[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: Premature Applause

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
Premature Applause
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1203053018.shtml


   My friends, please. You're all excited how Prime Minister Pawlenty has
   his veto pen ready for this year's legislative session. I'm glad, too,
   but let's keep some perspective.
   As Governor from 1999 through 2002, Jesse Ventura and his "Big Plan"
   increased total state spending by 30 percent in just 4 years, from
   $32.7 billion to $42.7 billion. This is total spending per biennium -
   "all funds" - not just the general fund usually referenced. The
   general fund went up 26 percent, but it's the total spending that
   counts.
   The first six years of Pawlenty will have increased total state
   spending by another 30 percent, from $42.7 billion to $55.4 billion
   per biennium. Year six is as passed in the biennium budget from last
   session and certainly will be revised slightly this session, but this
   won't affect the six year total much. (The General Fund went up 29
   percent.)
   I don't blame Mr. Pawlenty entirely. He was spectacular in dealing
   with the mega-honking deficit in 2003, but spending still went up over
   7 percent that biennium, a little over the inflation rate. He
   collapsed in 2005 as we all know, then rebounded in 2007 when the
   over-confident, out of touch DFL leadership tried to both ignore and
   corner Pawlenty. It was close, great fun really watching Larry
   Pogemiller et al get schooled by our state's most adroit politician.
   But while the vetoes held, the spending still went up over 9 percent
   for the biennium.
   Let me also observe that we got some tax relief and rebates from
   Governor Ventura, and the school portion of our property taxes was
   eased. As I'm sure the Democrats will agree, property taxes quickly
   rebounded in Pawlenty's first two years and are once again at the
   threshold of pain in most communities. And, Governor Pawlenty raised
   taxes, and during the relatively prosperous 2006-07 biennium.
   We were fooled in 1998, finding that Ventura was about as Independent
   as his buddy Arnold Schwarzenegger is Republican. But the numbers show
   that state spending is rising almost as fast under Pawlenty.