Twin Cities Indymedia | Movement Media for Minneapolis-St. Paul

We have heard that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will announce his 'unallotment' cuts entirely on one day in the next few weeks, in a plan to manipulate perceptions by attempting to contain the bad news into one news cycle. With little publicity, this day will arrive suddenly, it is hoped, denying his opponents a basis to organize against.

The bad news will begin on this day — good people will die, in particular because of Pawlenty's planned cut to Local Government Aid of at least $400,000,000, possibly much more. The beginning of Fiscal Year 2010 is July 1st, 2009. Before then, Pawlenty will cut off funding to everything in a way that will assuredly pander to national GOP primary voters. Our state and its still-strong social welfare net (as well as previously "equalized" statewide local government funding) will be the test lab for a sinister, hardcore GOP austerity agenda that may serve as the foundation of an authoritarian-rightwing populist electoral message in future years. The Shock Doctrine will get practiced against the cities and towns, first of all, by ripping apart the "Minnesota Miracle" funding streams that financed strong statewide local education (and services) since the 1970s.

Higher education tuition rates and health services will also get damaged, worsening the quality of life for the middle class (let alone other classes). Hennepin County Medical Center and Regions Hospital, to begin with, will start slashing services because of the GAMC Fiscal Year 2011 veto (which technically starts next July 1st). 

It's not a game, but for Pawlenty it always is. When the local governments have to hike property taxes or abandon everything, the statewide media will refuse to connect Pawlenty to it. More depressing to see are political reporters concur that the public perception that Pawlenty hiked the taxes "won't stick." They won't push any context.

That's what's coming up. It seems like Pawlenty's great day of state terrorism should be really unpleasant in order to cut the coverup down to size. It'd be a great day for a general strike, or just a time to stop and reflect on what authoritarian prairie fascism looks like. It's your preview of class warfare for the 2012 election.