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NARRATOR Hi, I’m LaDonna Meinecke, from Corcoran. I have a question for Governor Pawlenty --How does cutting hospital jobs, laying off cops, and shutting down nursing homes help Minnesota in this economy? It’s not leadership to cut jobs and throw people off health care. It’s not leadership to borrow and spend, leaving the debt for our kids. Your cuts have consequences and this is important to my family and me. Call Governor Pawlenty and ask him why he’s making our economy even worse. Learn more at allianceminnesota.org Paid for by Alliance for a Better Minnesota.
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THE FACTS Hospitals Shedding Jobs Nursing Homes Facing Even More Closures With Cuts Pawlenty’s GAMC Line Item Veto Throws Thousands out of Health Care Governor’s Budget Plan Has Big Deficit in to Next Biennium Governor’s budget plan has $2.56 billion budget deficit for 2012-2013. (Minnesota House of Representatives Department of Fiscal Analysis, Accessed 5/19/09) |
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Call Governor Pawlenty
Ask him how laying off cops, closing hospitals, and shutting down nursing homes helps the economy in Minnesota.
1-800-657-3717
WCCO Ad #6 - Healthy
Tara Wangen, a nursing aid at United Hospital, like many Minnesotans, is concerned about Governor Pawlenty's plans to slash aid to hospitals and push thousands of Minnesotans off of public health insurance options.
As the Minnesota Budget Project explained, "An economic downturn increases the need for temporary public assistance to help stabilize struggling families. Employers cut back on health benefits, forcing those costs onto their workers." Sue Klabo, the administrator at Mahommen Health Center in northwester Minnesota, told the Bemidji Pioneer that hospitals like the one she leads face “grave” circumstances if state policymakers make deep health-care budget cuts.
"Cutting programs means eliminating jobs. That is especially difficult for rural health-care facilities, which struggle to recruit nurses, therapists and technicians, Klabo said."
Listen to the ad:
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NARRATOR Hi, I’m Tara Wangen, a nursing aide from United Hospital in St. Paul. Hospitals are a major part of our communities in here Minnesota. They respond to emergencies – from broken legs to heart attacks – and are the first level of response when disaster strikes. But Governor Pawlenty’s budget plan would eliminate many of the jobs in hospitals that keep our communities safe and support local economies. Call Governor Pawlenty and tell him to keep our hospitals – and our economy – healthy. You can learn more at allianceminnesota.org Paid for by Alliance for a Better Minnesota
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THE FACTS Hospitals One of MN’s Largest Employers Hospitals Shedding Jobs Even Before Massive Cuts The Governor Proposes Massive Spending Cuts to Hospitals Job Losses Tied Directly to Loss in State Funding |
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CALL GOVERNOR PAWLENTY
Call Governor Pawlenty and tell him to keep our hospitals – and our economy – healthy.
1-800-657-3717
WCCO Ad #5 - Gone Fishin'
Ralph Erickson,a member of Local 49 from Roseville, wants to know why Tim Pawlenty is hanging a "Gone Fishing" sign outside of the Governor's office with just 10 days left in the legislative session. Ralph asks listeners to "call the Governor [at 1-800-657-3717] and tell him to put down his rod and reel and get back to work" on a budget that puts Minnesota's working families first.
Minnesotans need Governor Pawlenty to focus on what's in their best interest and not his own political ambition. When he's not fishing, Gov. Pawlenty refuses to talk about a fair tax proposal. Instead of making sure the wealthy pay their fair share, Pawlenty would rather make "deeper cuts" to important basic services, like health care, education, and food stamps for low-income families.
As Ralph said, "there's still a lot of work left to do in our state" to turn the page on a recession that each day is leaving thousands of Minnesotans without jobs, homes, and health care. But first, Governor Pawlenty needs to stop playing games and start support a comprehensive budget-balancing solution which makes taxes fair.
Listen to the ad:
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NARRATOR Hi, I’m Ralph Erickson, from Roseville. We’ve got only 10 days left in the legislative session this year – and you would think Governor Pawlenty would be busy fixing our state’s budget problem? But no, he’s gone fishing. We’re up to our necks in medical bills, rising tuition costs, and our roads are a mess, but the governor’s gone fishing There’s still a lot of work left to do in our state. Instead of focusing on our future, and fixing our budget problems, the governor is gone fishing. Call the Governor and tell him to put down his rod and reel and get back to work. Learn more at allianceminnesota.org. Paid for by Alliance for a Better Minnesota. |
THE FACTS Governor’s Gone Fishing Many Minnesotans Can’t Afford Health Care Even Hospitals Having Trouble with Uncompensated Care Tuition and Student Debt Soaring Minnesota Roads Falling Apart At the same time, more major highways are falling into poor condition, the draft report showed - 2.6 percent of the system in 2007 and a projected 7.6 percent by 2011. The comparable figure in 2000 was 0.7 percent. For non-principal trunk highways, the news is even worse: In 2007, 6.5 percent of those roads were rated poor. The prediction for 2001 is 11.4 percent. (MN 2020, 2/19/08) |
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CALL GOVERNOR PAWLENTY
Tell him focusing to focus on fixing our budget problems.
1-800-657-3717
WCCO Ad #4 - Frank
In the latest ad, Frank Loeffler from White Bear Township, confronts Governor Pawlenty's obstruction of the state legislature's budget, asking Minnesotans to call him at 1-800-657-3717 and tell him to "stop using his red pen and start writing a better future for Minnesota."
Governor Pawlenty is taking every opportunity to say "no" to state legislators' efforts to turn around the state's budget deficit, while maintaining state services and strengthening middle-class families. As last week's ad explained, Governor Pawlenty's budget aims to redo the same failed economic policies from the Bush era, like tax giveaways for big corporations with no accountability.
We need Governor Pawlenty to put Minnesota families first and work with the legislature on a comprehensive budget solution that doesn't balance the budget on the backs on families that are struggling to make ends meet. Each day that Governor Pawlenty continues to say "NO" to working with the legislature on their budget bills, Minnesota's working families are at risk.
Listen to the ad:
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NARRATOR Hi, I’m Frank Loeffler, from White Bear Township. In my job and with my family and friends, I’ve learned that you need to work with people to get stuff done. But Tim Pawlenty just doesn’t get it. He REFUSES to even consider most of the proposals made by elected officials in the opposing party to close the budget gap. I can’t believe the Governor is being THAT stubborn. How does vetoing everything get us out of a budget deficit? Call Tim Pawlenty and tell him to stop using his red pen and start writing a better future for Minnesota. If you’d like to learn more visit: AllianceMinnesota.org Paid for by Alliance for a Better Minnesota. |
THE FACTS Pawlenty Says He’ll Veto House and Senate Plans Last Year Pawlenty Set Record for Vetoes Last year's bumper crop of 34 vetoes put Governor Tim Pawlenty in the record books with a new single-session record… Governor Pawlenty, by comparison, has 70 notches on his belt heading into the 2009 veto season. It won't stay at 70 for long. (KARE11 John Croman’s Blog, 4/28/09) |
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CALL GOVERNOR PAWLENTY
Tell him to stop using his red pen and start writing a better future for Minnesota.
1-800-657-3717
WCCO Ad #3 - Dustin
Dustin Loosebrock asks Gov. Tim Pawlenty why he's trying to continue the failed Bush policies here in Minnesota. If we want to turn the page on the Bush recession, that each day is leaving thousands of Minnesotans without jobs, homes, and healthcare, Minnesota needs Gov. Pawlenty to stop kowtowing to the leaders of his party.
It's one thing for Gov. Pawlenty to stand in the way of investments in priorities that will actually grow Minnesota's economy, like fixing our health care system and investing in our communities. It's entirely another for him to insist that the way to fix our problems is the exact same failed economic policies that created them.
Listen to the ad:
NARRATOR Hi, I’m Dustin Loosebrock from. A lot of my friends are losing their jobs. But Governor Pawlenty wants to keep the failed Bush policies right here in Minnesota – like tax giveaways for big corporations with no accountability. I guess he’s more concerned about pleasing the leaders of his party than fixing the problems of our state. Call the Governor and tell him to stop Bushonomics and start creating good-paying jobs. If you’d like to learn more visit: Allianceminnesota.org |
THE FACTS Economy Losing Jobs Pawlenty Wants to Cut Corp. Rate in Half Pawlenty Has Deferred to Party Leaders Before “Rove kindly explained to Pawlenty that…the White House had decided it would be better if Norm Coleman… ran for the Senate instead…When Pawlenty resisted, Rove got Dick Cheney to call him the next morning and press the case. Pawlenty showed up at his own news conference a few hours later and announced that he would not, in fact, be running for the Senate.” (New York Times, 10/20/2002) |
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WCCO Ad #2 - Health Care
The ad features Tee McClenty, an emergency room tech at a hospital in Maplewood.
Tee recorded the ad after hearing the Governor complain on his show about the requirement that hospitals provide care to anyone who walks through the door, even if they don't have health insurance.
"I love caring for patients who walk through the emergency room, but I'm tired of our health care system forcing families to use the emergency room because it's the only place they can get care.... I'm also tired of seeing families bankrupted by necessary medical bills."
"We need to fix the system – not kick people out of the care they have."
Listen to the ad:
NARRTOR Hi, I’m Tee McClenty an emergency room St. Johns Hospital in Maplewood. This week Governor Pawlenty complained about people using the Emergency Room when they don’t have health insurance. I can tell you from personal experience; these people come in only because they have nowhere else to go, and cutting funding doesn’t provide an alternative. We need to fix our health care system, not cut people off from the care they need and deserve. Call the Governor and tell him to fix our economy and fix our health care system – not cut people off from needed care. If you’d like to learn more visit: AllianceMinnesota.org. |
THE FACTS “One of the big cost drivers is a federal requirement of emergency rooms to have to treat people who come in, regardless of their condition… now for a lot of people that’s not the form of care they need that’s a very expensive form of care…” (MPR, 4/13/09) Pawlenty proposes saving $172 million from the state's general fund by reconfiguring the General Assistance Medical Care program so care is provided in clinics, where appropriate, not in emergency rooms. (MPR, 3/17/09) Beginning in January 2011, an estimated 113,000 Minnesotans would become ineligible for subsidized health care, and state spending for health care would be capped through 2013 at 2010 levels. (Star Tribune, 3/18/2009) |
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WCCO Ad #1 - Make Taxes Fair
The first ad features Tim Koester, a Minnesotan, asking Gov. Pawlenty about the widening gap between what the wealthiest Minnesotans pay and what average Minnesotans pay in taxes.
According to Minnesota 2020, middle income households in Minnesota (household income from $31,000 to $51,500) paid 12.3 cents of each dollar of income in state and local taxes, while the wealthiest one percent of households (household income above $447,900) paid only 8.9 cents. If nothing changes, taxes will become even less fair in 2011.
"We need the wealthy to pay their fair share... It's the only way we can invest in a better future."
Listen to the ad:
NARRATOR Hi, I’m Tim Koester, a Minnesotan. We’ve been hearing a lot from the Governor about his budget and seeing him a lot on Fox News. I don’t have a radio show, like he does. But I do have a question for him – why do I pay more than the richest Minnesotans in taxes? See they pay only about 10 percent, and I pay about 12 percent. It just isn’t fair, he should be looking out for me. Call the Governor and tell him to look out for Minnesota’s needs instead of his own political ambitions. If you’d like to learn more visit: Allianceminnesota.org Paid for by Alliance for a Better Minnesota |
THE FACTS Pawlenty’s Appearances on Fox News: Household Income 2011 Tax Rate Under $11,202 pay 22.1% Average of All Households- 11.4% Source: MN Department of Revenue 2009 Tax Incidence Study |
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