Pre-Campaign Literature


Freedom First PAC (Tim Pawlenty)

Flyer, 8 1/2" x 11", Jan. 13, 2011
10 Facts About Tim Pawlenty

1.     In 2009, Governor Pawlenty cut state government spending in real terms for the first time in Minnesota’s more than 150-year history. The Cato Institute awarded him an “A” in its 2010 Fiscal Policy Report Card—one of only four governors to receive the highest grade.

2.     From 1960 to 2002, state spending in Minnesota increased by an average of 21% every two years. During his two terms in office, Governor Pawlenty lowered the growth of spending to under 1% per year, balanced the budget, and cut state taxes by nearly $800 million.

3.     He vetoed all bills raising taxes.  He vetoed 123 bills in eight years to cut spending and reduce government growth and waste.  He holds the state record for bills vetoed in a single legislative session (34).

4.     Under his leadership, Minnesota’s unemployment rate weathered the recession better than any other state. In 2010, Minnesota added jobs at a rate of 1.6 percent while the nation was at 0.5 percent. Minnesota’s unemployment rate is 7.1 percent versus 9.8 percent nationally.

5.     Governor Pawlenty fought government unions. During negotiations to end lifetime health benefits for new bus drivers who worked as little as 15 years, Governor Pawlenty withstood a 44-day strike of the Twin Cities’ public transit system—one of the longest in American history. And won. He also signed a law cutting $2 billion from public employee pensions and increased the contributions of pensioners.

6.     He fought the teachers unions and passed the nation’s first statewide merit-pay for teachers system, so that pay is linked to student achievement, rather than just seniority. Minnesota has led the nation in average composite ACT scores for six consecutive years, and it has one of the highest high school graduation rates in the country.

7.     He is a nationally recognized leader in health care reform. He made Minnesota’s health care system market driven, patient-centered, and quality-focused.  The result?  Minnesota has one of the lowest rates of uninsured in the nation, ranks second in the nation in health savings accounts, and was ranked by CQ in 2009 as the healthiest state in the nation.

8.     The Minnesota Supreme Court—long known as a moderate to liberal body—is today a conservative court because of Governor Pawlenty’s five judicial selections.

9.     He made illegal immigration a priority, volunteering to send Minnesota’s National Guard troops to help secure the Mexican border. He proposed new laws including prohibiting cities from having “sanctuary laws” that prevent local police from enforcing our immigration laws, and enhanced penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. He also proposed to expand the number of H-1B visas and employment based green cards.

10.  Governor Pawlenty has extensive experience in international affairs. He has made five trips to Iraq and three trips to Afghanistan in support of our troops. He has led trade missions around the world including three to China and missions to India, Israel, Chile, Brazil, Poland, Japan, Canada and the Czech Republic.
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By the time of the exploratory committee launch, this basic document was still being used with minor changes indicated below:
10 Facts About Tim Pawlenty

1.     In 2009, Governor Pawlenty cut state government spending in real terms for the first time in Minnesota’s more than 150-year history. The Cato Institute awarded him an “A” in its 2010 Fiscal Policy Report Card—one of only four governors to receive the highest grade.

2.     From 1960 to 2002, state spending in Minnesota increased by an average of 21% every two years. During his two terms in office, Governor Pawlenty lowered the growth of spending to under 1% per year, balanced the budget, and cut state taxes by nearly $800 million.

3.     He vetoed all bills raising taxes.  He vetoed 123 bills in eight years to cut spending and reduce government growth and waste.  He holds the state record for bills vetoed in a single legislative session (34).He vetoed every tax hike sent to him—$7.5 billion in total—and set the veto record for a Minnesota governor in one legislative session (34 vetoes).

4.     Under his leadership, Minnesota’s unemployment rate weathered the recession better than any other state. In 2010the past year, Minnesota added jobs at a rate of 1.6 percent% while the nation was at 0.5 percent%. Minnesota’s unemployment rate is 7.1 percent7.5% versus 9.8 percent9.5% nationally.

5.     Governor Pawlenty fought government unions. During negotiations to end lifetime health benefits for new bus drivers who worked as little as 15 years, Governor Pawlenty withstood a 44-day strike of the Twin Cities’ public transit system—one of the longest in American history. And won. He also signed a law cutting $2 billion$2.5 billion from public employee pensions and increased the contributions of pensioners.

6.     He fought the teachers unions and passed the nation’s first statewide merit-pay for teachers system, so that pay is linked to student achievement, rather than just seniority. Minnesota has led the nation in average composite ACT scores for six consecutive years, and it has one of the highest high school graduation rates in the country.

7.     He is a nationally recognized leader in health care reform. He made Minnesota’s health care system market driven, patient-centered, and quality-focused.  The result?As a result, Minnesota has one of the lowest rates of uninsured in the nation, ranks second in the nation in health savings accounts, and was ranked by CQ in 2009 as the healthiest state in the nation.

8.     The Minnesota Supreme Court—long known as a moderate to liberal body—is today a conservative court because of Governor Pawlenty’s five judicial selectionsappointments.

9.     He made illegal immigration a priority, volunteering to send Minnesota’s National Guard troops to help secure the Mexican border. He proposed new laws including prohibiting cities from having “sanctuary laws” that prevent local police from enforcing our immigration laws, and enhanced penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. He also proposed to expand the number of H-1B visas and employment based green cards.

10.  Governor Pawlenty has extensive experience in international affairs. He has made five trips to Iraq and three trips to Afghanistan in support of our troops. He has led trade missions around the world including three missions to China and missions to India, Israel, Chile, Brazil, Poland, Japan, CanadaIndia, Israel, Chile, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Poland, and the Czech Republic.