Cedar Lane Back in the News

Is there any reason to believe that Queen Jane will even reply to this letter, let alone implement its recommendations?

So after years of resident complaints, there is a national organization watching Vienna.

Jane Seeman, when the heck are you and your lackies going to do something about the criminals at the Cedar Park shopping center and those wretched Vienna Park Apartments?!

I just sent Queen Jane an e-mail asking her if her response to the letter would appear in the Town Newsletter or if we would need to extract it via the FOIA.

This isn't a surprise, coming from a group like Judicial Watch. It's a very conservative, right-wing organization. This is most likely a form letter, probably written by an intern, and signed by the JW president. They probably send out 50 of these a day, to small towns all over the U.S., in hopes of stirring up a Prince William County situation. I'm not saying there aren't day laborers in the parking lot, but JW is not an impartial organization in any sense.

Do you actually think Jane and Maud and the rest of these bums are actually contemplating any action since this area gives them no votes, and this issue has not swayed any votes?

Not a fat chance in hell.

Judicial Watch's slogan is "because no one is above the law." Oops I guess they don't know that Jane and TC are above the law. They have been getting away with it for years! I keep hoping that something might break a chink in their corrupted armor, but nothing happens. The armor it appears is also Teflon. Keep smiling and pretend you live in a lovely small town.

anothermomof3: Who cares what side of the aisle JW is on? A problem is a problem. To do nothing until there is an even bigger problem is incompetence. Why is it that someone always has to be seriously harmed or killed for people to go "Oh I didn't know it was that bad."

SOS: I care, because JW has an overall agenda, encompassing more than just illegal immigration, that I fully disagree with. No need to argue about it, though. It's a liberal/conservative thing - I suspect I couldn't ever change your mind on this issue, and I know you couldn't change mine.

Conservativeschmermative/Libershmiberal - who gives a rat's fanny. I do not care what side of the aisle your bum rests.

What I care about is that on a routine basis men are getting stabbed and robbed at Cedar Lane shopping center. Obviously, a bunch of bums with criminal intentions hang out there. This will keep getting worse.

Anothermother of 3: Perhaps SOS can't change your mind about JW but I can. Is JW pursuing illegals or illegal activities? See.

If we're really concerned about the crime in the shopping center, let's just deploy a cop there full-time... would seem to address the crime issue directly, rather than some indirect focus on immigration status.

If Vienna passed such a licensing requirement, the crowd could just gather across the street on Fairfax County property, so I don't see how that would address the crime that people claim is the real issue here.

Mops:

Yes, they are. But they are also homophobes who either do not understand the judiciary\'s role (not likely) or who just hate and fear homosexuals (more likely). There are much better champions for your cause than this bunch.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2008/may/judicial-watch-statement-california-supreme-court-ruling-overturns-traditional-marriag

Isn't it a crime to be in the country illegally? So we enforce what laws...the ones you feel like enforcing?

Sorry to point out the obvious but these people are not friends of any of ours. No one here knows them. Even the most liberal mommy, if she was there with three young children, would run by as quickly as possible if a group of men started leering at her and approaching.

None of these men have proved themselves to be worthy of a fight to give them the right to stand around the shopping center and stab each other.

Mops: oh my gosh, no one on a blog could change my mind on a complex issue by writing one sentence! Illegal immigration is a more complex and nuanced issue than "we hate illegals" vs "those poor guys just need a job." If it were that simple, the problem would be solved or solvable. There are laws, of course, but they have to be enforced fairly, with limited resources. If you could instantly deport every illegal in the U.S., you'd still have huge problems, from what to do with their legal children, to American turning into a fortress pariah state. This isn't a simple issue. I think groups like JW make it worse by pretending it is a simple problem.

Regardless of where you sit politically, you need to be aware of what's going on in the neighborhood and town.

For instance, in the last 36 hours we've seen new MS-13 graffiti on fences and signage on Cedar Lane, near the Rte. 66 bridge heading towards the shopping center.

MS-13 is literally announcing to other gangs and the police that our neighborhood is their territory.

Illegal: It is illegal to not stop at a traffic STOP sign. Is the practice of not stopping to be selectively enforced. Tell it to the Vienna Police.

No kidding Leah!! That is the point, and it needs to be dealt with-period. Vienna is not that big folks and "over there" is pretty much HERE! anothermomof3: this is about keeping people safe. People have already been stabbed. So is it all right because it is just "the same type people?" It's the "no one I know has been hurt" mentality. People getting stabbed are people getting stabbed. I used to work with gang members. I understand what gangs are capable of. This is so far from some poor guy needing to work. These are bad characters. Maybe you need to go on the gang website and see how they recruit etc.. It does not go away, and if they feel safe it will only spread.

To: Anothermother of 3

What real difference does it make what side of the political aisle Jane Seeman stands? Really, I am curious? Please let me know what you think.

Jane Seeman is not a leader in Vienna, never was, never will be. She doesn't have it what it takes to be a leader, and she doesn't have enough sense to know that she is not a leader. Have you ever heard her speak on the Council when dealing with tough issues? She has no clue where Vienna's real problems are, let alone any sense on how to fix them. She is good at being abusive to many people who come before her requesting remedies to what the individual citizens thinks is their problems: I have heard her belittle and abuse long time residents for no other reason but bowing to the demands of Maud Robinson, which many have suggested is her puppet master, because Jane won't do or say anything without Maud's input. So, with this in mind, you should be asking what side of the aisle does Maud Stand, and I can tell you that this doesn't matter either, because, all Maud is interested in is Maud Herself. She stands on no principles, and acts in ways to undermine the commercial strength(s) of Vienna, and understands little to nothing as to where Vienna should be guided to keep viable in the next decade(s). Their sole interest(s) consist of their garden club friends, and to hell with anyone else. Don't believe me, log onto the Vienna Website Video archives, and view the way they treat people when they present themselves before the town council. Oh, wait, you can't, they refuse to do this and be accountable to their abusive words, and ill-mannered behavior. Their minutes do not reveal these acts, so you won't witness their abuses unless you go to all their hearings and meetings. Tough reality, isn't it.

Hey, y'all. I don't disagree that there's crime at Cedar Lane. I do disagree with villifying a particular set of people based on criteria that you aren't sure of. It's unproductive and unconstitutional. The photo accompanying this original blog post is a good example - this scary latino guy doesn't live at Cedar Lane! It's fear mongering, and it's silly. Suspects should be arrested and tried, and jailed, if they are found guilty. Obviously. But groups of people should not, not, not be judged based on their ethnicity. Even if they're standing in a parking lot. Even if you're afraid of them.

If you want to live in a town where people aren't allowed to stand in a parking lot (and I would think twice about this), it's your civic responsibility to see that law passed. Don't complain the mayor is bad, or too busy with her garden club, or that Vienna politics is corrupt. They are elected officials. You are voters. People have succeeded at this in much worse places than Vienna, for heaven's sake. The answer to this type of comment is always "but you don't understand how bad Vienna is." I've worked in countries where bad governments shoot people - I fully understand that "bad government" can have consequences that range from irritating to fatal, to humanitarian disaster. In several of those countries, the democratic process has achieved better government.

The ONLY answer is for you to recruit someone to run for office and make it happen. It's literally the only thing you guys can do, and yes it's hard, and yes the incumbants are entrenched, and yes it will mean a lot of work, and night time hours, and phone calls, and organization. It is the ONLY way.

I think I'll stop posting around here - I'm just annoying you guys, and this isn't the debate you want to have. But good luck - I hope someone here runs for office.

It is super awesome when a poster arrives and announces no one else can possibly understand such a complicated legal/political issue as immigration and then announce you must leave because you have all the answers and are above all this petty debating. Awesome.

What I find appalling is that my neighbors and I have been complaining for the last 3 years about the crap going on at the shopping center.

The TC and some members of the police department have made fun of us and the issue. While they deny the problem, the Town keeps crime info from the public and the state in order to preserve the illusion that Vienna is a safe old-time town.

It's really easy for folks like you "anothermomof3" to enable this nonsense to continue -- because it doesn't affect you negatively. I can't wait until you and yours feel some of our pain.