Gov. Tim Pawlenty needs to go.

While Pawlenty isn&8217;t the single politician responsible for the health of our state, he does have the power to sign bills into law or use his veto power. No other office leaves an imprint on the state more than the governor.

Pawlenty hasn&8217;t done our state many favors in the last four years. Last time, he ran on a no-new-taxes pledge and the promise to put more money in families&8217; pockets. Instead, he cut local government aid programs, which in turn meant families paid more in property taxes.

There have been deep cuts to programs designed to low- and middle-income families get on their feet.

And the state has rolled out more fees, which just another term for &8212; you got it &8212; new taxes.

The state needs to get back on track. To see just how out of line things are, look at education.

Fifty-eight school districts in the state are holding referendums to make up for flat funding.

There&8217;s a huge disparity between funding for metro schools and those in rural Minnesota &8212; even though our state constitution and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling require equality in education.

On the college level, there have been cuts to financial aid, and above-average tuition hikes. At

this rate, higher education is something only the wealthy will be able to afford. Students are having to take out more and more loans for college, making many wonder if they&8217;ll ever be able to pay it off.

Pawlenty&8217;s Democratic opponent, two-term Attorney General Mike Hatch, has run for governor twice before but didn&8217;t win his party&8217;s nomination. But since, he&8217;s waged some high-profile legal battles with banks over consumer privacy, health companies over executive perks and debt collectors over pushy practices. While some see Hatch as too angry to be an effective leader, we see his aggressive approach as an asset. He comes across as someone fighting for the little guy, and for this reason, Hatch gets our endorsement.

Independence Party candidate Peter Hutchinson offers a deep knowledge of policy and a candid style. He would also be a better choice than Pawlenty.

Minnesota&8217;s families deserve better than what Pawlenty has given. Let&8217;s fix this mess. Vote for Hatch.