Posted: 03/10/08 07:05
by Dave Mindeman
Governor Pawlenty continues to prefer political stunts over quality governance....and the Minnesota economy suffers for it. Some of his budget proposals, to deal with the deficit, look more like political theatre than a serious solution.
The most galling component is this farcical sales tax cut. He uses it as political hype for the transporation bill override, and his explantion has a harshly political tone:
Pawlenty proposes a one-eighth percent statewide sales tax cut to offset the harm, he opined, the Democrats had inflicted on the state with their recent transportation tax increases. (Hometownsource.com)
The Governor projects this 1/8% sales tax cut will "save" Minnesotans $77 million. The reality of this "savings" means that businesses and the wealthier Minnesotans who spend more will be the real recipients. In order to save $100 from this "tax cut", you would have to spend $80,000 in non-taxable purchases. All Pawlenty is doing is creating another $77 million deficit number which must be accounted for elsewhere.
This budget deficit can be fixed...and possibly without tax increases. And many of his budget proposals can be negotiated. But the Governor's stunts are not helping the tone. Pawlenty should be thanking the legislature for making the hard decision on transporatation.... a decision he was obviously incapable of making. What gets lost in the political posturing is that there was a 10 year, $17 billion dollar need for transportation... a figure that comes from the administration. The "massive tax increase" that Pawlenty keeps denigrating only covers 1/3 of that need.
If Pawlenty can't even acknowledge that much, then I guess the political "stunts" are all he has left.
