Statement by Delgaudio on Illegal Aliens in Sterling and Loudoun county
The newly sworn-in county board of supervisors voted to reach out to the Sterling and Potomac communities in January 2008.
At the same time, the Board voted down legislative and other action in January to crack down on illegal aliens.
In January, the board rejected restrictions on government contractors, builders of government buildings, suppliers who do business with the government to verify the legal status of employees of those companies.
A majority of the current Board has expressed concerns on the record about any enforcement of immigration laws as not being the business of the county.
Citizens responded to these policies by turning out in May 2008.
They reported a downturn and worsening condition in Sterling and Eastern Loudoun County which continues to threaten the community at this moment.
Citizens have responded and it is at their express repeated and public outcry that I have worked with and am working with.
The county hosted 300 citizens in Mid-May 2008 at 4 locations, including 200 people at two meetings at Park View High School.
The county is now reporting back in late July 2008 what 300 Sterling citizens said nearly 300 TIMES. There were also many more filled out surveys conducted online and in other meetings.
There will be a final report by the county staff with "action recommendations" in the fall for the citizens to comment on and for the board to consider.
BOARD RESPONDS
The board of supervisors has responded at meetings of the board and in committee meetings to the many demands of the citizens with various legislative and administrative actions.
The board directed staff to get high grass cut on an emergency basis and 200 houses have gotten their grass cut through this public spotlight with most of them cutting their grass voluntarily or with volunteers.
County contracted teams spread out and cut the grass at 20 houses and have a list of 50 houses they are visiting this week in phase Two.
During this process, I have been sponsoring and supporting other actions-- ( the board of supervisors has passed, or is considering a dozen new legislative ideas) ---
1 >>> INTERNET AND WEB-BASED SERVICE
The county also voted 9 to zero to support allowing on-line and faxed complaints about overcrowding and also agreed to AUTOMATICALLY provide referals to the right people in the right departments for the hundreds of complaints filed by Sterling citizens for other issues like garbage on front lawns, building without permits, abandoned cars, large commercial trucks and heavy construction equipment in residential area
2. >>> COUNTY IS READY TO ACT ON TALL GRASS
The Board passed my legislation, for a public hearing this October, to require Loudoun County on a permanent basis, not an emergency basis, to cut the grass on abandoned houses and then bill the owners with a lien on their property.
3. Cars On Lawns. The Board has asked staff to draft legislation similar to the Fairfax County Ordinance that limits the out of hard surface for a residential home and outlaws cars on lawns.
4. Public Begging. The board voted to request the right to outlaw rush hour panhandling in the highways and byways from Richmond this coming session.
5. Heavy Duty Trucks and Trailers The Board will consider on their October Public Hearing an ordinance to ban the storing of vehicles 2 axles or more, weighing 3000 pounds or more with the word “truck” and ban 100s of commercial trailers in the residential neighborhoods.
>>>CALLED FOR DEPORTING ILLEGAL ALIENS
My public comments and promotion for 2 years on the 287(g) program have been slow going. Thank you to the Sheriff's Department and Homeland security for adopting measures that will soon deport illegal alien criminals who threaten Sterling.
I join citizens who welcome the Sheriff's response with sobriety checkpoints to check for unlicensed drivers and DUIs twice in Sterling in the few days.
Prince William
107 illegal aliens were deported in 2007 in Loudoun County. Compare that to Prince William County which deported 393 last year in the first six months of their ICE program, Prince William County deported 700 this year as of June 20 and will deport approximately 1400 illegal aliens in 2008.
Loudoun has a different program. We are only processing illegal alien criminals. But over in Prince William crime has dropped big time. I hope this new program makes a dent in the illegal alien criminal population in Loudoun. I hope to keep an eye on it with your help.
TONIGHT
Tonight, the county staff will report on legislative, administrative and regulatory recommendations
Chairman York is ending the public comment period of 9 p.m. but I have announced I will stay as long as people want to talk or have questions for me in the meeting room.
Citizen comments will be included in the "final report to the Board" in the fall. This information will be used as a framework for the development of a number of action-oriented recommendations that will be included in the report.
I am looking forward to this and hope the Board majority continues to have these quality of life issues as a top priority tonight, tomorrow at their strategic planning session, when they return in September and every day of their remaining terms in office.
Sterling is an amazing place to buy a home, raise a family and retire.
But that wonderful quality of life is threatened by a tidal wave of illegal immigration that has swamped Northern Virginia.
There are some who say do not talk to the news media. Do not bring these issues up.
Pretending the problem doesn't exist won't make Sterling a better place to live.
I will continue to speak out against crime, blight and will respond to those who don't share my goal of keeping Sterling Park and Loudoun a beautiful place to live. Thank you.