I dare Gov. Pawlenty to have the courage to tell President Obama to keep Washington’s ‘Unconstitutional‘ hands out of Minnesota’s cookie jar. 

Last month, Congress enacted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, popularly called “the stimulus plan.” It gives billions of dollars to the states, but the gift has strings attached. One of its unique provisions changes state constitutions! That provision is unconstitutional, and its defect raises problems about the whole enterprise.

The aphorism, he who pays the piper calls the tune, is one that Congress understands quite well. If the state accepts funds, it also accepts a host of restrictions. For example, the plan increases, temporarily, the money it sends to states to fund various welfare programs. To receive that money, states have to add thousands of new people to the welfare rolls. In two years, the federal largesse stops, but the new welfare recipients are still there.

Consequently, several governors have said that they might simply refuse the money. Most are Republican, but recently the Democratic governor of Tennessee has joined the chorus. The stimulus bill, for example, gives $7 billion to the states to add to their unemployment trust funds, but to receive this “gift,” a state has to change its formula so that it makes more people eligible for benefits, which leaves a long-term obligation on the system.

Because some governors might not accept the money, Congress added a unique provision, in subsection 1607(b): “If funds provided to any State in any division of this Act are not accepted for use by the Governor, then acceptance by the State legislature, by means of the adoption of a concurrent resolution, shall be sufficient to provide funding to such State.”

Pawlenty has already said/implied that he will take the poison pill (Federal Dollars) from Washington and accept the money with the strings attached (mandated state spending increases to be maintained solely by the state in the near future). Given the nature of our state’s economy and massive budget deficit, Pawlenty should refuse the funding. 

I know, I know, tough choices, well o you really think that St. Paul won’t be trying to restore all the cuts they are making this year? They can’t possibly raise taxes enough to cover the budget gap, so there will be cuts. And when the economy picks up again, and the revenue flows back in, you can bet your bottom dollar that all the people who will back anyone opposing Pawlenty for reelection will try to restore the billions in cuts. (Current at about 7% across the board from Democratic proposals. )

Many of us on the center right, fiscally responsible side of the isle have been saying we have already at unsustainable spending levels for 2 budget cycles, this will only make things worse and put further strain on the private sector to fund Government. Not a prescription for long term economic recovery. Just one blip in the economy sends the Nanny State known as state Government into a tizzy and tailspin. We’ve already become too dependent on Government in this state, and taking this Federal spending with a Mandate to match, will only make the ratio worse in our future as taxpayers. 

Governor Pawlenty, please say thanks, but no thanks. Do the right thing for the people of this state. Let the Legislature pass their resolution to usurp your power, you know they will and since Democrats have an iron clad majority, it will pass. Let them run on the notion of raising taxes at the behest of Obama and Congress. 

Those of us who believe in state’s rights and the rule of law will take care of the rest. Don’t forget, you’ll be up for reelection, just about the time the Federal dollars stop flowing. If you at least try to reign in the out of control spending, it can’t help your chances.

Do you really want to be responsible for finding another $2+ Billion in revenue to replace Obama’s carrots, when you are running for reelection as Governor or padding your resume for a 2012 POTUS run?

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 15th, 2009 at 10:16 pm and is filed under 2010, A.R.O.R.A., It's The Spending Stupid, Know Thy Enemy, MN Governor, MNGOP Reform, Minnesota, National, Politics, Redistributor In Chief. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.