(Image Source: MinnPost)
BY: BLAKE HANSON
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The Minnesota government shutdown -- is all but finished. Governor Mark Dayton and the state’s Republican leaders have found a middle ground. WCCO asks -- why isn’t anyone happy about it?
“Governor Dayton surrendered to Republicans who uniformly opposed his ‘tax the rich’ budget, but it’s a deal none of them like, even though it ends a embarrassing and political painful shutdown."
The compromise announcement comes after a two week impasse, one of the longest state government shutdowns in recent history. So who blinked first? Politico writes...
“The accord is essentially what Republicans offered on the eve of the shutdown two weeks ago, but without any social policy changes sought by the GOP and minus a demand to gradually reduce the size of the state’s workforce by 15 percent."
The shutdown lasted just long enough to put some serious pressure on the Democratic Governor.
Minnesota Public Radio’s Tom Scheck explains why on NPR’s Morning Edition.
“The governor said yesterday the pain of the shutdown was too problematic for the people of Minnesota and he didn’t want it to go on any longer."
While some are hailing a compromise, others say, it’s more of the same delusional government accounting. The Star Tribune reports...
“The $35.5 billion two-year budget deal would cause the state to double down on short-term financial shifts that could make it even more difficult for Minnesota to right its ledger in coming years. For example, the state will end up owing a record $2.1 billion to K-12 schools with no method laid out yet for paying that money back."
A University of Minnesota Political Science professor tells KARE those problems could come back to haunt both sides campaigning for 2012.
KIM INSLEY: “What does this mean down the line, and you were talking about kicking the can down the road. As you look at the budget proposal that’s laid out there right now, do you see potential problems cropping up in the next biennium?”
KATHRYN PEARSON: “Absolutely, with $1.4 million in essentially borrowed money. $700 million from school shift, and $700 million in tobacco money that’s coming in. That essentially is a one time fix for structural budget issues. So that means that budget issues will again be a huge campaign issue in 2012."
Lawmakers will continue to meet over the weekend to hammer out a plan. Governor Dayton would need to call a special session, which could lead to a signed budget deal as soon as Monday.
