Thread: Despite families' pleas, O'Reilly slams VB

Despite families' pleas, O'Reilly slams VB
TV commentator sends producer to mayor's driveway, says city uses illegal immigrants for cheap labor.
BY MIKE HOLTZCLAW
(757) 928-6479
April 10, 2007, 6:11 AM EDT
VIRGINIA BEACH -- National TV and radio commentator Bill O'Reilly continued his tirade against Virginia Beach on Monday night in spite of pleas from the parents of Tessa Tranchant and Alison Kunhardt to stop using their daughters' deaths as "a political football."

On Fox TV's "The O'Reilly Factor" on Monday night, the host aired footage of a driveway confrontation between his producer and a startled Virginia Beach mayor Meyera Oberndorf. O'Reilly went on to accuse Oberndorf and city officials of allowing illegal immigrants to stay in town because they provide cheap labor for the resort town's hotels and shops.

Tranchant, 16, and Kunhardt, 17, were killed on March 30 when their car was struck from behind by Alfredo Ramos, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was driving while intoxicated. Ramos, 22, had three previous convictions for alcohol-related offenses but his illegal status was not discovered until his first court appearance on the two charges of aggravated involuntary manslaughter.

The incident has touched off a local debate on immigration, and O'Reilly has made it a nightly topic on his national TV show, calling Virginia Beach "Sanctuary City" for illegal immigrants and angrily demanding Oberndorf's recall.

Last week, the two girls' parents held a press conference to ask for time to grieve. David Kunhardt said "O'Reilly was wrong in blaming Meyera," and both families asked people to stop using the tragedy to make political points.

On Monday morning, one of O'Reilly's producers surprised Oberndorf by showing up in her driveway with a camera crew. On that night's show, O'Reilly aired footage of Oberndorf politely declining to answer questions while her husband, Roger, shouted at the producer.

When Roger Oberndorf accused O'Reilly of lying, the host observed: "The mayor doesn't even talk for herself. ... Who's the mayor here? Is it the woman, or is it this man?" He characterized Meyera Oberndorf as "either clueless or deceitful."

O'Reilly accused Oberndrof and police chief Jake Jacocks Jr. of intentionally allowing illegal immigrants to continue to live in their city.

"Virginia Beach needs the illegal alien labor to work the hotels and the service industry," O'Reilly said. "This is the quid pro quo."

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp ... ocal-final

I saw the show. Did you see when the Mayor was getting out of the car and she "Thanked" the Fox Reporter for coming on her private property without an invitation? My first thought was "Good, now she has a taste of how we feel"!

I'm so glad that Bill O'Reilly sees the light on this issue.

What is up with that family? I can't believe they are not enraged that their children were killed needlessly in a crime that should have been prevented.

That family and Mayor may not care, but the rest of America does. I guess they just want to grieve in silence instead of trying to help prevent this from happening to our loved ones.

Someone want to get us some e-mails for the Mayor and Bill O'Reilly so our supporters can send in their comments and opinions?

W

Meyera E. Oberndorf - Mayor


July 1, 2004 to December 31, 2008
2401 Courthouse Drive
City Hall, Building #1
Municipal Center
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Work: 757-385-4581
Home: 757-497-2446
moberndo@VBgov.com

I also watched the show last night and came away with the impression that "her honor" the mayor and her husband were the typical worm-like politicians who pander to the illegals. They couldn't care less who is killed or injured through their actions ,or lack thereof, as long as they can keep their elected position.

http://link.toolbot.com/foxnews.com/74723


Video of show

Added to Home Page:
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Email to the Mayor sent:

Dear Mayor Oberndorf;

I saw the O’Reilly show the other night. I’m very disappointed in your stance on the illegal immigration issue. I found your comments to be smug and unjustified. Your job is to represent the CITIZENS of Virginia Beach. I couldn’t help but notice by your comment to the Fox reporter that he was on your private property without invitation. I wonder Ma’am how you felt? Maybe you felt just a small measure of the violation American citizens feel by the fact that illegal aliens violate OUR Country? I hope you can make that connection because it is valid. 2 beautiful young American women are dead because of the lack of enforcement of our immigration laws in your city. How can you possibly justify this? Their young lives are gone forever, there can be no justification.

If you don’t enforce immigration law in your city, if you don’t ask immigration status when an arrest is made; you are by definition a Sanctuary City. O’Reilly is not lying despite what your husband says. And you are in violation of the law. I encourage you to rethink your stance and the policy in Virginia Beach before any more innocent lives are lost. Also I want to add a comment on your husband’s actions. YOU are supposed to be the Mayor ma’am, it did not help you to have your husband run interference and get aggressive as he did. It appeared that you were hiding behind him. As a public official you should not have allowed this.

I hope you will take measures to redeem your position as Mayor and move to enforce the laws of this Nation.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.c ... 91&tref=po

O'Reilly brings national battle over fatal wreck to mayor's home

By RICHARD QUINN, The Virginian-Pilot
© April 10, 2007

VIRGINIA BEACH - Bill O'Reilly is taking his fight straight to Mayor Meyera Oberndorf.

Days after the Fox News personality first blamed Oberndorf in the deaths of two teenagers killed in a drunken driving wreck, one of O'Reilly's producers showed up Monday in the mayor's driveway.

A flustered-looking Oberndorf dodged questions and politely asked the producer to leave. Oberndorf's husband, Roger, grabbed a microphone in the producer's hand before angrily answering a few queries.

The confrontation was the latest twist in the fallout from a March 30 wreck that killed two friends, Alison Kunhardt, 17, and Tessa Tranchant, 16. An illegal immigrant, Alfredo Ramos, 22, was charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter after the crash, sparking O'Reilly's furor over illegal immigration.

The case has since garnered national attention as a flashpoint in the immigration debate, in part because Ramos, who police said was drinking the day of the wreck, had three previous alcohol-related convictions in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.

Those facts led O'Reilly last week to label Virginia Beach a "sanctuary city," his term for places that do not aggressively prosecute illegal immigrants.

O'Reilly's furor didn't let up over the weekend. He used his Monday radio and television shows to call for Oberndorf's recall. He also lobbied for the firing of police Chief Jake Jacocks Jr., who helped craft a city policy that forbids patrol officers from asking the immigration status of defendants charged with misdemeanors.

O'Reilly added a new accusation on his radio show, saying the city will "look the other way" on crimes committed by illegal immigrants because many immigrants work in the city's tourism trade.

"Virginia Beach needs the illegal alien labor to work the hotels and work the service industry," O'Reilly said. "See, this is the quid pro quo."

City officials didn't respond to O'Reilly's comments, but Oberndorf said in a statement, "I will not comment on how the media are covering this story. I believe we must put this incident behind us and allow the two families who are victims to grieve in peace and with dignity."

Oberndorf later added that when she pulled into her driveway Monday morning, she saw three or four people there. The broadcast on Monday's "The O'Reilly Factor " showed the mayor be ing interviewed as she got out of her car.

She denied that Virginia Beach is a haven for illegal immigrants but said little else. An agitated Roger Oberndorf added, "Mr. O'Reilly's been lying."

"The mayor doesn't even talk for herself," O'Reilly shot back. "Her husband talks for her.... The woman has no clue."

Oberndorf said she thinks the debate over illegal immigration is shifting attention away from "two innocent lives lost because of drinking and driving."

"It makes one wonder about the professionalism of some in the media," Oberndorf said.

Beach leaders fire back at O'Reilly's comments on double-fatal crash

04:29 PM EDT on Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Reported by: Sula Kim
Click to watch video

Alfredo Ramos is an illegal immigrant with a previous DUI conviction who was allegedly drunk again when he killed two Virginia Beach teens in a car crash.

On his show, The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly accused Virginia Beach of harboring illegal immigrants.

"Cause the city is a resort town, the hotels and restaurants need cheap labor; thus the sanctuary policy," said O’Reilly.

Monday morning, a crew from Fox News arrived on Mayor Meyera Oberndorf’s front lawn, demanding answers.

"You're worried about people coming to other people's country without an invitation, would you let us know when you're going to use our front lawn," asked Mayor Oberndorf.

“Why don't you get? Public drunkenness is not a felony. This is not a sanctuary city. Mr. O’Reilly has been lying," said Mayor Oberndorf’s husband, Roger.

Tuesday night, Virginia Beach leaders fired back at O’Reilly.

“Someone once told me, you can't have a peeing contest with a skunk. So, trying to comment to him is a shouting match. There's no intelligent debate that I'm aware of," said Councilman Harry Diezel.

But O'Reilly's comments are pinching a nerve in the Mexican restaurant community. Some owners are concerned their business will suffer, fueling a stigma often attached to Mexican businesses.

“Stereotypically, you look at a Mexican restaurant and you think, well, they have illegal immigrants working in the restaurant," said restaurant owner Chris Wise.

Wise says that’s an unfair generalization, and O’Reilly needs to focus on the issue of drunk driving not, illegal immigration.

“If you look at my restaurant, you could see plenty of Americans working," said Wise. "For it being a no-spin zone, he definitely spun it."
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