here with good jobs I bet a lot of people’s priorities would change.
How about some people running for office who never used the word “spending?” Spending makes as much sense to me as the word “thing.”
Discretionary funds? Misuse of campaign money? That’s old news. Corey wants to focus on something he can sink his teeth into. Change the subject, put the right spin on it. Make sure everyone’s focus is off the damaging things and on something he can get some traction on, even if he has to bend the truth a little. That’s politics folks, and Corey is good at it. The question is, how many people out there are dumb and ill-informed enough to buy it.
@RV Lots I am sorry to say.
@RV
“a little”?
With all the talk about “cutting spending” and the real growth in the County Budget, get ready for the next run of “fun and games” – and I am not talking about what happens at Carryover in August.
Mr. Candland prompted the beginnings of a major budget drill in the County – in fact, Staff will be developing against six different scenarios. An email went out to all County Employees from the CXO reassuring them it is only a drill…well, at least at this point only a drill.
Being a former Federal Comptroller in my prior life, I can appreciate the drills. But as RV noted, there will be something politicos may latch onto to sink their teeth in.