Oh That Crazy Pawlenty

[thefriendlytipster]

Proposals by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to drain much of the money from Minnesota's campaign finance subsidies are moving through the Minnesota House and might be on the table for final budget negotiations.

Pawlenty and his House Republican allies are pushing through bills that would scrap the political contribution refund program, cut direct campaign subsidies from the general fund and change the campaign "checkoff" system so that income-tax payers would have less incentive to use it.

"This is not a smart idea," said David Schultz, a campaign finance expert at Hamline University. Since Wisconsin slashed its subsidies recently, up to a third of legislative incumbents have gone unchallenged and in a few races the campaign spending has topped $1 million by each candidate, he said.

"Our governor is an incumbent with a lot of money and a lot of wealthy friends who's figuring out he doesn't need the money himself this time, and if he can take it away from everyone else it saves money on his budget," Marty said.

www.startribune.com/stories/465/5368898.html

my blog www.thefriendlytipster.blogspot.com

[bluestateguy]

1. Jesse the Body doesn't look so bad anymore, does he?

[Lindacooks]

2. Yes, he still looks bad.

I long for the days of Governor Anderson, when this state was truly blue.

[dflprincess]

3. And Time was running articles about the "good life in Minnesota"

n/t

[Lindacooks]

4. Yes, I remember that well.

:)

[northernsoul]

5. hell, I'd settle for Arne Carlson about now

boring as hell, but generally a true moderate and competent administrator

[CatholicEdHead]

6. Same here

of course, Arne was an Independent Republican his last term as he was too moderate for the GOP at the time. Yet he still won back then without the GOP nomination.

Arne has spoken out quite often against the current GOP policies.

[katinmn]

7. I agree. Carlson looks like a model governor compared to Pawlenty

I remember AC would sometimes lash out and be cranky, but he balanced the needs of people, businesses and institutions.

Pawlenty is just a puppet for whatever the WH wants. He is one of the extreme right wing who caters to the corporate masters and religious fanatics.