Pandak Serves Up A Whopper
By Greg L | 6 October 2007 | Illegal Aliens, Prince William County | 20 Comments
This recent wave of utterly stupid mailers by the Democratic Party of Virginia is about the best thing that could have happened to Republican candidates. They’ve handed Republican candidates a huge amount of ammunition which they’re using with great effect, legitimately painting their Democratic opponents as irresponsible liars to the extent that the local press is covering these mail pieces by Democrats as news items. Campaigns in Virginia often have mail pieces that attack opponents, and up until now candidates have recognized the importance of ensuring that claims can be verified. Now, the recent spate of DPVA mailers either fail to include them, or include information that’s false. What in the world are these folks thinking?
Most recently, I got a mailer from the Sharon Pandak campaign that confirms this deliberate attempt by the DPVA to engage in irresponsible campaign tactics, for which they certainly deserve condemnation. As usual, there are three claims made in the mailer, all of which are false. Let’s take them in turn:
False Claim #1: Corey Stewart has no plan to penalize employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
The basis of this claim is listed as “In four years on the Board, Stewart has done nothing to hold businesses accountable that hire illegal immigrants”. For a lawyer to say this, who should certainly know better given that she’s suddenly developed an illegal alien policy, is completely irresponsible. Federal law (specifically 8 USC §1324a(h)(2) ) prohibits state and local governments from penalizing employers for violations of federal immigration laws, unless such penalties are related to the authority state and local governments have to regulate licenses and permitting. As a “Dillon Rule” state, for localities to exercise this exclusion of federal authority, the state would have had to grant authority for to do this, which hasn’t happened. Sharon Pandak is effectively complaining that Corey Stewart has failed to do something that is unlawful. In most circumstances, voters would consider this a positive qualification, that their Chairman isn’t deliberately breaking the law.
Sharon Pandak touts her experience as a County Attorney, but apparently is either incompetent about the laws which govern this issue, or is deliberately attempting to promote actions that she knows are unlawful. The first is a completely disabling condemnation of her candidacy. The second is a violation of ethics rules for attorneys that would possibly result in the suspension of her license to practice law.
False Claim #2: Corey Stewart has no plans to crack down on developers who use illegal immigrants.
This claim, referenced with the same thin and ridiculous statement as above, is somehow supposed to be materially different than the claim above. It’s not, from a legal perspective. Although it’s probably true that in the county, developers are a major employer of illegal aliens, as far as the legal authority for a “crack down” on developers hiring illegal aliens, there is no legal difference between a developer and any other kind of employer. At the same time that Pandak is condemning Corey Stewart for his lack of a plan to crack down on developers hiring illegal aliens, there’s noting but utter silence regarding the similar supposed failure of fellow Democrats Hilda Barg or John Jenkins, who have served on the board much longer than Corey Stewart, to develop a plans about this suddenly important topic in her eyes, either.
So really, we’re down to two actual claims, as this is nothing more than a useless nuance of the first claim.
False Claim #3: Corey Stewart refused to fund essential police officers, even with burglaries up over 20% and robberies up over 40%.
Did Sharon Pandak think we needed to increase the Police Department staffing last year? No. In the last county budget, Corey Stewart actually managed to add positions to the Prince William County Police Department while keeping the budget essentially flat. There was no budget proposal to increase the size of the Police Department beyond what the board considered. When the Police Department has made any request to increase it’s staff and budget in the interim between the time the budget was adopted, and the present time, Corey Stewart has supported that increase. Where has Sharon Pandak been at these times? Absent.
This is particularly egregious on the heels of Governor Kaine slashing state support to the Prince William County Police Department by $575,000. If anyone can be accurately blamed as slashing support for police, it’s the Governor. Corey Stewart supported increasing funding for the Police Department, and somehow is worthy of criticism for not doing enough at a time Pandak herself wasn’t calling for more funding. Now that Governor Kaine has actually reduced funding for police, where is Pandak’s condemnation?
To top it off, at this moment Corey Stewart is fighting to obtain $14 million dollars of additional funding for the police department over five years, and is getting substantial pushback primarily from — you guessed it — Democrats. How about Sharon Pandak putting herself squarely behind her rhetoric and lobbying her fellow Democrats to support this funding? Nope, it’s not going to happen, as it might harm her relationship with the illegal alien lobby, with whom she tends to have long discussions at meetings of the Board of County Supervisors while in the audience. She’s never in conference with those supporting initiatives of the Police Department to control the illegal alien problem which contributes to this rise in burglaries and robberies, but she sure seems to talk a lot those opposing recent initiatives to make Prince William County less welcoming to illegal aliens.
All of this analysis can be easily be shortcut when we look at the language used in this mailer. Her consistent use of the term “illegal immigrants”, which is a pretty bald oxymoron used to describe illegal aliens (if they’re immigrants, they’re by definition not illegal, but persons following the legal path of obtaining citizenship) should dissuade anyone from thinking for a moment that this is a candidate actually interested in resolving this problem. If she can’t even bring herself to use the correct legal term used in the United States Code, and instead is opting for this politically-correct subterfuge, it should be pretty clear that she’s not at all serious on this issue.
Pandak’s mailers should give anyone pause about supporting her candidacy. The DPVA’s rush to engage in this behavior, as demonstrated in recent false attacks by Chris Brown and Jeanette Rishell, among others, should give pause to anyone considering supporting Democrats in general. This reprehensible behavior severely discredits Pandak and all Democrats who are playing this inane and ill-advised game.
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I will support Ms. Pandak wholeheartedly.
In an e-mail reply from Ms. Pandak, she indicated to me that she wanted to enforce “the laws we already have” regarding illegal aliens. She dodged my question of “Do you support the Stirrup resolution?”. So I sent the same e-mail again, thanking her for replying but asking why she didn’t answer my question. I never received a second reply.
While I think Ms. Pandak service in the public area should be honored (as anyone’s should), let us not forget that debacle regarding Parson’s farm in Independent Hill that she was in charge of as the County Attorney that cost the County tens of thousands of dollars in a law suit.
Please send Corey Stewart money to fight these False Claims. Go to: http://coreystewart.com/contribute
AND HELP HIM KEEP THE HEAT ON ILLEGALS!
I’ve listened to Sharon Pandak during citizen’s time at the BOCS meeting many many times. She clearly believes it is up to the Federal Government to crack down on illegal aliens. She has no desire for our police to be involved in the 287g program. She talks alot about green space (although I’ve heard she gets money from certain developers) and nothing about protecting citizens. She comes to the meeting with prepared speeches. She doesn’t even have any reaction to what the citizens are saying during citizen’s time. She turns a deaf ear to the citizens.
If you want Prince William County to be a sanctuary city for illegal aliens and a supervisor who turns a deaf ear to you, vote for Sharon Pandak.
Corey Stewart listens to the citizens. His office is always responsive to my calls. Thank you Corey Stewart. I’m voting for Mr. Stewart.
Mr. Stewart does not have PWC’s interests at heart is that so very hard to see? Hasn’t he kind of glommed on to this ride thanks to Mr. Stirrup? I have a very low opinion of those that need to put others down for them to look better; and it makes me wonder about the person.
PWC does not need him to fix the illegal immigration issue. This problem is on all sides of the table. The rest of them will agree to pay for immigration whether he is there or not. Just knowing what will be impacted is making a prudent decision. That is what they find out this week. The county doesn’t have enough money to pay next year for what they have this year. I’ll bet the rest agree to pay whatever it costs (and it may not cost as much if the problem is fixed!) — Dale City is starting to look bad and Mr. Jenkins won’t stand for that.
The $14 million includes costs to send prisoners to other jails as well. It is not all for the police department.
Pandak, Rishell, and Brown have seen the polls, know they have no chance of winning, and are showing their desperation with last gasp tactics. In Pandak’s case that means trying to out-Corey Corey.
She has been on the wrong side of the most important issues for so long, someone in Richmond must have told her she needed to do a 180 or lose all support from Richmond. Notice, as in last year’s special election, all her recent mailers are paid for by Democratic Party of Virginia - meaning, just like in last year’s special election, developer money is being sent to Richmond to be spent on Pandak’s race so that no one will be able to trace the money back to the developer lobbyists. [The $10,000 NVBIA check she accepted directly into her campaign was a tactical error on someone’s part.]
Pandak is pathetic. Her scripted speeches at the board sessions are a joke. Even the Democrats laugh behind her back. She was a very poor County Attorney and would make a ridiculous board chair. Everyone knows it except Pandak. Even Caddigan knows it, but is supporting Pandak - (when will the Republican Party jettison this woman) - just because she’s jealous of all the media attention Stewart has been getting. Last year Caddigan thought the chairmanship should have been handed to her on a silver platter but she didn’t have the guts to run for the nomination. Now she just wants to find ways to hurt Stewart. But it won’t matter. When Stewart wins re-election, INCLUDING THE DUMFRIES DISTRICT VOTE - Pandak will be wondering what happened while Caddigan will be wondering if she has any clout left anywhere.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-06-2007/0004677101&EDATE=
While we are talking about “stupid things”. Read this about action against Sheriff Joe!
hOORAY FOR COREY STEWART.!!!!!
PANDAK WAS A POOR COUNTY ATTORNEY; SHE ADVISED AND WORKED FOR THE SUPERVISORS. HER ADVISE WAS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTY,IT WASN;T SUPPOSE TO BE ,IT WAS FOR THE BOS.
SHE WAS PART OF THE BEHIND THE SCENE JIGGLING THAT WENT ON WITH THE 2 THAT FILLED IN THE WATER LINE AT CHERRY HILL AND THEY WERE TO PAY $100,000 BUT THE LAST FOIA REQUEST DID NOT GIVE MUCH OF AN ANSWER. PANDAK AND BARG SAID WELL THEY DID SOME COMMUNITY SERVICE. HOGWASH.
IT HAS BEEN 20 YEARS OF COVER UP BUT NOW WE HAVE A CHANCE WITH CHRIS ROYSE TO BRING A CHANGE TO WOODBRIDGE AND THE COUNTY.
VOTE ROYSE, STEWART, HILL,BEACHAMP AND FREDERICK.
GO NOV. 6TH.
“Pandak, Rishell, and Brown have seen the polls, know they have no chance of winning, and are showing their desperation with last gasp tactics.”
…and what polls might those be? Could you please provide a link or someone to whom we could talk to so that we could verify the information?
Anonymous on 7 Oct 2007 at 6:49 am:
That case (Parsons) cost the county taxpaers probably millions. She appealed the case everytime she lost and still lost. In the end, the county ended up paying the judgement for Parsons and the judge added on the interest that accumulated over the years she fought the case and her frivolous appeals. She tried to “screw” a county businessman but was afraid to take on developers as “they probably would sue the county” if things didn’t go their way. She never saw a court case (other than those against the developers she wouldn’t jump at. She is not worthy of holding elective office!
It’s too bad there’s no cameras out in the lobby at PWCBOS meetings. They would see Sharon working the crowd in the lobby, but I don’t think many are buying into to it. No thanks Sharon, and that’s what I’m hear from folks I’ve talked to. I know many lifelong residents(3&4 generations of voters) in every district in the county. Sharon should just give up, and try in 2011.
This lady loves trees and “open green spaces”. Sharon, what about all those poor trees that were sacrificed for those 8X14 thick glossy mailers?
Corey is the clear choice.http://coreystewart.com/
Glad to see that there’s finally some awareness here that federal law prohibits state/local action to penalize employers from hiring uninspected entrants. In points 1 and 2 you do a great service to your fervent readers. I’ve been trying to be helpful on this, but I think your voice carries a bit farther than mine around here. A lot of commenters have been nearly bursting blood vessels about how state and local candidates should be going after employees of illegals.
correction: “employees” should read “employers” in last comment.
Pathetic Pandak strikes again.
Anonymous said on 7 Oct 2007 at 5:44 pm:
“Pandak, Rishell, and Brown have seen the polls, know they have no chance of winning, and are showing their desperation with last gasp tactics.”
“…and what polls might those be? Could you please provide a link or someone to whom we could talk to so that we could verify the information?”
Internals, baby. Internals.
Is there any way we can block the Anonymous posters? If you don’t have the guts to post under your name you have no business posting. Too many cowards lobbing stupid comments.
As for the topic, this is just DPVA doing their thing. It is disheartening as a Democrat to see good people doing irresponsible things. Candidates are selling their souls in order to get Party and PAC cash to fund their DPVA driven campaigns. DPVA forces the incestous relationships between the campaigns and their DPVA approved consultants. If you want to be a Democratic candidate for office you have to play DPVA’s game or you don’t have a chance. Brown, Rishell, Pandak and others are caught in this trap.
I don’t know how RPVA works but it looks like they care more about winning then feeding the consultant beast. Looks like it will continue to pay off for them.
striker3 said on 7 Oct 2007 at 11:12 am: Are you a underage or under educated?
No one is jealous of Corey Stewart. Need I remind you that the illegal alien issue was first raised by Covington during budget time and shortly thereafter by Stirrup who by resolution intends to enforce the laws that are already on the books.
For Corey “illegal aliens” are nothing more than a sound byte that gets media attention that results in free publicity. The guy is drunk not the savior of Prince William County.
It is all of you who are the real heroes. It’s Patty, Maureen, Greg, Lafayette and many others at HSM who have taken the time to go to BOCS meetings, and invest your time to help clean up Prince William.
You are the ones who attracted national attention and you are the ones that deserve the recognition for doing something about it! It is your voices that have already made a significant impact in the mass exodus of illegals on our street corners and neighborhoods.
The construction companies helped bring them here, but the jobs are gone and now that the government will no longer offer services without proper documentation they have been fleeing.
To HSM and it’s members.. I commend and applaud YOU!
“[The $10,000 NVBIA check she accepted directly into her campaign was a tactical error on someone’s part.]” Striker3 said.
Tactical error? Big words for a dufus. Mike May recieved an endorsement from NVBIA, and he is a conservative Republican. Go Mike!!!!
This county needs high end retail development NOW and to work much harder to attract businesses who can provide revenue to our local county government. Economic Development has failed to bring jobs to PW!
Local government is operating at a deficit and it’s getting worse daily. I’m not willing to pay Prince William County another dime in taxes! I’m not getting a raise this year, and my living expenses continue to increase because more and more new fee’s added bills for Comcast, Verizon, auto insurance and repair, etc. NO NEW TAXES Mr. Stewart..read my lips.
We’ve got the 5th worst commute, no metro access, 300 million dollars in new taxes, 65% of office space is vacant, record high foreclosures, housing values are dropping like there is no tomorrow, and school test scores have fallen below the national average.
WELCOME NVBIA, please come to Prince William, just don’t hire any illegals or HSM is coming after you!
You hit the nail right on the head, Matt. That is why I respect you. You’re a straight shooter.
It almost seems as if the consultants have a set template and they just plug the Dem candidate’s name and office being sought into the form and out pops the mailer, sort of like one of those personalized childrens books you can buy at a kiosk at the mall.