Minnesota: Pawlenty again balancing budget on backs of the neediest

[dflprincess]

To make up the next projected deficit in Minnesota's budget Gov Tim Pawlenty a Bush stooge who also claims to be a close personal friend of Jesus is again refusing to raise taxes but will, once again, ask the sick and the elderly to balance the budget:

http://www.startribune.com/stories/312/4644921.html
<snip>

Health care, hospitals and nursing homes all would take deeper cuts in a supplemental budget proposed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday to eliminate the state's $160 million projected deficit.

The biggest spending increases in Pawlenty's plan would go to public safety, which would receive nearly one-third of $63 million in new spending proposed. Sexual predator enforcement would net more than $12 million with money also going to a Gang Strike Force, increased prison population costs and an anti-methamphetamine initiative.

Pawlenty would cut $96 million in other spending, with health and human services taking the largest share of cuts -- $40 million.

Pawlenty said found additional cuts to health and human services "very tough" to propose. However, he said, in weighing the choice of providing such services against bolstering public safety, "public safety is one of our absolute highest priorities."

<end snip>

As one of my friends pointed out, if there's a deficit next year the only thing left to do will be empty the nursing homes and put all the residents out on Lake Superior when the ice starts to break up.

Bite the bullet Tim, get out of the Taxpayer League's bed and raise the income tax.

[mzmolly]

1. Grrrrrrrrrrrreat. More Health Care cuts. *sigh*

:puke:

Gawd forbid he *raise* taxes :scared: to cover Health care for poor children. :eyes:

[Lindacooks]

2. I HATE HIM

I hate him, I hate him, I hate him.

WHY are people in this state so gullible? Minnesota nice doesn't mean being nice to people are are just plain mean spirited and have cruel intentions.

So many social service programs took hits in the first round of these 'compassionate conservative' cuts. Now some of these programs are actually going to fail.

The problem is, average Joe/Jane doesn't see the suffering, at least not yet. People in Eden Prairie and Edina are driving around in their hummers, whining about gas prices, and don't see the suffering.

[Deja Q]

4. Well then...

What if the poor to attack the wealthy instead of each other. I've never understood the logic when the poor attack each other... should they collectively organize, the wealthy have had it.

Okay, that's a sick thought. Violence is horrible, period. But it's the wealthy who have played proverbial peanuckle with them... they're bound to put 1 + 1 together at some point and see how ugly "2" really is.

And at my workplace, I do see it. Coworkers are angry, and some of our clients are positively fuming. And bush* and the rest have heavily contributed.

It's only a matter of time, unless everybody regains the post WW II ideal of society helping each other instead of themselves for themselves.

[Deja Q]

3. I wish Pawlenty was sick...

He is sick, but not in the way that would make him need help. If he was, he might re-think... wait, check that... he might THINK about what he is doing. Repukes historically have a knack for being cold and callous until something hits them personally. Only after that do they start looking for help all over the place.

He gave the wealthy 5 years of tax breaks before a $4 billion deficit came about. (According to City Pages "Tim Pawlenty's New Deal" article, the size of the deficit TOTALLED the amount of those tax cuts combined. Things that make you go 'Hmmm...'.)

"Very tough", my ass.

And if he did raise taxes, he's continue the trend of the last 24 years by raising taxes on the middle and lower classes while leaving the wealthy alone.

Also, how the hell has our deficit creeping up again?! The last I heard, it was $150 mil. Now it's $400 mil. :wtf: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: :tinfoilhat: I smell a big rotting rat. If that deficit is caused by health care cost increases, let's fix the health care problem and not whittle away at the symptoms, for - duh - the problem will still remain.

The efficacy of politicians is erratic at best, but with repukes you KNOW nothing for the benefit of THE PEOPLE will ever get done. :-(

[wellst0nev0ter]

5. I'd Say The State Got What They Voted For

If it weren't for the fact that the majority of the voters voted against him.

Oh well, the only thing comforting is how damn predictible a repuke he is. Tolerate less schools, less health care, but build more prisons. Will they ever get off their broken record? :eyes: