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Location: Blogs Dan's Blog |
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| Posted by: Dan McGrath |
4/7/2008 |
 Passed by large margins in both houses of the state legislature, a whopping 114 page, $1 billion bonding bill landed on the governor’s desk last week. Today, after some extensive veto-pen editing, Governor Pawlenty signed the bill into law. The new price tag is $105 million lower than the governor’s original stated limit, and about $300 million less than the legislature sought.
“I find it inconceivable that legislators would fund a brass band music lending library and yet provide no funding for a much needed new nursing facility at the Minneapolis Veterans Home,” the governor wrote in a letter to House Speaker Kelliher.
Vetoed spending items included:
- $72.7 million for the U of M and MNSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities)
- Millions for wetlands and landscaping projects
- $1.4 million for soccer fields in Blaine
- $3 million for volleyball courts in Rochester
- $3.3 million for various other amateur sports facilities
- $82.75 million for 13 rail transit projects
- $2 million for a Cedar Ave bicycle bridge in Minneapolis
- $11 million for gorilla and polar bear exhibits at Como Zoo
- $2 million for lights that “preserve the natural night environment” in Minneapolis
- Millions for assorted trails and paths
- A half-million for the city of Floodwood to buy a business park
- $5 million for the arts
- Millions more in miscellaneous district-specific pork projects
The bonding bill as signed by the governor totals $717 million, keeping it well under the traditional 3% debt service budget limit. A good-sized chunk of the pork is gone, making the 2008 bonding bill leaner, and the smallest capital investment bill passed in years.
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Re: Pork Buster – Pawlenty Line Item Vetoes, then Signs Reduced Bonding Bill |
By Charlie A Gop for ever on
4/7/2008 |
| Thanks Governor for standing up to the liberal majority you work with. The Pork they tried to get by with is unthinkable. The line item veto you demonstrated works and shows us how much of our money that was destined to be wasted by this group of idiots. When will Democrats learn that the money they spend is ours, not theirs? Once again, thanks for saving us millions of dollars Governor, and God bless you, and God bless America! |
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Re: Pork Buster – Pawlenty Line Item Vetoes, then Signs Reduced Bonding Bill |
By Barb-St. Paul on
4/8/2008 |
| Governor, you have shown the wasteful not to be. You did it with dignity and wisdom. Unfortunately it says "no trust" of those wasting our hard earned money. We understand you cannot do everyones job and we understand the unproductive, irrational, narrow minded public servants you are forced to work with and we are forced to pay. We thank you for stepping in to stop. And we thank you for the "tough love" you have for St. Paul. |
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Re: Pork Buster – Pawlenty Line Item Vetoes, then Signs Reduced Bonding Bill |
By Brent - Rosemount on
4/9/2008 |
$2 million for lights in Minneapolis to maintain a "natural night environment", WTF is that?
I just wish T-Paw wasn't from the Rockefeller wing of the GOP. What we need is more elected officials from the Reagan Wing of the GOP. McCain is the poster child of the Rockefeller wing.
I am glad he line item vetoed this bill instead of just signing it, but he should have vetoed the whole thing.
If UM-Duluth, Bemidji State, and St. Cloud State need money for hockey arenas, why can't rich alumni pony up instead of soaking John Q. Taxpayer for them?
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Re: Pork Buster – Pawlenty Line Item Vetoes, then Signs Reduced Bonding Bill |
By by Linda-Shakopee on 4/8/2008 on
4/9/2008 |
| Thank you Governor for standing up for Minnesota. We cannot continue to pay for foolishness when our citizens (at least middle class) are having a difficult time with job loss, gas price increases, small business taxing, etc.--we cannot go on like this in Minnesota. I appreciate you for "standing your ground". |
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Re: Pork Buster – Pawlenty Line Item Vetoes, then Signs Reduced Bonding Bill |
By Ron Massie on
4/9/2008 |
| Don't get too comfortable with the Governor's line item veto. He's probably just using it as leverage to get projects he wants such as a new State park and a nursing facility at the Vet's Hospital. I wrote him (as should you) to tell him not to use this line item veto as leverage to get what he wants. He should refrain from meeting with The Speaker and refrain from cutting any deals. We don't need any more ridiculous light rail or any of the other pork he lined out. |
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Re: Pork Buster – Pawlenty Line Item Vetoes, then Signs Reduced Bonding Bill |
By Barb on
4/20/2008 |
| Good point. We'll see where the governor's true intent falls. |
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Re: Pork Buster – Pawlenty Line Item Vetoes, then Signs Reduced Bonding Bill |
By Swit on
4/23/2008 |
| Are you kidding me??? Do any of these projects outlined really NEED to be done? Economic hard times are coming and this is how our entire law-making sector works a budget? Hello! When tough times come for families they trim the bugdet, sometimes making big cuts in things that aren't necessary for living, I know that's what I do. Food prices are up, gas is up, there are food shortages and we're starting to see some rationing. Now I am not going to go out and buy a new SUV and 52" plasma TV when I should be investing in my families well being (Hello! Food! and whatever else!) That wouldn't be responsible for me to run my family that way, yet the government sees that they are entitled to do so. When I voted these guys in, I didn't do so with a blank check! PS-Ron M. I agree with you about the line veto. He's plotting something, but what? |
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