Author: Alanna

There’s a growing chorus of voices in Prince William County from parents and teachers to make Inauguration Day a school holiday. This actually seems like a great idea. If we want our children to be civic minded then what better way then to have them be aware of the swearing in of the new President. It’s just one day every four years, so I don’t see a downside to this one. For more information, there’s an article in InsideNova.com.

This article in the Washington Post tells of a hundred cars that were vandalized in the Sudley area with anti-gay & ethnic slurs. Luckily, the police have caught the 4 perpetrators. This is yet another example of how hate is on the rise. Crimes against latinos are skyrocketing. Early last year I spoke to someone who issued me a warning that hatred is rarely focused at one particular group that once it takes hold it has a tendency to spread. Apparently, that is what we are witnessing. And Supervisor Stirrup who refuses to denounce this hatred is partly to blame. Just as Elena described in the board meeting, there appears to be a cancer in our community and we need leadership to address it.

I attended the Gainesville District Townhall meeting and here’s a quick update.

1. Transportation projects include the widening of 15, widening of 66 and the Linton Hall Corridor Project are all on track to be completed either early or on-time. And let me just say, I stand in awe of these transportation engineers who are able to squeeze a lane out of nothing. Unfortunately, new project funding is in doubt because of current economic conditions and funding issues related to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and Bob Marshall’s lawsuit where the Virginia Supreme Court ruled the collection of the funds unconstitutional.
2. There was literature available concerning the Journey thru Hallowed Ground designation.
3. Transmission Lines have been approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission conditional on West Virginia and Pennsylvania. West Virginia has given the go ahead while Pennsylvania has not. Also, there’s this interesting article in today’s Washington Post about Maryland regulators requesting electric utilities to draft conservation plans.
4. USDOT representative reports federal highway funding legislation runs out at the end of September 09 and will need an overhaul.
5. Stirrup again refuses to answer question about his membership in ‘Help Save Manassas’ instead decides to call me an ‘illegal alien apologist.’ Okay, if you think McCain and Reagan were apologists then so be it.But I did seem to learn who’s Stirrup’s spin meister is – Mr. Murphy. By the way, you were not his first choice for the job, greater men with more integrity declined this position. Better get back to crunching those numbers since ER visits have not decreased.

On this Veterans Day 2008, we salute to our veterans, both past and present. This article while over a decade old shows the contributions made by immigrants.

A Veteran’s Day Remembrance: Immigrant Medal of Honor Recipients
by Stuart Anderson

Stuart Anderson is director of trade and immigration studies at the Cato Institute.

November 4, 1996

As Veteran’s Day approaches, the time has come to pay tribute to those who have given their lives to this country, though they were not born in this country. Immigrants have received the Medal of Honor in every war since the medal was first established. To receive it, a recipient must risk his life, the bravery of his act must be considered beyond the call of duty and distinguished from other acts, and at least two eyewitnesses must have observed the act and provide incontestable evidence that it occurred.

More than 20 percent (over 700) of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in U.S. wars have been immigrants. As the official guide to recipients notes, “Those who have received the Medal of Honor since it was established in 1861 as the nation’s highest decoration are as different as the melting pot population of our country.”

Vietnam: At the age of 29, Laszlo Rabel was the leader of Team Delta, 74th Infantry Detachment. Rabel, a staff sergeant, had immigrated to the United States from Budapest, Hungary, and entered the service in Minnesota. He was leading his men in reconnaissance when enemy movement was detected. His team started to leave the area when suddenly a grenade landed in the middle of the team. Without hesitation, Rabel threw himself on the grenade, covering it with his body and absorbing the explosion. He lost his life but saved those whom he had led on the field of battle.

Korea: Lieutenant John Koelsch, a London-born immigrant, flew a helicopter as part of a Navy helicopter rescue unit during the Korean War. He had entered the service in Los Angeles but on the evening of July 3, 1951, he found himself on the Korean peninsula with darkness fast approaching. Word came that the North Koreans had shot down a U.S. marine aviator and that the man was trapped deep in hostile territory amid mountainous terrain. John Koelsch volunteered to rescue him.

As he descended beneath the clouds to search for the aviator the enemy fired on him. After being hit, Koelsch kept going until he found the downed pilot, who had suffered serious burns. A burst of enemy fire struck the helicopter causing it to crash into the side of the mountain. Koelsch quickly helped his crew and the downed pilot out of the wreckage. He led the men out of the area, barely escaping the enemy troops. For nine days they were on the run until the North Koreans finally captured them. During questioning, John Koelsch refused to reveal information. He died at the hands of his interrogators.

World War II: Marcario Garcia, born in Mexico, was 24 years old when near Grosshau, Germany, he found his company pinned down by the heavy machine gun fire of Nazi troops and by an artillery and mortar barrage. Though wounded and in pain, he refused to be evacuated. Instead, he crawled forward, all alone, and lobbed hand grenades into the enemy’s emplacement. He singlehandedly assaulted the position and destroyed the gun.

A short time later when another German machine gun started firing, back toward the German position he went. Alone, he again stormed the enemy, destroyed the gun, killed three German soldiers and captured four prisoners, helping to save his company.

World War I: In France, September 1918, U.S. Army Private Michael Valente found his company facing withering enemy machine gun fire. Nonetheless, Valente and another volunteer rushed forward into the enemy nest, where they killed two, captured five, and silenced the gun.

Valente saw another enemy nest close by that was pouring “deadly fire” on American soldiers. He and his fellow soldier assaulted that position as well, silencing that gun, too. They then jumped into a trench, killed two German soldiers and captured 16 others. Despite what the citation calls “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” and “utter disregard of his own personal danger,” Valente was not killed.

Michael Valente, born in Cassino, Italy, saved the lives of many American soldiers that day. Three years later, Congress passed the first national origins quotas under the theory that Italians and other southern Europeans were genetically inferior to native-born Americans and, therefore, should be kept out of the country.

Today some may still be concerned that immigrants do not share a commitment to defending America. These new concerns are as misplaced as the old. For as has always been the case, the evidence is that immigrants are as willing as natives to support the nation’s defense needs and, if necessary, to give their lives for their country.

FYI, in case anyone’s interested.

For Release
NR#291 11-07-08

Board to Meet with School Board

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA . . . The Prince William Board of County Supervisors will host a Special Meeting with the Prince William County School Board on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, at 7 p.m. The work session will be held in room 202 A and B of the Development Services Building, at 5 County Complex Court in Woodbridge.

The purpose of this Special Meeting is to discuss the FY10-14 fiscal plan, revenue forecasts, the revenue sharing agreement, and related issues.

Please call 703-792-6600 if you have any questions.

As the election poll close across the Country, it’s time to wait and watch. Some channels are reporting states based on exit polling but CNN is playing it safe and waiting for the votes to be counted. Basically, at this point South Carolina, Oklahoma, Kentucky & Tennessee are in the McCain column, while Vermont & Illinois are in Obama’s. It’s 8:20pm and thus far only Brentsville District in Prince William has reported with the following results:

Barack Obama and Joe Biden 351 29.97%
John McCain and Sarah Palin 810 69.17%

Additionally, no surprise that Mark Warner will replace the retiring John Warner as a Virginia State Senator.

Virginia State Board of Election link for Prince William -https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2008/07261AFC-9ED3-410F-B07D-84D014AB2C6B/Unofficial/00_p_153_89BE12EC-7BBF-479C-935A-9B8C51DD3524.shtml

Obviously there’s a lot of exuberance over Obama, but even after attending his Spring Rally at Nissan, I never caught Obama fever. I give credit to the many faithful, intelligent and kind Obama supporters who have shown a great deal of respect in presenting their candidate’s position.

I believe both candidates deserve our respect and whomever wins deserves our support.

But these are the reasons why I’m voting for McCain:

• I have serious reservations about Obama on the abortion issue. The next President will have the opportunity to appoint Supreme Court Justices who’s influence on cases could have long lasting effects on our nation.
• I feel uneasy that a family with two working adults could meet the definition of ‘rich’, if they earned $200,000/year.
• I’m concerned that with the House, Senate, and President all being from the same party that bipartisanship practices will be abandoned.

Zombie Party – JibJab: Obama, McCain and Palin

Our neighbors to the north in Frederick, Maryland are encountering some of the same type of ‘Help Save’ maniacs that we saw here last year. Thankfully their elected board has yet to adopt any of the hair brain schemes proposed by their HSM – Help Save Maryland which is currently trying to convince Frederick officials to order a head count of students ‘legality’.

Unfortunately, this video can’t be embedded but it’s worth the look.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/video_player/player.htm?url=/media/BOCC1022/BOCC1022.flv&id=1061

And, thank God for people like Vanessa Rinni Lopez who confront the hate-mongers and tell it like it is.

Earlier this week the US Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal case concerning an ‘illegal’ immigrant who allegedly used a social security number belonging to another person. This case concerning a charge of aggravated identity theft will be heard sometime in 2009. It is significant because federal prosecutors have used this identity theft charge against many of the 300 immigrants caught up in the raids at the meat packing plant in Postville.

This charge which is based from a new law adopted in 2004 originally was intended to combat identity theft but has now found new purpose in the federal government’s attempts to ‘combat illegal immigration’. The punishment for this crime is much greater than a simple violation of immigration code which has made it a popular ‘tool’ for prosecutors who appear anxious to throw the kitchen sink at these people in the hope that it sticks.

What’s troublesome to me is that the federal government has no qualms about accepting social security, medicare, and federal employment tax withholdings from these individuals paychecks. Presumably this person was paying the feds using this invalid number and name, the Internal Revenue Service ans Social Security Administration knew that the names and numbers didn’t match but apparently they don’t care as long as your PAYING THEM MONEY. My question is, wouldn’t the feds acceptance of this money from these people’s paychecks make them an accessories to a crime? I mean if this really is aggravated identity theft then couldn’t it be construed as the equivalent to receiving knowingly stolen property on the part of the IRS and SSA?

Anyways, to the best of my knowledge a number in and of itself doesn’t identify a person, someone would need the name and the number used in conjunction. And to the best of my knowledge this individual just used a random number without having the corresponding name. Not sure how much theft could be done with just a number. Also, what about those individuals that used numbers that were invalid such as those that started with the number nine? For example, 999-99-9999, if someone used that number could they be charged with identity theft since there’s no individual with that number. Are prosecutors checking each of these social security numbers to see if there is a real person currently using that number?

In summation, the case appears to have merit and hopefully the Supreme Court will throw out this conviction. If the government wants strong convictions with long sentences then they should instead make an immigration violation something greater than a civil violation.