Ding! Ding! Ding!

You've got to hand it to Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who in his last State of the State address discussed how tax cuts and spending cuts are the key to reducing the state's unemployment rate (which at 7.4% is still way under the US-wide unemployment rate of 9.7%).

Pawlenty’s plan includes the following:

• A 20 percent cut in the corporate tax rate.
• A 20 percent exclusion from taxes for small businesses.
• A tax credit for “angel investors” who provide money to startup companies.
• A supercharged research-and-development tax credit.
• A capital-gains exclusion for qualified investments.
• Incentives for companies to invest in Minnesota small businesses

Could any of these "giveaways" to businesses actually stimulate the Minnesota economy? You betcha!