Fiscally Irresponsible Pawlenty

The Governor knows that under his watch transportation in the state has deteriorated dramatically. But he won't raise taxes to pay for it. The most sorry example of his mess came last year when he tried to convince potential contractors to front money themselves to get the Crosstown project started. Not surprisingly they didn't bite and the project was delayed. Now it is back on but only by taking money from other needed roads projects and delaying them.

The legislature has proposed a long overdue gas tax increase. But, according to the Pioneer Press, the Governor has once again signaled that he will veto it:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty signaled Thursday he is willing to compromise with the Legislature to find more money for transportation projects.

But that will not include a gasoline tax increase, Pawlenty said at a Capitol news conference.

"There are some other ways, perhaps, we can find some compromises," the Republican governor said.

The Democratic-controlled House and Senate have both passed transportation bills that call for a 10-cents-a-gallon increase in the gas tax, plus higher license tab fees, a gas surcharge to pay off highway bonds, a half-cent sales tax increase in the metro area for roads and transit and $20-a-year county wheelage taxes.

A House-Senate conference committee is expected to quickly resolve differences in the two bills as early as next week and send a compromise to Pawlenty.

Calling it "their big Kahuna bill," the Republican governor reiterated his pledge to veto that measure.

Then he hopes to find some middle ground on transportation. He favors borrowing to pay for road construction, but he declined to say what other options he would consider.

Notice that the Governor isn't saying that we aren't going to increase transportation spending because there is no money. What he is saying is that he isn't going to ask us to pay for it; he is going to ask our children and grandchildren to pay for it. There is no clearer sign than this that today's crop of Republicans from Bush on down has abandoned once was one of their party's signature issues: fiscal responsibility.

This is what happens when you know that another one of your signature issues - small government - is no longer politically or realistically possible, but you can't bring yourselves to admit it and pay for it. We'll just pretend that we can have a bigger government while funding a small one. Someone else can pay for it.