I received word yesterday that not only was State Senator Bakk thinking of running for Governor but my front row seat mate, Rep. Tom Rukavina is thinking of a 2010 run for the State's top job. Rep. Rukavina has not been afraid to take on the Governor on numerous occasions as he does here in a recent letter:
Toned down, but still angry
By State Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia
Recently, State Representative Tom Emmer distributed a column to Minnesota newspapers blaming the DFL leadership for the failure to address the I-35W bridge collapse and other transportation woes of this state. My first attempt to respond to Representative Emmer's column was much stronger, but after thinking about it for 24 hours, I've toned it down considerably in the interest of maintaining legislative decorum.
Representative Emmer, you may not be a liar, but you aren't telling the truth. It's not the DFL Legislature holding up funding for the I-35W bridge and other transportation needs. It's the Governor and you're enabling him to do so.From the very beginning, Governor Pawlenty and his Administration has been less than honest about the circumstances leading to the collapse of the 35W bridge. He has further blocked all efforts to address the lack of transportation funding in this state. He is ignoring the rapid decline of the Minnesota economy. He needs to be held accountable for his misrepresentations of the condition of the bridge, his unwillingness to correct prior mistakes and his failure to lead Minnesota back to the economic juggernaut it was under the leadership of Governor Perpich.
On the night of the I-35W bridge collapse, Governor Pawlenty appeared on CNN national news assuring the entire nation that the bridge had been inspected twice in the past three years and there was absolutely nothing wrong with the structural integrity of the bridge. The very next morning, the Star Tribune ran a story with the headline, "Bridge was rated 'structurally deficient' in 2005." The article notes that the point score rating for the bridge "indicates replacement may be in order."
Did Governor Pawlenty receive his erroneous information from Lt. Governor Molnau, which may explain why the Senate is leading the charge to replace her? Or did he receive it from a Minnesota Department of Transportation bureaucrat who was unaware of the problems with the bridge? In either case, Governor Pawlenty never apologized for giving inaccurate information on national television to the entire world.
Governor Pawlenty's miscues did not end there. Shortly after the bridge collapsed, the Governor stated he was willing to call a special session of the Legislature to authorize an increase in the gas tax to help fund emergency road and bridge projects. Several days later the Governor backed off his commitment to approve a gas tax increase unless it was offset by a reduction in other taxes. The Governor's abrupt flip-flop on the gas tax makes me wonder whether he is more concerned about tax rates or the safety of his people.
Governor Pawlenty continues to obstruct any efforts to address our critical needs for road and bridge funding. He refuses to acknowledge that Minnesota's economy is in turmoil, trailing national economic indicators for the first time in 30 years. He fails to understand that funding necessary road and bridge projects could also help Minnesota recover some of the 17,400 jobs we lost since June of this year.
Governor Pawlenty, come home and lead this state. You're not the Governor of India. Since you left Minnesota, Boston Scientific and GMAC Mortgage Corporation, two companies with major Minnesota operations, have announced the elimination of 5,300 jobs, with many of the cuts targeted for Minnesota. These cuts come on the heels of the net loss of 17,400 over the past three months. Governor, leave the Taj Mahal behind and come back to Minnesota to address our real economic and infrastructure problems. If you are true to your word about the need for a special session to raise the gas tax, come home, read the Constitution and call a special session of the Legislature.
The Minnesota Constitution clearly states it's the Governor's responsibility to call a special session of the Legislature; and it's the Legislature's responsibility to determine how the issues are to be addressed. Governor, you are no longer the Majority Leader of the House. You don't control the legislative agenda. I know you understand there are three branches of State Government, but you're acting as though you perceive those three branches to be "me, myself and I". For a Governor who never received over 47 percent of the vote, your failure to cooperate with the Legislature and provide the leadership this state needs is incomprehensible.
I'm sure glad I tossed out the harsher version of this letter.