Minnesota Campaign Report ran a brief, but compelling analysis of the Governor’s budget "compromise" based on information from the State Auditor.

A few things to consider about Governor Pawlenty and property taxes:

1) MN property taxes are up over 70 percent since Pawlenty took office.
2) Pawlenty admitted in ’04 that he broke a campaign promise by cutting $491 million in local goverment aid. (After acknowledging in ’03 that his budget would raise property taxes.)
3) As a result, cities and towns in Minnesota cut services and raised revenues through increased fees and property taxes. 

One could argue that Pawlenty is taking advantage of a political opportunity around a mess partially caused by his own policies.  It’s perfectly fine to be against property taxes – but the Governor has had plenty of chances to fix the problem, and instead seems to be playing political games with the future of our state’s finances.

Is this perhaps an attempt on Pawlenty’s part to clean up his own record on increased taxes and fees by proposing what appears to be an empty and short-sighted "No New Taxes" promise part II?