I don't see how you can see Rust as inconsistent on illegal immigration.  I didn't agree with Rust's endorsement of O'Reilly, but do you see anything in that letter that mentions illegal immigration?  Can't you still support someone while not agreeing with them on every last issue?

If you really looked at Rust's votes on illegal immigration - and many of us here in Herndon have - you'd notice he is remarkably consistent on this issue.

On the other hand, Jay Donahue claimed (on this very site) that he supported 287(g) immigration enforcement for Herndon Police, but opposed it for state police.  How's that for consistency?  The real question is where Jay Donahue is on this issue, especially since Herndon is Ground Zero on the illegal immigration battle. 

I usually have Democratic leanings, but I think illegal immigration needs to be curbed, and now.  Maybe that's what living in Herndon does to a good Democrat.

First let me say that I'm not a fan of the divisive language and attitude that sometimes accompanies the immigration debate. I agree illegal immigration is a problem and we need to enforce the law-but we should do so in a way that doesn't express xenophobia or hatred.

Here's what I believe needs to be done. First I believe we should be punishing large scale corporate employers of illegal immigrants.

Second we need to put added pressure on the Federal Government to address the issue-I've been following the debate in Congress very closely and I'm hoping a productive solution can be found soon.

Third, and this is where local enforcement comes in, when individuals are arrested for serious crimes and it is discovered in the normal process of investigation that they lack legal status we need to do something about it-and that means working again with the Federal Government. But, this is where we must be very careful not to fall down the slippery slope of racial profiling. We cannot under any circumstance start assuming everyone in this country who is of Latin-American dissent is here illegally. Many of these folks who live in Herndon/Sterling are citizens or have emigrated here legally and we should not make any assumptions based on race.

As Vice Chairman of Herndon's Planning Commision I've joined with the commision to support staff recomendations
desgined to reduce/eliminate excessive occupancy in Herndon housing. No home owner should have their quality of life or real estate values diminished by overcrowding.

So there you have it.  Now, where the heck does Thomas Rust stand?

I voted for the day labor center as Vice-Chairman of Herndon's Planning Commission because it was a public safety issue.  You know well that in August of 2005 the town council voted to transfer the unofficial, unsupervised, unmonitored site at the 7/11 on Elden Street to a more appropriate site. The current site is larger, better buffered and less visible than was the site at the 7/11.

The other issue note is that the additional traffic congestion cause by the site at the 7/11 creates an additional risk for traffic accidents. This is especially important because the time period of high activity for the day-labor site is the same times our schools busses are traveling the road. It creates traffic serious traffic congestion endangering pedestrian and road safety at rush hour.

Exactly right, Jay Donahue is using something in rare supply among the Virginia Republican Party these days: commonsense! :)

I'm not going to do your research on Rust for you, but suffice it to say that if you looked at Rust's illegal immigration votes over the years, you'd find him to be remarkably consistent.

Bob

PS - Isn't it kind of dirty pool to use Rust's letter to the attorney general, which was a request for clarification of legal issues, not a statement of policy?  I find it strange you are hammering him on a request for opinion rather than his actual votes on the issues. 

By the way, you might want to correct your Vecinos Unidos link.  A friend of mine who is active in the group pointed out that the Vecinos Unidos that gave Rust the award in 1997 is indeed the Herndon-based organization.  According to the link you provided, the Vecinos Unidos that signed the 2007 letter to Congress is based on Dallas, Texas.  They are not the same group.  Herndon's Vecinos Unidos primarily helps mentor Hispanic youth; they do not tackle political issues.

However, Jay, you have only one vote in your entire career that lets voters know where you stand.

And you voted "Yes" to put a hiring site which uses taxpayer dollars to operate without checking legal ability to work in the back yard of hundreds of Town of Herndon voters and within a few miles of hundreds of Sterling residents as well. And that was after 90% of all Town residents addressing the issue asked for a "No" vote.

You can write anything you want, but your vote is what counts.

You supported the use of public funds for illegal aliens.

I, for one, cannot support you because of that vote.

You have shown that you support the use of taxpayer dollars to support illegal aliens. Don't put out these "written statements" when you have no record to support it.

So, where in the heck do you stand on illegal immigration? I mean, in the real world?

Who made the legislation possible in the Town of Herndon for you to support staff recommendations to address overcrowding?

Bob

The Honorable Judith W. Jagdmann
Attorney General of Virginia
900 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219

Dear General Jagdmann:

1 write today to request your official opinion about an action contemplated by a local government. The question is whether this action would comply with HB1798, passed by the General Assembly in 2005 and signed into law by Governor Warner with an enactment date of January 1, 2006. This bill created Code Sections 32.1-325.03 and 63.2-503.1.

I joined Delegate Dave Albo in support of this legislation barring local governments from conveying any public benefits on illegal aliens, with certain exceptions which are detailed in the bill, including emergency and humanitarian aid.

For several years, an unsanctioned ad hoc day labor site has developed around the area of a 7-Eleven store in Herndon, in the heart of my legislative district. During my tenure as the Mayor of Herndon, I strongly encouraged officials of the Southland Corporation, 7-Eleven?s parent company, to eliminate this activity from its site. Herndon does not have a loitering ordinance, and I have been told that loitering laws are unenforceable under precedents established by the U.S. Supreme Court.

An application for a permit to operate a day labor site has been submitted to the Town of Herndon. The site would be operated by a non-profit group known as Project Hope and Harmony which would operate the site in part with a social services grant from Fairfax County. The application process, which is treated as a land-use application, requires action by the Herndon Town Council. Herndon officials have stated publicly that the Town cannot deliver social services under its charter, which is why the grant is coming from Fairfax County. I have not taken a position on the issue of whether to establish a formal day labor site, since I consider the matter to be a local government issue concerning land use. I have commended Herndon officials for dealing with this issue in a pro-active manner by trying to find a solution. However, I have been approached by several constituents who are concerned about the possibility that illegal aliens may receive employment assistance and other services at a formal site. Their concerns center around whether it will remain legal for a public social services grant to fund the provision of services to illegal aliens after the January 1, 2006 effective date of HB1798.

When I joined Delegate Albo in supporting HB1798, I understood the bill was intended to prevent illegal aliens from competing with legal residents for scarce social services funds in the Commonwealth. During the debate, it has been said that this law does not apply to the public grant expected to be given to Project Hope and Harmony to help set up a day labor site. Their rationale is that the provisions of HB1798 do not apply because the grant will be awarded under a section of Virginia Code not specifically referenced in the legislation. Representatives of Project Hope and Harmony have explicitly stated that the official day labor site will not verify immigration status to determine the status of any individual.

Your opinion in this matter is critically important to me. I have attached several documents to allow you and your staff to become acquainted with the issue. I hope you will feel free to call me at (703) 449-6700 with any questions or comments you may have, and I look forward to your timely response.

Sincerely,

Thomas Davis Rust

cc: The Honorable David Albo

The Honorable Gerald Connolly

The Honorable Joan DuBois

The Honorable Michael O?Reilly and Members of Council

I know both Delegate Rust and Jay Donahue. Mr. Donahue has never run for political office, he has worked on campaigns (both failed I believe). He has been appointed on commissions and he votes to make "recommendations" to the Town Council, who has the final vote. Mr. Donahue has "never" been in a elected position where his vote has reflected the wishes of the voter. You state that he supported the previous Mayor & Council but that was not the wishes of the Herndon voters as that council found out on May, 2006.
Delegate Rust and I have not always agreed and I am usually one of the first to let him know I disagree with him. His support of Mayor O'Rielly was one of those times. Mayor O'Rielly and Council were wrong and refused to listen to the Herndon voters and put the illegal aliens before them and the voters spoke loudly in 2006. Delegate Rust has been in politics for as long as I have known him. He tries to work with both sides in Richmond to achieve what he feels is best for the Commonwealth. I have no confidence that Mr. Donahue would even consider doing this.

It is obvious that the supporters of Delegate Rust know exactly where he stands on illegal aliens, 287(g) training and overcrowding issues. Herndon's local government has taken a stand that illegal aliens, overcrowding, gangs and disregard for our laws will not be tolerated and they have worked within the laws to make changes in Herndon and for the better.

So your cheap shots and innuendoes won't work on us. Mr. Donahue will have to do better then this to convince voters he is the right person for this position. I look forward to a debate between Delegate Rust and Mr. Donahue!

NL Husch