Pawlenty Disguises Job Market
08/20/2006
By SallyKane
Posted on Wed Aug 16th, 2006
Gov. Pawlenty claimed bragging rights on Tuesday when he said, “Minnesota’s job market is `on fire’ at the moment”.
Minnesota Public Radio reported that more people in Minnesota are looking for jobs, signaling a stronger outlook, but also leading to a slight rise in the state’s jobless rate. Pawlenty, who’s seeking a second term, held a news conference to discuss how great this news is for Minnesota. After the news conference everything in Republican-campaign-land seemed to be all roses. At least, that’s what the GOP is telling you now. Two months ago the state’s jobless rate hit a five-year low.
Pawlenty also cut more than $2 million in employment and workforce development programs for Minnesota’s youth, according to City Pages. But less than one month before the primary election on September 12, Pawlenty holds a press conference touting his track record of improving Minnesota’s economy, jobs, and quality of life. The Republican leadership needs to stop believing their own spin. There are Minnesotans who work two jobs and still can’t afford health insurance or rising fuel costs or tuition.
This sudden increase of the unemployment rate right around primary election time clearly shows that the Governor couldn’t care less about giving Minnesotans, and especially it’s youth, the opportunity to succeed. The funding that Pawlenty eliminated was essential to providing kids summer jobs so that they can stay off the streets and giving them a better chance to succeed in the workforce. It is Minnesota’s youth and young college grads that are paying the price for the Governor’s inability to manage the state.
Pawlenty needs to explain to the public how we benefit from more unemployed young people. Anyone who looks at Tim Pawlenty’s lack of funding priorities can see the real story, articulated very well in an Op Ed by David Foster, Chair Alliance for a Better Minnesota. As for now, the only thing that is “on fire” is Tim Pawlenty’s record of cuts that take away jobs from Minnesotans of all ages.