Minnesota argues its economic vision

January 26, 11:26 AMSouth St. Paul ExaminerRob Shirk

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The Minnesota Legislature

Gov. Tim Pawlenty(R) has not had many original ideas since his term began in 2002 and he relied on Winston Churchill, of all people, for his opening paragraph in a StarTribune opinion piece last Sunday.

"If we open a quarrel between the present and the past, we shall be in danger of losing the future - Winston Churchill

The quarrel has begun in earnest. Some would say that the past has been no great shakes. Or favorite son of South St. Paul is going to get an earful, even as he pleads for civility and grace.

Gov. Pawlenty took a blood oath with The Taxpayer League of Minnesota, a special interest group, when he took office in 2003 to never, under any circumstances, raise taxes, even with a 4.5 billion dollar deficit projected that he, himself, helped to author. That budget was engineered as he was the House Republican majority leader.

In 2003, the governor came up with a scheme, thinly disguised as a plan, that was ultimately approved by a combative congress. Government actually shut down for a spell as Sven and Lars and Tim beat themselves silly with pieces of lutefisk. There was nothing new or creative in the governor's stratagem, he just made an existing government plan work with a lot less money. It led to the underfunding of many programs and cutting others entirely. After all, an eight cylinder car "can" run on only six cylinders. Minnesota was now running on six and has been ever since.

While Pawlenty willingly tied a his hands behind his back and a noose around the state's neck, the private sector, with little or no regulation, did what it has always done...got rich. A moron can cut a budget. The equation does not factor in the people it is affecting. It's a piece of cake. Red line here, red line there.

Property taxes soared, kids couldn't afford school at public colleges, crime rose as police forces got axed. Health insurance was unaffordable for a lot more people and the minority kids' school program was thrown in the junk pile. Nursing homes turned into hovels . And so on.

South St. Paul's Tim Pawlenty, recently of Eagan and still a neighbor, has always relied on the private sector to be creative, the government merely to cut budgets and steer the boat, while the Taxpayers League of Minnesota gets to push the throttle. It wasn't always this way. Time Magazine once touted us as the Minnesota: a state that works.

Minnesota has been known nationally as a state that has brain power, a state that spends its money to help its citizens in education, health care, and natural resources. We are known as one of the "smart states".

...not like Maryland where they have to wear a helmet every day- Jon Stewart on The Daily Show

The governor's guys have been real good at cutting the budgets, and if we are to go by the tone of the quote that he used, the boss merely wants to keep doing what he has been doing. Don't rock the boat and give more incentives to businesses. Supply side economics, baby. It has never been designed to be compassionate. It was designed for profit.

We're rightfully proud of our past and of what we've accomplished together - Tim Pawlenty

There are plenty of people who say that they aren't so proud of our recent past and want an argument; that government is not the arch enemy of the people, that in fact, it is here to help the people. Gov. Pawlenty still thinks that if we give tax breaks to businesses, the savings will somehow "trickle down" to us by creating jobs. Here's news for you, in case you weren't paying attention: The nice men and women put all the savings in their pockets and have left the country and the state in an economic disaster that has not been seen since 1932. They always do this, eventually. Call it supply-side warm and fuzzies.

What we do have is our intelligence, our creativity, our determination, our self-reliance and, most important, our common sense - Tim Pawlenty

There are those who would argue that what the state needs is to Think, Think, Think, and not to wait for The Taxpayer League to come up with a plan. Maybe, the argument goes, that we need more than common sense. Common sense is a fine trait. Perhaps what we need now is to invite brilliant minds to the governor's office to think and think beyond. It's called the vision thing . If they can change the tire on a car, that would be nice, for the common sense part of the equation.

I'm hopeful that this legislative session policymakers will stay focused on a better future for Minnesota - Tim Pawlenty

There is reason to believe that there will be a big old fight down at the capitol, the one side will be saying we'll cut, cut, cut  and that all is well and we just won't and don't raise taxes (remember...The Taxpayers League) and let the private sector get us out of trouble. Tighten your belt. Again.  The other side will be claiming that trickle down economics has never worked in the long run, we should not be particularly proud of our recent past, and that Minnesota government should and must help the people directly and without delay and not wait for "Mr. Buisinessman" to think us out of our problems, that we just might be able to think for ourselves.
 

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