E-Verify in South Carolina

The irony of Republicans who say they want to focus on small businesses enacting policies that specifically hurt small businesses seems lost only on those Republicans. Governor Nikki Haley seemed surprised to hear from a business owner that E-Verify was a bureaucratic sinkhole.

Haley said she would look further into Irons' situation, adding the new rules are not meant to penalize businesses.

Maybe they aren't meant to, but it was clear from the beginning that they would.

And there was this incredible little nugget in the article as well.

During the town hall meeting, Haley also said the media missed the mark in its stories about her dictate that state workers answer the phone with, “It’s a great day in South Carolina. How may we help you?”

Some, including state workers, criticized the requirement as unnecessary and juvenile.

“The focus was always supposed to be on, ‘How may I help you?’” Haley said. “We told you we were going to get people to remember who they work for.”

This immediately reminded me of Hugo Chávez and his decision to make a military salute be accompanied by "Homeland, Socialism, or Death!" I can't decide which is worse: ridiculous slogans, or the fact that leaders want to be praised for coming up with ridiculous slogans.