Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Can You Say, “Virtue Signaling”?

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by

James A. Bacon
in

Sharon Bulova

Top Democratic elected officials in Northern Virginia oppose the Trump administration’s practice on the Mexican border of separating children from their families and placing them in crowded and squalid holding facilities, reports the Washington Post. “Fairfax County wants no part of this heartless practice,” said Fairfax County Board Chair Sharon Bulova in a letter sent Monday to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Therefore, Bulova and other like-minded Dems oppose plans to open a shelter for unaccompanied minors in the region.

Huh?

The “Virginia Residential Child Care Facility” would be equipped with classrooms, sleeping areas and two acres of outdoor recreation space. According to the Washington Post, the facility is meant to house youths close to where they may have relatives already living and to ease crowded conditions in U.S. Border Patrol processing facilities.

Translation: We deplore the squalid conditions of the border holding facilities. But we will seek to block any effort to ameliorate those conditions in order to advance the larger goal of ending the policy of separating children from accompanying adults, which would necessitate releasing more undocumented immigrants into the U.S., which in turn would guarantee a never-ending supply of new Democratic supplicants and voters.

Meanwhile, Corey A. Stewart, chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and an outspoken supporter of President Trump and his immigration policies, agrees with Bulova about one thing: He wants to make sure Uncle Sam doesn’t stick local governments with the costs of providing for these children.

“Presumably, our board would have to approve the location,” Stewart said, citing the potential need to rezone land to accommodate a large shelter. “The federal government can’t just build wherever it wants in Prince William County.”

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13 responses to “Can You Say, “Virtue Signaling”?”

  1. TBill Avatar
    TBill

    I would not personally consider Sharon Bulova very partisan, but she could be getting pressure from Dems. She tends to be a pragmatic public official and not trying to grab the headlines, not much showboat there. Outgoing in a few months due to her retirement and she will likely get much credit for running a steady ship in some difficult times.

  2. djrippert Avatar
    djrippert

    I’m lost. Doesn’t “unaccompanied minors” mean they are unaccompanied rather than separated? Are these really kids who have been separated from the parents by the US Government or kids who were among the throngs crossing the border in caravans without being under the care of their parents. I always assumed it was the latter.

    Bulova is going pure NIMBY. Overpriced Fairfax County doesn’t need more low paying jobs like the ones that will be offered at this detention center. Meanwhile, don’t these undocumented, unaccompanied children generally become DREAM Act eligible? Where do they go when they leave the detention centers? Deported? Into the care of their relatives? Legally into the community as part of the Dream Act? Who pays for their education? Who pays for their care?

    As far as Corey Stewart claiming the Federal government can’t build facilities in Prince William County … I’m not sure why the feds couldn’t build on the 100 sq mi Quantico Marine Base which is partially in Prince William County. The base is almost twice the size of the City of Richmond. Seems like there must be room.

  3. V N Avatar
    V N

    Deja poo. We’ve seen this crap before.

  4. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    When a new Post Office was built in Spotsylvania, the BOS said that they had no choice in the matter in terms of approval and planning.

    I think DJ’s questions are all good ones to find the answers to.

    And once again, we have the problem of viewing all folks to the left of attila the hun as monolithic in their views….. sorta like viewing Corey Stewart as representative of all GOP……..

  5. TooManyTaxes Avatar
    TooManyTaxes

    Fairfax County generally does not enforce occupancy code limits, especially in areas with relatively lower cost housing, because it does not want to have a negative impact on illegal immigrants. It’s willing to put lives at risk by allowing overcrowding. (I’ve seen photos of bedrooms/basements that are padlocked over night to protect the homeowner/head tenant from danger from unknown tenants.)

    Further, the County has refused to obtain an administrative search warrant when its has probable cause of code violations and the property owner or tenant refuses entry. Yet, it want authority to enter a person’s home and remove weapons based solely on third-party testimony. I have trouble reconciling the two behaviors.

  6. J. Abbate Avatar
    J. Abbate

    Am I missing something here or do we have an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory put forward:
    That, “…we [the Dems] will seek to block any effort to ameliorate those conditions in order to advance the larger goal of ending the policy of separating children from accompanying adults, which would necessitate releasing more undocumented immigrants into the U.S., which in turn would guarantee a never-ending supply of new Democratic supplicants and voters.”

    Is there any data or facts to support this conspiracy theory or just solid anti-immigrant and anti-Dem bias? If there was some data to support this theory, I might support you myself. If these immigrants are coming to the U.S. to work, why wouldn’t they support Trump for all he has done to improve the economy and provide jobs? If the immigrants are aided by numerous Christian church organizations, why wouldn’t they support Trump who claims to be a Christian and is supported by some Christian Evangelical leaders? And finally, what about the fact that illegal immigrants are not allowed to vote?

    A Feb 2019 NPR report noted that some non-citizens do wind up registered to vote, but usually not on purpose. In that report, David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, stated that a number of states accidentally register noncitizens. Sometimes it’s just a misunderstanding between the motor vehicles department and election officials over whose job it is to verify citizenship.

    Becker says the number of noncitizens who end up on the rolls is relatively small and the number who actually vote is even smaller. Pennsylvania officials estimated that the noncitizens they identified cast 544 votes from 2000 through 2017, out of 93 million overall votes cast.

    “Again, a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the eligible voter population, but clearly something we want to avoid,” says Becker.

    Becker noted that noncitizens can face serious legal action — several dozen have been prosecuted recently in North Carolina and Texas. It also undermines public trust and opens the way for allegations — even unfounded ones — of voter fraud.

    So if the Dems are manipulating these illegal immigrants to turn them into illegal voters, let’s see the evidence. But if you are talking about immigrant children brought into the U.S. to be joined with their parents, how could those children be old enough to vote? If there is a violation of the law, let’s enforce the law…but I don’t see the evidence that this is a conspiracy to defraud the vote. On the other hand, our own intelligence agencies are warning about continued Russian penetration of our democratic election systems…there’s evidence of that.

    1. James A. Bacon Avatar
      James A. Bacon

      I didn’t say anything about noncitizens becoming “illegal” voters. Rather, some undocumented immigrants eventually will find ways to gain citizenship. Their children born in the U.S. will automatically become citizens. It’s a long-term process — but one that overwhelmingly favors Democrats.

      If illegal immigrants-turned citizens and their offspring were 80% likely to vote Republican, I expect you’d heard a very different story from the Dems. Democrats were far less welcoming toward the Cubans (who tended to vote Republican) who overwhelmed the U.S. immigration system in the Mariel boat lift.

    2. TooManyTaxes Avatar
      TooManyTaxes

      What if we follow the law? Unless you have the proper qualifications and paperwork, you cannot enter the U.S. legally. If you overstay a non-immigrant visa, you are here illegally. If you sneak over the border, you are here illegally.

      If you can show government persecution in your home country as required by 8 USC sec. 1158, you are supposed to seek asylum in the first safe country. You cannot get on a plane and fly from Europe, Asia, Africa or South America and legally claim asylum. And it’s questionable that one can come to the U.S. from Honduras, for example, and claim asylum. Or from China through Canada and claim asylum. If you don’t follow the rules, you are here illegally.

      Asylum is not available when one wants to improve one’s economic condition. Or escape gangs. And it doesn’t matter what a religious body believes. The law is the law. Render to God what is God’s and to Caesar what is Caesar’s.

      My kids were born in South Korea. So were one of my nephews and one of my nieces. One of my best childhood friends has two kids from Korea. Many of my kids’ friends were born in other nations. Some of my co-workers were as well. What unites them all? They, their parents, or guardians all followed the rules.

      We did the paper work. We were investigated. We paid the fees. We had to provide tax returns and a boatload of documents to prove the child/adult was not likely to become a ward of the state. We had to sign sponsorship papers agreeing to support the child. We had to follow the immigration rules. We had to follow the state’s adoption laws. We had to make sure our kids were naturalized. Why cannot/won’t elected officials insist the rules be followed?

      I favor protecting the Dreamers through legislation. I favor a form of amnesty for people who have been here for say 10 years, kept out of trouble (no felonies or misdemeanor convictions), who pay all their back taxes and penalties. But none of this is possible unless and until we control the borders. And prosecute the crap out of any business that does not have 100% E-Verify compliance.

  7. J. Abbate Avatar
    J. Abbate

    So James, are you saying that the Dems were upset by the Cuban Mariel boat lift of Cuban refugees because they strategized that the Cubans were ultimately going to be Republican voters? That’s a stretch and I would love some evidence of that. The history of the Mariel boat lift indicates otherwise.

    A 2018 article on the the boatlift in the Miami Herald notes much different considerations existed for Pres. Carter and Governor Graham of Florida…

    “The Mariel Boatlift started with a surprise announcement by Cuban President Fidel Castro on April 20, 1980. He said that he was opening the port for Cubans to leave the Communist island. The Carter administration had secretly worked to improve relations with Castro, but was caught unaware and unprepared for Castro’s decision.”

    “After the start of the exodus, Castro shocked the world by opening Cuban prisons and mental health facilities, transporting the prisoners and patients to the port for the 90-mile trip to Miami. Floridians from Key West to West Palm Beach sent private boats to Mariel to be paid by families and friends to transport the fleeing Cubans across the dangerous Florida Straits. The flotilla that this spurred was described by the press as “Rag Tag Chaos.’

    The upset with the boatlift was that this caught the U.S. by surprise and that Castro emptied his prisons to push thousands of his Cuban criminal element on to the boats along with many asylum seekers.

    We can all agree that there is need for a comprehensive immigration plan and streamlined process. I agree with Too-Many-Taxes that we can protect the Dreamers through legislation and favor a form of amnesty for people who have been here long enough, with no criminal record and who pay all their back taxes and penalties. For hard immigrant workers abiding by the law, that makes rational sense for them and for our nation, no matter what their color or what country that they have come from. Thanks for the discussion.

    Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article209282994.html#storylink=cpy in the Miami Herald

    1. TooManyTaxes Avatar
      TooManyTaxes

      Granting some form of amnesty to long-term residents who are here illegally but who meet specified standards necessarily means others who don’t must be deported.

      Allowing large numbers of illegal workers has hurt lower-skilled Americans. “Pew Research reports that since 2000, the bottom quarter of earners saw just a 4.3 percent real-wage increase — equivalent to an annual raise of just 0.2 percent. Analysis by the Economic Policy Institute of wages for men without a bachelor’s degree shows they earned no more in 2018 than they did in 1989. Compared with 1979, they actually earn less. And low wages cannot help but undermine work incentives.” https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2019/08/12/unskilled-immigration-lowers-labor-force-participation/ When my grandfather was alive, his Democratic Party would have stuck up for these people. But the Democrats of today call them Deplorables.

      “Of course, if demand for less educated work in the U.S. is down because of technology and globalization, then it makes little sense to continue to let in so many less educated immigrants. Census Bureau data from the first quarter of 2019 show that 5 million adult immigrants without a bachelor’s degree have been allowed to settle in the country just since 2010. Roughly half of them are illegal.” Ibid.

      “Some of the best anecdotal evidence comes from a series of EEOC suits brought by Americans who have been shut out of jobs by employers who prefer to hire foreign-born Hispanics.

      “Amy Wax and Jason Richwine discuss a number of these cases in a long article in American Affairs. For example, Lawler Foods near Houston posted job advertisements only in Spanish. When black and white Americans showed up to apply, they were strongly discouraged and sometimes told outright that non-Hispanics were not welcome. Nearby Champion Fiberglass seems to have done much the same thing, as did Scrub Inc. in Chicago. Little River Golf in North Carolina paid a large settlement because it laid off black employees en masse so that they could be replaced by Hispanics. These cases are consistent with what many American job seekers already suspect, which is that employers of low-skill labor discriminate against natives, and particularly against blacks. ” Ibid.

      “Advocates of unskilled immigration argue that there are many jobs that Americans simply will not do. In reality, a majority of workers in just about every occupation identified by the Census Bureau are U.S.-born. For example, more than half of maids are native-born, as are 64 percent of meatpackers, 65 percent of construction laborers, and 66 percent of groundskeepers. Wages in all of these sectors show stagnation or long-term decline, so if there is a great need for such workers, why not let wages rise? Higher wages would increase work incentives and improve the lives of the poorest and least educated Americans.

      “Getting Americans to do farm work is probably the most challenging case, but agriculture employs only 2 percent of all immigrants (legal and illegal) and only 4 percent of all illegals. We should not let an economic sector that employs such a tiny share of immigrants drive the whole immigration debate.” Ibid.

      Just because this information is ignored by the Post and the rest of the MSM does not make it untrue.

      Close the border. Seek out and deport visa overstayers. Destroy the economic gains of businesses who hire illegals. Tighten up on bogus asylum claims. Enact legislation that allows the Dreamers to stay and work in America. Allow long-term illegals (ten or more years) with clean records who pay taxes and penalties to stay and work in America. Deport the rest. It’s time to put the American public first.

  8. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    You got it right J. Abbate – conspiracy theories abound as well as treating anyone who is LEFT of so-called “Conservatives” including right here in BR as a giant monolithic group with one agenda to enact ……. it seems to be the primary theory these days with Conservatives .. no, in BR, they don’t come right out and say “conspiracy” but they do categorize anyone to their left as part of a giant group of people who all think alike and would act that way also,

    BR used to be a fairly balanced and rational forum for a lot of non-partisan government issues but it has veered into FOX news type rhetoric (like “virtue signaling” and wackadoodle conspiracy theories

    1. James A. Bacon Avatar
      James A. Bacon

      Just curious: What “conspiracy theories” have been touted on this blog, Larry?

  9. Mom Avatar
    Mom

    Corey will hold that position until the application (already filed) for expansion of theJoe Gibbs Youth for Tomorrow facility in Gainesville (where they are already hosting UACs) comes before the PWC BOCS. Then the impact of the $73,772 he has received from its Board of Directors will come into play, just like it did last time.

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