Paw-Lenty of Problems in Minnesota

Minnesota Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty is making his second trip of the summer to Wisconsin. He will be going to John McCain fundraisers in both Madison and Milwaukee that will cost $1,000 per couple. Rather than run around Wisconsin trying to raise money for campaigns, it might be advisable for Pawlenty to go back home and fix the mess that he has made in Minnesota.

Under Governor Tim Pawlenty Minnesota’€™s property taxes are up even though he made a campaign promise not to raise taxes. The Gopher State has actually endured a 70 percent rise in property taxes since 2002. [Sticker Shock, Minnesota 2020, 2/10/2008; Star Tribune, 3/30/03] Not only has Pawlenty’€™s tenure resulted in higher taxes but also in overcrowded schools and bad roads that are the worst that they have been in decades. In addition, Pawlenty’€™s signature job creation plan was totally panned by an independent auditor as useless and a waste of money. Even though Minnesota’€™s housing foreclosures are up to some of the worst levels in the nation, Pawlenty vetoed a bill that would have helped hundreds of families facing the loss of their homes. [Star Tribune, 5/29/08]

Given Pawlenty’€™s terrible record in Minnesota on issues from A to Z, it is a bit surprising that he has been chosen to be a lead cheerleader for John McCain. On the other hand, McCain is the same U.S. Senator that has eventually adopted almost all of the failed policies of the Bush Administration. Those are policies which have led us to economic, health care, energy and foreign policy disasters. It makes you wonder if John McCain has made failure a prerequisite to being one of his key advisors.