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State Representative Tim Mahoney
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4277
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
Column/LTE
PENNY-PINCHING TIMMY
Governor Gridlock keeps getting in the way of progress in Minnesota. This time, Tim Pawlenty's penny-pinching partisan agenda pulled the rug out from under the Central Corridor and transit projects all across the East Metro. By throwing a wrench in these crucial transit projects, our good Governor has yet again sent hundreds of millions of federal matching dollars to other states, likely eliminating any hope that these projects will begin any time soon.
Governor Pawlenty's close-minded ambitions for national Republican stardom have stood in the way of every major effort to improve transportation and reduce gridlock in our cities. He refuses to act on his responsibility as Governor to take serious, forward-thinking action in maintaining safety on our roads and bridges. A true leader for the 21st Century would bring solutions to the table, not roadblocks.
Instead of working with the Legislature to find a responsible means to address our transportation needs in Minnesota, Governor Gridlock has one consistent motto, "It's my way, or the highway." Mr. Governor, the highway is full, the bridge is out, and the side streets are pretty bumpy - I would rather find a way.
This year, with no help from the Governor, the Legislature put in law a transportation finance bill that maintains safety on our roads and bridges. We set in motion the building of a system of transit infrastructure in the Twin Cities that will reduce congestion, and put the metropolitan area on a path to a globally competitive 21st Century economy.
Still, bonding money included in this year's capital investment bill was crucial for progress on the Central Corridor and other transit projects in the East Metro. But Tim Pawlenty took out his red pen, and with one fell swoop, wiped metro transit off the map.
But the Governor slashed more than just transit - in a time of economic uncertainty and rising unemployment, Pawlenty's shortsighted line item vetoes eliminated wages for thousands of good-paying construction jobs, and stifled greatly anticipated economic development in St. Paul and Minneapolis along University Avenue.
Additionally, Governor Pawlenty vetoed every St. Paul bonding project in the capital investment bill. From Central Corridor, to the Como Zoo and the Asian-Pacific Cultural Center, these St. Paul projects were years in the making and would have brought significant economic benefits to our city. But make no mistake; the death of these projects was no coincidence. Axing over $100 million for critical infrastructure projects in St. Paul was a calculated political plan orchestrated by a man who uses the political process for his own national political advancement.
In fact, ninety-six percent of Penny-Pinching Timmy's line item vetoes to this year's capital investment bill were projects sponsored by Democrats. Ironically, only 2 Republican projects fell victim to the Governor's careful judgment. But that too was no coincidence. It was just one more glimmering example of Pawlenty's pristine leadership - a rule of governance dictated by a radical partisan agenda.
I've represented St. Paul's East Side for almost a decade. In the course of my ten years in the Legislature, I've never seen this level of shameful political gamesmanship. Every single St. Paul resident should be outraged that Tim Pawlenty used our community as a pawn in his twisted scheme of partisan dictatorial governance.
It's time for Governor Pawlenty to stop playing childish games with the future of Minnesota and the wellbeing of its citizens. That's why I encourage all St. Paul residents and business owners to contact the Governor and ask him simply, "Sir, when will you lead?"
You can reach Governor Pawlenty by phone at (651) 296-3391 or by email at tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us.
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