WashPo Smears BOCS As A “Politburo”
By Greg L | 20 August 2007 | Prince William County | 8 Comments
As expected, the liberal media has come to the defense of the Prince William County Human Rights Commission which is attempting to pressure the Board of County Supervisors into reversing it’s unanimous decision to establish a policy that discourages illegal aliens from residing in the county. The Washington Post has an hysterical editorial entitled “Prince William’s Politburo” which argues that this appointed body supposedly is exercising some sort of free speech rights in establishing a commission with the expressed purpose to overturn the decision of an elected body. It’s a stunning, although not entirely unexpected confirmation that the editorial board of the Washington Post has sold itself to the illegal alien lobby, and will sacrifice any shred of journalistic integrity in order to defend it’s interests.
The charter of the Human Rights Commission, as codified in the Prince William County Code, specifies the authority and powers of the Human Rights Commission. Section 10.1-7 clearly defines the purpose of the commission as follows:
(a) Functions. The function of the commission and its staff, acting at the general or specific direction of the commission, shall be to eliminate unlawful discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment, education, and credit facilities in Prince William County …
And where in this section of the code does the Commission have the power to provide judicial review over actions by the Board of County Supervisors? Nowhere. That is exactly the intent of the commission, as their internal communications and communications with third parties clearly demonstrates, as provided in a Freedom Of Information Act request.
This Committee, referred to as the “Immigration Committee”, but originally labeled “The Stirrup Resolution Subcommittee”, was formed at the request of Mexicanos Sin Fronteras for the express purpose of “opposing” the resolution, as has every organization that the commission invited to speak other than those that Help Save Manassas has recommended be included to provide some semblance of balance to these proceedings. All of the organizations (some of which appear to be nonexistent) the Human Rights Commission independently invited are demanding that the Human Rights Commission “oppose” this resolution. Internal emails indicate that the first two meetings of this committee were held without proper public notice, and the third one was postponed after Help Save Manassas raised concerns about public notice requirements in order to provide the required public notice the committee had previously not provided. This is not a body dedicated to discharging it’s statutory purposes and powers.
This isn’t about free speech. Any individual (individuals are prohibited from addressing this committee), or organization has every right to address not only the Human Rights Commission, but the Board of County Supervisors in order to make their viewpoint heard. There’s plenty of opportunity for free speech in these multiple venues, and everyone I am certain supports that. But this body, with a clear bias in favor of the illegal alien lobby, is a perfect place for illegal alien apologists to pursue their agenda as if illegal aliens are a protected class under our civil rights laws, which they are not.
This is entirely a case where a commission decides to depart from it’s statutory authority in order to engage in a political battle with the body that appointed them. Anyone who has attended these meetings cannot escape concluding that the Human Rights Commission is engaged in a political battle with the Board of County Supervisors instead of ensuring that actual unlawful discrimination in Prince William County is addressed. This is a loss for all Prince William County residents, as the credibility of this Commission, which has an important job to do, is put at risk in order to pursue the “without borders” crowd.
But for the liberal media, trying to ensure that the Human Rights Commission remains within it’s statutory authority and dedicated to the job it is tasked with is a bad idea and merits smearing the Board of Supervisors as a “politburo”. Such is the inanity of those who think the law is meaningless, and rarely have to suffer the consequences of living in close proximity to those who live according to that misguided and dangerous principle.
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I read that and thought the same thing. Typical liberal hand wringing.
Greg,
can we send a few letters/faxes to the journalist in question or the editorial board at Washpoo so that they can realize once and for all that there are real, breathing people behind PWC’s resolution?
That’s a good idea. If half of HSM writes a letter to the Post editorial board they may take notice.
The Post is a rag but it IS influential, and is a real battleground.
“Pravda on the Potomac” has ALWAYS sided with the leftists. I remember back in the 80s when President Reagan told some journalists that what was said in this one meeting was confidential because people could die if word got out. Well, WaPo felt the public “had the right to know” so they printed the name of this Colonel who was helping the Freedom Fighters in Nicaragua as well as where he lived, along with a photo, for good measure. He was dead in a day.
As stated above, as liberal as WaPo is, it IS influental and every so often they will print things that probably make their editors cringe. Flooding them is a good idea, but you may want to also write to the Washington Times, the local papers, and heck, throw in the NY Times for good measure.
Fed UP 2
It would be good if everyone sent an e-mail or letter to the BOS,expressing that we as citizens(Legal),do not feel that this is a job for the Human Rights Commission to hold hearing .Especially when the ones invited were all on the one side and many organizations from out side of Prince William.
Heard there were about 6 that were there and a bus sitting out side and the Police were there. So apparently it did not go the way Human Rights wanted.
This entire commission needs to be let go and reappoint new members. Many of them have been on for 10 years or more and they all are the far liberals.
My understanding they serve at the Boards pleasure,so the Board needs to get a back bone and replace.
Give the Board some of your suggestions.
I don’t see where immigration status is a covered class for the Commission to be reviewing. The complete list of covered classes in the Commission charter includes “race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status or disability.”
The 1982 Supreme Court Plyler v. Doe case held that “immigration status” is not a protected class under the 14th Amendment, thereby distinguishing it from “national origin.” I’d argue that this class is beyond the scope of the Commission and therefore should have no involvement in this whatsoever.
If this bogus Commission serves at the direction of the Board of Supervisors, the Board of Supervisors should kill all funding. If that doesn’t bring them to their senses, there must be a process for replacing the entire lot of them. There are plenty of citiznes of a diverse background who would be willing to serve. Why suffer this nonsense from unelected leftists one day longer?
Sorry guys, but the Post got it exactly right.
Mr. Opportunist–I mean Mr. Stewart–may be in for a big surprise.