Governor Counts on Funding That He Opposes

Unlike 47 other governors, Gov. Tim Pawlenty is refusing to sign a letter from the National Governors Association asking Congress to extend stimulus aid to states. Instead, Pawlenty is criticizing federal stimulus spending, calling it a “Ponzi scheme on the Potomac.”

In the real world, however, stimulus money is saving Pawlenty’s bacon. Last year, he relied on $1.8 billion in federal stimulus to patch holes in his budget. This year, he’s counting on $387 million more in stimulus money – even though he acts like he opposes it. 

Pawlenty includes the funding in his latest supplemental budget, which is filled with his usual cuts, shifts and gimmicks. Instead of investing in the state’s future and protecting vital services, the governor prefers to protect tax breaks for the state’s richest residents. Among “highlights”:

• $347 million in human service cuts, including eliminating health insurance for 20,000 more people 
• $250 million less for local governments 
• $181 million in unspecified cuts to state agencies 
• $47 million less for MnSCU and the University of Minnesota 
• $20 million in new corporate tax breaks