Tim Pawlenty Will Likely Run In 2012

Pawlenty has set a deadline of 45 days regarding his announcement as a republican candidate for the president of the United States. More and more it is looking like both Palin and Huckabee won’t be running and even Eric Woolson, Huckabee’s former campaign manager in 2008, signed on board with the Pawlenty team. John Thune already made an announcement last month that he does not intend to run. Pawlenty, Palin, Huckabee and Thune all have had high ratings with Tea Party members and with those candidates out of the way Pawlenty’s chances at securing the nomination are much higher.

With two gubernatorial wins in Minnesota, which is often referred to as a swing state, Pawlenty shows electability at the national level. He is married to Mary Pawlenty and they are raising their two daughters, Anna and Mara, together. Pawlenty was born a Roman Catholic, but converted to being Baptist to match his wife’s faith. Pawlenty is a social conservative and now a devout evangelical Christian; he regularly attends Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie.

As a social conservative, Pawlenty believes the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade was a wrong decision and as governor he enacted a 24 hour waiting period for women who wish to receive an abortion in the state of Minnesota. Pawlenty has been publically outspoken on the issue of gay marriage, saying that it should not be legalized. Moreover he has stated that if he were president he would restore the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law that restricts homosexuals from serving openly.

The former Minnesota governor also made major strides to reform the budget crisis in his state by cutting spending and programs to ultimately wipe out the state’s deficit. In his first term he didn’t raise taxes a single cent, but managed to fix a 4.7 billion dollar state deficit. In his second term he cut government waste even further and reduced unnecessary programs to erase nearly 3 billion dollars of debt. His fight wasn’t easy making these cuts as he had to face the popular DFL party, a faction of the Democratic Party. He squared off with them on budget concerns causing a shutdown of the state government in 2005.

Governor Pawlenty is in a strong 6th place among Tea Party favorite polls and the top five candidates ranking above him are likely not to run in the 2012 election. Currently Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin House of Representatives Republican is leading the poll; however he has said he will not make a bid in 2012. With many major candidates out of the way, it looks like Pawlenty is in a good position to win the nomination. He has proven that he can capture the votes of more centrist voters, all while appealing to the republican base and that is what it takes to win an election.

Derek Thomas is the editor in chief of republican2012.org and is writing the news on the latest 2012 republican candidates. You can show your support for the Tim Pawlenty 2012 campaign by purchasing Pawlenty 2012 Bumper Stickers and Pawlenty 2012 shirts.

Texas Toll Booths Shape Up And Ship Out

In Dallas, the North Texas Tollway Authority, an authority that is responsible for collecting tolls, has been scrutinized for months due to its toll collecting policy. This policy charges drivers who do not pay up at the toll booth fines of hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars. Because the NTTA has been under fire in the public eye, it announced today two steps it says that will target improving customer satisfaction.

The first measure that the NTTA took was to allow all drivers to use the electronic toll collection lanes, including those who do not have one. They are able to do this without being punished with a twenty five dollar fine.

Before this measure, drivers without toll tags that utilized the electronic lanes on the Dallas North Tollway were seen at as violators and would be fined twenty five dollars for each time they passed through an electronic toll booth, rather than a cash booth after the fact.

However, after February eighth, the drivers lacking a toll tag who use the electronic lanes will be given the opportunity to pay for the tolls before being slammed with the additional twenty five dollar fine. But these toll charges will continue to be calculated at the cash rate, which is twice as high as the rates paid by toll tag consumers.

Unfortunately, the change won’t affect the NTTA’s collections policy in any other way and it will not stop consumers without toll tags who do not pay toll bills mailed to their homes from being charged twenty five dollars for every unpaid toll. This is a policy that can turn a week’s worth of tolls into a thousand dollar bill.

The NTTA’s second move was to appoint an internal auditor as a sort of mediator, which will be available to frustrated customers who have first complained their way through NTTA customer service hierarchy without a result that satisfied them. The auditor will then review the account and determine if customer service and billing reps have followed their own rules.

Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution, a nationwide collection agency. Looking for credit card services or skip tracing? Contact us today.