Katie, Bar the Door: Here Come the Budget Cuts

Yesterday, Governor Pawlenty outlined his budget cuts at a Capitol press conference.  During the conference, the Governor described which services and institutions would face “unallotment” – cost shifts and budget cuts to state and local investments.

Today’s Star Tribune summarized the cuts and deferrals the Governor will put in motion as follows:

• K-12: Delayed payment of $1.77 billion   
• Cities, counties and townships: Cuts of $300 million  
• Health and human services: Cuts of $236 million  
• Higher education: Cuts of $100 million  
• Reducing refunds and other payments: $67 million  
• State agencies: Cuts of $33 million  

Unspecified administrative actions will also raise $169 million in revenue.

The press conference reminded me of the Governor’s June 2 announcement that he would not seek reelection in 2010. On that day, Pawlenty answered a question regarding his preference for a successor: What will happen if Minnesota voters elect a DFL candidate as Governor?

“Katie, bar the door,” joked Pawlenty. “I think [voters] like having someone center-right in the executive position to keep a check on things,” said the Governor. 

“Keeping a check on things” is a label for an approach many Minnesotans would sure value right now – and in particular, we’d like to reestablish a check not only by the Governor but on the Governor’s executive power. Voters in this state don’t want such concentrations of power in the hands of any single person, regardless of political party. Governor Pawlenty is clearly a smart, intuitive politician, but he has adopted inflexible positions that place him outside of Minnesota’s mainstream.

In 2002, when Tim Pawlenty was elected Governor, 81 Republicans won campaigns for the Minnesota House. Over just seven years in control of the Governor’s office, Republicans have lost 34 of their seats in the State House. Minnesotans expect a solution with more horsepower than clearcutting investments or balancing the state budget with local property taxes, and they have responded to the Governor’s agenda by reducing his party’s legislative representation. That’s an old-fashioned electoral check.

Since December, public institutions have now faced four consecutive cuts: A December unallotment, legislative cuts, line item vetoes, and the current round of unallotment. Minnesotans need top-quality schools, transportation and health care to remain a competitive place, and a budget strategy that year after year relies exclusively on cuts will serve only to erode our quality of life. We need to navigate the recession not with runaway and desperate cuts, but by using both cuts and new revenues to return Minnesota to long-term fiscal health. 

Today, uncertainty is widespread in our economy and in our political landscape. But one thing is clear: Voters will be ready to keep our leaders in check next November.