For those of you trying to find the blog, it's http://www.antibvbl.net, not .com.

It's fixed, thanks for pointing out the error.

"What these folks just aren't getting from the perspective of their ten acre abodes in Haymarket, far removed from the negative impacts of illegal immigration, is that public officials have been responding to legitimate public concerns about residential overcrowding, day laborer centers, criminal illegal aliens, and the transition of our local community into something that more resembles Mexico's state of Chiapas than Manassas.  It's easy to talk about "earned citizenship" for illegal aliens when you only encounter them when they come to mow your lawn instead of inundating your local schools, overcrowding a third of the houses on your street, and filling your community with MS-13 gang-bangers.  It's not one person who is raising a flag here, it's a huge number of residents who have been given some degree of hope that they can actually play a part in rescuing their communities from the impacts of illegal aliens, and they've done that by engaging with their elected officials." BVBL.net April 4th

Let's not forget the entire PWC BOS, including Hilda Barg (D) and John Jenkins (D), voted in favor of the Immigration Resolution.    

Annabel and I have been documenting this story -- sort of like detectives trying to figure out what on earth was/is happening -- for 8 months now.  It is way more complicated than watching as less and less people repeat the same talking points that got us into this mess.

Floodguy, the average person in PWC is no longer focused on (R) and (D). That was for the election last November. Now that we have to deal with real life again, and now that Board of Supervisors is dealing with governing as opposed to electioneering, it's a whole different set of concerns.  The economic downturn has only just begun, but already the residents, not only on this particular blog but on the streets, are comparing it to the folly of the Iraq War.  Just as most Americans (including many R's) have realized that occupying Iraq wasn't the best way to respond to the anxiety and fear caused by 9/11, residents of PWC are now having buyer's remorse when it comes to the Immigration Resolution. The deteriorating social climate in PWC was thought of as "par for the course" when it was election season. But now we're realizing that prejudice and racial division just aren't the way we want to live our lives. Most importantly, the disastrous impact the resolution has had on the real estate market and the local economy is changing the minds of many who originally supported the Immigration Resolution.

all the supervisors studied this, debated it, and decided to approved it unanimously.  Give that some respect.  All too often we are painted a picture that this is something only conservatives are pushing.  This is incorrect.  And if it wasn't for Stewarts criticism of Deane, this conversation would not have been turned up so hot, but who knows what missteps he would have taken next.  

I understand its difficult for legal business owners to suddenly have half, or two-thirds, or 90% of its clientele disappear.  I am dealing with that right now.  My business is currently suffering a tremendous loss, not because of this resolution, however, but I will probably have to reduce my operation by 75%.    

The fact is, the economic problems in housing and lending was already set in motion.  We haven't seen the worse of it on Main Street, although it may have bottomed out on Wall Street.  A serious drop-off in immigrants in this county was already well on its way.  Applications for labor employment is overwhelming, that is what I am hearing w/i this county, and positions have filled quickly leaving many legal and American citizens turned down.    

I have just recently returned from New Orleans, my 11th trip since Katrina, and reconstruction is grinding down more than anyone imagined.  It is believed that those who are going to return and rebuild, have done so and are approaching the finish line.  Meanwhile, a slowdown of new returnees is probably associated with housing & lending problems, and declining consumer confidence.  

Groups of Latinos are walking the street asking for work at construction sites, because labor centers outside of Lowes and Home Depots were packed, forcing the police to answer to complaints and curtail their presence.  Work has declined so dramatically, construction prices are at or below where they were before Katrina, after spiking nearly 3x the cost just 12-18 months ago.  Latinos are being forced to leave NOLA even with no immigration policy in place, simply because there is no work.  

If it there is no work, what are people going to do?  They and their children need to eat, and we know that poverty breaks down the family, lowers education, and breeds crime.  

What do you suggest is a way to resolve these problems, which do exist and which many legal residents of Manassas and in other towns in PWC can attest to?

What I do know will not work, is calling or eluding those who support some sort of immigration policy as being prejudiced or racists.  I see this no different than Greg L. and those commenters labeling everyone against the resolution as being supporters of the anarchists, Mexican w/o  Borders, or being pro-amnensty.  That's not true either.  

Perhaps you need to do a truthful film on what truly worries the legal residents in Manassas, Manassas Park, and Woodbridge, just to get their perspective?  

From what I can tell, this county doesn't have someone who's has made the effort to see the issue at the grassroot's level on each sides.  When you see and understand positions with both, you'll probably be the first one with the best perspective.

If the members of the BOS had voted against the resolution, then they would never be allowed to personally bring it back up for reconsideration.  Meaning, if they had voted against it, then they personally could never again say "You know, this was a bad idea, lets have a re-do" and bring it back up for discussion.  It would remain a dead issue unless someone who DID vote for it brought it back to the table.  

Knowing the resolution was likely going to pass anyway, then voting for it was probably the best thing to do, out of a lot of bad choices.

Pain, that was my understanding also.  

...that's exactly what happened.

there's a problem, the board to acted, and it sounds like it can be changed, and what Stewart actually did with his criticism of Deane, will probably kick start that change.    

But what this "conservative" businessperson who finds 1/2 of his clientele tied to the illegal immigrant community, which has now vanished, isn't grounds to dissolve the resolution.  He and any other legal business suffering the same, probably would not have had that opportunity or the success, if it wasn't for the lack of immigration enforcement at the federal level.

Are we to assume the immigrant community would have stayed in the county while the housing industry collapses and jobs opportunities vanish?  If they had, is it expected this county would have to assume the caregiver role for the unemployed illegal immigrant community?

We all feel sorry for them, but they came here illegally.  Is it by default that since the immigrants did make it here, illegal or not, the county is responsible to take care of them?  

What about everyone else who is and has been waiting in line following the rules?  

There are no easy answers and I haven't seen anything from you or others, but something obviously must happen.  

And let's not ignore that the group fighting the immigration resolution has some history that it supports some sort of bordless nation which permits Latinos to migrate as though it is their God given right.  What about that sign in Manassas which supports the same?  Certainly, this and the policy prior to the resolution creates inequities the county shouldn't bear.

Go into the Manassas and Manassas Park and get the views of what really ails the legal communities.  Show us what it is they, the Help-Save-Manassas group, are complaining about, which raised this resolution in the first place last year.  

If we are fair-minded lets understand the other side.  But as long as everyone sticks strictly to their side, we are stuck in yet another ugly politicized debate.    

they all agreed to it and despite the fact that they had to agree so one can object or raise another resolution to it, that hasn't happened.  Furthermore, the issue which affects 9500 Liberty isn't in PWC, its in the city of Manassas and the city council there also passed a resolution, 287g, unanimously as well.  

There's no doubt you have your elements against immigrants who will take advantage of the situation and act distastefully.  Since we all claimed to be educated, we should know darn well that the mass of the opposition isn't like this.  That's not showing the issue much respect.  I find that opponents to immigration reform do a serious disfavor by painting the wider view as though immigration reformers are racists and prejudice.  Its simply untrue!  This approach has all the ingredients for another defeat.  This should only tell us the opponents to immigration (the one's we are seeing vocalized) have failed to consider the other side.  I'm sure the same exists on the immigration reform side - both need to swap position and look at thru the window the other views.  When that happens, we'll see progress.  This is what the progressive community should be focused on:  not open borders, not total amnesty - both are proven failures.  

Also, history has shown that governments behave strangely when the populace is in a mob frenzy type of mode.  The real problem arises when the government help creates mob frenzy mode:

You and Annabel are sort of like detectives who focus only on evidence that supports your preconceived ideas. There's a lot of that going on in the illegal immigration debate, so you're not alone.  

there's a problem that 9500 Liberty isn't even presenting.  I'd like to see the grassroot effort presented on what ails the legal residents in Manassas and Manassas City.  I've seen the immigration commission, and opponents acknowledge the points of the immigration side, but focus solely on what a few are doing, ie. hate speech, intimidation, etc.  The same affect but reverse is to focus only on crimes by illegals etc.  9500 Liberty is only one side and presents a picture which is 50% of what is wrong.  I hope this is corrected.

The antibvblians are great!  Interesting topics and courtesy abounds there.  Sure the trolls go through.  Anti immigration folks come through to show them the err of their ways, but they don't hang around.  

There is a difference.

I was happy to see it get prominent coverage in the Post today, especially since I'm so tired of hearing about BVBL and Greg L. and his band of merry men.