The Albo bill would drastically reduce penalties for numerous sex crimes against children in Virginia.It would make raping and sodomizing children a less serious offense in the commonwealth than stealing chickens? the legal equivalent of tampering with cable television service. Grier Weeks, Northern Virginia Journal
Greg Werkheiser, running for Virginia House of Delegates against Dave Albo in the 42nd district, today released his plan to deal with gangs and sexual predators.
This fourth part of Werkheiser's "Blueprint for Progress" deserves particular attention and applause.
By targeting gangs and sexual predators with a practical plan of action, Werkheiser takes the moral and ethical high-ground abdicated long ago by his opponent, Dave Albo. Werkheiser rightly points out his opponent's disastrous failings on both issues, and sets the stage for strong decisive action.
GANGS
By opposing Mark Warner's budget reform plan, Albo turned his back on funding for law enforcement, state security and prisons.
When Dave Albo first won his seat in 1993, there were only 2 reported gangs in Fairfax County. Today, there are 84. That little statistic alone should make any Fairfax resident shy away from sending Mr. Albo back to Richmond.
Greg Werkheiser can make a difference.
Greg Werkheiser sees gangs as a great threat to Virginia's children. His plan includes a "tough on gang violence" stance, while addressing the dangers to children specifically. In addition to expanded funding to law enforcement and witness protection, Werkheiser also would support initiatives ranging from social intervention for at-risk youth, to school uniforms, to language immersion for law officers on the gang task force.
Overall, where Mr. Albo worked against funding for law enforcement, Mr. Werkheiser has proposed a plan that is tough, smart, and well rounded, taking many aspects of the issue into account.
Note: Fairfax county did a great report on gang violence which is available here. Caution: it's a pretty big PDF file!
SEXUAL PREDATORS
It doesn't matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, whether you are Conservative or Progressive, once you are aware of his action on the issue of child sexual exploitation, you will never consider supporting Dave Albo again.
In 2004, under cover of a torpid anti-homosexual smokescreen, Albo submitted HB 1054. It took an organization of concerned children's rights advocates to stop Albo's insane attempt to weaken penalties for sex-crimes on children. Here is an excerpt from a press release from the children's protection organization "PROTECT":
In fact, the heart of House Bill 1054 is actually a bold and deliberate attempt to decriminalize sex between adults and children.The Albo bill would drastically reduce penalties for numerous sex crimes against children in Virginia.
It would make raping and sodomizing children a less serious offense in the commonwealth than stealing chickens? the legal equivalent of tampering with cable television service.
While Albo wants to increase the penalty for consenting adults committing sodomy in public, he wants to lower it to the same level?a Class 6 felony? for sodomizing a child in private.
Sodomy against a child aged 0-to-18 (also known as ?crimes against nature?) would drop down three felony classes. Whereas before, a criminal could get 5-to-20 years for these acts, under Albo's bill, they could get away with just a fine.
Astounding!
I couldn't make this up. Who would want to? Dave Albo actually submitted a bill that would make child rape punishable by a fine.
Greg Werkheiser knows that sexual predators are almost always repeat offenders. Rather than slapping them on the wrist with a fine, he favors a number of initiatives including "Sexual Predator-Free School Zones", longer sentences, GPS tracking, and funding the Sexual Predator registry. Interestingly, Werkheiser would fund his initiatives by charging Sexual Predators for their mandatory registry listings.
It's hard to argue that Dave Albo is interested in protecting children. Albo stood by without doing a thing as gang activity multiplied in Fairfax, and he incomprehensibly moved to decriminalize child sexual abuse.
In contrast, Greg Werkheiser has a clear understanding of the issues, and will be an aggressive protector of children in the 42nd district.
In the 42nd District Support Greg Werkheiser for Delegate on November 8.
Author's Note: Please help get the message out about Dave Albo. Virginia should not support the decriminalization of child sexual abuse. A vote for Dave Albo is a vote against children.