State of the State reaction

Posted at 2:48 PM on February 11, 2010 by Mike Mulcahy (1 Comments)
Filed under: MN Legislature, Tim Pawlenty

Reaction is rolling in to Gov. Tim Pawlenty's final State of the State Address. Here are some samples:

DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez:

"Gov. Pawlenty's final State of the State address today was just the latest stop in his public-speaking tour across the country, designed to help him pander to big-business CEOs and further his personal ambitions. But as usual, his record tells a different story than his rhetoric, and today's speech was no exception."

The DFL also provided its own footnoted assessment of Pawlenty's record:

· Minnesota has faced a budget deficit every year but two. [Minnesota Management and Budget, accessed 2/11/10]

· Tim Pawlenty started his first term with a $4 billion deficit and will leave office with a $5 billion deficit. [Minnesota Management and Budget, accessed 2/11/10]

· Property taxes have increased by $3 billion, a 65% increase. [Nonpartisan House Research]

·Fees have doubled, reaching a total of $1.25 billion. [Nonpartisan House Research]

· State and local tax rates have increased for 90% of Minnesotans (those earning less than $130,000), while tax rates for the state's wealthiest (more than $130,000) have decreased. [2009 Tax Incidence Study, Minnesota Department of Revenue, March 2009]

· Unemployment rate has increased [Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, accessed 2/11/10]

· For the first time in decades, job growth in Minnesota fell behind the national average for two consecutive years (2006 and 2007). [Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, accessed 2/11/10]

· The number of uninsured Minnesotans has jumped from 6.1% in the year before he was elected, to 9.1% in 2009. [Minnesota Department of Health, 02/10]

· The cost of insurance premiums for Minnesotans with private insurance has doubled. [Minnesota Department of Health, 11/09]

State GOP chair Tony Sutton:

"Instead of more Democrat tax increases and more Democrat spending, state government must live within its means. Governor Pawlenty's Spending Accountability Amendment is the right approach to keep government spending under control. In addition, his bold and innovative proposals regarding education, health care and public safely deserve our full support."

Eliot Seide, director of AFSCME Council 5.

"Wendell Anderson's legacy was the Minnesota Miracle; Tim Pawlenty's legacy will be the Minnesota Massacre. Under his failed 'no new taxes' leadership, Minnesota is lagging where it used to lead the nation. If your roads aren't plowed, thank Gov. Pawlenty. If your library is locked, thank Gov. Pawlenty. If you're denied health care, thank Gov. Pawlenty. If you can't afford tuition, thank Gov. Pawlenty. If you can't find a job to support your family, thank Gov. Pawlenty."

Comments (1)

Pawlenty proposes "teacher pay for performance" while our children are unteachable if they live in poverty and single-parent or even two parent households that are over worked and paying all those fees he's replaced for taxes; wealthy need to pay their own way and not on backs of others.

Posted by Bob Murkel | February 12, 2010 12:36 PM

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