Posted on 04/13/2007 1:45:27 PM PDT by Cagey
TALLAHASSEE -- State Rep. Don Brown thought he was being "cute." His fellow Republicans in the Florida House had another word for it: racist.
Brown, a DeFuniak Springs Republican, apologized Thursday for sending an e-mail to his colleagues that noted the April 17 federal income tax deadline.
"Don't forget to pay your taxes -- 12-million illegal aliens are depending on you!" Brown wrote in a message to his colleagues on a state-issued email account.
What Brown meant as a joke wasn't interpreted that way. The strongest criticism came from his fellow Republicans -- Hispanics with large immigrant constituencies in South Florida.
The Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus issued a statement saying it "took serious offense."
"It was wrong. It was offensive," said House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-Miami, the son of Cuban immigrants.
Rep. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, said the Brown e-mail showed "an ignorance as to the founding of both this state and our country. It deeply saddens me that this mentality still exists in what we consider to be a forward-looking government."
Rep. Juan-Carlos Planas, R-Miami, said Brown's remark was "not just racist on its face, but it's not true."
"It's that type of mentality that is prohibiting passage of a reasonable compromise immigration bill in Washington," Planas said. "As long as that festers, we're losing what the American spirit was all about."
A contrite Brown expressed regret. In a follow-up email, he wrote: "Please accept my sincerest apology."
"I wish I had not sent it out," Brown said in an interview. "I have apologized, and I will apologize again. In fact, I had not given it a whole lot of thought, which was my fault."
Brown added: "I did not think it through. It looked cute to me."
It's the second time in recent months that Brown has found himself at the center of controversy in the House.
In January, Brown, an insurance agent known for his outspoken style, was stripped of his chairmanship of the House Jobs & Entrepreneurship Council after he was one of only two lawmakers who opposed a major piece of insurance legislation.
Brown for President.
I say it and mean it. He should not apologize for the truth.
Are Hispanics claiming ownership of the Illegal Alien franchise?
It's not?
What wrong with that? It’s the truth.
HARSH YOU SAY?
There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools,
no special ballots for elections, all government business
will be conducted in our language.
Foreigners will NOT have the right to vote
no matter how long they are here.
Foreigners will NEVER be able to hold political office.
Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers.
No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, or
other government assistance programs.
Foreigners can invest in this country,
but it must be an amount equal to 40,000
times the daily minimum wage.
If foreigners do come and want to buy land that
will be okay, BUT options will be restricted. You
are not allowed waterfront property. That is reserved
for citizens naturally born into this country.
Foreigners may not protest; no demonstrations,
no waving a foreign flag, no political organizing,
no bad-mouthing our president or his policies, if
you do you will be sent home.
If you do come to this country illegally,
you will be hunted down and sent
straight to jail.
Harsh, you say?................
The above laws happen to be the immigration laws of....” MEXICO “
I guess this would really send them over the edge!!!!!
Oh, for goodness’ sakes! Since when did we become the culture of the excessively “sahnsatahve”!
He lied. It’s closer to 20 million than 12 million.
It would be “cute” if it wasn’t true—but sadly it is.
Lots of intellectual horsepower in this article.
NOT!
That’s what I was going to say.
It seems to me that LEGAL immigrants should be just as offended by ILLEGAL immigrants as Rep. Brown is.
Right here Right now
the term illegal alien is NOT a racist statement.
KEEP WORKING, MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS ON WELFARE DEPEND ON YOU!
This PC cra## is getting rediculous. Someone sent me the same e-mail, big deal. PC police need to go back to the rock they were born under!
There is no excuse for the ignorance exhibited in this email. (There are at least 20 million illegals.)
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