Pawlenty Pisses Me Off

In the wake of the bridge disaster in Minnesota last week, our numbingly asinine governor Tim Pawlenty came forth with a proposal to provide increased funds for roads, highways and bridges by doing what? Raising our gas tax. Hmmmmm. This is a serious change of tune for Timmy after 5 years of having his head deeply up the ass of the MN taxpayer's league. One thing I despise about politics these days is that our elected officials are so beholden to their party's platforms that it is almost impossible for leaders to choose to do the right thing when it is most needed- before something terrible happens. Other reasons I don't like Timmy:

1. In 2.2006 he vetoed a proposed tax increase to provide increases in transportation funding. However the same year, he imposed a "health impact fee" (aka- a TAX!) of 75 cents per pack of smokes. Because he could justify not calling it a tax (in his own mind, no one else was fooled), it wasn't a tax, and he maintained good standing with the taxpayer's league.
2. Pawlenty has also starved our schools by severely limiting funding increases year after year as part of his reducing the size of big government agenda. This has resulted in local governments needing to raise individual home owner's property tax astronomically year after year. In the three years we have owned our home, we have had a cumulative increase of over 45% in our property taxes. Sweet.

One more thing, did any of you notice during the TV coverage following the bridge collapse that it tool less than 90 minutes to have a Republican on the airwaves taking jabs at the Dems? Grrrrrrrrr.

Update on Bridge Collapse

Today was a tough day at work. We got an announcement at about 10 a.m. saying that all of our employees but one had been accounted for after last night's disaster. We found out that a co-worker Sherry Engebretson was missing and much later found out that she had died in the collapse. You may have seen her family interviewed today on just about every news outlet as they waited for news. Though I had only met her on a few occasions, I knew her repuatation and her work. Very very sad news.

Bridge Collapse in Downtown Minneapolis

For my out of town friends. Link to story in Star Tribune
This is terrifying news. The north and south bound lanes of I35W over the Mississippi River collapsed during rush hour at 6:05 p.m. this evening.