Governor Tim Pawlenty is proposing tough new budget standards. However, they are standards he has failed to meet himself since taking office in 2004. He has proposed budgets that far exceed the amount of money the state had to pay for it.
"We just can't continue on the path that we have been on," said Pawlenty. "It is not a matter of political philosophy, although it reflects my political philosophy. It's simply a matter of math."
IN FACT, the governor himself has proposed budgets that cost a total of $7.3 billion more than the state took in the previous two years. In 2004, he proposed $2.9 billion more. In 2006, he proposed $1 billion more. In 2008, he proposed $2.2 billion. Lastly, in 2010, he proposed $1.2 billion more.
Watch out for Pawlenty ramping up his rhetoric later next year when the GOP Presidential sweepstakes gets going -- he'll mention at least one or three times that he made this proposal but the evil DFLers in the legislature shot it down.
Those Minneapolis liberals and their commitment to reality! Curses! Meanwhile, local GOP leaders in Iowa will nod approvingly at his fiscal conservative kabuki. Should be interesting to watch.
