A lot of Minnesotans have been more than a little uncomfortable with the way the state of Minnesota has been run the last four years.

Typically a prudent lot, Minnesotans understood the need to tighten the belt four years ago when the state faced a $4.5 billion deficit. But the ensuing four years seemed to bring out the worst in partisan differences in the state. Residents were uncomfortable that before there could be any real debate about raising revenue or cutting services, a Republican governor and his flock in the House of Representatives decided on cuts.

It wasn’t after a debate, which might have been fine with most folks. But cuts were made because a governor had promised no taxes to a group to which many average Minnesotans pledged no allegiance.

The results of the Pawlenty budget cuts made Minnesotans feel even more uneasy as they watched their neighbors thrown off health insurance, saw their neighborhoods go without needed police and saw funds for the youngest learners severely cut back.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty seemed sincere about his plan, though even his promotion of it seemed to lack Minnesota nice at times, describing those facing real hurt as “victims du jour.”

Beyond an unfair budget process, some of Pawlenty’s proposals seem beyond what even an 1990s Republican Party would have stomached. He called for the state to mandate school spending through his one-size fits all 70 percent solution. Luckily members of his own party defeated this bad idea before it got legs. His proposal for free tuition for college students who do well in high school leaves out other students who deserve tuition relief.

And after all these cuts, we can boast of a better ranking in taxes among states that include places most Minnesotans would not want to live. Minnesotans care about their neighbors more than they care about tax rankings.

That’s why DFL gubernatorial candidate Mike Hatch is best suited to lead the state the next four years.

Hatch is no typical DFL liberal. Far from it. He was rejected by the much more left leaning DFL in two previous runs for governor. He’s the kind of centrist candidate the DFL and the state have long needed.

Hatch is not quick to look to taxes to pay for his proposals. His plan to pay for rolling back tuition increases at places like Minnesota State University and South Central College, would simply clarify a statue to collect taxes from corporations making certain profits overseas.

Cutting tuition, in fact, actually acts like a tax cut for the biggest businesses in Mankato. Students will have more money, but they’ll also be able to have less debt. Hatch doesn’t commit where a lot of Democrats do in taxing the rich. He is no “class warfare” candidate, he says.

Hatch is no anti-business Democrat. In fact, his in-depth knowledge of the healthcare system through his roles as commissioner of commerce and attorney general will give credibility to a plan to lower health care insurance premiums for small employers. That plan will also help level the playing field between small employers and large employers with regard to health care.

Hatch talks about the state fostering private investment in fiber optics in rural Minnesota. There’s no reason state licensing operations have to go through a Tennessee call center when there are plenty of hardworking people in rural Minnesota, he says.

Hatch doesn’t apologize for his aggressive actions as attorney general, but argues he often settled initial suits in ways that were amicable to HMOs or other industries he was pursuing. He’s not running for homecoming king, he says.

Tim Pawlenty, on the other hand, often took off on the bravado of the office. Longtime members of his own party criticized him publicly for his approaches and policies. He now says he made some mistakes and should have been nicer. We hope Hatch, who has enemies of his own, has also learned from this.

Mike Hatch believes in the traditions of Minnesota government and he knows the way Minnesotans expect their state to be run, with fairness, debate and consensus decisions that move the state forward.