Category Archives: Budget
Minnesota’s 3 Seasons
For anyone who has ever spent a significant amount of time in Minnesota, the old adage
used to be that Minnesota may technically have four seasons (your standard Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall), but we only recognize two:
Winter and Road Construction.
Now we’ve entered a new era. Minnesota has graduated to having three seasons:
Winter, Road Construction and……….
And the Sun Still Rises…Without Raising Taxes
Minnesota State Capitol
Despite the standoff between DFL and Republican lawmakers in the state of Minnesota, the longest state government shutdown in US history is drawing to a close. Though not a “done deal” yet, the Republican legislative majorities accepted the concession offer by Governor Mark Dayton. In a letter to Speaker Zellers and Majority Leader Koch, the accepted offer is merely a tweaked version of the Republican’s offer dated June 30, mere hours before the state of Minnesota closed down.
After watching a number of local news broadcasts about the shutdown resolution, the burning question was this: Why did the Governor shut down the state, cause unnecessary stress and pain to Minnesotans (especially those laid off state employees) and then accept (with minor tweaking) an offer that he had previously refused mere hours away from the shutdown deadline? Consensus among DFL legislators tonight—- “We aren’t quite sure…. but I guess Dayton wanted to be the statesman and ‘end the suffering’ before it got worse.”
Read the rest of this entry
Crazy Dayton Eyes…
Thanks to Davis and Emmer from the morning show at 100.3 KTLK FM News Talk for their latest parody, “Crazy Dayton Eyes.” We’re now well into Day #6 of the Minnesota State Government Shutdown, brought to you by Governor Mark Dayton!
Enjoy!
Parade Politics
Image by deltaMike via Flickr
It’s an age old tradition to attend a 4th of July parade. Candy tossed to the crowds and marching bands playing patriotic tunes, local royalty ambassadors and of course, my favorite, the Zurah Shrine riders in their little cars, buzzing around the streets. Another staple though, is the political vibe… candidates and elected officials alike, oftentimes with handing out stickers and parade literature. Read the rest of this entry
In Mark Dayton’s Own Words: “No, I would not shut government down.”
Lights out. As the clock struck midnight, the lights literally went out at the Minnesota State Capitol.
July 1, 2011 - MN State Capitol goes dark. Source: Princess Politics
July 1, 2011 will forevermore be known as the day Mark Dayton shut down the State of Minnesota. After months of negotiating and the delivery of multiple balanced budgets by the GOP-controlled majorities in the legislature, Governor Mark Dayton dug in his heels and refused to even pass a “Lights On” temporary funding budget so that they could have additional time to work out the details of closing Minnesota’s $5 Billion shortfall. Without what Mark Dayton called “increased revenue” (which is fancy speak for raising taxes and increased fees), he refused to agree to any of the budget offers that came to his desk.
But in typical liberal fashion, it was a “my way or the highway” approach. Even when the MNGOP legislators agreed to many of the governor’s funding requests, he still wasn’t happy. At midnight, the shutdown of state government services became official, even though rest stops and state parks had already been closing. But today, there are over 30,000 state employees that could not return to work. And nobody knows how long it will be before a deal is reached. Read the rest of this entry
A “Greece”-y Mess – Why the USA Should Care
On the other side of the world, outside of our American bubble, Greece is in a mess. Facing soaring debt and likely default, the Greek parliament passed a bailout of sorts they call an Austerity Bill. Greece’s debt as a percentage of GDP currently hovers around 144%.
On the brink of an economic meltdown, world markets have been closely watching what would transpire in the European country. Their solution? Major tax hikes and cuts to services… and Greece has been rioting over this.
How did this happen? Well, in large part…. an explosion of public sector jobs, pensions, and other social benefits since 1973. Sound familiar?
Here in the United States, we are facing a critical decision making time as we reach our “debt ceiling”, the legal limit as to how much the government can borrow to pay its obligations. As it stands, the US is scheduled to reach the federal limit on spending as of August 2, 2011. Read the rest of this entry
