Insidenova.comPRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – —
Prince William Office of Housing and Community Development Director Elijah Johnson recently received the Sen. Charles J. Colgan Advocacy Award from the Independence Empowerment Center.
Colgan, a long-time Virginia senator, presented the award at the IEC open house on Tuesday.
Johnson received the award for his efforts in three areas: Obtaining 70 non-elderly, disabled housing vouchers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Prince William area residents; reducing the waiting list for Section 8 housing; and applying for monies from the “Money Following the Person Grant Program.”
Bob Weir of Haymarket Declares Candidacy for Chairman of the BOCS
Bob Weir, council member for the Town of Haymarket, publically declared his candidacy for Chairman of the BOCS during citizens’ time today. Most people looked rather surprised. Mr. Weir spoke of his outrage over lack of transparency, lack of open government, and the impact and undue influence of special interests and his comments were directed at the Chairman, Corey Stewart. He also spoke of his disappointment in leadership and overall lack of knowledge of the issues.
Bob Weir told the Board that there were 4 boxes to use in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Mr. Weir will challenge as a Republican. Corey Stewart responded with “And Happy Holidays to you, too.”
From Prince William Conservation Alliance: The End Run
From The Prince William Conservation Alliance:
PWC Comprehensive Plan Environment Chapter 2010 Update – Developers propose 11th hour changes that will force higher taxes this spring
Supervisors vote on December 14, 7:30 pm at McCoart Government Center. Click here for the staff report and here to read about the original draft policies.
Supervisors adopted most but not all the positive changes to the County’s Environment Chapter on December 7. This consensus document, as recommended by County staff, includes input from citizens, environmental organizations, civic groups, businesses and developers.
However, after the public hearing was closed, the Chairman put forward 11th hour revisions at the request of developers. Supervisors deferred these items to to this Tuesday’s Board meeting, 2:00 pm, at McCoart Government Center.
A Meeting with Destiny and Erik Finley
Call it fate, destiny, coincidence, whatever word you like, but sometimes life is just too bizarre. I met Erik Finley a few years ago during a paving job Finley Asphalt was hired to do for my community. I can tell you, from first hand experience, he, and his company are top notch. They are what makes small business America the best in the world. He and other small business owners like him ARE the backbone of our economy. The treatment he received from Corey, his office, and Wally was unconscionable.
It was happenstance that Erik and I ended up talking. Here is what Erik shared with me and his story, in three years, has remained consistent.
Somehow, the foreman and I began discussing PWC politics and county government, one topic lead to another and he asked if I would be willing to talk with Erik who was having some issues with the county. I said, “sure, I would love to”.
PWBOCS Cuts 8 More PWC Police Officers
Today, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors unanimously cut 8 more officers from the police department budget. That makes a total of 8 officers and 12 support staff in the past 2 years. In addition, a million dollars has been removed from their supplies budget. This would have covered training, radar, and other equipment. Another half million dollar cut is looming on the horizon. The cut became effective today.
There have been no new police officers added in the past 3 years. Supervisor Nohe asked if they were really cutting police officers. The answer is yes. Even though there were 8 vacancies, there are still 8 fewer uniformed officers out defending public safety today than there were yesterday because these positions were abolished and cannot be filled.
Perhaps one of the most devastating areas to be cut is in the schools. Starting 2011, there will be no police officers in middle schools. The school police officer program has been a highly successful one which cut down on neighborhood crime, bullying, gang membership and other annoyances that seem to plague kids of middle school age. These officers knew the kids, the teachers, the administrators, the bus drivers, and many of the parents and had a good working relationship with all of the above. They were able to ward of f potential problems. After this year, the schools will just have to call and get whoever responds.
There are still 6 officers who are authorized to process 287(g) related matters. These officers in the Criminal Alien Unit only work on issues dealing with illegal immigration and continue to be funded.
Prince William residents are going to have to decide how important public safety is to them. Most folks don’t give it much thought until something happens and they need a police officer, on the double. The wait time might be getting a lot longer as retiring officers are no longer replaced. This might be the time to start asking how much more of a loss can we take.
Reading the paper, it seems that PWC is plagued by more crime that is associated with inner city crime. Any time something large happens, many officers are tied up on the scene and cannot respond to other calls. When officers work a large crime scene, that means they aren’t out in your neighborhood or mine. Are we willing, as a county, to let this happen? Or should we start howling and demand that PWC begin to budget for these losses from the state. A few pennies added to our tax rate might make a great deal of difference in public safety in Prince William County.
Washington Post Review: “9500 Liberty”
The Washington Post reviewed 9500 Liberty for its upcoming MTV Premiere this Sunday Night. Perhaps this is the best review I have seen of our hometown film.
Washington Post staff writer David Montgomeryguides his reader audience to the point in the film where we see film maker Eric Byler testifying before the U.S. Human Rights Commission in December of 2007, at which point we see Byler’s point of view. Rather than saying “Ah Ha!”, Montgomery leads us around this shift from neutrality to the fact that the film returns to showing both sides of this bitter debate. He tells us that those with strong opinion on either side might walk away not quite satisfied with the end result.
David Montgomery’s review is posted in its entirety:
“9500 Liberty” to Air on MTV
“9500 LIBERTY” TO PREMIERE ON MTV NETWORKS, PRESS SCREENING TONIGHT
Award-winning film on SB 1070 precursor will reach 100 million homes starting Sept. 26
(NY, New York) Sept. 7th, 2010 – MTV Networks will announce upcoming air dates for 9500 LIBERTY at a high-profile screening/panel discussion in New York this evening. The critically acclaimed documentary chronicles the social, political, and economic impact of The Immigration Resolution, a law closely resembling Arizona’s SB 1070 that was briefly implemented in a Virginia county in 2008.
9500 LIBERTY
screening, panel discussion, cocktail reception
NY Times Building
620 8th Avenue (Entrance on 41 street), Time Square}
5:30 to 8:00 pm
screening, panel discussion, cocktail reception
NY Times Building
620 8th Avenue (Entrance on 41 street), Time Square}
5:30 to 8:00 pm
- John Quinones, ABC Primetime Anchor
- Annabel Park, 9500 Liberty co-director and Coffee Party founder
- Corey Stewart, Prince William County BOCS Chairman
- Chuck Wexler, E.D. of the Police Executives Research Forum
- Maria Kumar, Voto Latino Co-founder
- Paul Rodriguez, Comedian
- moderated by New York Times reporter Fernanda Santos
9500 LIBERTY is directed by Annabel Park and Eric Byler, founders of the Coffee Party, which holds its first national convention in Louisville, KY Sept. 24-26, the same weekend as the film’s cable premiere.
Park will speak on tonight’s panel along side Tea Party favorite Corey Stewart, a leading figure in 9500 LIBERTY. This will provide an opportunity for the two to reconcile conflicting accounts of events portrayed in the film. For instance, Stewart has publicly denied the vote on April 29, 2008 that removed the most controversial aspect of the law (a key scene in the film), and made claims about immigration and crime that contradict statistics cited in the film.
As Chairman of the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, Stewart used “The Immigration Resolution” as the center of his reelection campaign in 2007. Implemented on March 6, 2008, Stewart’s law required police officers to question people they had “probable cause” to suspect may be in the country illegally. With Arizona’s version pending in federal court and other jurisdictions around the country considering similar measures, Prince William County remains the only jurisdiction in the United States to implement such a mandate. Stewart is now lobbying to revive the law, this time throughout Virginia.
The cable debut of 9500 LIBERTY will be on Sunday, September 26th at 8pm (ET/PT) on MTV2, mtvU (MTV’s 24-hour college network), and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más (formerly MTV Tr3s) as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“The decisions our elected representatives make on immigration reform now will impact our audience for generations,” said Stephen Friedman, EVP & GM of MTV Networks. “As the national debate rages, MTV is committed to engaging America’s youth as informed and active participants – and sharing this powerful film is a great way to start that process.”
“To compete in the 21st century, America needs a new generation of leaders who have grown up thriving in the richness of diversity,” Park said. “People under 30 know intuitively where we need to go as a nation. We need to hear from them more often.”
School Board Dissatisfied with the 4 Horsemen of the BOCS
Many years ago, in Prince William County, there was a gang on either the BOCS or the appointed school board who were not-so-affectionately named the 4 horsemen. They were seen as enemies of the school system. It seems that the 4 horsemen have been reincarnated, after several decades, on our board of supervisors. I am trying to remember . Why they were named that? Was it a nice way of speaking of the educational Apocalypse on the horizon or was it short for horse body parts? Perhaps those readers who have been around PWC for a while will remember.
But I digress….
Hats off to a few good supervisors
From News & Messenger:
Prince William County, Va. – Individual supervisor budgets have become a hot topic among the board since a 5-to-3 vote in favor of a $712,000 increase to the supervisors’ office budgets last week.
That breaks down to approximately $89,000 per office.
The budget item was passed as part of a much larger carryover budget, in which items from the previous fiscal year get carried over to the new fiscal year. According to county spokesman Jason Grant, the $712,000 increase should have been included in the fiscal 2011 budget process, but was accidentally omit-ted.
The intent of the additional money was to allow the supervisors the opportunity to hire a third full-time staffer. According to Grant, hiring a third assistant was “based on the growth of citizens being served by each magisterial district and the complexity of issues being resolved.”
“The supervisors have seen an 83 percent increase in the number of citizens served per district since 1990, from 30,812 per district to 56,497 today,” Grant said.
Supervisors Michael C. May, R-Occoquan, Martin Nohe, R-Coles and Maureen S. Caddigan, D-Dumfries, voted against the budget increase. The three agreed that this wasn’t the time to add money to the budget when county employees haven’t received a cost of living adjustment the last two years.
Suerpvisors May, Nohe and Caddigan are aware of how things look. When did regular county employees last receive a raise? How much overtime to they all get when there is some emergency or when one of the supervisors makes demands?
Meanwhile, the chairman, Corey Stewart has gone $7500 over budget. He complains that one of his staffers needed a raise. Probably everyone needs a raise who works for Prince William County. Many county employees work long hours that extend beyond the regular day. Those same employees often take work home over the weekend or go back in to the office to get things done.
When everyone can get a little bit more of the pie, then the budget should increase to include the supervisors budgets. Until then, everyone needs to make due with tightening their belts–even the chairman.
Part 1: Police, Feds: Warning Signs Regarding Implementation of the Immigration Resolution
Part 1. What did the BOCS know?
Part 2 will show that Corey accuses others of ‘having blood on their hands’ when he knew very good and well the situation with I.C.E. Judging from the dates, he also needs to admit that this issue did not start or end with the present administration.
This video was from a BOCS meeting Spring , 2008. It shows the problems inherent in the MOA between ICE and the county. Let’s revisit some of the issues. It seems that many people have forgotten what really happened.
Both Charlie Deane and Jail Superintendent Pete Meletis give their points of view.
Chief Deane updated the BOCS on the status of the Immigration Resolution. Superintendent Meletis warned the BOCS of the problems the ADC was encountering with ICE. ICE was not picking up the ICE detainees after they had served their time in PWC. PWC was attempting to have every illegal alien picked up. ICE rep Mark McGraw told the BOCS that their numbers were overwhelming. He felt that PWC was getting away from the original understanding which was to remove the worst of the worst from the county.
Reminder to his critics: Here you will see Chief Deane salute the job he was given to do. What has changed?
At some point, even the most die hard anti-immigration person has to admit that they cannot deport illegal immigrants themselves. They must rely on ICE and a federal deportation judge. A locality can enact all the draconian laws they want…it doesn’t make ICE get there any faster.
Unbridled Corey Stewart Hypocrisy
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
Special Use Permits Take on Essence of Rat
Sniff sniff sniff. I smell a rat. Last night the BOCS voted unanimously to deny Eric Finley a Special use Permit to build an asphalt plant in Bristow, VA, near the Victory Lakes, Sheffield Manor, and Saybrooke subdivisions.
At last, the asphalt plant question has been settled. No asphalt plant for Mr. Finley, even though he was advised to purchase land in that area that had been zoned as heavy industrial. That zoning has been in effect for about 30 some years. Last spring, all but one member of the planning council had voted to approve Mr. Finley’s request.
The fly in the proverbial ointment seemed to be that the residents of Victory Lakes Community objected to having an asphalt plant so close to their homes. That makes sense too. NIMBY is a pretty common feeling, especially when one thinks about the possibility of being downwind from an asphalt plant. It beats a pig farm but not by much.
In addition to smelling a rat, I also see both sides. Mr. Finley’s land was zoned for heavy industrial use. Residents of Victory Lakes don’t want to live near an asphalt plant. Let’s take this issue back a few approvals. Why on earth would anyone build high density, expensive housing on a tract of land which butted up next to land zoned for heavy industry? Where was the buffer zone? Did the BOCS who approved the land for future homes in Victory Lakes have a clue that this might just become a problem?
The one caveat in the whole deal and the one caveat that bit Mr. Finley in his hindquarters was that the aspahlt plant required a Special Use Permit on top of the correct zoning. Apparently a Special Use Permit (SUP) is needed for all sorts of things like day care, large box buildings like a Lowes, churches, etc. It’s the county’s way of maintaining a little control over what goes in where.
I am not sure why the supervisors unanimously voted no. One has to ask why they have a planning commission. The planning commission voted to approve Mr. Finley’s request last spring. I assume that panning commission, an appointed group, had checked things out pretty thoroughly.
One has to ask why there is no buffer zoning between Victory Lakes and heavy industry zoning. One also has to ask who advised Mr. Finley to buy that land. Did he talk with anyone from the country, either elected, appointed or employeed?
The schools also need to get into the act. Are they not at all concerned about what is being built around them? Were any school board members there at that meeting last night? Victory Lakes Elementary is supposedly only a half mile from the former proposed alphalt plant site. ? Cheapest land isn’t necessarily the best land. How about a peep or two from them. Perhaps I missed it. George Mason Univerisity weighed in, advising not to approve the SUP. They cited traffic impact on attracting high tech business as a major reason.
Meanwhile, it was hard for me to take a side. Mr. Finley appeared to be willing to do whatever was required of him by the county to keep the environmental impact at a minimum. Why did he choose to buy land in that exact location? Did he check out what hoops he might have to jump through before being allowed to build his plant?
I can also see residential concerns. Additionally there is the concern about 1 asphalt plant and then wondering what comes next. An asphalt plant in close proximity can impact quality of life in ways seen (like huge trucks running you off the road) and unseen (environmental hazards, carcinogens, etc). What kinds of checks and balances exist to hold any company to doing what is says it will do environmentally?
Start asking the right questions and just watch the rats start to scurry.
Finally, N & M Takes a Position
Included, in its entirety.
From the News and Messenger:
EDITORIAL: Stewart’s duty is to Prince William County
Our View
Published: June 26, 2010Corey Stewart, not content to let the spotlight shine only on leaders in another state, is now pushing a law in Virginia similar to illegal immigration legislation in Arizona.Virginia’s version would, among other things, “Make it a violation of Virginia law to fail to complete alien registration documents,” according to Stewart’s website: http://www.coreystewart.com/ruleoflaw. Police officers would be required to check “in any lawful contact, the legal presence of an individual, when practicable.” Go to Stewart’s website to see all aspects of the proposed law.
The issue here isn’t whether the legislation is a good idea, it’s whether Stewart has any business pursuing it. His job is to be the chairman of the Board of County Supervisors, so what is he doing trying to change state law? That is the job of our delegates and state senators, some of whom have stated that they are pursuing state remedies for illegal immigration already. Perhaps if this were a proposal supported mainly for the good of the county, we would understand. However, arguably, Prince William County, which already has a controversial illegal immigration law, is the jurisdiction that would benefit least—despite Stewart’s assertion that some illegal immigrants who have fled may be returning.
In an interview with Editorial Page Editor Alex Granados, Stewart said that state leaders in Richmond have shown themselves incapable of doing what’s necessary.
“The legislature down there has had three years to do something, and they have done nothing,” he said.
Furthermore, he says that the attention he has received in the past as a crusader against illegal immigration will be a boon to his current effort.
“For better or worse, I have the notoriety on the issue that I can use,” he said.
And by spreading news about the proposed bill to everyday citizens, he hopes they will pressure state legislators to take action.
Stewart is right that state legislators have not found a fix for illegal immigration. But that probably has more to do with the fact that the issue is complicated than with anything else. The newspaper has never found our area’s leaders particularly fearful of controversy. Quite the opposite, in fact. And regardless, it is not Stewart’s place, as BOCS chairman, to do their job for them. He has a responsibility to Prince William County, one that cannot be effectively fulfilled when he is focused on reforming state law.
As for Stewart’s notoriety and its usefulness, he is correct. His reputation will bring attention to illegal immigration reform. However, it will also bring attention to Prince William County—attention that it does not need.
When the county went through its debate over illegal immigration years ago, a great deal of negative publicity was focused here. Perceptions of the area across the country varied widely, but no matter the opinion, the county became intertwined with controversy.
Gradually, the uproar has faded. However, with Stewart’s involvement in this new illegal immigration fight, the county, once again, will become a focal point.
In a time when local jurisdictions are battling a tough economy, Stewart should not hamstring us with a possibly negative reputation. What businesses will want to invest in a seemingly divided community? What professionals will want to move here when all they hear about us in the news relates to strife? Stewart’s notoriety might be good for illegal immigration reform, but it’s not good for the county.
Whether or not the attempt to model Virginia after Arizona succeeds, one of the main people to benefit from this will be Stewart. We have already seen with his short-lived attempt to become lieutenant governor that he has higher ambitions. We don’t fault him for that—that is the nature of political leaders. However, we have a problem with Stewart harping on issues outside the county for the sake of his own reputation, which we believe is the case here.
Virginia probably does need better illegal immigration laws. It also needs strong leaders to make it happen. But we don’t need Corey Stewart to do that now. He was elected to focus on the residents of Prince William County, not the state. Until he is actually elected to higher office, we would like to see him keep his focus here.
Doocy advances false claim that VA county immigration law lowered crime rates
Its about time someone in the media gets the story straight.
Someone GETS it! A big thanks to Media Mattersfor pointing out what Moonhowlings.net has been saying all along.
Copied in its entirety from mediamatters.org:
On Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy and guest Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County, Virginia, board of supervisors, falsely claimed that the county’s controversial immigration law reduced violent crime and has never been altered. In fact, Prince William County’s violent crime rates actually increased in 2009; the law was modified in 2008 to avoid legal challenges; and a University of Virginia study of the law shows that it has not led to a reduction in crime.
Doocy falsely claimed immigration law led to a “reduction in violent crimes” and an overall “huge drop in crime”
Doocy falsely claims immigration law led to “38 percent reduction in violent crimes.” On the June 21 edition of Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Doocy introduced Stewart by claiming, “Three years ago, Prince William County in Virginia passed major immigration reform, and they’ve since seen a huge drop in crime.” Doocy later said to Stewart, “Let’s take a look at some of the changes in Prince William County since this law went into place — 38 percent reduction in violent crimes.” The law in question requires police officers to inquire about the immigration status of those persons who have been placed under arrest.
In fact, Prince William County’s violent crime rate increased 10.9 percent in 2009. According to Prince William County Police Department crime statistics, in 2009, the county saw a 10.9 percent increase in violent crimes. The county’s “overall crime rate” decreased by 1.9 percent from the previous year. The law first went into effect in 2008, during which time the county saw an increase in its overall crime rate and a reduction in violent crimes versus the year prior.
Prince William County’s 2009 overall lowered crime rate is credited as being “part of a trend that started long before” the immigration bill. In a National Review Online post, John J. Miller wrote: “As it happens, crime rates have been going down for a long time in Prince William County. The latest numbers are part of a trend that started long before the county took a stand against illegal immigration.” Prince William County Police Chief Charlie T. Deane reportedly noted that crime rates have been decreasing nationwide and that Prince William County’s rates were consistent with that trend. According to The Washington Post, Deane said, ” ‘I also think, nationwide, crime rates are declining, and I’m pleased we’ve continued to see’ that in the county, too.”
“Illegal aliens” only account for a small percentage of crimes and arrests, and the vast majority of those arrested were for “misdemeanor or traffic charges.” The reports show that those suspected of being “illegal aliens” account for only a small percentage of total crimes. In 2008, “[o]f all persons arrested or summonsed in Prince William County, 1.7% were determined to lack legal status,” while “86.9% of those suspected to be illegal aliens were arrested on misdemeanor or traffic charges.” In 2009, “[o]f all persons arrested or summonsed in Prince William County, 2.2% were determined to lack legal status,” while “87.5% of those suspected to be illegal aliens were arrested on misdemeanor or traffic charges.”
UVA study: “[T]he policy has not reduced most forms of crime in PWC.” The University of Virginia (UVA) studied the effects of the law on Prince William County crime rates and concluded, “Overall, our descriptive assessment of PWCPD data on crime reports and arrests suggests that the policy has not reduced most forms of crime in PWC and that its contribution to the County’s drop in serious violence has likely been modest.” A May 7 Washington Post article cited the UVA study and reported that “the study also said that it seems unlikely that the county’s drop in violent crime was because of the policy, because illegal immigrants make up a small percentage of those arrested for such crimes.”
Doocy lets guest falsely claim that the “law stands today as it was written in 2007”
Doocy allows Stewart to falsely claim that the “law stands today as it was written in 2007.” After Doocy asked Stewart about legal challenges to the law, Stewart falsely claimed that “the federal district court in Arlington, Virginia, threw [a court challenge to the bill] out on its face — threw the challenge out on its face — and the law stands today as it was written in 2007.”
In fact, the “ordinance was modified in 2008 amid charges that it was unconstitutional.” Contrary to Stewart’s claim that “the law stands today as it was written in 2007,” The Washington Post reported:
The Prince William ordinance was modified in 2008 amid charges that it was unconstitutional and could lead to racial profiling. In the end, rather than questioning only people they suspected of being undocumented immigrants, officers were directed to question all criminal suspects about their immigration status once an arrest was made.
— J.V.B
Channel 4 News: Pol Wants ‘Zona-Style Illegal Immigration Law for Virginia
>
The chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors is proposing an Arizona-style illegal immigration law for the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.
The tough law on illegal immigration the county adopted a couple of years ago isn’t sufficient, according to a statement released by Corey Stewart for Chairman.
“We saw a 37 percent drop in violent crime in the first two years of enforcement and overall crime is at a 15-year low,” he said. “But we have anecdotally known, since day one, that the criminal aliens that fled were just going to neighboring jurisdictions.”
So Stewart has started a petition online and a Facebook page for The Virginia Rule of Law Campaign. He has promised a draft of the law soon
It would give police more power to identify and deport illegal immigrants, impose harsh penalties for illegal immigrants, and crack down on day labor and human smuggling. Jails would release illegal immigrants to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement upon completion of their sentences. Police would be allowed to make arrests without warrants if they believed those arrests could lead to deportations. And individual cities and counties would be barred from interfering.
Prince William County’s controversial law doesn’t make it a crime to be an illegal immigrant in the county, but it allows police to check immigration status of people who’ve been arrested, which Stewart credits for the drop in violent crime and fewer illegal immigrants in the county.
Those who campaigned for the law, which took effect in July 2008, argued that the county had to take care of itself if the commonwealth and country weren’t going to address illegal immigration. Stewart’s latest campaign takes the same position.
“As long as the federal government shows no interest in securing the border and no interest in internal enforcement to promote self-deportation, then states and localities will have to pick up the slack,” he said.
And he intends to use the 2011 election to pressure the General Assembly into passing his Virginia Rule of Law next session.
Corey’s Updated Website:
The Virginia Rule of Law Act
Enhance Police Powers to Capture, Detain, and help Deport Criminal Aliens
- Direct Virginia law enforcement officials to ascertain, in any lawful contact, the legal presence of an individual, when practicable.
- Direct Virginia jails to release criminal aliens to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after serving their sentence.
- Allow law enforcement officials to arrest illegals without warrant if they have reasonable suspicion that the arrest would make them removable from the United States.
Virginia Criminal Penalties for Illegal Aliens
- Make it a violation of Virginia law to fail to complete alien registration documents.
- Impose harsh penalties for terrorists and illegals caught with illegal drugs and deadly weapons.
Outlaw Sanctuary Policies
- Prohibit cities and counties from preventing law enforcement officials from inquiring about legal presence or preventing them from sharing information with ICE.
Outlaw Illegal Day Laboring and Public Roadside Solicitation
- Allow law enforcement officials to break up day laboring operations.
- Prohibit solicitation along all public roads, crippling illegal day labor sites.
Crackdown on Human Smuggling Prohibit smuggling and human trafficking, especially for sexual slavery.
The election is in 2011. Corey is attempting to ride the coattails of the Arizona anti-immigration law SB1070 (download the law) and capture some of the national attention that Arizona is getting over immigration. It was announced late this afternoon that the Administration will sue the State of Arizona over its law that is set to go into effect. July 28, 2010. I suppose Corey Stewart is jealous of the impending lawsuit that will cost an already cash-strapped Arizona millions it can’t afford to spend. Does Virginia need to get sued also?
Corey needs to stop grand-standing and stop the continual embarrassment to Prince William County. There needs to be no Virginia Rule of Law Act. There are some extremely serious violations embedded in that proposal that are Constitutional violations that even a novice can spot. No Rule of Law there. If Stewart wants to be Mr. Rule of Law he needs to obey the law and stop trying to find ways to skirt around it just to get his name in the news.
From the PWC Police Crime Report:
RAPE STATISTICS
Way to go, Corey. Last time I thought about it, rape was a violent crime.
Down load Crime Reports:
Crime Report 2008
Crime Report 2009
