So, a nationally significant infrastructure failure of epic proportions happens in the center of our great Twin Cities; a major source of the problem is said to be a lack of resources to conduct the proper safety procedures; a political debate on our priorities as a state erupts in every corner of the printed news and public forums; yet this debate cannot continue to the body that is supposed to echo and formalize our own sentiments for one simple reason: our Governor refuses to call them to action.
It is now over one month after the bridge collapse and the Governor still has yet to even broach a plan for bringing the legislature together; an act definitively necessary for any real action to ensue. Needless to say, I’m frustrated and this article in today’s Pioneer Press didn’t help any:
Minnesota / Pawlenty casts doubt on special session
Maybe it will all have to wait until February.Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty raised questions this week about lawmakers’ willingness to focus a potential special legislative session on emergency issues only.
“I want it limited and quick,” Pawlenty said in a brief television appearance Wednesday. “If (lawmakers) can’t agree to that, and I hope they will, then it will have to wait until February” when the Legislature meets in regular session.
Pawlenty, in a letter Tuesday to Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party leaders, also raised “questions about the DFL majority’s willingness to keep a potential special session properly focused.”
The governor has said a special session to deal with flood relief for southeastern Minnesota, some transportation funding in the wake of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse and perhaps some proposals for property tax relief would be “helpful.”
One must ask why the Governor is so afraid of allowing open debate on such an important subject. I’ll postulate on this shortly.
A failure to do nothing in light of what has taken place causes more damage in the long run. This weakens Pawlenty’s position as a State leader. His thinking that it’s best to wait until the Legislature convenes again in February in order to save Taxpayers money.
What Pawlenty does not realize is that by waiting, it’s going to cost ALL OF US EVEN MORE!!! Bridge collapses and floodings happen despite the best well laid out plans.
He won’t call a special session simply because in the wake of his softening of his gas tax position, the hardline anti-tax advocates and conservatives who own his political soul have been pressuring him to stay the course. That and the Republicans know that once a session is called they won’t be able to dictate, or even control, the legislative agenda. Anything that gets passed, such as a gas tax or greatly increased MnDOT funding, paid for through other kinds of tax increases or whatever will be very difficult for Pawlenty to veto without looking like an insensitive ass. Moreover, it’s not clear if the Republican leadership could hold the caucus together to make a veto stick in the face of an override.
Note his change of behavior after Marty Seifert cast doubt on the need for a special session. The Republicans don’t want a session because it’s a lose-lose proposition for them. Money gets spent in ways they don’t want, taxes could be raised, all sorts of things could get passed that it would be very difficult for them to kill — including all the things that they successfully shot down in the last session, like LGA funding. They don’t want a new session because they’re not stupid — they’ll lose way more than they gain.
Of course they’ll take heat because they opposed a session, but it’s better for them to nip things in the bud than be responsible for killing concrete legislation. Cost of doing business for them.
EXCELLENT points, Jason. Either way, the MN GOP still come out looking bad with Pawlenty looking ever weaker.
They look bad as long as people remember. If there is no other disaster, they won’t. Being told your state taxes can be low with no sacrifice got Pawlenty re-elected - why would it stop working for him now?
Besides, think of how sticking to his not tax pledge will help him in Iowa and New Hampshire in ‘11-‘12.
Pawlenty is a slippery dude. No wonder he is worming out of a special session. The supposed big bi-partisan win this past session was the Renewable Energy Standard. Pawlenty and leaders from both sides of the aisle made much of the fact that this was the toughest in the nation - Minnesota would soon be in the lead with renewable energy development - and Minnesota would have to move away from its dependence on coal. But last week the Governor and the Commerce Department announced a pact with utilities to support a NEW coal-fired power plant in South Dakota near the Minnesota border - it will spew massive amounts of CO2, generate more mercury emissions (that will end up in Minnesota fish), there will be “carbon offsets” however they can’t cost more than $10/ton of CO2 AND get this there is a sunset period of FOUR years. Minnesota transmission lines will carry the electricity to other states and to Minnesota users.. Why create legislation that helps grow Minnesota’s economy and reduces climate warming gasses when one can go out of state and cater to the powerful coal lobby? Pawlenty is expert at making a mockery of needed public policy. Any legislation coming out of a special session would have probably been designed so as to stick it to future Minnesotans…bonding bonding and more bonding..afterall that is what Pawlenty likes to do!
I like his idea to raise the gas tax by 5 cents per gallon, but the part where he says it has to be offset somewhere else with a tax cut really amuses me. Why doesn’t he just come out and cut the education budget and put the money into bridges and roads - eliminating the need for a special session. After all, that’s just what Timmeh wants. No more failing bridges, just failing schools.
Governor David Strom is against, oops I mean anti-tax zealot David Strom is against the special session, that’s all you need to know.
Pawlenty is probably reluctant to diminish public school funding further… why do that when one can keep chiseling away at infrustructure. The latter is much less noticeable…the former well with so many districts pushing referendums..it’s political suicide. Think of all gutting Pawlenty has accomplished - there is no longer a State Planning Agency or an Environmental Quality Board. The Department of Health commissioner didn’t care about keeping quality programs, neither did the former Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner, or the current Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner. He just needs to keep appointing people who will undermine their departments…that will continue to allow him to save money in the short-term (in the long-term who cares? that will be somebody elses’ problem!)
I am still waiting for him to appoint a team player to run the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission - They’re the folks who really set prison sentences. If he can just get a team player in there, he could decrease sentences, and then the prisons will be empty. The money saved could go into trip costs for the Lt. Governor to give speeches on transportation, or even for her tuition (so she could know what she is talking about).
Ignoramus Magnus bleated: “Why doesn’t he just come out and cut the education budget and put the money into bridges and roads - eliminating the need for a special session. After all, that’s just what Timmeh wants. No more failing bridges, just failing schools.”
Well my little ‘batty, if that was his plan he’s had a thirty year head start on it.
And, if he was crushing the schools with funding cuts, well he’s a friggin’ magician since funding for the pubic schools have grown more than 350% in those thirty years and now consume fully 40% of every dollar the state collects:
http://www.budget.state.mn.us/budget/summary/charts/070628_piecharts.pdf
He’s pretty crafty alright.
Swiftee=permanent ignore
Swiftee = permanent ignoramus
Throw a couple of irrefutable facts into the fever swamp and the moonbat pulls the covers over his head…typical.
I suggest a few hours watching Democrat stump speeches to restore that soothing sense of utter cluelessness, Rick.
Swiftee — Your facts may be irrefutable, but they are incomplete.
How much of that mind-boggling increase has occurred under Governor Pawlenty? He has not been in office for all of the past thirty years, after all.
What is the real increase, once inflation is factored in?
Swiftee,
I think that your posts prove how important education is. You suggest funding for public schools has grown 350% in 30 years. What percentage of general fund dollars went towards education 30 years ago in comparison to today?
According to you, that figure should be around 11%.
Prove it, you fucking moonbat.
Please Please Swiftee, I’ve been waiting so long!
I want to be on your “Moonbats taken down” list. Why I’m not there yet?…who knows. I would consider my name there a marketable listing.
Please put me there!
Public school funding, adjusted for inflation from 1996 to 2007 (in $Billions):
http://education.state.mn.us/WebsiteContent/SearchResults.jsp?dDocNameSearch=&dDocTitleSearch=&fullText=budget
2,985,796,108 3,317,631,463 3,426,904,664 3,414,079,142 3,654,547,882 3,890,649,193
3,986,157,128 4,490,104,858 4,403,575,277
4,384,973,848 4,558,383,719 4,736,393,019
As you can see, the schools see a pretty standard 3.5% increase each year, with a few 5% gravy years.
Compare that with an inflation rate that has stayed well below 3% during the same period and you are left with a lot of cash buying a lot of failure.
http://inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflation_Rate/HistoricalInflation.aspx
It is true that in recent years those increases have been smaller, but the question begs to be asked “How much is enough?”
In any case, to suggest that any Governor in recent history has short-changed the pubilc schools is utter BS.
And now to our class boob…
“What percentage of general fund dollars went towards education 30 years ago in comparison to today?
According to you, that figure should be around 11%.”
How did you come to that conclusion, you blindingly stupid little man, since I didn’t give the percentage of total 30 years ago?
“Myspace pally”, do yourself a big favor and stay far, far away from numbers.
Have another bag of chips and post up some more “.gifs”, they’re really kewl.
LOLOLOLS!!!
What was that 30 years ago again?
Put me on your “Mooonbats taken down” list please. I would love that. Just make shit up about me if you have to to put me there, I don’t care. You moonbats do that anyway.
Do it, please. Oh and that 30 years ago figure…when can I expect that? You did say the budget percentage has grown 350% in 30 years, and its at 40% of every dollar now.
You are a moonbat.
Wow. He’s all yours.
Swiftee,
Such a clever, intellectual reply. Thank you. I am humbled.
Again Swiftee - Do you need a meeting schedule, or do I have to make a donation to planned parenthood in your name?
Swiftee — Beg to differ, but $4,384,973,848 (two years ago, just before the DFL took control over both houses of the Legislature) is not an increase over $4,490,104,858 (the spending the first year Governor Pawlenty was in office). There may be a yearly average increase of 3.5% when taken over a period of eleven years, but it is irrefutable that that is not the same as an increase every year of 3.5% on average.
School funding is definitely going up at a pace much faster than inflation - to deny it is foolish. You can’t just look at the raw numbers - you have to look at per/pupil funding.
The Teacher’s Union is doing a great job of trying to tie more funding to better schools when in fact it really has just been paying for higher pay packages that are exceeding both the inflation rate and the amount of school funding.
The Governor, who by the way negotiated the largest and second largest increase to the funding formula as Majority leader, then Guv, (1999, 2005) actually proposed more for education than the DFL this year.
He said he would have a special session to vote on a transportation bill with a tax increase, and a tax bill that would increase LGA.
Now Mpls leaders in the Legislature say they are no longer interested in a transportation bill or a tax bill!
It is becoming clear that the only thing the DFL cares about is trying to make the Governor look bad.
He is taking care of business and under emergency powers can spend what ever it takes to clean up the flood mess and rebuild the bridge. No wonder his numbers are at an all time high.
There is no human being that could of stopped the bridge failure. I believe I know why it happened, but my belief would be waaaaaaay to frightening for anyone to accept, so I’ll leave it at that.
Anyone who is blaming Governor Tim Pawlenty on this needs to check themselves.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not a fan of the MURDEROUS RNC, but in Pawlenty’s defense, he beat Mike Hatch during the same time period, that Mark Kennedy lost to Amy K. by 20points or so.
Pawlenty is a rare breed of Republicans and you all need to lay of and relax.
For sake of argument though if more cash is available from the Federal government for transportation needs we take it regardless, and thats the bottum line, even if we don’t need it feed the homeless or do something with it, just don’t turn down free cash.
GOVERNOR PAWLENTY IS THE ONLY PRAYER THE RNC HAS FOR A NEXT REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.
EVEN ICE-T TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO ENDORSE MYSELF FOR PRESIDENT BEFORE HIS OWN CO-WORKER FRED THOMPSON FROM LAW AND ORDER,
UNLESS GOVERNOR PAWLENTY RUNS AS A #1 FOR THE RNC FOR THIS ELECTION…HILLARY CLINTON IS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.
HOW DO I KNOW YOU ASK? TELL YA WHAT, IF I’M WRONG I WILL HAVE MYSELF CASTRATED AND DONATE MY BALLS TO SCIENCE….And I LOVE MY BALLS.
IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH FOR ALL OF YOU?
Other than that I would like to take this oppertunity to thank you all in advance for your vote for my United States Senate Run,
Also check out the front page of the St. Paul Legal-Ledger, I’m on the front page…..yeah yeah, I know I’m one sexy bitch.
….and Senator Craig:
I don’t care if you are the next Albert Einstien, Sick, perverted sex offenders over rule any brilliant qualities that a human being may have.
…and do you really think this was Senator Craigs 1st time and a undercover cop just happened to be in the stall next to him…
This is repetitive behavior from Senator Craig and he needs to resign.
I for one do forgive you sir. Anyone with a heartbeat can be saved if they are truely sorry.
For America though please resign, Please don’t pull an O.J. Simpson when we know you are guilty.
Wellstone TV, have you finished your investigation of the Wellstone crash. It sure seems like the theory of him taking the plane down himself seems very plausible. let’s face it, neither he or his followers were going to take the loss to Norm very well so wouldn’t it be easier to just check out while on top of the game than to fall into obscurity?
Also, I think you will be very lucky to get 4-5 % of the vote for Senate. Do you really think normal honest Americans would ever support you?
On the first paragraph, above anything else that could be said, for shame.
Big Kahuna:
There is this woooooooonderful mix of people that I refer to as the “Non Voter” This group generally outnumbers the registered voter.
In this particular race I will be targeting this class, In addition to the Democratic Party, Independence Party, and the die hard pro-life Republican.
So chances are, I will appeal to quite a few people in all parties, while respecting the Independence Party platform at this time.
Broom 48%
Franken 8%
Coleman 40%
Other 4%
I am banking my whole first term on the fact that I will waive your co-pay on prescription drugs no matter who your insurance provider is.
This plan will not raise taxes 1cent.
…..plus Bob tell um what he’s won……FREE CASH….THAT’S RIGHT 3TO100 DOLLARS CASH BACK DEPENDING ON THE SAVINGS OF THE DRUG ORDERED.
and ya know what, I can’t even bitch that no one’s saying thank you,
because quite a few people told me exactly that at the Minnesota State Fair.
Oh gee I cannot wait to take over the prison systems prescription drug plans either and save a kazillion dollars there to for my fellow human beings.
Care to make a bet that you will not see 10% of the vote?
Oh wait, what about the fact the DFL is bnot going to give you their support so will you run if the DFL supports Al Franken?
Because we already know Al has bought his spot for the DFL nod.
I am hoping you will still run as you will take a good 3-4% from Franken which will just help Norm out even more.
Big Kahuna-get your big fat hairy butt off this blog…no one cares what you think…what’s with the immmature smiley faces? Oh, wait, you are an emotionally low IQ tough guy…
WellstoneTv:
stop using up so much space on this blog — use your own. You seem full of yourself. Oh, and give Swiftee his bag of chips back…you know, the ones shaped like little moonbats…