Pawlenty Exposed

Unchecked Poetry

2005-06-01T07:31:00.000-07:00

A Few Lines Composed Above A State Office Building.

Tim, I think that I should see
The day that you will no longer be
Our governor, the source of great
Embarrassment.

Minnesota should not be a state
Of mediocrity. I hate
That I cringe at your sunny
Cheshire sentiment.

All the poets interviewed agree
That a Laureate is not a necessity.
I would extend it further
To a Pawlenty second term.

I am patient. I can wait
For a stronger, better state
Where voters vote and cast you out
In turn.

PE

There once was a Governor from Eagan...

2005-05-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

There once was a Governor from Eagan
Ambitious, pernicious, yet deceiving.
He vetoed a State Poet
While claiming to know that
Poetry’s taxing not fee-ing.

PE

All The Players Smirk

2005-05-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

Nick Coleman’s on to it. Mark Brunswick, too. Tim Pawlenty’s got the Presidential bug and he’s got it bad.

This morning, in one of those joyous harmonic convergence moments, Coleman’s Strib column and Brunswick’s Gov/Sviggy/Dean-o negotiations story both revealed Pawlenty’s increasingly naked Presidential ambition. Coleman examines Pawlenty’s right-wing blogger love fest. Brunswick, though, nails it.

“[State Senate Majority Leader Dean] Johnson joked to a stone-faced Pawlenty that he should smile, but Pawlenty barely cracked a smirk.”

Oh, yes. This Governor smirks. He smirks quite a bit. I’ll bet he’s smirking right now. The President of the United States, George W. Bush, is also a notorious smirker. Smirking is key.

Tim hasn’t missed the point. Want to be president? You need a presidential smirk. No garden variety, smart-assed South St Paul High School, jock-sniffing, Vin Weber-worshipping smirk will do. I mean, come on, what respectable Republican president can’t derisively smirk at the most inopportune moment?

This month’s PE book club selection is Hunter Thompson’s Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, ’72. Thompson didn’t much care for Hubert Humphrey, reserving a special contempt for Humphrey’s naked ambition. Thompson was quick to spot vanity, arrogance and greed masquerading as noble aspiration. Coleman’s final paragraph captures a similar sentiment.

“The [Governor’s] mansion plays tricks on big egos. Once you glimpse yourself in a gilded mirror, you start to believe your own stuff.”

The smirk reveals all.

PE

Flynn Dim on Tim

2005-05-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today, the Star Tribune published excerpts from an interview with Harry Flynn, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul. While we at PE do not agree with all of the Archbishop’s analysis (“I think the governor has a real good heart”) we do overwhelmingly support his overall message that Tim’s allegiance to the (to good to be) Taxpayer’s League is diametrically opposed to the core of mainstream religious teaching. Archbishop Flynn challenged Tim to do what he has done -- talk to children whose only daily meal is the one they get during the day at the child care facilities that Tim wants to cut funding from. Flynn said that, “any heart should be able to be changed by that." Unfortunately, Flynn’s confidence in Tim’s heart is likely misplaced. Tim seems to care more about promises to interest groups and being president or vice president than he does about religious teaching.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/5413601.html

Kitchen Sink in Favor of House Transportation Bill

2005-05-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, we here at PE link you to the Star Trib more than the Pioneer Press. However, here is a link not only to the press but to there (conservative) Editorial Board’s piece asking Tim to sign the House Transportation Bill into law despite his written promise to his blood brothers over at the Tax Payers League (special interest group).

This is just one of an array of articles, editorials, and opinions published in the last week asking for the following: “TIM, SET YOUR POLITICAL AMBITIONS ASIDE FOR JUST A SECOND AND, FOR ONCE, TAKE CARE OF OUR STATE!!”

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/editorial/11662071.htm

Breaking News: Tim Will Say Anything to Look Good

2005-05-19T09:32:00.001-07:00

In a shocking announcement, the Star Tribune (LINK) reported yesterday that Tim’s statements about Minnesota’s business climate aren’t exactly what you or I would call consistent. It turns out that Minnesota is either the best place to do business in the country, or the worst -- it all depending on Tim’s political ambitions that particular day. Hmmm, this sounds strangely familiar to Tim’s stances on expanding gambling and publicly funded stadiums. Two might be a coincidence, but three is a pattern. Can you say, “flip-flop?”

http://www.startribune.com/stories/468/5408017.html

Don’t Count You Eggs Before They Hatch, Tim

2005-05-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

Tim’s plan to turn Minnesota into Las Vegas in order to cover core state services is dead (see any newspaper today May 18th). The problem is, Tim had already factored this income into the state’s budget. Seems to me that the adage, “don’t count your eggs before they hatch,” would have been useful here. So, what do we do now, Tim? Should we just kick a few more thousand working Minnesotans off of their healthcare insurance? You didn’t seem to care too much about the first forty thousand, what’s a few thousands more? As long as it keeps David Strom and Karl Rove happy, it’s probably a good idea for you. Or maybe we could raise the nursing home fees, or pass on the cuts to our middle schools and high schools, or just charge the students at the University of Minnesota a few more thousand dollars a year in tuition? These all seem like viable options; surely they are better ideas than having all of us chip in our fair share to keep our standard of living highest in the nation, like we used to do. That, my fellow Minnesotans, would be profoundly stupid.

It’s Not Original, But It’s Effective

2005-05-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

We here at PE usually strive to be a little more original then this, but when I read this piece in the City Pages...I just had to share

PE

Tim Pawlenty's false populism
Comforting the Comfortable

by Britt Robson - May 18, 2005

Was it really only four months ago that Gov. Tim Pawlenty was lecturing legislators in his 2005 State of the State speech? "When it comes to spending the people's money, we shouldn't be afraid of the people," he declared on January 18. "Today, I'm proposing what I call, 'Turbocharged--Truth in Taxation.'"

A scheme to starve the beast of government, "Turbocharged" would include three postcards along with every Truth in Taxation Form that is currently mailed to Minnesotans as a means of explaining how much of their money goes to taxes. The postcards--"one each for the county, city or township, and school district," Pawlenty explained--would enable taxpayers to mail in a "no" vote if they think a levy increase goes beyond a reasonable level.

"If significant dissatisfaction is registered, a levy referendum on the amount of increase above a certain level will be triggered," Pawlenty continued. "We've got to trust the people. So once again I ask the Legislature to pass a carefully drawn and limited form of Initiative and Referendum. We need to allow the people the chance to directly speak on the major issues of the day."

By late April, of course, the major issue of the day was a proposal to increase the Hennepin County sales tax so that $353 million of the people's money could be spent on a new stadium for the Twins. But state law currently stipulates that such a move be put to a referendum--exactly the mechanism Pawlenty championed in January, and supposedly wants to expand, as a means of holding politicians accountable for their spending decisions. Ah, but this windfall of tax dollars would flow not to school district classrooms, or county hospitals, or city-or-township police forces--but to billionaire Carl Pohlad, the richest man in the state. And with surveys once again showing overwhelming public resentment of this unique form of corporate welfare, Tim Pawlenty suddenly didn't much care about "trusting the people" anymore. Sure, he'd prefer that the issue be put to the people, Pawlenty told reporters. But, he cavalierly added, the portion of the stadium proposal that expressly overturned the requirement for a referendum "is not a deal breaker."

Pawlenty's paper-thin populism was again on display last week, when he worked himself into a lather over the Senate DFL's proposal to raise taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans. Never mind that the governor's own bean counters in the revenue department have determined that the richest 5 percent of the state population will endure a much lower tax burden than the blue-collar folk that Pawlenty pretends he wants to protect, or that the added revenue would go primarily toward education and health care for the middle class and working poor. Pawlenty memorably labeled the proposal "profoundly stupid" and claimed it would be a "job killer" for the state.

Not surprisingly, the governor cited no economic data to support his "job killer" charge. In fact, numerous studies have indicated that, if anything, states with high tax rates also enjoy robust economies. Certainly that has been the case in Minnesota, which emerged as a regional economic powerhouse during the last half of the 20th century at precisely the same time it was garnering a reputation for high taxes and liberal spending on education.

Now that Pawlenty and his "no new taxes" crew have held sway for the past few years at the Capitol, the state's record of job creation is not so stellar. According to the latest figures on the website operated by Pawlenty's Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Minnesota Labor Market Index has grown by 2.8 percent over the past year. The U.S. Labor Market Index is up 3.1 percent over the same period.

Put simply, Governor Pawlenty is less adamant about providing a check-and-balance on tax dollars for Pohlad than he is on tax dollars for schools. And he isn't afraid to use hyperbolic and factually inaccurate language to oppose proposals to make Pohlad and peers bear the same tax burden as the rest of us. On the other hand--as recent polls have shown Pawlenty's approval rating holding at 56 percent while his no-new-taxes policy is unpopular with Minnesotans--he really is a nice guy, isn't he?

Slow Motion: Pawlenty ATV Crash Coverage Continues

2005-05-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

It’s not just us. Tim’s little ATV embarrassment is getting ink and air all over the state. Now, mainstream (not just bloggers) editorials are weighing in. Check out the Duluth Tribune’s piece.

Pawlenty Strays, Polaris Pays, DNR Looks the Other Way

2005-05-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

This pat weekend, Tim Pawlenty was tear-assing around Grand Rapids on an ATV when he ran into a tree stump. The ATV, a 2005 model belonging to Polaris Corporation, sustained $2,500 in damages, roughly a third of its cost.

Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung quickly leaped to Tim’s defense. "The governor just happened to clip (the stump) with the corner of the ATV and that was enough to take it out.”

Pawlenty was not cited, but Department of Natural Resources supervisor Ken Soring said the governor was likely going too fast for the difficult terrain.

I suppose we should all breath a sigh of relief that Tim wasn’t attending a gun show.

Think about what McClung says. “The Governor just happened to clip it…” Just happened. Like he was driving along like any responsible ATV operator, completely in control of his machine, when he just happened to hit a stump. Note the passive language, deflecting responsibility. Tim didn’t hit the stump so much as the ATV kinda, sorta hit the stump.

This is right out of a Jerry Springer episode. “Jerry, I didn’t mean to sleep with my wife’s mom, it just happened. All seventeen times.”

Wouldn’t it be neat if we had a Governor who owned up to his mistakes? Who said, “Folks, I don’t ride ATVs that much and I was going a lot faster than was safe. I hit a stump that I should’ve seen. I wrecked an ATV that doesn’t belong to me but I’m paying for the damage I caused. It’s embarrassing to learn this lesson at my age and stage in life but I hope other people learn from my mistake.”

But, no, Tim didn’t say that. Instead, his toady said that Pawlenty’s accident just happened. Sort of like the way Tim governs our state. All those failing roads? They just happened. Our overcrowded, under funded schools? They just happened. Skyrocketing local property taxes? They just happened.

I guess Tim’s ATV accident isn’t so surprising.

PE

Pawlenty Criticism Not Taken Well

2005-05-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Minnesota Democrats Exposed, our host site blogmate and the Minnesota Republican Party’s plausibly-deniable blog monkey boy, is shocked, SHOCKED, that PE explores the logical extension of Tim Pawlenty’s half-baked rhetorical assertions.

Let’s revisit the situation. At a recent ethanol bill signing pageant, Tim Pawlenty crowed that Minnesota (and perhaps he was overreaching here) is the Saudi Arabia of renewable fuels. We, in turn, asserted that if Tim’s claim is true, then Tim is the new Osama bin Laden.

Explaining a joke always kills the humor but since MDE has lost his usual wit in this case (side note to MDE: we loved the Steve Kelley civility standard pieces), we’ll explain.

Saudi Arabia is a country in the Middle East. It is not a democracy. The ruling Saud family embraces Wahhabi fundamentalism, a puritanical Islamic sect. The Saud family is tight with the Bush family. Saudi Arabia produces a lot of oil. Osama bin Laden’s father became wealthy building stuff for the Saud family. Osama bin Laden, biting the hand that fed him, is determined to overthrow the Saud family. Saudi Arabia stripped bin Laden of his citizenship and kicked him out of the country. Things went downhill from there.

So -and follow me here- Saudi Arabia produces a lot of oil but it also produced Osama bin Laden. Tim Pawlenty wants Minnesota to produce renewable fuels to the same degree that Saudi Arabia produces oil. Just as Minnesota produces more than ethanol, Saudi Arabia produces more than oil. Tim is a product of Minnesota’s strong public schools but he’s turned against the very policies that facilitated his rise, just as Osama bin Laden rejected Saudi society. Both men are pursuing a dark, destructive vision. It’s not the same kind of destruction, of course, but that’s where satire comes in.

Mostly, however, I think Tim’s “Saudi Arabia” declaration is just plain dumb; that it merits skewering. So if Tim broadly claims one comparison, I think it’s funny to assert a parallel one.

I hope this clarification, MDE, makes the joke funnier.
PE

Pawlenty, POTUS, The West Wing…and an ATV

2005-05-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

I was reading the newspaper this morning and came across this beauty in the Star Tribune. “Pawlenty involved in ATV crash”

Now is it just me, or does this remind you of the very first episode of “The West Wing”?

In it, the President falls off a bicycle, and the SOS goes out to staff, “POTUS fell off bicycle.” I can just see it now…beepers all over the capitol went off with “the Governor fell off an ATV.”

After all, Two-Faced Tim is so focused on being President; maybe that is what he was thinking about while he was speeding on his ATV.

And if Timmy and his staff fancy themselves after the staff of The West Wing, does that mean Dan McElroy is the closet alcoholic (Leo) or did he accidentally sleep with a call girl last night (Sam).

Either way, sure will make some good TV.

Tim. Osama. Tim. Osama

2005-05-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

If Minnesota is on its way to becoming the Saudi Arabia of renewable fuels, then Tim Pawlenty is the new Osama bin Laden.

“The Saudi Arabia of renewable fuels.” He really said that. What’s next? Minnesota: the Kuwait of Ethanol. The United Arab Emirates of Biomass. The Syria of Sugar Beets. The Lebanon of Learning. The Iran of Schools.

Rhetorically, Tim’s on to something here.

Parked in front of St Paul’s Grand Avenue Super America gas station, surrounded by black shirts, enabled by portly State Representative Greg Davids, Tim signed the new ethanol bill into law.

Ethanol, if you haven’t heard, is the newest farm subsidy. This bill, requiring all gas sold in Minnesota to eventually contain twenty percent ethanol, enjoyed wide-ranging support. It’s the feel-good hit of the legislative session and who can blame Tim for wanting to crash one more party? Anyway, implementation requires a federal government waiver. The feds won’t sign. The ethanol requirement lives to be flogged to death another time.

I hope stays with the comparative perspective. Minnesota could become the Russia of hospitals. The Burma of dentistry. The Uganda of roads. The Kansas of Science.

So many empty platitudes; so little time.

PE

Tim Pawlenty is Not Profoundly Stupid

2005-05-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, reacting to the State Senate Majority Caucus’ tax proposal, uttered the phrase, “profoundly stupid.” Just when we thought that Jesse’s head scratching declarations couldn’t be surpassed; Tim establishes a new low in political rhetoric.

Tim believes that wealthy folks shouldn’t pay their fair share; that, as Scottie Fitzgerald wrote, the rich are different from you and me. Although Minnesota generally and St Paul specifically fall all over themselves embracing Fitzgerald, you don’t have to dig too deeply to strike Fitzgerald’s vein of loathing, resentment, and ambivalence about his birth place. Tim and Scottie share that special reverie that some reserve for wealth. Fitzgerald lionized the well-heeled in literature. Tim Pawlenty uses the state tax code.

But “profoundly stupid”? That’s it? That’s the best he can do to preserve privilege?

Let’s think this through.

First, is “profoundly stupid” redundant? Gradations of stupidity, previously used to describe developmental disorders, assigned cognitive capacity. “Imbecile” or “moron” once referred to a specific mental condition. Now discredited, the language remains but applies broadly as an insult rather than narrowly as a diagnosis. So, yes, “profoundly stupid” is redundant. Even back in the day.

Secondly, Tim’s dismissive declaration is an ad hominem attack on those proposing the change. Rather than simply refute the Senate Majority’s proposal as poor policy or note damaging potential results, Tim attacks the messenger. The proposal is bad, in other words, not because it’s a bad idea but because the writers are bad people of low character. Granted, Tim’s cagier than that but fundamentally Tim’s attacking Senator Dean Johnson and not Johnson’s ideas.

I guess Tim must be worried about something, lowering himself to this level. He’s not profoundly stupid, after all; he’s just stupid.

Shocking! Tim Discovers Illegal Canadian Immigration!

2005-05-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, Arizona’s Minutemen Anti-Immigrant Vigilante squad declared victory, packed their radios, binoculars and thirty aught-sixes, and trooped home. Apart from wasting Border Patrol time and resources, the Minute Man Project didn’t accomplish much. Illegal workers -the folks washing your dishes, mowing your lawn, and picking your produce- kept pouring across the Mexican/US border, hustling to get to work.

Citizen driven enforcement improvement isn’t the point, though. It’s all about attention. The Minute Man Project provided a stellar opportunity for rightwing posturing.

What’s this have to do with Tim Pawlenty? I’m glad you asked.

Minnesota’s Canadian border is radically more porous than Arizona’s Mexican border. Tim is a master of the policy proposal that he has absolutely no intention of implementing yet reaps extraordinary media benefit. Put these two things together. What do you get?

Minute Man North, brought to you by Governor Tim Pawlenty. As I see it, Tim covers several bases. First, Tim’s not going to nail down a GOP presidential endorsement by being soft on illegal immigrants. Second, as we all know, illegal Canadian immigration is the greatest threat to America since the Mexicans, Soviets, and Nicaraguans. It’s bigger than Osama Bin Laden.

Third, he stirs up national press. Fourth, he screws with environmental activists by allowing volunteer enforcement agents to use outboard motors in the BWCA while establishing a skirmish line. Fifth, and my personal favorite, Tim gets to practice the Wendy Anderson with a walleye “good life” shot for Time magazine.

There’s just no down side here, at least for a ruthless, unprincipled political sleaze. Some of you may find this naked posturing unconscionable but Tim’s not that kind of guy.

Tim may not have thought of Minute Man North, what with all his Presidential travel. But, I’m telling you, Tim, there’s rightwing gold in that thar snow.

Tim will grasp this immediately. But, he needs to get moving before Canadians shift to canoes, rather than walking across frozen lakes. If one of this staff toadies redrafts my post as a memo, I won’t complain. In fact, I’ll consider it as my contribution to Tim’s weasel greatness.

PE

Pawlenty’s Crapshoot

2005-04-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

The whole thing is falling apart. Tim’s vaunted casino deal, I mean. Some proposals are untenable from the start; this is one of those.

Let’s recap. What were three poor tribes are now one. The Leech Lake and Red Earth bands remain poor –no surprise there- but dropped out when Tim folded the Vegas casino proposal into the Casino-at-Racino deal. White Earth clings to the hope that not only will this doomed project become law but that it can somehow successfully compete with Mystic Lake and Vegas-at-Canterbury Downs. That’s like me opening a small to midsized grocery store smack dab between Cub Foods and Byerly’s.

Granted, I don’t generally like Tim’s policy choices but let’s face it, this guy will say and do anything to stay in office. Promises one day; broken promises the next.

Note to all future Pawlenty partners; recall Regan’s words: trust, but verify.

PE

Tim relying on Minnesotans to be "smart," but not THAT smart

2005-04-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Last week the Senate Democrats released their spending plans. They include $1.4 billion more than Tim proposed. This added spending would allow the state to adequately fund education, which we at PE consider a good thing. (This is all from the governor’s website by the way.) The senate did not specify where the added revenue would come from as that will be worked out in the next couple weeks in tax committees. Tim had this to say, “"The DFL is obviously going to increase taxes. They should at least have the courtesy to tell us whose pockets they are going to pick. Minnesotans are smarter than that. They know that the Senate DFL can't help themselves when it comes to spending other people's money. They say yes to every spending lobby and special interest in the state. But they're apparently afraid to tell us who will be stuck with the bill."

Notice the key phrase, “Minnesotans are smarter than that.” Apparently Tim thinks Minnesotans are just smart enough to take his rhetoric at face value and that all brain activity ends there. Apparently Tim doesn’t think Minnesotans are smart enough to realize that his entire governing philosophy is based upon a single written pledge to a lone interest group. Tim doesn’t think Minnesotans are smart enough to realize that because of this pledge, education funding has been frozen for the last two years. Tim doesn’t think Minnesotans are smart enough to figure out that their property taxes rising, their health care cost rising, their fees rising, and their roads degenerating, just might have something to do with Tim’s pledge to that one special interest group. Lastly, and most obviously, Tim doesn’t think Minnesotans are smart enough to realize that the Senate Democrats will release their revenue plans in the next few weeks of the session, just like they said they would the entire time.

We at PE think Minnesotans aren’t just smart, we think they’re that smart.

Does Tim Pawlenty Have a Soul?

2005-04-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Sam Rayburn had his Board of Education. Pawlenty Exposed has its Department of Theology. The recent Papal Enclave reminds us that we are temporal beings, gracing this world for only a short time. In that spirit, we pause to inquire, “Does Tim Pawlenty have a soul?”

This ought to be an easy question, like “is Tim Pawlenty the Prince of Darkness” or at least a vampire? (No, he’s not, because you can see him reflected in mirrors.) However, relying on sentience alone –Tim walks and talks- is not proof of a soul. So, what proof would be acceptable?

If Tim repealed his shameful tax cuts for Minnesota’s wealthiest citizens, that might demonstrate that he has a soul. If Tim would only act on the many good things he claims to value, I might accept that action as sufficient. If Tim’s baptism sponsor were singer, song writer, performer and the hardest working man in show business, James Brown, that would be proof positive.

Alas, none of these can be affirmed. Perhaps during Tim’s lost Eagan years, in order to advance his ambition, Tim placed his soul in a blind trust much as former President George H.W. Bush placed his manhood in one. And if that’s the case, we won’t be seeing Tim’s soul for quite some time.

Keep your eyes peeled. Tim clearly needs a soul, if not his own. We at PE will do our part. We’re firing up the PE Toyota Prius and heading for Eagan. Somewhere, likely in a mini-storage locker, Tim Pawlenty’s soul awaits its liberation.

And we’re just the folks to liberate it.

PE

Tim’s Bad Roads

2005-04-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve been driving Minnesota, basking in the spring sunshine and looking for Tim Pawlenty’s Terri Schiavo. Cruising our fair State, I’ve made two observations. Dairy Queen is never further than the next town and, boy, do our roads suck.

If you’ve ever driven South Dakota, you know what I mean. Ruts, more ruts, potholes, cracked pavement, shabbily repaired cracked pavement and shoulders that make my grandmother’s look like a man’s. (Take the Lord’s name in vain, here). And Tim Pawlenty aspires to this?

I’m not a business guy but don’t crappy roads mean slower traffic? Doesn’t slower traffic mean higher delivery costs? Don’t higher delivery costs drive business away from Minnesota?

You see where I’m going here.

Infrastructure, Tim Boy, infrastructure. Schools. Roads. Bridges. Curbs. Gutters. Health Care. Communications systems. Water. Sewer. Rail. It’s all part of the big picture. Crappy, crumbling systems create a crappy, crumbling state. South Dakota is a fine, fine example.

Years ago, back before the war, The Gear Daddies once sang, “Daddy always said everything I touched just turned to shit.” Tim, for you, buddy, and your gubernatorial stewardship, nothing could speak more clearly.

I’ll let you know when I find your Terry Schiavo. We have a lot old folks homes/assisted living/transitional care facilities in this State. Some poor, brain dead sap will turn up soon enough. Until then, do your part: keep your state Navigator off the roads and save us all the wear and tear.

PE

The Pawlenty-DeLay Axis of Corruption

2005-04-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or has Tim Pawlenty been suspiciously quiet on the Tom DeLay “problem.” This leads to a troubling question: what’s Tim hiding?

Or, in keeping with historical rhetoric, “Governor Pawlenty. What did you know and when did you know it?”

Do I have proof of shenanigans linking Tim Pawlenty to Tom DeLay? No, not yet. But a close examination of their records suggest that the two men swim in the same disease-ridden, rampantly corrupt pond.

Both men demonstrate a fondness for illegal political money. Both subvert principle before power. Both –returning to the bathing analogy- hungrily serve as towel boys to rightwing freaks. Although, to be fair to DeLay, he’s risen to cabana boy supervisor in that regard.

It’s a fair question and one that I expect causes the Governor some discomfort. What’s Tim Pawlenty hiding? We’re getting a taste of the DeLay garbage house. Tim’s will really reek once that door is cracked open.

That didn’t take long....

2005-03-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

Within hours of the Red Lake school killings, Tim Pawlenty and his minions were suggesting that this tragic moment isn’t the time to talk about Tim’s casino deal.

Yes, we didn’t miss the point but in case you did, let us recap the Pawlenty talking points:

The Red Lake incident is tragic. It’s the work of a lone, weird individual. The Red Lake Band is a poor, tightly knit community. Casino revenue from Tim’s Twin Cities Vegas-style casinos will provide new revenue. More revenue means less poverty. Less poverty means less tragedy and fewer lone, weird individuals. Therefore, the solution to the Red Lake killings is expanded gambling.

But, to paraphrase Tim Pawlenty, we’re not going to talk about the casino deal unless we can talk about the casino deal.

PE

Tim Pawlenty: the New Caligula

2005-03-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

I keep wondering, where do Minnesota’s poorest tribes –recipients of Tim Pawlenty’s casinos-as-social-engineering munificent benevolence- come up with $200,000,000?

Two hundred million smackeroos is about two hundred million smackeroos more than the northern tribes have. Two hundred million bucks; that’s Carl Pohlad money. Or, Ghermezian Brothers money. Or, Randy Sampson money.

If Tim’s Vegas Casino deal happens, somebody will have to lend the northern tribes two hundred million dollars. As we’ve learned from the sports stadium experience, private capital never rushes in where public capital blunders first. I predict that the State of Minnesota “loans” the northern tribes two hundred million dollars. The tribes, in turn, pay their “one time fee” to the –gasp- State of Minnesota.

Ok, Joe Citizen, pay attention. You’re on the hook for two hundred million dollars, raised through the sale of government guaranteed state bonds. The northern tribes are on the hook for two hundred million dollars borrowed from Minnesota to pay Minnesota for a gambling license. The bottom line? Tim Pawlenty is washing two hundred million dollars of borrowed money, declaring it revenue and applying it against his billion dollar budget deficit.

People, people, people. Tim Pawlenty is simply transferring debt from one credit card to another, declaring the transfer as revenue, then buying himself a steak dinner to celebrate. Ancient Rome tried this sort of thing, hoping to keep the empire together. It didn’t work. Tim, take note. You don’t want to be mentioned in the same breath as Caligula.

PE

Tim Pawlenty: Twelfth of Twelve

2005-03-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

Tim Pawlenty made the top twelve most likely 2008 Republican presidential nominees list. Some might fear that Tim’s getting a big head over this but, frankly, his noggin’s already pretty good sized so let’s move on to the other common question: which 11 Republicans stand ahead of Tim?

And, can you name them? How about five? Could you at least come up with the top five?

We didn’t think so. However, let’s at least try to examine Tim’s august company.

First, there’s Condi Rice except that she’s not running. Same thing with Colin Powell and Dick Cheney. Newt’s not running, of course, although it annoys him to admit that. Bush the Elder reports that Bush the Florida Governor isn’t likely to run.

See, the first five Republicans that I can identify –apart from Tim Pawlenty, of course- and none of them are running.

Denny Hastert? Naw. Why take the step down from being Speaker? Bill Frist? Possibly. Sure, running the Senate is like herding cats but he’s still the Senate Majority leader. Plus, being Leader worked so incredibly well for Bob Dole’s Presidential bid.

A great many Christians are hard pressed to name all twelve apostles so I guess I’m not surprised that I can’t name the eleven likely GOP presidential nominees ahead of Tim Pawlenty.

Maybe, though, Tim isn’t really the twelfth most likely nominee. Maybe, like the traitor, Judas Iscariot, he’s actually the uncounted thirteenth.

Damn it. Now we have to come up with yet one more Republican presidential contender ahead of Tim Pawlenty. If Tim thinks about it too hard, it might give him an insecurity complex.

PE

Sugarcoated Crap

2005-03-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, an ever-so-slightly-uncomfortable Tim Pawlenty stood before northern Minnesota tribal representatives, toadies and assorted traitors, and announced his “fairness” initiative. Today, the Racino vultures get their shot. Frankly, I can’t keep the proposals straight without a scorecard.

Today’s Pioneer Press-Republican carries a Craig Westover op-ed piece, examining Tim-Boy’s political maneuvering and stagecraft. It’s well written and certainly worth a read.

Westover argues “Using the theater of his office, the governor has defined the debate as a contest between the moral high ground of "fairness," plus demonstrable fiscal benefits, vs. the speculative social costs of gambling.

“The governor is running a winnable bluff.

“Given immediate gratification with only "potential" consequences somewhere in the future, most people will order the dessert, charge up their credit cards, run the yellow light and take the tribal $200 million up-front money as part of the governor's deal.

“And that's what the governor is counting on.”

Since we’re ordering dessert, abandon all restraint, ye who enter. My newest suggestion: seatback video slots on school buses. Let kids use their lunch money debit cards to gamble during the tedious bus commute. (And those of you from rural areas know what I’m talking about).

Sure, little Jimmy will go hungry nine times out of ten but, hey, he might get an extra Ho-Ho once in a while. And, isn’t that why Tim wants more casino gambling in Minnesota? He’s betting the farm, shoveling sugarcoated crap down our throats and calling it caviar. I’m betting that Pit Boss Tim Pawlenty craps out.

Flip-Flopper Tim Pawlenty

2005-03-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

Flip Flopper. A term Republicans including the Two-Faced Governor of this state know all too well and love to throw about. But like a boomerang, it is coming back to smack Timmy in the face.

Thanks to a tip from one of our loyal readers, we found an article over at Minnesota Public Radio dealing with Two-Faced Tim Pawlenty the Flip Flopper, and his views of gambling.

The article, posted December 6th, 2004 had this to say:

Pawlenty insists he has not changed his position on gambling. But when he ran for governor two years ago, he campaigned against proposals to expand gambling.

Five months into his first year as governor, Pawlenty had this to say about a state-sponsored casino in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio.

"It's not a proper function of government, to be running and owning and profiting from gambling operations. That's not really part of our Constitution, or the vision that our founding fathers had for our state."

Now lets see. "It's not a proper function of government, to be running and owning and profiting from gambling operations.” That seems pretty clear. And yet he lies when he says he has not changed his position. After all, he campaigned against proposals to expand gambling!!!

FLIP FLOP!!!! A big one. And not just a Flip Flop, but a blatant lie added to it.

This is the true face of Two-Faced Tim Pawlenty the Flip Flopper. A deceitful, flip-flopping, liar who will say anything to get re-elected so he can run for President and run out on this state.

PE

The Star Tribune is Catching On

2005-03-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. On Friday we brought you the “Whorino,” on Sunday the Star Tribune had its own ides for Two-Faced Tim Pawlenty:

Hospisino: This one's been suggested jokingly by a hospitals advocate, who has suggested slot machines in emergency room waiting areas. Proceeds would help cover the costs of emergency care for the uninsured. Rep. Tom Huntley, DFL-Duluth, actually tried to pass a hospisino amendment a couple years ago, and said he expects to try again this year.

Inside-straight state park: Instead of cutting state park programs or jacking up entrance fees again, transform one campsite in every state park into a Texas Hold 'em parlor. Proceeds stay with natural resources.

MnDOTsino: Convert state highways to toll roads and place slot machines in toll booths, giving drivers the opportunity to pay double or ride to the next booth free.

Keno for kids: A serious proposal to open up bars and restaurants to slot machines has been billed as a "ma and pa" bill because it presumably would help small, locally owned businesses. But what else do ma and pa also care about? Education, of course, and school funding. Put the slots in the bars, along with keno, roulette and other games, and earmark the state proceeds strictly for schools. Florida already proposed something like this.

Envirocraps: Baby needs a brand new statewide upgrade in groundwater and surface water standards. Legislators are balking at a $36-per-homeowner property tax surcharge to raise the hundreds of millions it will take to comply with federal law. Alternative: Set up craps tables in every county, load the dice slightly in favor of the state, and rake in the loot to improve "impaired waters."

So Timmy, what do you think? This what you had in mind? Cause it's not what Minnesota had in mind when they elected you.

PE

Whorino

2005-03-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

What comes from gambling? I mean both practically, as in “what are the results of expanded, Las Vegas-style gambling?” and “When gambling revenues fail to solve the budget crises, what gimmick will Tim Pawlenty propose next?”

Interestingly, both questions produce a single answer: legalized prostitution.

In the first case –expansion outcomes- twenty-plus years of legalized gambling growth provides a remarkably clear picture. Crime increases, drug consumption skyrockets, petty and street crimes jump, property theft climbs, car theft booms, and, well, you get the picture. Consequently, police costs jump. In short order, Minnesota becomes the next Kansas.

Expanded gambling means more, a lot more, prostitution. If you accept the “broken window” theory behind community policing, that small, seemingly harmless things –a broken porch window, graffiti defaced buildings, the ’79 Trans Am on blocks in the driveway- create an insecure community environment which in turn lowers property values, then prostitution is the broken window.

Expanded gambling not prostitution is the true cause of plummeting property values and accelerating property tax increases. Tim Pawlenty doesn’t see it that way, however. Desperate to please his wealthy, tax-obsessed masters, Tim sees gambling as a revenue stream boost. He conveniently neglects associated costs.

Plus, the gambling flush is another one-time gimmick. So, what’s a sweaty-palmed Governor to do? That’s right; legalize prostitution.

If Minnesota would only permit the northern Tribes to run whores, why that would be fair. And revenue generating. Without raising taxes.

But let’s not stop there, because a Tribal prostitution compact, restricting legalized prostitution to, say, the Mall of America, isn’t fair to non-Indian pimps. Minnesota could at least allow legalized prostitutes at race tracks. We’ll call it “Whorino.”

Mark my words. I predict that Tim Pawlenty will propose legalizing prostitution. 5-1 odds. Any takers?
PE

Tim Trying To Have It Both Ways

2005-03-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or is everyone starting to realize that Two-Faced Tim Pawlenty’s leadership style seems to be that he is in favor or anything popular, but when it comes to doing the work to get it passed, he is nowhere to be seen.

A few weeks ago, Tim held that neat little news conference, going on and on about candy cigarettes, and how they need to be banned. It was a public safety issue he said. Cigarettes and cigarette smoke are dangerous.

Tim was even backing Rep. Meslow and Rep. Latz’s bill providing a state wide smoking ban. A ban that was on track in the Republican controlled House.

Then, it all fell apart. The bill died in committee. Killed by the Republican Super-Majority they have in committee.

I can’t help but that that a few calls from the Leader of their party, to members on the committee about a bill he supposedly feels is important to the people of Minnesota, and we would all be doing a happy dance right now instead of wondering what went wrong.

Instead, what was the Governor doing? He was in negotiations to expand gambling…again. But in the end, why not. Now Governor Vegas, the Would-Be President Pawlenty, can claim he was all for the smoking ban, but at the same time doesn’t have to enforce it.

One of these days, he may actually have to show some follow through on one of his positions. Perish the thought.

PE

Fear and Loathing in Tim Pawlenty’s Minne-Vegas

2005-03-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

Elvis Makes Rare Appearance at State Capitol

Diligent, hard-working, mainstream media make our job so much more difficult. Yesterday, before the whole Minnesota Democrats Exposed “scandal” distracted us, we were toying with another casino post, pointing out yet one more time that Tim Pawlenty has his sights set squarely on bringing Las Vegas to Minnesota.

This morning, we read that the DFL had an Elvis impersonator drop by the Governor’s office. Damn. Wish we’d thought of that. Erudite isn’t nearly as funny as slapstick.

Then, we discussed writing about Tim’s failings around schools and education. Star-Tribune columnist Nick Coleman, however, just goes to town today on that one.

Some days, you just can’t catch a break.

That being said, we’re now considering a “Fear and Loathing in Tim Pawlenty’s Minne-Vegas.” As Hunter Thompson is still dead, we’re reasonably confident that we won’t be pre-empted from that idea.

Stay tuned.

PE

In Response...

2005-03-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Our erstwhile blog-peer, Minnesota Democrats Exposed, is feeling the heat. He anonymously purchased Internet domain names, ostensibly as a “modest marketing plan” for his site. Web surfers seeking information on Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch’s political ambition might be surprised, though, to find that MikeHatchforGovernor.com directs them to Minnesota Democrats Exposed.

The Star-Tribune takes a swipe at MDE, prompting considerable defensiveness. First, MDE offers Thomas Paine’s initially anonymous writings as an excuse for his cyber squatting/modest marketing efforts. He quickly expands to include Madison, Hamilton and others from the right-wing pantheon. Lastly, though (and we admire MDE’s temerity in this), MDE embraces patriotism, the scoundrel’s refuge, all in service to a stupid, mildly annoying, political dirty trick.

Trying to refocus public attention, MDE attacks us, your hardworking Pawlenty Exposed hosts. Well, we’re not offended. We do, however, find his insistence that we’re DFL Party staff to be revealing. Methinks he doth protest too much.

The truth, boy-o, is far more pedestrian. Two of the three of us are State of Minnesota employees. We labor in the agencies that MDE and his ilk love to condemn. We also know that Tim Pawlenty is one vindictive son-of-a-bitch. And, until you’ve had an incompetent, Pawlenty-appointed Deputy Commissioner breathing down your neck, threatening to fire you or at least reassign you to cleaning the Governor’s Mansion toilet bowls with a toothbrush, well, you haven’t walked a mile in our shoes.

So, let’s recap. MDE is a coward, engaged in petty shenanigans. He defends them by hiding behind the reputations of true patriots. Signing the Declaration of Independence is revolutionary; cyber squatting on WetterlingforSenate.com is just plain weenie.

Calling It Like It Is

2005-02-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

Our award here at Pawlenty Exposed for “Calling It Like It Is” goes to House DFL Leader Mat Entenza.

In the last few weeks, we have brought you a great deal of information on Two-Faced Tim Pawlenty and his gambling expansion plans. Rep. Entenza summed it all up for us rather nice in today’s Star Tribune:

"First he [Tim Pawlenty] said this was about a fairer deal for the state. Then he said it was about a fairer deal for the northern tribes. At the end of the day, it's really all about him. His political career here will be in jeopardy if the schools don't get more money, and his national ambitions will be in jeopardy if he breaks his [no-tax] pledge to the Taxpayers League."

Maybe Timmy should take Rep. Entenza’s advice and worry about the job he was elected to do.

More Two-Faced Tim Pawlenty For President

2005-02-23T06:09:00.000-08:00

As state legislators worked hard to hammer out a bonding bill that the Republican’s, under Timmy’s leadership, blocked last year, where was the leader of the state??

Was he at the Capitol helping to broker the bi-partnership he promised? No.

Was he working the phones, fighting for the Northstar bill he claims he supports, yet privately hoped would remain unfunded so he wouldn’t have to build it? No.

Was he calling leaders in the Senate expressing his hope that they would quickly appoint conferees to get the bill past as soon as possible? No.

So where was Timmy?

He was too busy planning his US trade mission to China and holding his “presidential” news conference to announce it. And when he was asked about outsourcing of jobs to China with free trade, he acknowledged criticism that freer trade with China has resulted in "outsourcing" and loss of some jobs in the United States.

In the United States!!!

He didn’t say in Minnesota, or in St. Paul, or in Rochester, or in Anoka. He said in the United States!!!

Clearly Two-Faced Tim Pawlenty’s presidential ambitions are not getting in the way of governing Minnesota. Maybe if he spent half as much time on his job as he does on running for President, we wouldn’t have yet another year of budget deficit.

Hey Timmy, here is a thought. Do the job you were elected to do!!!!

PE

Two-Faced Tim in favor of a new TAX?

2005-02-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

So, obviously Two-faced Tim’s No New Taxes pledge is as flip-floppy as can be. He is against new taxes, but when Republican Fran Bradley suggests a $1 tax increase on tobacco, Tim is suddenly all for it.

Now don’t get us wrong, we are in favor of this idea. But then again, we are not going around crusading on a “No New Taxes” pledge.

See for yourself here.

Two-Faced Tim Turning His Back On Minnesota?

2005-02-21T06:37:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or should the Governor of Minnesota be focused on the problems he created in Minnesota, and not on running for national office? Our friends over at Minnesota Republican Watch found this little gem; Timmy’s friends have registered a web site for Timmy’s Presidential campaign!! Republican Rep. Patrick Garofalo (36B) registered the web site, as well as Tim’s Gubernatorial campaign web site. Coincidence? I think not. All that while he spends more and more time in Washington DC testifying and hanging out with Bush and his friends. Mean while national republican groups keep mentioning him for 2008. Check out the article here.

Maybe Tim should worry about 2006 before he thinks about 2008. Or is he just going to continue to take Minnesota voters for granted?

Republicans Agree…You Can’t Trust Tim Pawlenty

2005-02-17T08:36:00.000-08:00

Apparently, even Republican lawmakers are getting tired of Two-Faced Tim’s secret dealings and under and table agreements when it comes to important issues in Minnesota such as casino gambling.

According to today’s Star Tribune, Republican Sen. Bill Belanger is frustrated over the Governor’s handling of the casino debate, which he said is being conducted underground.

"He's operated behind my back. At this point I can't trust him,'' Belanger said.

Of course, in response to this, Two-Faced Tim released his attack dog, Brian McClung to try and discredit Sen. Belanger’s opinion of the Timmy’s sneaky practices. Glad to see the Republican Party under Timmy’s leadership hasn’t given up on the practice of eating their own young when they have the audacity to disagree.

We here at Pawlenty Exposed applaud Sen. Belanger’s heroic stand against this corrupt and underhanded Governor. Knowing the way Two-faced Tim and his party of “Our Way or the Highway” Yes Men operate, we are sure to see a primary challenge to Sen. Belanger as a thank you. Don’t believe me, just ask Arlon Lindner.

Glad to see the “Party of Lincoln” now believes in involuntary servitude. If you don’t do and say what the Master wants, you might just disappear next fall.

PE

57 Percent of Minnesotans (including Republican legislators) Speak Out Against Tim’s No New Taxes Pledge

2005-02-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

This just in, Tim: 57% percent of Minnesotans see your No New Taxes pledge for exactly what it is – a nonsensical, selfish, and politically motivated promise that is hurting our state. In a poll released on Saturday by the Star Tribune, 57% of Minnesotans said that Tim and his followers in the Legislature should abandon their pledge to David Strom and his rich friends at the Taxpayers League and combine tax increases with service fees and budget cuts to solve the budget deficit.

Seeing as “service fees” (a misnomer for taxes anyway) and budget cuts have been the ongoing failed solution of the Tim administration thus far, the only new action people are calling for is a tax increase! This is how bad you’ve let it get, Tim; this is how obviously wrong your pledge is. 57% percent of people are asking you to raise their taxes. 57% of Minnesotans are asking you to stop hurting their state.

In addition, 36% of Minnesotans say that they have been hurt personally by the budget cuts enacted as a consequence of the no new taxes pledge. Hmmm, maybe they’re mad that you under funded their schools, taxed their children’s activities, took away their health insurance, or simply raised their property taxes. How does Tim respond to the people he has hurt? His chief of staff said that he’s concerned about it, “but I’m not surprised.” Also that, “The governor continues to believe that not raising taxes is the best policy.”

So let us get this straight: 36% of Minnesotans just said that Tim’s tax pledge is personally hurting them, Tim is not surprised, and thinks that he should continue to do the same thing. Put even more simply, Tim knew that he was hurting people, acknowledges the confirmation that he is, and pledges to continue to do so.

Concerned with representing the common person, we at Pawlenty Exposed decided to choose one of the 2,804,103 Minnesotans that oppose Tim’s tax pledge (57% of our population of 4,919,479 as reported by the 2000 census) at random and tell their story.

We selected Richard Day from Owatonna, Minnesota. As it turns out, Richard (better known as Dick) is a Republican State Senator as well as the Republican Senate Minority Leader. What a coincidence. Also a little ironic that a member of the state Republican Leadership, one of the most powerful Republicans in the state, is against Tim’s pledge. Senator Day isn’t exactly a closet protestor either. In fact just last week he held a press conference announcing a bill that would raise the gas tax by 5 cents a gallon as well as raising “fees” (another tax synonym) on the cost of buying new and used cars. Senator Day says that, “The governor would be a fool if he didn't just let [the tax increase] lay on his desk and become law.”

Would be a fool, Dick? Well even if Senator Day isn’t yet convinced that you are a fool, Tim, he sure is making you look like one (along with his 2,804,103 friends).

We admit that Senator Day being the random Minnesota unhappy with Tim is a little suspect, so we’ll chose one more. How about Pat Pariseau from Farmington. Huh, turns out that Pat is also a member of the State Legislature, and is also a Republican. Representative Pariseau says, “I haven't supported [a gas tax increase] in the past, but when we get in dire straits we have to think about how we're going to get the state's work done.”

Huh, getting the state’s work done – this would be a novel idea for Tim.

Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune

Tim Receives a Dear John from Minnesota

2005-01-28T06:41:00.000-08:00

Dear John (Tim),

Tim, this isn’t easy to say but… it’s just not working out between us. I admit that two years ago I fell for you. After stable and sensible relationships with Rudy and Arne, I was a little hurt from my fling with Jesse. I knew that I had to make a better choice next time around. There just wasn’t any spark between Roger and I, Arne showed me that a Republican could more than satisfy my needs, and god knows I still get weak in the knees for your charm, good looks, and wit. I’ve never shared this with you but I really thought that you might be the one, Tim. You told me you could fix my deficit without raising taxes while always treating me with the respect I deserve. The way you looked at me when you said that made me believe it was true, but now I’m realizing that it was too good to be.

At first you were exciting, you seemed to be coming through on your promise, distracting me with spontaneous ideas like making teachers millionaires and letting me carry my gun everywhere we went. You were sweeping me off of my feet but it felt just a little faster and more coercive than I had dreamed it would be. I started to realize that you cared more about how we looked together than about my real needs. I guess that explains why you give me so much PDA but then when we’re alone, you barley pay any attention to me at all. You told me it was okay to give up a little education, a little healthcare, and the entire tobacco settlement fund, that you would make it up to me. What hurt the most though, is when you cheated on me and then flat out lied to me about it. I kept getting notices in the mail that my property taxes were going up but when I asked you about it, you said that it wasn’t you. I knew better but I wanted to believe you, I didn’t want to get hurt. Well now I am hurt, Tim. I’ve given up more education, more healthcare, and now you tell me that you can’t make it up to me, that this is just the way it is, that it’s my problem. I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t live like this. It’s just not working out.

PE

Two-Faced Tim's Web of Lies

2005-01-26T06:59:00.000-08:00

For weeks, we here at Pawlenty Exposed have been highlighting Two-Faced Tim's web of lies. His tax increases and his general apathy towards working class Minnesotans. Yesterday, he unveiled his budget, showing his true colors by kicking hard working Minnesotans, working class people who make at best, $7 or $8 an hour, off MinnesotaCare. But don't just take our word for it....

##

A shifty budget/Pawlenty pushes costs elsewhere

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 2006-07 budget proposal adroitly demonstrates how the state's money problems can be pushed around until they become somebody else's problems.

The two-year plan the Republican governor released Tuesday would, he said, "put Minnesota back on solid footing" financially, without raising taxes.

That's true if by Minnesota, Pawlenty means only state government. Local taxes are bound to rise if his budget is enacted, while the working poor, college students, hospitals, low-income parents and others who depend on government services would find themselves on shakier financial ground.

Property tax increases are an explicit part of Pawlenty's K-12 financing plan. His K-12 budget finally ends a four-year freeze on the per-pupil allotment the state gives school districts. But its 2 percent per year increase does not begin to cover mounting education costs, something the governor acknowledges by proposing to give schools more authority to raise levies without voter approval.

According to Education Department projections, Pawlenty's plan anticipates a 23 percent jump in the school portion of average property tax bills next year and a 9 percent increase in the year after that.

Every major hospital in Minnesota has already seen charity care costs rise in the last two years, because of health insurance changes made by the 2003 Legislature, and the governor's budget would compound that problem. In the case of public hospitals, it would make it property taxpayers' problem too.

Thousands of working Minnesotans have lost subsidized health insurance in the last two years. Thousands more would lose eligibility under Pawlenty's plan. Single adults without children would no longer qualify for MinnesotaCare, the state insurance plan designed for low-income working people. Family eligibility for the program would also shrink, though not disappear. A "safety net" of sorts would remain, giving those who lose MinnesotaCare a choice when they become ill: Either spend themselves into dire poverty, or go without care. Neither is a choice worthy of a state that values its human capital.

College students can expect another two years of tuition increases at or approaching double-digit increases under Pawlenty's budget. Though the governor would fund a number of important initiatives at the University of Minnesota and in the MnSCU system, his budget fails to cover the state's share of the cost of higher enrollment.

Low-income parents and child care providers also would bear more costs, as a freeze in the state's reimbursement for child care costs is extended.

All of those cost-shifting maneuvers deserve careful scrutiny in coming months. But one proposal might, unfortunately, steal the show. Pawlenty's bid for a $200 million upfront licensing fee for a new casino, operated by the state and three northern Ojibwe tribes in partnership, moves casino gambling policy to center stage at the Legislature.

The governor's casino idea is promising. But it seems unripe for legislative discussion, and it seems premature to assume that the state will actually collect a $200 million casino licensing fee the governor is counting on. The three tribes involved -- Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth -- have not yet agreed with the state on fundamental features of such an enterprise, such as how proceeds would be shared or what an appropriate license fee might be.

Pawlenty said he remains open to conversations with other tribes that might lead to new compacts that would guarantee revenue for the state and exclusivity for the tribes. Those conversations ought to be pursued now in earnest, by both parties.

Meanwhile, the Legislature should focus not on the glitz of gambling, but something that has always been basic in Minnesota governance: fairness. Other states may do as Pawlenty proposes -- relying more on local taxes, letting school quality vary with differences in community wealth, allowing sickness and poverty to go hand-in-hand.

Through the years, Minnesota has chosen to govern itself in a fairer way, with responsible state government. Pawlenty's budget proposal will make the 2005 Legislature choose again.

Source: Star Tribune January 26th, 2005

You say casino. I say racino.

2005-01-25T05:54:00.000-08:00

You say casino. I say racino. Casino. Racino. Racino. Casino. Let’s call the whole thing off.

Ok. Ok. It’s too easy of a shot but we here at Pawlenty Exposed favor the easy shot. If Tim can take the easy, spineless way out, why shouldn’t we?

Tim attends one of those big-box evangelical protestant churches –and I’m cool with that- but I confess to a curiosity. How are Tim’s fellow congregants responding to this whole more gambling deal?

I ask because Jesus’ actions in the temple are pretty clear. He’s not pleased with the moneychangers, viewing them as a corrupting, profane presence. Jesus didn’t set up a three-card monty table. He didn’t run a floating crap game. He didn’t handle the skim at the Flamingo. He befriended and forgave prostitutes; he didn’t pimp them. He didn’t pay off cops and he wasn’t mobbed up. No. Confronting blasphemy, Jesus went on a tear. Tim might keep that in mind.

So, casino or racino. Let’s call the whole thing off.

PE

Pawlenty’s Gambling Problem

2005-01-21T12:32:00.000-08:00

Tim has a gambling problem. And, like all gambling addicts, his masking his problem by expanding his gaming activity.

Reading the newspapers, Tim’s doubling down. That’s how I see it. If one metro-area, Vegas-style casino is good, two will be better. And if two, why not three?

Welcome to harness racing in Anoka county.

See, it’s not really about horses, harness racing, or even betting. It’s about Vegas-style gambling. Tim wants more, more, more.

Here’s the deal. Tim adds Vegas-style gaming to Canterbury Downs, really sticking it to those ungrateful Native Americans in Prior Lake. Then, because he’s fair, he adds more Vegas-style gambling at the new Harness racing track in Anoka. Still, that leaves Minneapolis, St Paul and the first-ring suburbs inconveniently distant from a casino so Tim brings us the Mall of Bellagio, formerly known as Mall of America.

It’s the perfect Pawlenty trifecta.

If popular estimates are correct, that roughly ten percent of gamblers become gambling addicts, Tim clearly falls into the problem gambler crowd. Consider: he spends all his time gambling. He thinks about gambling even when he’s not gambling. He tries to hide his gambling from public view. He spends money he doesn’t have so that he can gamble more. Obviously, Tim has a gambling problem.

Come clean, Tim. Admit your problem. The first step to recovery is taking responsibility for your addiction.

See you at the next GA meeting, buddy.

PE

Pawlenty Ignores Rural Minnesota

2005-01-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

Note to Tim: Rochester is not rural. It’s a major Minnesota city. Really. You can look it up.

I say this because Tim is under the mistaken belief that, after three years of screwing rural Minnesota, a quick trip down Highway 52 fixes everything.

Southeastern Minnesota used to be bedrock Republican turf. Not goofy, right wing, weirdo Republican turf but the Eisenhower-Stassen-Anderson-Quie sober, thoughtful variety. Things have changed. Demographic shifts play a big role but the Republican party’s rightward rush is the principle cause.

In other words, Southeastern Minnesota didn’t abandon the GOP; the GOP abandoned Southeastern Minnesota.

Running down to Rochester doesn’t boost the rural GOP base because Rochester isn’t rural. Granted, Tim probably thought that his move from South Saint Paul to Eagen was a move to rural Minnesota. It’s not. McMansions aren’t four-square farmhouses and Rochester isn’t Russell. We’re not that dumb, Tim. We’re not hicks. And, we know that you’re screwing us over.

2005-01-19T06:15:00.000-08:00

Separated at birth? Tim Pawlenty and former Dominican Republic dictator Raphael Trujillo.

Those Pesky Unemployment Numbers

2005-01-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

Wow, that didn’t take long. Just hours after Tim’s triumphant declaration of “good things for good people” State of the State address, his Department of Employment and Economic Security tried to slip the December unemployment numbers past us. Guess he thought we wouldn’t notice, being whipped up by the prospect of Rochester University’s eventual big game with Metro State.

Fortunately, Tim, we at Pawlenty Exposed didn’t fall off the sugar beet truck yesterday. You have to move something under the radar a lot earlier –say, anytime before 10:00am- to catch us sleeping.

The December numbers demonstrate that you’ve done a great job converting high wage jobs to low wage servitude. Thanks to your leadership, Tim, an additional bored teenager staffed the sheepskin kiosk at Rosedale during Christmas rush. Twenty years from now, that teenager-turned-middle aged man, raising his children on six weeks yearly work selling sheepskin lined slippers, will thank you for your far-sighted leadership.

PE

Dumb Ideas But a Great Tan

2005-01-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

Where do I start?

Breathtaking in its temerity, Timmy’s “State of the State” address pours salt into an open wound. Which wound, you ask? A fine question because Tim provides us with a lengthy list, a rogue’s gallery of doublespeak, if you will.

Since Tim’s right wing governing scalpel was honed by his publicly financed University of Minnesota degrees, let’s start with Rochester University, college of self-embraced destiny.

Even under the best circumstances, Minnesota needs another college like Wisconsin needs more string cheese. Minnesota should support its schools, not knife them in the back. Through Timmy’s leadership however, screwing over colleges and college students has become an art form.

Where will we find the funding for “Roch U”? First, Tim never mistakes a good press hit for real policy change so the funding question is actually moot, much like Tim’s advocacy of Canadian prescription drug sourcing for Minnesotans. Second, if this does creep forward, Roch U adds one more campus competing with the U of M or MnSCU for a shrinking pot of money. Tim’s commitment to higher education reminds me of Gertrude Stein’s observation about her home town of Oakland, CA, “there’s no there, there.”

But, my mother taught me to try to say something nice about people so, in that spirit, Tim, you’re sporting a really nice tan, buddy. Given that the average temperature for the last ten days have hovered around –5, I’m curious how you pulled it off.

Still, Tim, your nice tan suggests a handy metaphor for your State of the State: short term gains but long-term pain.

PE

Smell The Fart

2005-01-17T07:45:00.000-08:00

I’m staring at Tim’s official, gubernatorial website. They lead with a State Capitol 100th anniversary commemoration ceremony photo. Look closely and you’ll note a lot of mock solemnity, what popular soap-opera actor Joey Tribbiani calls “smell the fart.”

I raise this issue because Tim’s sliding the state’s credit card across the counter, preparing to put transportation funding on the plastic. Tim wants to borrow $7.15 billion –that’s seven point one five billion dollars- to fund ten years worth of transportation infrastructure. Tim will do this without raising taxes! Another neat dodge!

Tim is, in effect, declaring that new roads, bridges, and rail lines are Tax Increment Financing Districts. This financial tool projects increased revenues generated by the investment, then captures those increases to pay back the loan. First popularized as a downtown/urban renewal financing solution, TIF’ing is how local government raises taxes while pretending not to raise taxes.

To recap: Tim will borrow and spend 7.15 billion dollars on transportation projects, hoping to pay it back over the next thirty years with “magically increased” state revenue from these investments.

Uh-huh.

How does a bridge pay for itself, plus borrowing costs? Maybe, Tim secretly plans a “toll”. But, that’s a discussion for another day.

In any case, announcing a TIF-style financing solution requires a great deal of mock solemnity, masquerading a dumb, irresponsible idea as a good and thoughtful one. On the eve of the State of the State address, Tim deftly reminds us that he’s just another borrow-and-spend Governor. Your idea isn’t thoughtful, Tim; it’s a dishonest scam.

Smell the fart.

PE

Countdown to the State of the State: 7 Days To The Pawlenty Tax (Fees) Increase

2005-01-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

I am a little on the busy side today, so here is a quick look at Two-Faced Tim’s lies about “No New Taxes” in 2004 (kind of makes you want to say “Read My Lips,” or is the Bush comment just out of place here?)

Paper Tax Filing Fee (Tax) Created – So those of us with no computer or don’t know how to use one (mainly seniors and low-income families) are hit with a tax. Sounds like class warfare to me. Why not kick us in the ribs at the same time Tim?

Teacher Licensure Fee (Tax) increase – Because they make so much right Tim? Why not take away their books and make them teach in dilapidated schools while you are at it. Oh wait, you already did. My mistake.

University of Minnesota Tuition increase – So much for keeping public school affordable huh Tim? I wonder how much it cost you to go to the U? I bet it was affordable back then. So much for helping those who come after you huh Tim?

Maybe I just need some time off. Ice fishing in Bemidji sounds good. But only for a weekend. I can’t afford to move there and foot the 11% property tax increase you hit them with last year, Tim.

PE

Countdown to the State of the State: 8 Days To The Pawlenty Tax (Fees) Increase

2005-01-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

Only 8 more days? We here at Pawlenty Exposed strongly suggest beginning a savings account (if you haven’t already) to pay for all the new taxes Two-Faced Tim is going to give you. Either that or start investing in some therapy!!

For those of you who are still not convinced Tim’s taxes are a bad idea, here are some more that I think you will find highly offensive, I know I do:

Newborn Screening Fee (Tax) increase – In 2004, Two-Faced Tim has done the impossible and put a price (and a higher one at that) on the health of your newborn child. What about the Minnesotans who can’t afford it? Guess they are just screwed huh Tim?

Human Rights Certificate of Compliance of Fee (Tax) – Yes, that’s right. Two-Faced Tim has done it again. Apparently a new $75 tax is the price Tim puts on Human Rights. Maybe it is just me, but I would think that when it comes to compliance with human rights, it would be best if we did not put economic obstacles in the way. Apparently Tim disagrees. Hope he is right and his tax doesn’t discourage human rights. I mean I know I don’t have $75 to spare. Not with this economy.

Looks to me like Two-Faced Tim has a lot of explaining to do. Hey Timmy, tell your speechwriters there is still time to re-do the State of the State address. Maybe you should use your time in Rochester to explain what you did to us all in 2004. I know the people in Minneapolis with their 4% property tax increase would love to know why that happened yet you continue to lie about not raising their taxes.

Perhaps you should start with your definition of tax. I mean, I keep using Webster’s dictionary. This is what it says:

Main Entry: tax
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
1 a : a charge usually of money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes b : a sum levied on members of an organization to defray expenses
2 : a heavy demand

Tell me Tim. Do you know something the rest of us don’t? Perhaps you should give the fine folks at Webster a call. Tell them their definition is out of touch. Or maybe it is just you who is out of touch….

PE

Countdown to the State of the State: 9 Days To The Pawlenty Tax (Fees) Increase

2005-01-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

On this day of rest, I thought we would talk about those who never take a day off to rest, Police and Firefighters. They’re the backbone of modern society.

Yet, Two-faced Tim cuts their funding. How can they protect us if they can’t keep the firehouses open? How can they protect us if we do not fund essential police services?

In fact, things are so bad, Two-Face Tim had to raise the cost of calling 911. That’s right. If you are mugged, if your spouse is having a heart attack, you have to pay to call for help.

The cost for calling 911 went up 33 to 40 cents in 2004. Two-Faced Tim is taxing our safety!!

But I’m sure those of you in West St. Paul won’t mind. I am sure you didn’t expect your safety to be covered by the 11.5% property tax increase Two-Faced Tim saddled you with.

So, the next time you need to summon emergency services, be sure to call 911 collect.

PE

Countdown to the State of the State: 10 Days To The Pawlenty Tax (Fees) Increase

2005-01-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ten more days till the Two-Faced Tim turns his back on Minnesotans and raises taxes….again. Ten more days till he lies about it to our faces, claming he fixed the problem he created with fees, while sticking to his pledge. Ten days till he thinks we actually believe the garbage he is feeding us. After all, this is what he did in 2004:

Handgun Fee (Tax) Increase of $10 - $100 (So much for Two-Faced Tim being a believer in gun rights)

Criminal History Surcharge (Tax) - $1.55 (So now we have to pay a tax to find out if we’re hiring a sex offender)

Public School Inspection Fee (Tax) – Based on the school’s square footage. So after cutting funding to local schools, Two-Faced Tim is going to charge them a new fee (tax) to make sure the school is safe, even though he doesn’t provide them with the necessary funding to make repairs. Well, who needs books and teachers anyway?

With all these fees, who has time for taxes? I’ll tell you who. The residents of Grant who saw their Property Taxes go up 79.3%.

Thanks Tim!

Two-Faced Tim is on the Pipe

2005-01-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

I have a prediction. At the State of the State address, Tim’s going to announce that his budget includes 300-400 million dollars in new, “found” revenue from Indian gaming. Suddenly, the projected budget deficit becomes a “manageable” three hundred million rather than a truthfully projected 1.4 billion dollars.

Yes, Tim’s going to tax the Indians. Well, “tax” is, perhaps, inaccurate. “Shakedown” or “extort” cover the rhetorical ground so much better.

Yesterday, Tim smoked the peace pipe (literally; this isn’t a sexual double-entendre. Like the whole class traitor/Marxist reference, we at Pawlenty Exposed would never stoop to that sort of thing) with the White Earth, Red Lake and Leech Lake bands. This is part of Tim’s divide-and-conquer strategy, pitting the poorest tribes against the wealthiest.

Tim’s doing this because his earlier beat-the-Indians-into-political-submission strategy failed miserably. With or without the Indians, Tim Pawlenty wants Las Vegas casino gambling in Minnesota. He’ll insist that he doesn’t, but we know better. Two-Faced Tim says one thing and does another. You can bet on it.

PE

Countdown to the State of the State: 11 Days To The Pawlenty Tax (Fees) Increase

2005-01-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

Woke up today and I am just too damn tired to write a lot. So with 11 days to do, here are 11 more cities that failed to see the “No” in the Pawlenty No New Taxes Pledge:

Afton – 23.7% increase in your 2004 property taxes
Anoka – 3% increase in your 2004 property taxes
Cottage Grove – 6.8% increase in your 2004 property taxes
Dennison – 129% increase in your 2004 property taxes
Faribault – 9.5% increase in your 2004 property taxes
International Falls – 5.3% increase in your 2004 property taxes
Lindstrom – 28.6% increase in your 2004 property taxes
Maple Grove (per goldieoldie56) – 8% increase in your 2004 property taxes
New Ulm – 12.5% increase in your 2004 property taxes
Sauk Rapids – 13.6% increase in your 2004 property taxes
Willmar – 7.2% increase in your 2004 property taxes

For the rest of you, go here to see how much your property taxes went up in 2004, then e-mail us at pawlentyexposed@yahoo.com to get us to highlight your city in the next 11 days

Tim's Tied Hands

2005-01-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

To what point of ridiculousness will Tim’s “No New Taxes” pledge drive our state governing process to?

Today’s Star Trib reports that Tim, ironically our right-wing governor, can’t even keep the business community happy. He’s annoying the Chamber of Commerce with his inability to directly raise a state tax no matter who supports it or how much sense it makes (Business priorities pressure Pawlenty).

Raising the gas tax, which hasn’t been touched in 16 years, is highly popular with business and government groups throughout Minnesota in order to move us ahead (or should I say less behind) in transportation, a key to strong business. Now get this, since the Chamber obviously needs to remain loyal to Tim, they dropped their proposal to raise the gas tax in a normal way and instead requested a constitutional amendment to let voters decide if we should raise it or not.

So let me get this straight: since Tim’s hands are tied with his pledge, we need to put an increase in the gas tax, a no-brainer to even the Chamber of Commerce, on the ballot so people can vote it in and Tim won’t have to touch it? This is ludicrous. We elect politicians to do a job and Tim’s tied hands won’t let him do it.

Which brings me to the solution, a new pledge for Tim: the “I Won’t Do My Job” pledge. Or perhaps the “I Won’t Officially Touch Anything That Could Be Seen as Politically Unpopular Even if it is Supported by the Business Community for Heaven’s Sake” pledge would be more appropriate for Tim.

After signing this new pledge, Tim could officially be limited to supporting policies that make sense for his image, even if they don’t make any sense for our state. Meanwhile we, the voters and citizens, could use up our free time by educating ourselves and waiting in line to vote on the everyday processes of state government. Sound good?

PE

Countdown to the State of the State: 12 Days To The Pawlenty Tax (Fees) Increase

2005-01-06T07:09:00.000-08:00

Another day, another set of Taxes…er fees. No, Taxes.

Two-Faced Tim continues his march towards a Democratic Rochester away from St. Paul, word still failing to reach him that he is no longer heading towards friendly waters. Along the way hoping to hide his tax increases for 200, and keep his 2005 tax increases out of the media.

Hey Tim, while on your way might we suggest stopping in South St. Paul. You know the place. Your old stomping ground before you became a class traitor (then again, we wouldn’t call you a “class traitor” since we are not Marxists) and turned your back on all the people you grew up with.

When you do stop in, maybe you can explain why property taxes in South St. Paul went up 5.3%!!

I don’t see that as watching out for the people you love. Last I checked your own family still lives there, and if you can’t trust a guy to watch out for his own family, how can you trust him to look after your own?

PE

Two-Faced Tim Can’t Hide Behind The Lies

2005-01-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

I guess the wheels are coming off the SUV. I know it is one thing for Average Joes like us to point out that in the real world, you can’t make a $1.4 Billion deficit into a $700 Million just cause it sounds better when you lie about the state of the state. But it is a whole other thing when three former Minnesota finance commissioners who have served Republican, DFL and Independent governors come out and say it.

We here at Pawlenty Exposed applaud John Gunyou, Jay Kiedrowski and Pamela Wheelock for their Star Tribune Editorial in which they embrace the truth by stating, “the gap is $1.4 billion. It is not $700 million, as our governor and some legislators have suggested, because this lower amount ignores the real cost of funding the state's program commitments.”

They go on to say, “The shortfalls of 2003, 2004 and 2005 were mostly deferred, rather than permanently fixed,” and that “we're still saddled with a budget deficit because the problems that began in fiscal year 2003 were never resolved.”

Read the whole editorial here.

Two-Faced Tim can run from the truth, but he can’t hide!!

PE

Countdown to the State of the State: 13 Days To The Pawlenty Tax (Fees) Increase

2005-01-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

With just 13 days to go until the Governor runs from St Paul to the “friendly” confines of Rochester to give his State of the State address, we here at Pawlenty Exposed thought it high time we talk about the tax increases good old Tim delivered for us last year.

By the way Tim, might want to take a look at the election results, a Republican doesn’t represent the Mayo Clinic any more. Just trying to help.

With that said, we will be highlighting some of Two-Faced Tim’s tax increases in 2004 as we wait, breathlessly, for his 2005 tax increases.

Small Game License “Fee” (TAX) - $12 – 12.50 increase (So much for Two-Faced Tim being a friend to the hunter)

Marriage License “Fee” (TAX) - $70 to $80 increase (So much for Two-Faced Tim being a friend of marriage)

And finally, since Tim is running away from St Paul to give this speech, I thought I would let the residents of that fine city know just why. In case you missed it (and I doubt you did) your Property Taxes...I mean Property Fees, went up .6% last year.

12 more days of tax increases to come, before Two-Faced Tim raises them again!!!

PE

Freshman Republican Hamilton Rejects Pawlenty Extremism

2005-01-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

Perusing the Fairmont Sentinel, I was startled and delighted to read that newly-elected Republican House of Representatives Member Rod Hamilton is running away from rather than towards Tim Pawlenty.

The Sentinel runs the usual “local guy goes to State House, just happy to find the Men’s Room” profile (www.fairmontsentinel.com/news/stories/123004a.html), but gives Hamilton the chance to kiss the Pawlenty behind. Hamilton not only doesn’t pucker up, he kicks the pro-offered cushion. “Hamilton has shown his willingness to strike out from his party when he chose not to sign Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s ‘No New Tax” pledge for 2005.”

Hmm.

Minnesota’s Republican Party has two fundamental litmus tests: abortion and taxes. Endorsed candidates must, without exception, oppose both. In this regard, Hamilton is exceptional. He refused to box himself in on the no new taxes pledge. Perhaps, he should study the Pawlenty record more closely. If Tim can have it both ways, why can’t Rod?

“Two-Faced Tim” solemnly supports tax opposition, while jacking up our taxes willy-nilly. School taxes? Up. Local taxes? Up. Fees (cough, cough, mumble, “uh..taxes,” clear throat, cough) on everything from marriage licenses to parking tickets? Up. Tim Pawlenty raises taxes, that’s pretty clear. He says one thing. He does another.

PE

Welcome to Pawlenty Exposed

2005-01-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Enough’s enough. It’s time to shed light on the true Tim Pawlenty. After two years under Governor Tim Pawlenty’s leadership, Minnesota is further in the hole than ever. The mainstream media seem to let Tim say one thing and do another without holding him accountable. Somebody has to stand up and say “enough.” We’re just the guys (and girl) to do it.

Enough.

We want to start with a tip o’ the hat to Minnesota Democrats Exposed, our Blogspot-mate. They do a fine job of poking a finger in the Democratic eye. We’re inspired to do the same for Tim Pawlenty.

Tim gives us a lot to work with. He’s a “target rich” environment. From Tim’s humble beginnings –if we were Marxists, we’d call him a class traitor but we’re not so we won’t- to his Jon Grunseth gubernatorial campaign days –grown men, pubescent girls, alcohol and a swimming pool- to these last two disastrous years as Gov.

Minnesota is running a 1.4 billion dollar budget deficit. Thanks to Tim’s timely budgetary accounting statute changes, his Administration gets to remove inflation from it’s deficit calculations, lowering that number to 700 million dollars. We wish we could do that. I could just call up Visa and say, “hey, buddy, that fourteen hundred bucks I’m carrying on the plastic? Well, this is Tim Pawlenty’s Minnesota, pal, and I get to call it seven hundred.” I’m sure that’ll work.

Ooo, but wait. Tim tells us that we have a spending problem, not a revenue shortfall problem. This from Governor Tim “Bought and Paid for” Pawlenty. We’re sure that Tim sees things differently than us but then we don’t live in the Twin Cities finer gated communities. (The Governor’s Mansion being among Minnesota’s tonier gated communities.) We also don’t have a whole government full of hacks and toadies working away at making us look better regardless of reality. We only have “Tim Pawlenty Exposed,” you and the truth on our side. Tighten up your seat belts, return your tray tables to the locked, upright position and enjoy the ride.

Enough’s enough.

PE