Legalectric

There goes Sviggum again on phony “issues” spreading hate and discontent, propping up Pawlenty in the pages of the STrib:

Skip the euphamisms on people here illegally

Could somebody explain to Speaker Sviggum the difference between state and federal jurisdiction, and the fact, FACT, that immigration is national policy, immigration is under federal jurisdiction? His partisan comments are in denial of reality, looking for something to turn immigration into a major issue in Minnesota’s next election. He’s probably trying to bash Hatch for Pawlenty, but when he does it on this basis, Sviggum’s the one who loses credibility:

…or passing the buck to the federal government, as Attorney General Mike Hatch did last week, won’t make them go away.

and

After years of neglect by the federal government, the current immigration system in our country has become chaotic. And when people like Mike Hatch say it’s not a state issue, they ignore the effects this chaos has brought to our local communities.

He must understand it’s under federal jurisdiction, after all, he’s the Speaker of the House making law in the State of Minnesota — so that means he’s misleading, “mispeaking” on purpose — LYING. Cut the euphamisms!

And it gets worse. Sviggum again trots out that $180 million dollar figure (emphasis added) but in qualified language that admits he knows it’s a lie:

The report released last week by the Pawlenty administration shows that Minnesota’s approximately 80,000 illegal immigrants cost state taxpayers $180 million a year. Both numbers need more background in order to understand the impact of illegal immigration on our state.

“Need more background” is putting it mildly, and when you know that you’ve got number problems, don’t use that figure! When you rail about $180 million, and when that number includes $146-158 million in educational expenses, of which 60% is for immigrants born here, IMMIGRANTS HERE LEGALLY, we’re really talking about $58.4-63.2 million for education. That total $180 million dollar figure is instantly at least cut in half! To bandy about that $180 million is a lie, a lie used to create a false hysteria and further divide our divided culture. It’s diversionary, hoping those who aren’t thinking critically will grab those numbers as a reason for their own financial troubles, diverting attention from the Republican economic policies that have drained our state and country, redirecting capital to the already wealthy, strangling the middle class and making life nearly impossible for the poor.

Click here and tell him what you think: email Speaker Sviggum

Steve – if you can’t be honest, go back to farming and bullshit of the organic kind.