ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty used his final State of the State speech to plead for a smaller tax burden that he says is needed to spur growth.

The Republican described Minnesota as challenged but resilient.

Palwenty announced a tax incentives package to encourage job creation that includes a 20 percent corporate tax break and angel investment tax credits. He also proposed giving the Ford plant in St. Paul tax incentives modeled after his Job Opportunity Building Zones program.

As he looks to cement his legacy in MN and move onto the nat'l stage, MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) unveiled a 6-part Jobs Creation Bill in his final State of the State address today.

Pawlenty's address comes during hard times for his state. As he prepares to propose his final budget on 2/15, Pawlenty faces the daunting task of closing a $1.2B shortfall without raising taxes. That could mean deeper cuts to state services or one-time fixes that potentially push tough choices to Pawlenty's successor.

The U.S. attorney general recently announced that the Justice Department is beefing up its efforts to fight financial fraud such as Ponzi schemes. Good. The agency should start by reviewing the spending habits of the federal government, which is running the largest Ponzi scheme our country has ever seen. 

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, one of the early front runners for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, raised nearly $1.3 million for his political action committee in the final three months of 2009 from more than 2,750 donors, according to papers to be filed with the Federal Election Commission this weekend.

The figures, impressive in the early going for the 2012 nomination, highlights the organizational strength of Pawlenty's political action committee, "Freedom First."