Timmy No-Tool is at it again...

[Deja Q]

http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1259/article12863.asp



In some ways the checkered two-year reign of Tim Pawlenty has looked less like an exercise in governance than a deliberate and increasingly harrowing game of chicken. Since famously signing on to the Taxpayers League of Minnesota's "no new taxes" pledge during his 2002 gubernatorial run--a classic instance of a politician being led in shackles to exactly the spot where he meant to stand all along--Pawlenty has remained steadfast in his commitment to austerity now and forever. His first budget cycle, in 2003, found the state facing a $4.2 billion hole in its finances that Pawlenty himself, as a tax-hawking member of the state legislature, had been instrumental in creating.

Pawlenty balanced that first biennial budget with a flurry of fiscal derring-do that left many legislators and onlookers alike to sort out later what had actually happened:

* $2 billion in cuts to state services

* more than a $1 billion taking of onetime monies, most of it from the tobacco settlement fund

* the imposition of approximately $400 million in additional user fees

* the shifting of more than $150 million worth of obligations onto local property taxpayers

* and the juggling of hundreds of millions more dollars through various accounting shifts and delayed payment arrangements.

Less than three weeks after the passage of this budget, Moody's Investors Service--"the most thorough of the bond houses, and the one we always paid the most attention to," says former Republican Governor Arne Carlson--downgraded Minnesota's bond rating from AAA to AA1.

Sigh... the article only gets worse. Especially when the idiot public can't figure it out that a government fee increase is tantamount to a TAX INCREASE.

TnT there is the hypocritest hypocrite of them all. x(


It's a big article, but here's one more tidbit:

Pawlenty's approach to health care bears his usual trademarks--a preponderance of fees and a desire to shift costs onto other units of government. Even low-income citizens face new or increased payments for eyeglasses, dental care, and prescription drugs, and working poor families face increased insurance premiums that jeopardize their ability to stay on the insurance plan. Thousands of "noncitizens" and single adults have already been bumped off the insurance rolls, shifting the cost of their care to locally supported hospitals and community clinics. But Pawlenty's fiscal approach demands the ongoing diversion of tax dollars ostensibly dedicated to assisting poor, sick people to prop up the state's general fund.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. How the hell did we do it?

Minnesota once produced people like Gene McCarthy and Paul Wellstone. And now? Feh. We have embarrassments like Pawlenty and Normie Coleman. And I can't decide which of those two I should loathe the most.

[NervousRex]

3. Pawlenty won with 35%...

It was a three-way race...Moe had it if it wasn't for that shitheel Tim Penny. Personally, I wanna see someone like Mike Hatch mop up the floor with Timmy-boy in next year's election.

[CatholicEdHead]

2. State of the State

Have you heard the details of the State of the State?
http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5192262.html

It is the GOP get everything for nothing. One of the major parts is pandering to the Rochester base area with a new proposed University.

He is not funding the present ones at all what they need, so what makes it worthwild for a new one in Rochester?

Keeping the "No New Taxes" pledge intact, but giving $20M to medical research (which research is not that bad, but not with the pledge).

Most of this seems to be from Tribal Casinos as he is probably going to get $100M/year minimum up to $350M/year max from them to pay for this.

He will also cut $250M in medical programs for the less fortunate. Plus a new tax program that if you dislike your increase, send back a postcard. If there are enough postcards, a levy vote is then scheduled which more than likley will kill the increase.

[Deja Q]

4. It's never about common sense with repukes. It's about wasting money.

For one thing, why bother to build a bigger one when, as you said, the current one isn't getting funding? That raises tuition rates (which'd happen with the new building anyway) and as a result, fewer people would go in.

Not to mention the Tribal exploitation. First we steal, then we indoctrinate by giving them a free meal, then we exploit from them. Why must we change them to fir our way of life? The Indians of 400 years ago weren't perfect (depends on the history texts), but one thing is certain: They were NEVER wasteful of resources.

TnT should have kept up with education 3 years ago. So the fact he must say we need to now only suggests he's an incompetent boobie. (well, duh... but still. His voter base are too blinded by 'no taxes', that wouldn't affect them anyway... except in the form of higher state fees, which is the same thing only disguised. x( )

[no name no slogan]

5. Yup, he'll cut whole medical PROGRAMS-- not just staff

I happen to work in the state department that handles those programs, and it's quite possible we'll lose entire programs this session.

We're about $200m in debt for this bienium. We have no "fat" to trim, as that all went the previous sessions. We have an administrative overhead of 3%-- something most private companies would KILL for.

There's no way in God's green earth that we can "trim" $200m from our budgets for the next two years-- without eliminating programs that serve the very neediest of the needy in this state.

The governor better have a magic wand up his sleeve, as this is a huge problem that will NOT fix itself, no matter how much higher than expected state revenues are this year.

[Deja Q]

6. Let your customers know what's going on. I know people who are.

More power to anyone who does. The repukes are destroying our government and all it encompasses. I'd hate to know what they wish to put in its place, apart from a Wal-mart and McDonalds. x( x( x( x( x(

[no name no slogan]

7. Unfortunately I don't have any contact with our customers

I work in IT/Tech, so all my 'customers' are internal. However, I tell everybody I know what's happening.

The ecumenical event w/ the Catholic and ELCA churches, speaking out for more funding of state programs, drew some good attention to what's going on. Hopefully some people will remember it.

Pawlenty will announce the "official" DHS budget next Tuesday, January 25. Be prepared for plenty of "fireworks" that afternoon.

:hi:

[loveable liberal]

8. dont forget the tax on city, county and state employees.

No cost of living increase for 3 years.