By Mike Kaszuba
Former Gov. Arne Carlson said he will launch a "Paul Revere Tour" this summer, traveling across Minnesota to warn taxpayers that both Republicans and DFLers are ignoring the state's long-term budget problems and "impending financial tsunami".
In a letter Thursday, Carlson said he would undertake the tour because taxpayers were "entitled to the highest level of honesty" and said he hoped to build "a substantive campaign with people fully participating." He said that many Minnesotans were unaware that the state faced a $10 billion deficit -- "$3 billion now and $7 billion in November" -- and Minnesota had not had a balanced budget since Gov. Jesse Ventura, his successor.
'I intend to form a Paul Revere tour this summer challenging the Governor, the Legislature, and the gubernatorial candidates to speak truthfully about this [problem], which threatens over 20 percent of our state's general fund," wrote Carlson, who has been critical of not only DFLers on budget issues but also Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a fellow Republican.
"This Paul Revere tour will embrace all parts of Minnesota and resemble the drives I took as state auditor and governor. If other leaders want to join, we can get a bus or several buses and enjoy a good old fashioned campaign," he added.
Carlson was a vocal participant last fall, along with former Republican Gov. Al Quie, in a series of discussions on the state's long-term, structural deficit.
Because DFLers were "fearful of offending their spending base", he said, they continued "to proclaim that spending can continue with just a tax increase on the wealthy."
Pawlenty, he added, "has been unable to translate the Republican Party's concerns over waste, duplication, shrinking the size of government, etc. into a legislative package that his own Republican legislators including the party's gubernatorial candidate will support."
