Thread: Virginia Beach leaders strike back at Fox's Bill O'Reilly

Virginia Beach leaders strike back at Fox's Bill O'Reilly


By JON FRANK AND DEIRDRE FERNANDES, The Virginian-Pilot
© April 5, 2007 | Last updated 11:48 PM Apr. 5


VIRGINIA BEACH - City leaders launched a counterattack against Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly on Thursday, calling him a "TV show gadfly" after he blamed the city in the deaths of two teenagers and accused local leaders of providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants.

Faced with angry e-mails and a potential black eye just before the start of tourist season, city officials called a news conference to defend themselves in a case that is drawing national attention.

City leaders tried to shift the debate about the recent deaths of Alison Kunhardt, 17, and Tessa Tranchant, 16, away from illegal immigration and onto drunk driving. Alfredo Ramos, 22, the man charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter in their deaths, had a record of three alcohol-related convictions and was in the country illegally.


Ray Tranchant, Tessa's father, urged people not to treat the tragedy like "a political football."

"There's been some politicizing and mudslinging against the city," Tranchant said in a quiet voice. He added that he trusts "justice will be done."

Police Chief Jake Jacocks Jr. said he found it "ironic that had the intoxicated driver been born and raised in Virginia Beach, little notice would have been given to this senseless tragedy by the media or the community at large.

"Unfortunately, most who have been outspoken about this recent and all-too-common tragedy have lost perspective and focus," he said.

Ramos, born in Mexico, has been in the U nited S tates for seven years. He is in jail without bond and faces a maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted.

Ramos' case was the lead story on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Wednesday night.

"Ramos was a known scofflaw," O'Reilly told David Kunhardt, Alison's father. "The authorities in your town would not obey the law, defied the law of the land, and somebody has to be held accountable."

O'Reilly added that local authorities, including Mayor Meyera Oberndorf and the Chesapeake judge who heard Ramos' misdemeanor DUI case, are villains.

O'Reilly was castigating a Virginia Beach policy that forbids patrol officers from asking the immigration status of defendants charged with misdemeanors.

Jacocks said the policy is similar to those used by other large cities and is necessary so that illegal immigrants will report crimes and help in the prosecution of crimes without fear of retribution from law enforcement.

Jacocks, along with his leadership command, crafted the policy and put it into practice in September 2005. "As chief of police, it is my policy," he said.

O'Reilly jabbed at Judge Colon Whitehurst for giving Ramos a "lenient" DUI sentence of 90 days suspended, a $250 fine and a one-year suspension of his driver's license. T he sentence was within legal guidelines.

"Your town, Virginia Beach, Mayor Oberndorf, sanctuary city, orders the police not to contact the f eds," O'Reilly said to Kunhardt.

Oberndorf seemed almost bewildered by the criticism.

"Neither I nor any member of the council have adopted any legislation to make this a sanctuary city," she said.

She has rarely taken a stance on immigration locally, but as a participant in the U.S. conference of mayors, she has urged President Bush to reform the country's immigration policies and called the proposal to build the 300-mile fence along the Mexico border "un-American."

Oberndorf praised Ray Tranchant Thursday for coming forward to counter the criticism leveled at the city, especially during a time when his family is grieving the loss of Tessa.

"He said he wanted to stand with me to set the record straight about what happened to his daughter," Oberndorf said.

But anger boiled over after the O'Reilly segment.

The city received more than 40 e-mails and half a dozen phone calls in the aftermath of the show.

Some tourists said they were canceling their vacation plans in Virginia Beach because O'Reilly called it a sanctuary city, City Manager Jim Spore said.

Local residents also

e-mailed with concerns about how the city was portrayed and wanted to find out more information about immigration laws, Spore said.

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., and Rep. Thelma Drake, R - 2nd District, also have been bombarded with reactions to the show.

"People are outraged," said Tyler Brown, a spokesman for Drake. Publicity about the in cident also has sparked a "definite increase" in calls, letters and e-mails to Drake's Virginia Beach office, he said.

"They want to know why the system failed and what can be done to fix it," Brown said.

Kevin Hall, a spokesman for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, said his office received about 20 telephone calls about the issue.

Hall said three callers referred to immigration proposals by Attorney General Bob McDonnell or bills on the topic that had been considered by the General Assembly this year but that most seemed to be generated solely by the television show.

"We're telling callers that immigration is a federal responsibility," Hall said. "We're already undermanned in the State Police and reluctant to order them to do the federal government's job."


Staff writers Dale Eisman and Christina Nuckols contributed to this report.

• Reach Deirdre Fernandes at (757) 222-5121 or at deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com.n Reach Jon Frank at (757) 222-5122 or jon.frank@pilotonline.com.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.c ... 62&tref=po

UPDATE: O'Reilly continues immigration debate; mayor and others say issue is drunk driving
Apr 5, 2007
UPDATE: Geraldo Rivera and others come to the defense of the Virginia Beach mayor. Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly attacked Mayor Meyera Oberndorf again on his show Thursday night.

O'Reilly said Alfredo Ramos should have been deported after a previous drinking charge.

Police said Ramos, an illegal immigrant, was believed to be intoxicated when he ran into 17-year-old Allison Kuhnhardt and 16-year-old Tessa Tranchant's vehicle Friday night, killing them.

The mayor said it is not the city's job to enforce American borders.

Rivera told O'Reilly, "It has nothing to do with illegal aliens, it has to do with drunk driving and I think you owe that mayor an apology."

Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks said it is not his policy that his officers question the immigration status of people they meet except in serious circumstances, such as felonies. He said immigration enforcement is a federal job.

O'Reilly said he plans on making an example out of Virginia Beach and said Mayor Meyera Oberndorf should be fired.

O'Reilly also said that Governor Tim Kaine is doing nothing to enforce immigration. A spokesperson for the governor said that job is supposed to be handled at the federal level.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


News conference held in response to Bill O'Reilly's criticism

Thursday night the city of Virginia Beach responded to criticism from a national talk show host.

Bill O'Reilly took aim at the city of Virginia Beach on his show Wednesday night. City officials held a news conference Thursday evening and responded to O'Reilly.

O'Reilly told Allison Kuhndhart's father and sister during his show, "The authorities in your town would not obey the law, defied the law of the land and somebody needs to be held accountable sir. I want you to keep in touch with us. We're gonna get the mayor, Oberndorf and the judge, Whitehurst, because they're the villains."

During the news conference, Mayor Meyera Oberndorf said she has never even O'Reilly's show and did not mention him by name throughout the conference.

The mayor and Tessa Tranchant's father both said that making an issue out of immigration loses the focus that the girls were killed by a man that police said was driving drunk.

Ray Tranchant said, "We need to heal, and to bring immigration, that's disrespectful to a family who's just mourning."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Va. Beach Mayor speaks out after getting blasted on national TV

Cable news commentator Bill O'Reilly took aim on national TV at Virginia Beach's mayor and a Chesapeake judge Wednesday night after a suspected drunk driving crash killed two teenage girls.

The cable news personality says the suspect, undocumented immigrant Alfredo Ramos, should never have been in the country, much less behind the wheel.

This is part of O'Reilly's statement:

"The authorities in your town would not obey the law, defied the law of the land and somebody needs to be held accountable sir. I want you to keep in touch with us, We're gonna get the mayor, Oberndorf, and the judge, Whitehurst, because they're the villains."

To this, David Kuhnhardt replied: "I can't wait to do it. The sooner the better."

His daughter Alison, along with her best friend Tessa Tranchant, were killed Friday night in Virginia Beach when their car was hit from behind by alleged illegal immigrant Alfredo Ramos. Ramos is charged with being legally drunk at the time.

Upset over the girl's loss and how O'Reilly portrayed the city, Virginia Beach Mayer Meyera Oberndorf spoke to WAVY News about O'Reilly's accusations.

"I have never, never asked a police officer to do anything that would not be um, God forbid, that would cause somebody to uh let him, Mr. Ramos, get behind the wheel and slaughter those two children the way he did," she said.

Mayor Oberndorf has a lot to say on this issue.

http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S= ... 45_17_4_28

Well, they can get some calls, faxes and e-mails from us too.

Focus Campaig!

Ramos, born in Mexico, has been in the U nited S tates for seven years. He is in jail without bond and faces a maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted.

6 years too damn long and get the family that raised someone with so little regard for human life and throw them out of the country too!

This Pontius Pilot washing of the hands is not cutting it with me.

Those sanctuary city councilmen have blood on their hands. They are a contributing factor in the death of Alison Kunhardt, 17, and Tessa Tranchant, 16.

They allow illegal aliens to thrive and live in their community, then they should bear the guilt.

They have made it all possible. Untimely deaths, brought to you by your city councilmen.

Yes! I'm upset!

Dixie

Did anyone else see O'Reilly's show tonight? I don't usually watch him but when I heard him on the radio earlier that he'd talk about this issue on his tv show I tuned in. Him and Geraldo Rivera had a shouting match. Wonder if it was for real or staged? If it was staged O'Reilly is a good actor.

Hmmm, look how interesting this is......

The city received more than 40 e-mails and half a dozen phone calls in the aftermath of the show.

Some tourists said they were canceling their vacation plans in Virginia Beach because O'Reilly called it a sanctuary city, City Manager Jim Spore said.

Local residents also

e-mailed with concerns about how the city was portrayed and wanted to find out more information about immigration laws, Spore said.

They only open their mouths when CALLS AND EMAILS are received, eh?

So Americans speaking out makes them MOVE!

Too bad they only want to 'justify' their stupidity rather than be humble enough to realize what screw ups that they are.

Someone has posted about O'Reiley tonight.

Dixie

Ok, deleted it, thanks Dixie!

Wow, O'Reilly really blew a gasket! They looked like they were going to punch each other out!


Heated indeed. Rivera is wrong about his facts. He's throwing the race card in right away.

Our children are being murdered and all local politicians want to do is pass the buck. It's about high time our politicians started taking responsibility for the many Americans being killed by criminal aliens. The first duty of the mayor and chief of police in Virginia Beach is to protect the city's citizens. Furthermore, to simply blame this incident on a drunk driver is ludicrous and it completely ignores the root problem. I agree with Bill, this situation begs for more justice than will be dealt out by prosecuting the drunk criminal alien! It's time for some heads to roll (jobs losses). Additionally, if one of those kids were mine, I'd be bringing a lawsuit against the city and federal government!

This just burns me up!!!!

I think it's a good idea to stay away from cities who have sanctuary policies. You can see how going to a sanctuary city you put yourself and your loved ones in potential harms way.

I won't go to Virginia Beach again until it enforces the law. You would think this kind of accident would shake them up to do something about the problem.

No conscious for the public's safety at all!! I'm with O'Reilly.