From the INBOX – Tim Over Troubled Bridge
This email hit on my thoughts regarding our *new* and improved Governor, so I thought I’d share it with you.
I saw Pawlenty this morning all but call for a special session to adopt a gas tax, apparently the 35W road collapse is making him change his mind.
In the next breath he is defending Carol Molnau saying anyone who rushes to judgement about her performance until the investigation on the bridge is complete is making a mistake.
Uhh, excuse me, can you say taking out both sides of your mouth. It’s ok to rush to judgement that we need new a gas tax in the wake of the bridge collapse, yet we can’t pass judgement on Molnau until the investigation is complete? Why not wait until the investigation is complete to decide if a gas tax is necessary!
I like Tim a lot, but this is not one of his better moments.
I’m saving the name for protection so the Pawlenty Gestapo doesn’t go after him like they do me, but let’s just say this is a person that would move mountains to get Pawlenty elected, and has gone to the woodshed for him many of times. Oh, and it ain’t some nobody loser, they’ve won an election of few themselves.
Don’t do it Mr. Governor. The Feds are picking up the initial tab for 35W. The state has over a half billion dollars in a rainy day fund (I am told by a former Legislator who would know). AND Minnesota has and spends nearly $3 billion dollars a year on transportation.
There’s already enough goll darn money.
I am warning you, if you raise the gas tax, not only will you be virtually admitting that you knocked the bridge down with those vetoes, but you will never get elected again. I know you think you are doing ‘what you have to’ but honestly, has anything really changed?
There is plenty of money to keep Minnesotans safe on the roads. Be a real leader, a drive the debate to where it needs to go. The priorities of your political counterparts are off track. For pete’s sake, don’t join them.
There is no need for either a witch trial of Molnau, nor a hastily called special session simply to allow the DFL to repass all their spending and taxation projects that you just got done vetoing.
A word of caution to everyone who thinks the Governor HAS to do it, the Governor can only call the special session. The Majority Leader and Speaker of the House control the agenda and say when it is all over. Once the Governor let’s them back in the building, he has absolutely no control what they do. And they WILL be punch drunk with glee at raising taxes and wasting tax payer dollars on everything completely unrelated to transportation. Speaker Kelliher said as much herself. (Heard it in a recorded radio news snippet.)
For crying out loud, get a spine Pawlenty. Don’t go weak in the knees now. It will be the end of you and frankly any semblance of limited Government in the upper Midwest.
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Let’s remember that Gov. Pawlenty said that a gas tax increase is “on the table”. That isn’t the same as saying he’d sign a gas tax increase into law.
Last November, Gov. Pawlenty talked about health care, causing conservatives to wonder if he’d gone ‘full DFL’. As we saw this last session, he clearly didn’t. He was merely sounding a conciliatory tone.
Let’s also thank Andy for his online advocacy. He’s a major reason why alot of the DFL’s idiotic bills didn’t become law. Let’s also emulate Andy by calling on Gov. Pawlenty & our legislators to not get rushed into any bad decisions. This is not a time to assume the best.
I think Pawlenty has figured out he is not going to be a VP (with McCain’s failure) so he is trying to be “The Governor” and wants to be featured on the Sunday talk shows as the new Republican way.
If he calls a special session for this tax, he will be able to repeat his performance in 2004 and 2006 and devastate the Republican legislature again.
But just like his hero McCain, he has always been ready to sacrifice the party and those who trusted him to advance his pole numbers.
This is the time for Carey to follow through and stand up for the Party.
I suggest everyone send a quick letter to the MNGOP office a nickle enclosed, letting them know that if they don’t call on the governor to not hold special session then that is the last nickle they will get from me as I will now need to save them to pay my taxes.
Maybe if they get enough folks calling, writing and making a special showing someone will do the right thing.
Why waste your time with the MNGOP? Emailing Gov. Pawlenty & your legislators works better.
I think everyone should write out a check to the MNGOP for say $50 or $100 dollars and mail them a picture of it. Not the actual check, but a copy or what have you. You should also include a note saying that if they stand for the platform and oppose tax increases they get the check, if not the money will go to The TaxPayer’s League or other such conservative advocacy group that *IS* willing to fight for what you believe in.
Frankly Gary, emailing the Legislators now won’t do anything. If Pawlenty does do it, yeah then we need to hold them in line. The real battle in this is changing the mindset of the populace so that they don’t default to raising taxes everytime something goes bump in the night, especially since there’s billions in revenue already taken away on “bumps’” behalf to begin with.
I’m still not sure what the MNGOP has to do with Pawlenty’s ability to call a special session. There seems to be some idea that the MNGOP chair actually holds the strings over the governor’s office, but it’s just not true.
It is a good idea about the checks though. I’d glad someone mentioned that we can help elect Republicans by mailing photos of $100 checks. Finally an answer to the reason why we’ve lost so many seats the last 2 elections. Not enough people donating photo’s of checks. The best thing is that it doesn’t cost me anything so that my donations go further. I may even give an EXTRA-LARGE photo check to the Taxpayer’s League!
Don’t mail the checks (or photocopies thereof) to the party….mail them to the candidates directly!
LL
Actually, I just had a phone conversation with Steve Gottwalt. Steve’s wholeheartedly & vehemently opposed to a special session. Focus on contacting Pawlenty instead.
GREAT NEWS from 28B:
With 96 percent of the precincts reporting, Draz is leading 3,659 to 3,267!!!
Screw the party, go straight to the candidates.
Absolutely Kevin….the individual candidates can do more with your dollars. Too much of the dollars that go to the party go to overhead…just like a lot of big charities…
LL
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The drumbeat grows louder…the drumbeat against the special session. First there were the posts from AAA, Leo and Gary all pleading with the Governor not to hold a special session. Gary even contacted his rep (Steve Gottwalt) whose gut response was…
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