Saying “we welcome immigration.” Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order today

[pampango]

mandating that state documents be translated into six languages – Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Russian and Creole, in an effort to expand communication to New York’s immigrant communities.

The Buffalo News quotes Conservative Party chairman Michael Long as saying “by doing this, we continue … the idea that people don’t have to learn our language,”

“Why aren’t we sending a clear message that it’s important to learn English as fast as possible. … Why does the state or federal government have to do everything for everyone all the time?”

The governor said some of the cost for the program, which could help reach some 2.5 million New Yorkers with limited English, will be paid for by the federal government. The program is due to be phased in slowly over the next year.

http://empire.wnyc.org/2011/10/cuomo-makes-ny-more-multilingual/

What the Conservative Party chairman really meant to say was: "Why does the state or federal government have to do anything for anyone ever (especially when that "anyone" is an immigrant and most definitely a "them")?”

[TheWraith]

1. Creole?

Odd. Last time I checked, New York doesn't have that substantial of a Creole population.

[KamaAina]

2. Haitian Creole (Kreyol)

it's a French patois with phonetic spelling (e.g. ayisyen = Haitian; in French, haitienne).

[TheWraith]

3. Ahhh, that makes more sense.

I was thinking of the Louisiana Creole population, and wondering if it was something to do with Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

[jwirr]

4. And in one stoke of the pen he has created some jobs for translators. nt