PawletyUnlugged

Facts about Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty

“I don’t think there’s anybody in his old neighborhood who would be paid $4,500 a month and forget what he did to earn it.”  

- State Representative Tom Rukavina, After Governor Tim Pawlenty said he could not recall what he did to earn $4,500 per month during the campaign from a telecom company run by a political supporter whose other companies were in hot water with state regulators for cheating consumers.

ON CAMPAIGN INTEGRITY:

“[H]ow many flip-flops does it take to make you wonder whether the governor is merely flexible, or is perhaps losing touch with his core principles?”

       - David Strom and Michael Wigley of the Taxpayer’s League, on Governor Pawlenty’s many flip-flops on issues from what were his positions while campaigning for office.

ON POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY:

“[E]verybody knows the [telecom] industry regularly plays crooked—except Tim Pawlenty.  Like Claude Rains in Casablanca, he is shocked.  Shocked!”

 

                - City Pages, writing about how, as one of three members of the board of directors of a telecom holding company run by his political crony, Pawlenty claims he did not know about the widespread telemarketing fraud by the company’s largest operating subsidiary in which thousands of consumers were ripped off.

ON CORPORATE REGULATION:

“Because Governor Pawlenty played word games so that he could pretend to stick to his ‘no tax’ pledge, the state of Minnesota’s budget is in peril”

- DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez,  StarTribune.com, December 21,2005

ON CALLING THEM “FEES,” NOT TAXES:

“Pawlenty still insists that the tobacco tax increase is really a ‘health impact fee,’ not a tax.  But outside the reality-challenged bubble of the governor’s office, nobody seems to be fooled by these verbal gymnastics.”

- David Strom and Michael Wigley of the Taxpayer’s League, on Governor Pawlenty’s attempt to hoodwink voters by claiming that a fee is not a tax.

-Republican Delegate Neil Breitbarth  at the 2002 Republican Convention.  (Associated Press, "Sullivan gains a bit more from Pawlenty's lead in route 7," 6/14/02.)

"We're off the track and out of gear....I grieve over the 14-percent tuition increase at the University, reduced library hours....We're shutting off access to greatness."

                             - Former Republican Governor Elmer L. Andersen, speaking about the shift in the direction of the State of Minnesota policy.  (Star Tribune, "At 95, Andersen offers experience of his years," 6/17/04.)

           "Tim Pawlenty has waffled on principles."

ON CONSERVATION

"Why exactly the governor to date hasn't chosen to do the right thing regarding conservation is a mystery.  The split among onlookers in explaining his shortcomings seems to fall along two lines.

 

The first suggests that Pawlenty is not as capable as initially believed by many hunters, anglers and other conservationists; that time and circumstances have demonstrated that he lacks both the vision and follow-through to oversee the changes necessary to "save Minnesota."

 

Others, more cynically, believe Pawlenty's fundamental interest is in protecting business and agriculture, and that all else undertaken in his name is part of a grant illusion meant to keep the discontented spinning their wheels like rats in cages, satisfied in the knowledge -- however erroneous -- that because they're moving they must be making progress.

 

Fortunately, every democracy holds periodic elections, and Minnesota has one scheduled in November."

- Dennis Anderson, Star Tribune columnist, "Pawlenty Needs to Do More," Star Tribune, 1/6/06.

-     Jack Uldrich, then Chairman of the Independence Party, speaking about the promises made by Tim Pawlenty to secure the Republican Party endorsement for Governor. (Star Tribune, “2002 State GOP Convention,” June 16, 2002.)

“He sold his soul to get the endorsement.”

"There is no way to put lipstick on that pig...this will not fly.  I have had many attempts to sell tax increases as something else, and nobody's even tried that with a cigarette excise tax."

 

             -Grover Norquist, President of the Conservative Americans for Tax Reform, describing Governor Pawlenty's labeling of his cigarette tax as a "fee." (Star Tribune, "Intricacies of the pledge," May 29, 2005.)

More About Tim

 

“Tim is more argumentative, can be more acerbic, probably is more quick with the barbed word [than Speaker Steve Sviggum].  Steve is deeply caring, wise.”

                     -Representative Dan McElroy, who served as Pawlenty’s Chief of Staff, describing the differences between Tim Pawlenty and Steve Sviggum. (Pioneer Press, “Power-sharing agreement,” May 27, 2001.)

“I guess that’s the chef’s surprise.  Or the Hollywood answer – trust me, elect me, and I will let you know next year.”

     -Jesse Ventura, criticizing Tim Pawlenty during the 2002 gubernatorial campaign for refusing to say what items he would cut in the State budget. (Pioneer Press, “Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate wants tax cuts to spur growth,” July 26, 2002.)

 

“Gov. Tim Pawlenty has given many Minnesotans the impression that he wants to get the State moving forward.  But his State of the State Address and the budget that followed it have shoved this state back into reverse.”

     -Matthew Gladue, Office for Social Justice, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, discussing the Governor’s cuts to the MinnesotaCare program. (Star Tribune, January 29, 2005.)

“If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, you wouldn’t call it a horse, would you?  Despite the Governor’s clever wording, his fee is nothing more than a $380,000,000 tax increase.”

 

Television ad sponsored by the conservative group, Americans for Tax Reform, criticizing Governor Pawlenty for calling his proposed cigarette tax a “fee.” (Star Tribune, “Ad attacks Pawlenty cigarette revenue increase, June 15, 2005.)

“The Governor’s budget fails the moral standards of decency, human rights and compassion.”

 

-    Brian Rusche, Executive Director of the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition, discussing Governor Pawlenty’s 2005 budget. (Star Tribune, Religious Leaders Oppose Plan for MinnesotaCare,” February 1, 2005.)

ON MORAL VALUES

“A wink and a nod won’t cut it.”

                     -Doug Kelley (Former US Attorney and Republican Candidate for Governor), speaking as Chairman of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, about Tim Pawlenty’s unlawful collusion with the Republican Party to violate campaign finance laws, resulting in the Board’s imposition of a $600,000 fine. (Associated Press, “Setback for Pawlenty and Finance Board’s ruling on ad,” October 10, 2002.)

ON THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

 

“You cannot ‘cut’ your way to the future.”

 

-Robert Bruininks, President of the University of Minnesota, discussing Governor Pawlenty’s 2004-05 budget proposal for higher education.  (Star Tribune, “‘U’ fears loss of top students, faculty,” March 6, 2003.)

 

“Expanded gambling is a bad deal for the state, and a worse deal for its citizens.  The state will find itself spending more than ever on welfare and social services, while citizens will have to deal with the consequences of more crime, family breakdown, bankruptcies, and social ills.”

-    David Strom, President of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, discussing proposals by Governor Pawlenty to expand gambling in Minnesota to deal with the State’s budget situation. (Star Tribune, “The costs of new casinos far outweigh any benefits.”)

 “I’m in business and I don’t think this state should be in the business of picking winners and losers.”

-Former Republican Party Candidate for Governor Brian Sullivan, criticizing Tim Pawlenty’s “JobZ” proposal.  (Associated Press, “GOP gubernatorial hopefuls make their closing arguments,” June 11, 2002.)

On Being A Neo-Conservative

"I'm going to give them a menu. It will be like going to Perkins." 

 

          - Gov. Tim Pawlenty, speaking about the 11-item "menu" of special session issues he sent to legislators.  The Governor was widely criticized for his lack of leadership in sending out a "menu."  (Star Tribune, "Leftovers top menu of issues," 9/28/05.)

Gov. Tim Pawlenty delayed the planned security upgrades to St. Peter and Moose Lake during a time of tight budgets. A planned $5 million upgrade one year was turned into a plan that called for spending half of that in the first year and the rest in 2008.

 

The governor’s budget acknowledged a security audit done on the sex offender programs suggested upgrades. Still, the governor’s budget message stated the changes will be completed as “time and funding allows.”

                                                    - Editorial Board Mankato FreePress April 24, 2006

On Sex Offender Security Upgrades

What Other People Say About Pawlenty

“If they were willing to cheat at the campaign to win, then they’d be willing to cheat when they get in there.”

Former Governor Jesse Ventura, commenting on the $600,000 fine (one of the largest in State history) the Pawlenty campaign received in 2002 for illegally colluding with the Republican party to circumvent campaign spending limits.

STADIUMS

The Republican governor said he favors a Twins bill that relies on a higher Hennepin County sales tax for three-quarters of the stadium's 522 million dollar cost. That version passed the House and doesn't call for a voter referendum on the tax. The Associated Press Updated: 05/05/2006 20:21:36

Education

“32.”

         -               Minnesota’s mediocre ranking on the economic condition of all 50 states.           (USA Today, “State’s show sharp contrasts in income, economic fortunes,” May 4, 2006.)