As speculation swirls about who Governor Mitt Romney will select as his running mate, we are taking a closer look at the oft-reported shortlist, and highlight their stances on the issues that are important to the tech community. We begin with former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. And be sure to chime in with your thoughts on who would make the best running mate for Governor Romney.
At the end of the series, look for a checklist to see how the potential Vice Presidential nominees stack up on these critical issues.
(Click for more information on the tech community’s key issues.)
Tim Pawlenty
On tax, Governor Pawlenty echoed the call of the tech community that the corporate tax rate is too high. During his presidential run, Governor Pawlenty put forward a tax plan that would the corporate tax rate to 15%, that “the current tax code is an anti-growth, 900-page monstrosity. American businesses today pay the second-highest tax rates in the world, and that is a recipe for failure.” Furthermore, as Governor, he Congress to extend the R&D tax credit, an innovation incentive that tech companies heavily rely on. On immigration, while he is on as strongly opposing any form of amnesty or legalization, TechElect could find no comments from the Governor on skilled immigration – a matter important to the tech industry.
Governor Pawlenty has been a strong proponent of STEM education, having a community-wide action plan designed to help Minnesota students succeed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). In a 2011 interview, Pawlenty that “Science, technology, engineering, manufacturing, and related fields are so important to the future of our country. We need people who are engineers, scientists, inventors, innovators to come up with the next increment of productivity that will help keep our economy growing.” In June 2006, Governor Pawlenty the ACHIEVE program for those students who finished in the top quarter of their class. The program would pay for in-state college tuition for the first 2 years (4 years for selected fields such as STEM). However, the program was in Minnesota’s 2007 higher education bill. The Governor the Innovation America Task Force for the National Governors Association, which promoted innovation and enhanced STEM education.
Pawlenty has indicated that the U.S. should to get 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and that there tax incentives in place to promote energy efficiency. He is a supporter of free trade and created the China-Minnesota trade partnership. The Governor the importance of tech as a source to provide improved, accessible government services for Minnesotans by creating the state’s first Chief Information Officer. Upon leaving office, Governor Pawlenty joined the board of directors of an Atlanta-based supply chain and retail technology provider RedPrairie Corporation.
Check out the full Veepstakes series: