Open Thread
By Greg L | 11 May 2008 | Uncategorized | 41 Comments
While I’m spending some time with the family this weekend, here’s an open thread for those who aren’t…
Fallen Heroes Honored
By Greg L | 10 May 2008 | Patriotism, Prince William County | 6 Comments
From the Gainesville Times:
Prince William County is holding an Armed Forces Day Ceremony at the War Memorial in Freedom Park on Saturday, May 17, at 1 p.m. Freedom Park is located on the grounds of the McCoart Government Complex in between the complex and the Prince William Parkway. The ceremony is in honor of two soldiers who died in service to their country, Pfc. Steven A. Davis and 1st Lt. Benjamin J. Hall. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.
If you can make this ceremony, it will certainly mean a lot to the families of these soldiers.
Who Is Mike Turner?
By Greg L | 9 May 2008 | Virginia Politics, US Congress | 30 Comments
The utter nutball that is Judy Feder isn’t the only candidate running for the Democratic nomination for the 10th District, there’s another guy by the name of Mike Turner. A friend of mine is at a debate between Turner and Feder over in Frederick County right now and shot me a fascinating email from his blackberry saying that Judy Feder was getting her butt absolutely handed to her in the debate. From the looks of his website, Turner has a substantially more compelling resume than Judy “I invented HillaryCare” Feder. He also isn’t a dead ringer for Woody Allen’s nonexistent twin sister, which can’t hurt. At this point Feder leads Turner significantly in fundraising, but Feder hasn’t shown that her ability to raise money outside the district can translate into electoral success. (more…)
Mexicans Without Borders Protesting ICE Raid In Richmond
By Greg L | 9 May 2008 | Illegal Aliens, Virginia Politics, Crime | 30 Comments
Mexicans Without Borders is holding an “emergency protest” at the site of the federal courthouse construction project in Richmond where thirty-three illegal aliens were apprehended by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency two days ago. This should be interesting: an anarchist organization affiliated with the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico is calling for a halt to the enforcement of federal law.
Yeah, that’ll work. (more…)
National Park Gun-Free Zones To End Soon?
By Greg L | 9 May 2008 | Crime | 8 Comments
Second Amendment activists have been trying for years to have the Department of the Interior rescind rules that prohibit the possession of a firearm in national parks. How the federal government ever thought that they had the constitutional authority to do this in the first place, outside of their established power to regulate hunting on federal lands, is somewhat of a mystery. So for years, when you’ve gone into a national park where predators of not only the four legged kind, but also of the two legged variety occasionally attack a hiker or camper, your only means of self-defense has been a whistle. After years of pressure, fifty one Senators finally directed the DOI to propose a new rule. (more…)
The SPLC Calls For An Interview
By Greg L | 9 May 2008 | Illegal Aliens, Blogs | 7 Comments
I get calls pretty frequently from reporters, and for the most part I’m happy to help them out, even if they’re working for a media outlet that might have what I would consider a somewhat biased viewpoint. So it’s pretty rare that I decline an interview. This morning’s call was one stellar exception however: “Intelligence Magazine”, which is published by the Southern Poverty Law Center called this morning, and got not only a rare refusal, but an earful from me. I cannot fathom how this irresponsible excuse for a newspaper would ever believe that I would have anything to say to them after what they’ve done.
John Hager: Clueless
By Greg L | 9 May 2008 | RPV | 5 Comments
Republican Party of Virginia Chairman John Hager is apparently laying down the gauntlet to unit chairmen to increase the size of their committees in typical RPV fashion: get bigger, or else you don’t get new money:
The effort calls on local Republican committees to double their membership lists by Labor Day. Those that do will receive extra money to support their activities, including get-out-the-vote efforts for the November elections.
The Abuse Continues In Manassas Park
By Greg L | 8 May 2008 | Manassas Park | 26 Comments
Is there any wonder that the tax rate in Manassas Park is $1.24 per hundred of assessed value, drawing howls of protest from residents? From the MJM:
The Manassas Park City Council approved a comprehensive agreement with Blacksburg-based developer OWPR, Inc. Tuesday night to build a new Parks & Recreation Center at Costello Park.
The $22 million phased project will include an indoor swimming pool and enough space to eventually expand revenue-generating programs from 300 to 1,500 once the facility is built, said deputy director Theresa Polk.
The Most Mismatched Battle In History
By Greg L | 8 May 2008 | Humor & Satire | 18 Comments
For real: witches, yes, actual witches who are members of the radical anti-military organization Code Pink are going to attack the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Berkley, California tomorrow as a means of somehow promoting peace. Unfortunately for them, in this battle they seem to be rather poorly armed, declaring their intent to employ some fairly unorthodox tactics and weapons to beat back those despised protectors of our freedom and liberty:
“cast spells, weave magic, invoke the foremothers, share wisdom, lead rituals to banish war and violence and to bring peace to the MRS, to protect our youth from the powerful spells of pro-war forces, to lead the men of the marine recruiting station off into the oceans of peace!”
Worst Spokesperson Of The Year Award
By Greg L | 8 May 2008 | Virginia Politics | 5 Comments
What in the heck is the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute thinking by having Kate Obenshain appear as their spokesperson on Hannity and Colmes tonight? Kate Obenshain left her position as RPV Chairman and deserted her husband and children on Christmas Eve in 2006 in one of the most bizarre and disturbing episodes of recent Virginia political history. Promoting her as a spokesperson and booking her as a panelist on Hannity and Colmes is sort of like booking Jeffrey Dahmer as a spokesperson for the Culinary Institute of America on The Food Channel.
Dumb.
Who Benefits From Cheap Illegal Alien Labor?
By Greg L | 8 May 2008 | Illegal Aliens, Crime | 68 Comments
Yesterday the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency netted thirty-three suspected illegal aliens working on the site of a federal courthouse in Richmond. Unfortunately, having federal taxpayer dollars used to pay the salaries of illegal aliens performing work on federal construction projects isn’t all that unusual. In January of 2007, eighteen illegal aliens were arrested while working on a construction project within the secure perimeter of Quantico Marine Corps Base. In April 2005, sixty-six illegal aliens were nabbed working on a federal courthouse construction project in Orlando, Florida, and in October 2003 sixty illegal aliens were arrested on a federal courthouse construction site in Miami, Florida. Your government at the federal, state and local levels may well be the biggest employer of illegal aliens in the country. (more…)
From Bad To Worse, At Taxpayer Expense
By Greg L | 7 May 2008 | Prince William County | 55 Comments
UPDATE: The entire Prince William County IT infrastructure becomes unreachable sometime around 3:00PM and remained down until 4:40PM. Intermittent service disruptions are continuing through the evening.
The website for Prince William County Government is a lot prettier than it used to be, but it’s even more difficult to navigate than ever before. The search feature only returns broken links, and page navigation remains just as byzantine as it ever was. This taxpayer-funded website “upgrade” seems to be nothing more than a new skin for the old website, with some broken features added on for good measure. This is ridiculous. (more…)
Bob Marshall Takes The Offensive
By Greg L | 7 May 2008 | Virginia Politics, US Senate | 9 Comments
Make a donation today, using the handy donation widget to the right. Can you imagine what Bob Marshall would do to Harry Reid and Ted Kennedy if he were elected to the Senate?
Loading …A Video Portrait of Barack Obama
By Greg L | 7 May 2008 | National Politics | 12 Comments
While I don’t necessarily think all the criticism in this video is legitimate, such as the discussion of Barack Obama’s name or his two year attendance at an Indonesian Madrassa when he was a child, the discussion of Liberation Theology and Black Liberation Theology, and the degree to which Obama may adhere to these ideas should be questioned by the voters. It’s still well worth a watch.
ICE Raid In Richmond Nets 50 Illegal Aliens
By Greg L | 7 May 2008 | Illegal Aliens, Virginia Politics, Crime | 25 Comments
WRVA is reporting that a workplace enforcement raid by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Richmond this morning netted fifty illegal aliens working on — get this — the construction of a Federal Courthouse. Your taxpayer dollars are hard at work paying wages to persons who are not legally allowed to work in the United States because Governor Kaine and Dick Saslaw refuse to consider measures that would effectively reform the public procurement process in Virginia. (more…)
Municipal Election Results
By Greg L | 6 May 2008 | Fairfax County, Prince William County | 6 Comments
Results are unofficial…
HERNDON MAYOR:
Steve J. DeBenedittis: 52.43% 
J. Harlon Reece: 37.53%
Jasbinder Singh: 9.98%
HERNDON TOWN COUNCIL:
Connie Haines Hutchinson: 11.78%
William B. “Bill” Tirrell: 11.02%
David A. “Dave” Kirby: 10.26%
Charlie D. Waddell: 10.15%
Richard F. Downer: 9.99%
Dennis D. Husch: 9.92%
Arthur S. Nachman: 9.84%
Sheila A. Olem: 9.44%
Penny S. Halpern: 8.69%
James A. Vickery: 8.53%
MANASSAS CITY MAYOR AND COUNCIL:
Hal Parrish, Jon Way, Steve Smith and Mark Wolfe unopposed
MANASSAS CITY SCHOOL BOARD:
Sheryl L. Bass: 22.24%
Scott M. Albrecht: 20.89%
Arthur P. Bushnell: 19.49%
Kermit Holmes Dance: 19.09%
Edward W. Pratt, Jr.: 17.40%
DUMFRIES TOWN COUNCIL:
Dorothea D. Barr: 20.22%
Nancy H. West: 20.22%
Willie J. Toney: 19.0%
Stephanie M. Bradley: 18.50%
Brenda L. Via: 11.42%
Sean Robinson: 10.1%
HAYMARKET TOWN COUNCIL:
Susan E. Edwards: 12.46%
John C. Cole: 12.32%
Robert B. “Bob” Weir: 10.99%
Oswald Vazquez: 10.11%
Susan M. Shuryn: 9.82%
David M. Leake: 8.79%
Bryan A. Garcia: 7.18%
Sean Roberts: 5.86%
Charles F. King, Jr.: 5.42%
Christopher A. Johnson: 4.54%
James E. “Jay” Tobias: 4.54%
OCCOQUAN TOWN COUNCIL:
Ken T. Brunsvold: 21.72%
Denise M. Bush: 19.28%
Joao Paul “JP” Cunha: 19.28%
Barry G. Dean: 18.53%
James N. Walbert: 16.85%
Lance R. Houghton: 1.31%
QUANTICO TOWN COUNCIL:
Kevin P. Brown: 16.89%
Mitchel P. Raftelis: 12.82%
Russell V. “Rusty” Kuhns: 12.61%
Albert R. Gasser, Jr.: 11.71%
Mary Lou Angell DiMarzio: 9.90% (tied for last winning place, won by draw from a hat)
Virginia L. Macfarlan: 9.90% (tied for last winning place, lost hat draw)
Nyla Kay Sidler: 9.23%
Florence “FoFo” Petkoson: 8.78%
William J. Unrine: 7.65%
CULPEPER TOWN COUNCIL:
Illegal Immigration policy reform candidates Pat Baker, Jerry Beckett, William Platts and Julie Peppe defeated, incumbents Chris Snider, Mike Olinger and Chip Coleman re-elected.
Frank Principi’s Crusade Against Quality Of Life
By Greg L | 6 May 2008 | Illegal Aliens, Prince William County | 22 Comments
Supervisor Frank Principi is now talking to the press again, and apparently hasn’t learned a thing from the massive outrage that resulted from his unsuccessful attempt to rescind part of the Rule of Law Resolution. In the Washington Post’s Virginia Politics blog, Principi delivers this whopper:
“The board’s action signifies that Prince William County has turned a corner on this debate and that we are ready to move forward on the core mission of local government, enhancing everyone’s quality of life,” he said. “I pray we can put this behind us.”
The MJM Censors Police Reports
By Greg L | 6 May 2008 | Crime | 24 Comments
The Manassas Urinal-Massager has recently adopted a policy where they will not provide identifying information about criminal suspects unless the description given by the police is complete enough to provide four identifying characteristics. The result has been that the MJM has been withholding information provided by local police departments about wanted criminal suspects that might lead to their arrest. While other papers, such as the Gainesville Times reports on what police actually said in their attempts to obtain information from the public about unsolved criminal cases, the Manassas Urinal-Massager feels it necessary to censor reports from the police. Here’s a recent example: (more…)
Another Front-Page Editorial In The WashPo
By Greg L | 6 May 2008 | Illegal Aliens, Prince William County | 31 Comments
Frederick County, Maryland is following the lead of Prince William County and seeking local solutions to help address the impacts of illegal immigration, prompting the Washington Post to deliver a typical swipe that is as ridiculous as it is factually challenged. I wouldn’t be surprised if there will be plenty of other opportunities in the future for the Post to bemoan an increasing number of localities in the area that are committed to defending the rule of law. I just wish they’d confine their editorials to the editorial page, and not try to run them as news stories. (more…)
Herndon Elections On Tuesday
By Greg L | 6 May 2008 | Fairfax County | 2 Comments
The Town of Herndon has an important choice today. Town residents can either stand fast and continue to discourage the unlawful presence of illegal aliens in their community, or they can welcome them back by electing a Mayor and Town Council that will without any doubt reestablish publicly-funded employment centers to allow illegal aliens who cannot be legally employed to be matched with employers who cannot legally hire them. In the past several years the Town under the leadership of Steve DeBenedittis has managed to reverse the decline of the town by taking strong action to discourage the unlawful presence of illegal aliens, and that has resulted in significant benefits for the town. (more…)
