Here’s the Iron Range take on Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s edict yesterday about the state budget negotiation process. (Story by Jon Collins for Hibbing Daily Tribune, Mesabi Daily News and others).
Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, said cuts to health and human services would be “devastating” for the Iron Range.
“People are going to understand the pain that this governor is going to inflict on some of the most vulnerable people in society and on the lower and middle classes of Iron Range,” he said. “It is going to fall right back on people’s property taxes, which is the most unfair tax there is.”
Pawlenty said final decisions haven’t been made, but that cuts would fall on health care, social services, K-12, higher education and Local Government Aid.
So, Mississippi without the airfare?
I have given Tim Pawlenty credit when early in his first term he identified Clean Water as a priority for his administration. He created the Governor’s Clean Water Cabinet. Then he organized a Clean Water Initiative in five northern counties that contain some of the most popular and some of the most development-threatened lakes in the state.
His smiling articulate presence, criss-crossing the state, a regular hockey-playing guy, sending off and welcoming home our National Guard – all this has made him a popular governor.
But now he has failed this State.
When he made a deal back in 2002 to get the GOP nomination for governor instead of leading rival Brian Sullivan, it cost him an unbreakable pledge – to oppose all state tax increases – to veto any legislative tax increase.
Today on Friday, May 15th, he leads his minority party into a special session of his own making.
No compromise is possible with this Governor. He gave his word to the party.
Shared sacrifice by all Minnesotans is not his way.
One can hear him singing Frank Sinatra’s song. “I did it My Waaayy.”
-Gord Prickett, Aitkin County DFL
Ok, I see that the price of this won’t fall to his friends, because he certainly doesn’t have any friends in health care, the schools, or local government. Well, maybe we won’t need that state park because the whole north will be empty after Timmy gets through with us. PHEW. And I won’t email him because I already did, asking to be TAXED MORE. I’ll put my money where my mouth is.