The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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July 2, 2009

Your View: Pawlenty puts his political aspirations first

Nancy Fitzsimons, North Mankato

Gov. Tim Pawlenty will not be around to deal with the consequences of his unallotment choices and the next biennium’s projected budget deficit of $4.9 billion.

Pawlenty’s approach to fixing Minnesota’s $2.7 billion budget shortfall allows him to proclaim that he stuck to his “no new taxes” pledge. Too bad he did not live up to his other pledges as outlined in his “Values, Goals, and Principles” document, including to “always do what is honest and fair. Today and tomorrow.”

Is it honest to balance the budget by accounting gimmicks like the $1.77 billion in K-12 payment deferrals that shift the burden to local school district, many who will have to borrow to cover costs and then figure out a way to pay back the interest?

Is it fair that households with income of $123,000 or more paid a smaller percentage of their income in taxes than all but those in the bottom 10 decile (10 percent of the population of households)?

Is it fair to provide corporate welfare through the (questionably effective and certainly not compatible with free market principles) JOBZ program to the tune of an estimated $33.8 million FY 2010 — an average of $75,000 per business — while eliminating the General Assistance Medical Care program — health insurance for about 17,000 Minnesotans, people with incomes below 75 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, further adding to the number of uninsured in Minnesota?

I guess it is honest and fair if you are more interested in your own political aspirations than in the welfare of all Minnesotans.

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