Pawlenty rejects transportation plan

[SomeGuyInEagan]

From the Strib:

"Pawlenty rejects transportation plan

The governor's veto pen went right to work on a massive transportation bill that would fix roads and bridges and expand transit by raising taxes on gasoline, retail sales and more.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty wasted no time today vetoing a $6.6 billion transportation bill that had passed the House and Senate yesterday and landed on his desk just before midnight.

By early afternoon, Pawlenty rejected the bill, calling it an "overreaching, massive tax increase that will further burden Minnesotans during already difficult times."

DFLers, who control the House and Senate, said they plan to attempt an override as soon as Monday, although their ability to succeed in the House is far from certain."

entire story at: http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/15881947.html

The vote that sent the bill to the governor passed the house in an 89-44 vote. Two DFL members voted against the bill: Lesch (St. Paul) and Otremba (Long Prairie). To OVERTURN PAWLENTY'S VETO, 90 votes are needed in the house.

See how they voted: http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/15857057.html

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. "Burden Minnesotans?"

Yeah, by providing jobs building and repairing infrastructure. I bet there are plenty of unemployed people (and store owners who would otherwise be selling stuff to them) who would LOVE to have that burden.

[dflprincess]

3. So, Thursday while on my way to work, I couldn't avoid a nasty pothole

a couple blocks later part of my exhaust system falls off (the pipe that runs from the muffler to the front end) and I was suddenly burdened with a $316.00 repair bill. On the other hand, I've calculated that the proposed rise in the gas tax would cost me about $30.00 a year.

Granted, it could be coincidence, the car is almost 11 years old and this was original equipment - but until someone proves it was - I think Timmy the Tool owes me some money.

[CatholicEdHead]

4. Not if the MN Taxpayers League (or whatever they are calling themselves now)

have to say about it. I cannot stand those guys.

[CubFan7125]

5. $30 - Not From Me

I have voted Dem almost every election but it is getting harder to do. Pawlenty is right, we are already one of the highest taxed states. Margaret Kelliher Anderson and that Pogemiller idiot always tell us it's just a little and we will hardly notice. We'll, there have been too many "We'll hardly notice" taxes on the tax rolls. As for "Timmy the Tool" owing you money, nobody owes you a damn thing in this world. There are no entitlements, get a job, if thats not enough get a 2nd job. Do what you have to do and stop thinking about handouts. Everyone wants a handout, no one wants to work.

On a completely unrelated note, I think Larry Pogemiller needs to find a new hair stylist.

[dflprincess]

6. You need to stop listening to the KQ morning show

I think I've heard Bernard make all those comments last week - including the crack about Pogemiller's hair.

Ummm, and if you read my post, I was on my way to work when I hit the Pawlenty-hole in the road and currently I am fortunate enough to have a job that pays me enough that I was able to cover the repair without leaving me unable to pay other bills this month. A few years ago, after I had been downsized, I would not have been that lucky.

Personally, I would prefer to pay a few more dollars in taxes than to drive on roads that are going to damage my car and cost me several hunderd dollars in repair bills. If Timmy were really worried about Minnesotan's being burdened and not running for vice president he'd be able to figure out that bad roads are more costly than maintained ones. And yes, if someone is responsible for damages to my car, they owe me the repair money.

[CubFan7125]

7. Only The Hair Came From Tom

The thoughts are my own. I would rather not pay. I work hard. I pay a lot of taxes already. I notice. And guess what? Nobody owes you a damn thing in this world. Your doing your part , great. Now if everybody did, it would be a better state. Also, the name is Barnard, nor Bernard.

[Minnesota Raindog]

8. Sorry CubFan troll, the name is Tom Barnyard n/t

[CubFan7125]

9. Let's See

I'll probably vote for Obama. I am a moderate Dem. I'm just sick of living in one of the highest taxes states around. If that makes me a troll I guess I am. I just can't stomach any new taxes while there is so much waste out there.

[CubFan7125]

12. I'm Busted

For not updating my profile. I lived in Wisconsin for about 6 months in 2004. Other than that 6 months I have lived in Minnesota for over 40 years. I'll give up this argument so just have fun paying your taxes.

[CatholicEdHead]

14. Well, you are familiar that Wisconsin funds their roads

(or at least to a year ago when their gas tax was taken off inflation increases) while Minnesota roads are falling apart and we have not had an increase since 1988.

These are not taxes for no gain, they are investments for everyone in the state. This is a crucial part of our infrastructure, not an optional matter. Compare Wisconsin and Minnesota to North Dakota and South Dakota with those lower tax structures. Do the Dakotas have what we have further east? No, and more people are leaving because there are not that many good paying jobs out there and not as much growth. Yet when you look at the Twin Cities or the Madison-Milwaukee corridor you see many more businesses and culture galore.

Remember the Twin Cities got their start because of good transportation, what we have now comes from what the Mississippi River gave the area in the pioneer days.

[trotsky]

13. Identify the waste.

Look at all the "waste" Pukelenty trimmed. Horrible roads. Schools underfunded. Timmy slashed where we could afford it the least. I'm so sick and tired of this generic "Waaah, our taxes are too high in Minnesota" whining when it is precisely because we invested more in our government and infrastructure that gave us such a high quality of life to begin with. If you're paying high taxes but the economy benefits and can hire more people / pay you more, isn't that at the very least a wash?

Oh but at least Molnau earned a cool $3mil when she sold the land she owned near the 212 expansion that she championed in the legislature.

[Deja Q]

23. I'm a moderate Dem too

And while I don't like the increased taxes, thanks to the bridge collapse, I will pay it. Because lives, including yours and mine, are at stake.

And, yes, there is a lot of waste out there. More than both of us would fathom.

But why can't there be proper reform, so future administrations won't need to neglect the infrastructure like they had done all this time?

Sorry for swearing at you earlier. These boards get a bit heated from time to time...

[Deja Q]

22. !&@^#%$ you.

I'm sorry, but you are a microcephalic imbecile.

Nobody owes you a damn thing either.

Most of us are doing our part.

Some of our part goes out in the form of taxes.

You have a problem with taxes, you go look up those who are giving it to the large corporations who sure as hell don't need it (including the baseball team, the football team, the stadiums they all want...)... what's the use? You're clearly a parrot, incapable of thought...

[mediaman007]

10. It will be impossible for you to vote the Minnesota Democratic ticket,

since you live in Wisconsin!

[Minnesota Raindog]

11. Nice catch, Mediaman007!

Methinks the Cheddarhead should stick to complaining about his own state's taxes and not ours.

[dpbrown]

15. Member since 2003 with 17 posts and "no new taxes" is where you decide to come out?

Disrupt much?

[Deja Q]

21. Drive on any bridges lately? Work for any corporations lately?

The government doesn't put money for one, but seems to give entitlements to the other.

Nobody owes YOU a damn thing either.

Pig.

[geardaddy]

24. Your car

I bet your car sounds like a hoopty car now. ;)

That sucks. :(

[dflprincess]

25. Actually I did get fixed that day

There's a CarX near the office. I think if I'd let it go any longer it would have damaged my hearing it was so loud. But I thank you for your sympathy. At least it happened at a fairly convenient spot and I did have the money to fix without leaving myself short - I swear that car knows when the tax refund shows up!

[Kilroy003]

26. It's called an exhaust pipe, Princess.

I'm sorry to hear about your repair bill. Those potholes are ridiculous.

[dflprincess]

27. That's what I thought, but the guy at CarX called it a resonator

I looked it up and apparently he was just referring to the point they where they had to start replacing the system. From the picture I found, it looks like either the exhaust pipe separated from the resonator or the resonator separated from the catalytic converter and took the exhaust pipe with it. At any rate, at least they were straight with me. For what I know about cars he could have told me the noise was being caused by angry chipmunks who no longer wanted to power my car and needed to be replaced with more expensive rodents.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

28. The chipmunks are more expensive ...

... because the company that sells them to CarX has higher fuel costs and has to pay more overtime to its drivers, due to their trucks while stuck in congestion on the crosstown more days than not.

Oh, and two of their trucks lost their exhaust systems to potholes in the metro. So they had to pass the costs on to CarX, who had to pass the cost on to its customers.

[dflprincess]

29. So, SomeGuyInEagan, did I mention that this all happened

near the intersection of Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle? The CarX is along the road that runs past Kohl's.

Be careful when you're driving.

[Deja Q]

20. That's where illegal workers come in.

Hey, the state outsources services to other countries, and the census bureau won't even hire Americans to count our own, so nothing surprises me anymore.

[crweber]

2. Can't stand this guy

[Minnesota Raindog]

16. Timmy the Tool is OVERRIDDEN!

91 votes in the House to override Pawlenty's veto of the Transportation Bill.

[CatholicEdHead]

17. Who voted against it?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

18. woohoo!

Minnesota joins the 21st century at last.

[Deja Q]

19. Shall we be burdened, or killed because you don't want to spend a fuckin' dime on peoples' safety?

Then what shall you do? Go after those who keep gas prices so insanely high. We still need revenue to fix the roads and bridges... sorry to say the b-word...