By Bill Turque
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D) said yesterday that under no circumstances would he follow the lead of Prince William County and push for legislation to cut off services to illegal immigrants or authorize police to check the immigration status of suspects, measures he described as election season demagoguery.

"I can just tell you Fairfax County is not going to go the route of some of our neighbors," Connolly, who is seeking a second term as chairman Nov. 6, said during a meeting with Washington Post reporters and editors. "We're not going to demagogue. We're not going to essentially roll back the welcome mat. . . . That's not why I ran for office and that isn't who we are, and we're not going to do that."

Connolly's Republican challenger, Gary H. Baise, said at the joint meeting that if elected he would push to enroll Fairfax police in a program run by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency that gives selected officers instant access to federal immigration data.

Fairfax Sheriff Stan G. Barry announced this month that his deputies will enter the federal immigration program to screen suspects already in custody. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted last week to allow police to check the immigration status of someone during a routine traffic stop if there is probable cause to believe that person is an illegal resident.

"We do need to look very carefully at expanding the 287 (g) program," said Baise, referring to a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Connolly cautioned that such an expansion would drive a dangerous wedge between police and immigrants -- making them reluctant to cooperate with investigations -- and heighten the danger of racial profiling by officers. He said Fairfax Police Chief David M. Rohrer would be reluctant to involve his officers.

"We need their cooperation for public safety and health," Connolly said of immigrants.

Connolly declined to specify who he believed was exploiting the illegal immigration issue for political gain. But it seemed clear he was referring to Prince William Board Chairman Corey A. Stewart (R), who has made the illegal-immigrant crackdown a centerpiece of his reelection campaign. Stewart has frequently accused the Fairfax board of being lax on the immigration issue.

Baise, who has taken an understated approach to the issue in his own campaign, defended Stewart.

"I don't think Corey Stewart is demagoguing the issue," he said. "Corey Stewart is trying to act responsibly and trying to figure out what is the situation in Prince William County."

Connolly said the county's approach would not change despite Fairfax County Executive Anthony H. Griffin's announcement last week that his staff will study which services can and cannot be denied to illegal immigrants. This mirrors initial actions taken by Loudoun and Prince William.

Connolly said that Griffin undertook the study expressly at the request of Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) and that it would have no impact on the current policy of policing illegal behavior -- in the form of residential overcrowding or other violations -- instead of determining immigration status.

The two candidates also debated the value of mass transit, with Baise repeating his contention that the Connolly-led board has not done enough to alleviate traffic congestion, in particular failing to use its full capacity to sell revenue bonds to fund road and intersection improvements. Nor has the county been aggressive, Baise said, in extracting transportation "proffers," or cash or in-kind contributions of land from developers, to pay for roads.

Connolly said state law limits the county in what it can require from builders. Previous attempts by a Virginia county to impose an "adequate public facilities" requirement on developers did not survive a court challenge.

Connolly also criticized Baise for relying on "The Road More Traveled," a book he described as a "right-wing screed" against mass transit, as the basis for some of his transportation positions. The book, written by two scholars of the Reason Foundation, a nonprofit group dedicated to free markets and limited government, emphasizes adding lanes to existing roads, eliminating parking subsidies and increasing the efficiency of traffic signals to check congestion.

Connolly said big, new road projects are not practical because available land in the county is scarce. "Where, pray tell, are we going to do that?" he asked. "The middle of Reston?"

Both were vague on the issue of growth in Tysons Corner, where a land-use task force has been deliberating on the density of future development along the planned rail extension to Dulles International Airport.

Baise said that additional density was likely but wasn't sure how much was appropriate. Connolly promised that whatever the increase, it would create urban-size density in Tysons.

Baise, a Falls Church trial lawyer running his first race for elective office, seemed at times uncertain about or unfamiliar with certain basic aspects of county government, at one point confusing sales and income taxes.

The meeting continued the string of largely civil exchanges between the two contenders, who during about two-dozen joint appearances have honed a certain good-humored camaraderie.

Baise praised Connolly's leadership, saying that he "represents the best of the good old tax-and-spend liberal." At which point he gave Connolly a brotherly pat on the back and added: "Now don't have a heart attack."

Connolly praised Baise for a "civil civic debate and dialogue."

Staff writer Amy Gardner contributed to this report.