Post by Jaga on Aug 28, 2008 22:24:38 GMT -7
Timothy James Pawlenty (born November 27, 1960) is the 39th and current Governor of Minnesota and a member of the Republican Party...
Of Polish and German heritage, Pawlenty was raised a Roman Catholic. His conversion to an Evangelical Christian faith is largely attributed to his wife Mary, who is a regular member of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota...
Pawlenty was elected on a platform of balancing the state's budget without raising taxes. He emphasized his campaign and first term with the Taxpayers League of Minnesota slogan "no new taxes."[23]
During his first year as governor, Pawlenty balanced a deficit of $4.3 billion without raising taxes, primarily by reducing the rate of funding increases for state services, including funding for transportation, social services, and welfare. The local government aid (LGA) program was further reduced to city governments only and program reform dollars were eliminated.[24] In 2004, Attorney General Mike Hatch voiced dissent over the cuts and suggested that sex offenders found in some Minnesota nursing homes were the result of budget cuts to social services programs.[25] Later in his first term, disagreement among parties led to a government shutdown in 2005 from a deadlock between the governor's office and the split-party legislature on the state budget. Transportation, state parks, and other key infrastructures were threatened with the shutdown, dampening the tourism industry.
Of Polish and German heritage, Pawlenty was raised a Roman Catholic. His conversion to an Evangelical Christian faith is largely attributed to his wife Mary, who is a regular member of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota...
Pawlenty was elected on a platform of balancing the state's budget without raising taxes. He emphasized his campaign and first term with the Taxpayers League of Minnesota slogan "no new taxes."[23]
During his first year as governor, Pawlenty balanced a deficit of $4.3 billion without raising taxes, primarily by reducing the rate of funding increases for state services, including funding for transportation, social services, and welfare. The local government aid (LGA) program was further reduced to city governments only and program reform dollars were eliminated.[24] In 2004, Attorney General Mike Hatch voiced dissent over the cuts and suggested that sex offenders found in some Minnesota nursing homes were the result of budget cuts to social services programs.[25] Later in his first term, disagreement among parties led to a government shutdown in 2005 from a deadlock between the governor's office and the split-party legislature on the state budget. Transportation, state parks, and other key infrastructures were threatened with the shutdown, dampening the tourism industry.