Flirted? Surely you jest. I thought we were going to “tell the truth.” And if we are going to be honest and tell the truth, it’s just a wee bit more than “flirting.” So much more in fact, that I used to refer to him as Governor Green Jeans. Let’s be real here. Who hangs out with Will Steger other than climate kooks and environmental zealots? Tim Pawlenty does, or he did, I don’t know if he still does. Let’s just see what the University of Minnesota stated in a release:

On Thursday, February 22 [2008], Governor Tim Pawlenty signed an energy bill that requires Minnesota to obtain twenty-five percent of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2025. Addressing an eager crowd at the University of Minnesota’s Cargill Building for Microbial and Plant Genomics, Pawlenty deemed the bill “one of the most aggressive renewable energy plans in the country.”

In addition to the “twenty-five by ’25” standard, the bill requires Xcel Energy, the largest electricity distributor in the state, to provide thirty percent of its energy from renewable sources. Such renewable alternatives include wind turbines, solar power, and biomass. The new standard complements the ethanol doubling plan set for 2013 (signed in 2005), and the Community–Based Energy Development tariff that aims to support local renewable energy endeavors.

Let’s get in to this just a little further:

The Green Jobs Investment Initiative would:

• New tax-free incentives through a “Green JOBZ” program that will provide the same tax exemptions found in the state’s JOBZ program to qualifying green job projects.

• A new Job Growth Investment Tax Credit, 50 percent of which will be targeted to green job projects that will promote the state’s renewable energy goals ($20 million).

• A new Small Business Investment Tax Credit for investments in qualified Minnesota businesses, 50 percent of which will be targeted to green job projects ($60 million).

• Incentives to expand the production and infrastructure for biomethane, solar and other renewable energy projects.

• Creation of a clean and green technology category to the Minnesota Cup competition to reward innovation and spark invention.

• Tracking energy usage by state government, and holding government accountable for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.

And his Green JOBZ:

Businesses qualifying for Green JOBZ will be those that support Minnesota’s 25 x ‘25 renewable energy standard by improving energy efficiency and conservation, and by reducing emissions, pollution and greenhouse gases. This may include:

• Renewable energy creation from a variety of sources

• Increased transportation fuel-source alternatives

• Production of green building components

• Manufacturing of products, services or research that support renewable industries such as wind turbine components, plug-in electric vehicles, and the like

Does this sound like someone who “flirted” with this inefficient, expensive, job killing crap that won’t work? No it doesn’t. It sounds like a climate kook environmental zealot.

This is one of the main items that bothers me about Pawlenty. I know how he talked in the 2002 campaign for governor, and I know how he governed. Say one thing, do the opposite. He did it again in 2006.

This is not a hit piece on Tim Pawlenty. All I’m doing is telling you the truth. He signed this stuff in to law, he had the opportunity to reverse it, but didn’t. And now his position is opposite of his actions as governor? You decide.