Does anyone here remember the dressing down that Chairman Stewart gave to Supervisor Candland when the BOCS was adopting the 2012 tax rate? I sure do! Corey was appalled by the very suggestion that we not fund our critical services to the residents in this county. Many, including myself, were quite surprised that Corey would find the fortitude to defend the defenseless that surely would have been the most effected had such a low tax rate been adopted.
Let us not be too hasty though, that was THEN and this is NOW, well by now, I mean several months later. The “NOW” now means Corey is back stumping for his next move up and out of PWC. In the Washington Post article entitled “Corey Stewart Proposes Deep Cuts to Social Services Programs in Prince William County”, Corey is clearly back to politics as usual.
In a letter to supervisors, Stewart outlined $9.6 million in potential cuts that would significantly reduce funding for the county health department, the Juvenile Court Services Unit and substance abuse treatment for jail inmates, among other services. He also proposes eliminating some funding for nonprofit groups, including Legal Services of Northern Virginia.
Let us all take this opportunity to reminisce about Corey’s indignant smack down to Pete Candland over reducing the tax rate to an unsustainable number. Click here and begin watching at 1:47 into the discussion. Here is a brief synopsis of Corey’s emotional plea in April of 2012 discussing the tax rate.
We are fortunate to be part of a very large and growing and wealthy and diverse cosmopolitan community like Prince William.
Tax bills are below what they were in 2007.
Well, DFT, no kidding. So is the value of my house, by half almost! My tax bill is down, not because of Corey or the BOCS, its down because the value of my home is in the toilet. In fact, since we built our home in 2002 and received our first full real estate tax bill, my house has never been assessed this low. I am not blaming the BOCS, I am just stating the facts. Now, let us continue shall we……….
Tax bills have got to keep up with inflation. If you don’t, you won’t be able to finance that growth. We are not a community that is stagnant. We are growing…..
We have new roads, new parks, new libraries to keep up with the growing population.
We have to do the responsible thing here and not just sit here and make political points!
First of all, let’s get this straight, our real estate tax bills are a shell game. Assessments go up , taxe rates go down, assessments go down, taxe rates go up. As a county we depend on a certain amount of income to run our government, it isn’t nefarious, its simply reality.
Corey is proposing cutting programs , via the Community Services Board (CSB) that helps ensure community safety, specifically the substance abuse program in jails. There is a plethora of research supporting helping felons get off drugs and alcohol. Here is just one from the APA.
Research published in the 1990’s by psychologist Dr. Harry K. Wexler, a leader in prison reform, found that prison-based substance abuse is effective – if combined with aftercare – and leads to major reductions in recidivism. For example, his 1999 study involving 478 prisoners at a state prison near San Diego, California found that after three years, only 27 percent of the prisoners involved the prison’s drug treatment program with aftercare returned to prison, compared to a recidivism rate of 75 percent for those not involved in the treatment program.
Well, if people aren’t ending up back in jail it means they aren’t committing crimes which means our community is safer.
I especially enjoyed Corey’s comment about being “cosmopolitan”. Well, what makes a community “cosmopolitan?” I would suggest having robust cultural and musical investment. But,alas, Corey would cut that too.
Here is where I find the most fault. In order to keep my taxes “stagnant”, Corey is willing to slash funds to the most at risk among us, children and the elderly. The mentoring program serves up to 33 thousand people, focusing on at risk children. This is the program he want to cut? Really? Why not take the 33 grand we give Rainbow Riding that only serves 60 or so kids and put our resources towards an organization that reaches far more children.
And those new libraries Corey is bragging about having built? Well, guess what is in his wish list to close two days a week? Yes folks, community libraries. You know, those ones that are actuall IN the community. So many people utilize those libraries, like senior citizens, families with young children, and many more. These are the “things” that make a community vibrant.
What sudden crisis has happened since the budget discussion a mere seven months ago? From everything I am hearing, the housing market is beginning to recover.
Wait, when did Corey announce his bid for LG? I get a headache from whipping my head back and forth, keeping track of Corey’s position on issues. He works with FAIR, a known hate group, trying to end all immigration to now being the politician who could teach Romney a thing or two about being welcoming of diversity and reaching out to Latinos (what a load of donkey doo doo).
Did Corey forget that entire immigration fiasco a few years back, I sure as hell haven’t!
He recognized the need for a reasonable tax rate in order to make investments in your community, especially one such as Prince William, “because we are wealthy, cosmopolitan and diverse.” Yet, fast forward 7 months, we can no longer invest in those programs that serve those in need.
He was a champion for balanced growth and the rural crescent, now he consistently sides with Developers voting against the Rural Crescent.
Our constant need for new roads, new schools, new parks and new libraries are a consequence of poor planning and inadequate infrastructure requirements in response to high density housing approval by past and present BOCS. We need to ask ourselves, who are we as a community? I am all for sensible government, but good investment isn’t a waste if it keeps us safe and promotes a community that values shared responsibility.
Good lord Corey, make a decision for G-ds sake, who are you?!
Oh, is there another election soon. Looks like Corey has decided to throw the 47% under the bus, I guess he’s not a student of recent history.
Right on Ivan!
I know I’m opening the door to some smart-ass comment from Starry, but for this Conservative Republican you can’t slap enough lipstick on this pig to make it a viable GOP candidate. Elephants have long memories and lots of statements, PR releases and e-mails cached on their hard drives.
I agree with MoM even though I am not a conservative republican. shudder.
Too many flip-flops. Too soon after Romney’s campaign. Too short a memory.
He’s been tolerated here because until recently only Republicans have won anything and no serious opposition. He’s been a bully to other board members and I understand he’s very critical and dismissive of county employees.
I hope he wins Lt Gov. Gets him out of here and he’ll probably never serve another term in any office. Unfortunately, it’s pretty clear he won’t win.
I wonder if Corey is still going to be the “Fighting Illegal Immigration” candidate”.
They are balancing the budget on the backs of the poor and most vulnerable. For a wealthly community our schools are going to be weak and our poor will now be without any resources because the churches are tapped out. So much for my house value increasing anytime soon.
Looking at some of those proposed budget cuts are horrifying.
Closing libraries, defunding the arts, and those types of things just turn the entire community into a wasteland. The arts just arent the controversial items like the great ballet/symphony degate. They are a quilting club or a clogging club. Funding often makes the difference in these kinds of clubs existing.
No substance abuse treatment at the jail? Lots of folks are in jail because of bad decisions made while using substance. let’s rid people of that monkey on their back if possible.
I strongly oppose the BOCS taking over the financial end of the School board and its budget. Perhaps the school board needs to do more due diligence but the schools cannot operate if the politicians get hold of the funding.
Our BOCS is shortsighted. They have a tendency to listen to the squeaky wheels (the nativists and Tea party types) even though those people comprise a very small part of the population of this county. The rest of the community usually just goes about its business – working, taking kids to soccer practice, helping with homework, shopping, fixing up their houses, attending meetings, etc. Most people just want their schools to perform well, their roads to be passable, their parks to be maintained, etc.
Some of the TPers squawk as though they haven’t a penny left to their names and yet they’re gulping down their Starbucks coffee and complaining on their laptops. It’s a fairly transparent ploy. They’ve lost the election and the majority’s sympathy so they’ll go after the Democrats’ constituency and agenda in any way possible. I expect better from most of the people on the BOCS. There’s no reason to fall in line with everything Corey Stewart trumpets to advance his career. The electorate is fairly evenly divided among Republicans, Democrats, and independents. No one party should pander to one small segment of this county’s voters.
Cheer Censored.
I am concerned also because so many people I used to think are normal have drunk the kool aid here.
Corey’s schemes are just that…SCHEMES to get re-elected.
I fear for the school system. The politicians have no business with their hands on that budget. they lack the basics.
No one cares, there is no hope. All the other Supervisors will cave because they are scared of being attacked. That’s why Corey caved, he couldn’t take it. Just watch, they will all fall like dominos. I bet the Sheriff is laughing all the way to his hopes of getting a certain young supervisor into Wolfe’s seat.
Watching gets it, up until the seat part.
The real seat desired is Corey’s seat.
Wolfe’s seat is protected by jurisdiction and he is in for the next 3.5 years.
Ooops, my bad, I meant Wolf’s seat. It is available in 2 years :). I do not believe Candland wants to go to Richmond.
Ah that Wolf. Howl……MH always watches her wolves. 👿
I hadn’t thought of that.
I think he might want to unseat the unseatable first. A crow bar wouldn’t get Corey out of there. HE sure isn’t going to Richmond.
OMG, I am so wrong today, Candland in in Connolly’s congressional district. He would never win that. Maybe he does want to go to Richmond. I should look to see if he is in Black’s or Colgan’s area. I am going to stop commenting now……
How did Candland get into Connolly’s district? These gerrymandered districts simply make me sick.
I can’t figure out where anyone should be.
Don’t stop!!! You are opening up all sorts of possibiities no one else has thought of.
I often am not sure whose district *I* am in. I have referred to my voter registration card several times. Now let me explain…I got at least 3 in the mail.
Evil puppeteers end up in trouble eventually or in certain cases, again.
I have to believe that at some point, you alienate enough different factions and they don’t forgive you and don’t vote for you. Has that happened recently in politics? Oh, right, Romney 😉
@Lyssa
Yes, I do believe in what goes around comes around, maybe even twice in somes cases when people just don’t learn the first time.
Well- we COULD change this idiocy if we get people out in force to fight this obvious result of conservative blogger-run government. This policy in no way represents the voting public in Prince William, and we need to make that obvious. We should corral our friends and neighbors and confront the BOCS at their public meetings. Numbers make a difference!
Interesting phrase there…blogger-run government.
Thinking back on things from immigration to the the present…that is pretty much what we have. Knee jerk reactions to less than 50 bloggers.
it could also get a lot worse with the News and Messenger folding. No one should be getting their news off a blog and that includes this one. We get our news from other news and provide commentary on said news.
numbers of people that count Middleman…….
Hey, hey, hey, Elena, the jaded perspective is my purview, back off.
Jaded? Moi? I resent that honest evaluation 😉